CPDC's History

In 1989, Eugene Ford, who has developed more than 15,000 units of affordable housing over the previous 40 years established CPDC, the area's premier non-profit developer. Mr. Ford recruited Leslie Steen to be CPDC's first president.

Together, Eugene Ford and Leslie Steen determined that the new company's focus would be to preserve affordable properties in the mid-Atlantic region, because safe, decent, and affordable housing was, and still is, critically needed. CPDC's philosophical foundation centered on three convictions:

• Preserving Affordability: Acquire and preserve housing that is currently affordable, but vulnerable to market pressures and conversion to higher cost housing;
  
• Preserving Communities: Intercede in distressed communities that are plagued by deteriorated conditions and criminal activity and transform them to vibrant, safe, and sustainable places to live; and
  
• Empowering Communities: Ensure that the communities are sustainable by offering residents a range of accessible programs that enable them to plan an active civic role in their community, and provide them with opportunities to enter the economic mainstream and improve the quality of their lives.

Over twenty properties and 3,500 units later, CPDC has established an unparalleled reputation for revitalizing communities across the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Region. At CPDC's properties in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland, residents have established tenant associations, organized voter registration, improved their school performance, achieved their GEDs, updated their office skills, improved their employability, help to establish electronic villages, and created safe and more secure communities.

For more information about CPDC, how you can help or get involved, please contact CPDC.