Community Lodgings Receives Lift From HomeAid, Pulte

HomeAid Northern Virginia and Pulte Homes kicked off a renovation project to assist Community Lodgings in Arlandria on Tuesday.

HomeAid and Pulte are partnering to renovate one of Community Lodgings’ five apartment buildings, which serve as transitional housing for homeless families and individuals.

Renovating the 10-unit building will cost roughly $860,000 and enable Community Lodgings to increase the number of people it serves annually.

Members from all three groups and Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille assembled on Tuesday at the building in the 600 block of Notabene Drive to formally launch the project, which will just take a few months to complete.

“This is another instance of collaborating with nonprofits to make sure we’re doing the right thing,” Euille said, adding that the city still has a lot of work to do to ensure that people of all incomes can live in Alexandria. 

HomeAid leverages resources from homebuilding companies like Pulte to conduct major renovations to shelters, food banks, clinics, counseling centers and other facilities that help homeless people gain stability. 

“I had my doubts about this project getting off the ground,” said Michael Scheurer, president of HomeAid Northern Virginia. “[Community Lodgings Executive Director] Bonnie Baxley reinforced to me that you should never, never give up.” 

Lewis Birnbaum, division president with Pulte, said the project was part of the company’s way of saying thanks to the city. Pulte is developing the 167-acre plot at Potomac Yard. He said the Community Lodgings project is “important and honorable” philanthropy.

“We’re looking forward to this being a very different place in a few months,” he said.