Carmen Romero

Bio:

As President and CEO, Carmen Romero provides executive direction for True Ground Housing Partners. She oversaw the creation of True Ground’s current strategic plan for 2023 to 2027 and is responsible for its implementation.

Ms. Romero supervised the organization’s strategic rebranding initiative in 2024, highlighting its evolution into a regional provider of affordable housing and resident services. She has also prioritized capacity building to match real estate portfolio growth. True Ground’s portfolio includes over $1 billion in assets and 25 affordable apartment communities in five jurisdictions across the DC region totaling 3,200+ apartments. True Ground provides housing for over 6,000 individuals and families.

Recent real estate milestones include the delivery of Wholey Legacy Homes (Arlington, VA), Riggs Crossing Senior Residences (Washington, DC), and Ilda’s Overlook Senior Residences (Fairfax, VA). Ms. Romero also oversees three high-impact projects under construction: The Sweeney (formerly Crystal House), which will create 432 apartments in Arlington and The Exchange at Spring Hill Station, which will create 516 apartments in Tysons Corner, in addition to The Linden Senior Residences, True Ground’s fourth age-restricted community for older adults and second in Loudoun County. True Ground’s pipeline includes an additional 1,800+
units in predevelopment across the DC region.

Under Ms. Romero’s leadership, True Ground has received prestigious awards for its innovative contributions to affordable housing, including Affordable Housing Finance’s ranking of the Top 50 Affordable Developers of 2023, and the best in-class credential for its resident services program, The Certified Organization for Resident Engagement and Services (CORES). She has supervised award-winning developments with creative models that can be replicated across the nation including Lucille & Bruce Terwilliger Place, in partnership with American Legion Post 139, and Unity Homes at Ballston, a mixed-use project created through a partnership with Central United Methodist Church. Before she became CEO, Ms. Romero led True Ground’s Real Estate Development team for a decade. Under her management, True Ground created and preserved more than 1,800 new affordable housing units in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Montgomery counties.