Capitalizing Change: Rooted in Strength
2025 Impact Report
Dear Friends and Partners,
This year’s report, Rooted in Strength, reflects who we are and how we operate.
CFE is a mission-driven lending institution deploying capital with discipline to expand access to ownership, strengthen communities, and create lasting economic opportunity.
In 2025, we financed affordable housing serving more than 1,000 people, supported first-time homebuyers, delivered energy savings to hundreds of households and businesses, and provided financing that enables local entrepreneurs to acquire property, anchor jobs, and build wealth.
These outcomes are the result of focused execution.
We are operating in a more demanding environment. Capital is more expensive. Markets are more selective. Expectations around performance and durability are higher.
Our strength is reflected in how we operate. We protect credit quality, maintain liquidity, and manage risk with rigor. We invest in talent, systems, and governance to ensure consistent performance across economic and policy cycles. We are broadening our capital base and positioning CFE for disciplined access to the capital markets.
Our mission remains constant as we expand our scale and capacity to perform in any market environment. We are building CFE to be resilient, durable, and relevant for the long term.
I am proud of our team and grateful to our borrowers, investors, partners, and board members. Your trust enables our work and sustains our progress.
portfolio growth since 2015
in financing to support historically disinvested communities since 2015
Across the DC region, CFE helped provide affordable housing for more than 1,000 people, delivered millions of dollars in financing to small businesses and nonprofits, and generated meaningful energy savings for hundreds of households. Our growth reflects strong demand and the measurable impact of our work on local economic development.
Total originations in 2025
Portfolio Growth in 2025
Investments to Historically Disinvested Communities
Affordable housing is at the heart of CFE’s work. Safe, stable homes give families the foundation they need to grow and succeed. In 2025, our $17.5 million in financing preserved and created housing for more than 1,100 residents, providing accessible homes and supporting vibrant communities.
capital deployed for affordable housing
affordable housing units financed
residents supported
Over the past half decade alone, our team has helped create more than 3,000 affordable homes where families can thrive. That impact reflects the discipline, partnership, and mission-driven focus that guide our lending strategy and expand opportunity in the communities we serve.”
CFE financed the preservation and rehabilitation of two cooperative housing projects, supporting over 120 DC residents in maintaining affordable homes and community control.
CFE provided financing for a $54M mixed-use project in DC’s Anacostia neighborhood, supporting affordable housing, local businesses, and vital neighborhood services.
Clean energy remains a key part of our lending strategy, helping families lower utility costs and make their homes more affordable while also reducing carbon emissions. In 2025, CFE expanded this lending, supporting 345 households and cutting utility bills by an average of $2,000 per home per year—bringing meaningful savings and strengthening communities in economically distressed areas.
metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions avoided
MWh annual projected solar energy production
households benefiting from clean energy upgrades
estimated annual average utility savings per household
Projects like these prove the transition to clean energy can be both profitable and equitable.”
Thriving neighborhoods rely on strong local businesses and accessible community facilities, which create jobs and provide essential services close to home. In 2025, CFE helped small businesses purchase commercial properties and supported mission-driven facilities, including health care providers.
Through these projects, CFE enabled local businesses and organizations to secure the spaces they need to grow, strengthening neighborhoods and supporting long-term economic stability.
loans to support small businesses and community facilities
Total originations in 2025
Portfolio Growth in 2025
Investments to Historically Disinvested Communities
Amilia Alcema partnered with CFE to address the need for nursing care in the District. She is transforming a residential home into a 23-bed facility that will provide nursing care, mental health services, and primary care—allowing residents to age in place and remain rooted in their community.
Watch the video to see how this project is making a lasting impact for residents in the District.
Since 2020, CFE has administered more than $100 million in grants on behalf of the District, including the Commercial Property Acquisition Fund (CPAF). CPAF helps business owners purchase commercial properties—strengthening their long-term stability and keeping local enterprises rooted in all eight wards.
Watch the video to see how property ownership is transforming opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
Through Homes by CFE program, we provide down payment assistance that helps first-time buyers build wealth, put down roots, and achieve long-term stability. While homeownership remains one of the most effective pathways to generational wealth, high upfront costs continue to put it out of reach for many families. In 2025, our program helped bridge this gap, enabling 34 residents to buy their first homes.
total down payment assistance provided
number of first-time homeowners supported
This program not only made homeownership possible but also incredibly affordable for me. It has allowed me to stay in the place where I grew up, live close to my parents, and remain connected to my community. I am deeply grateful for how much this program has helped me and continues to do so, enabling me to save more money and build a stable future.”
CFE enters this next chapter with a clear and steady purpose: to sustain and expand access to capital in ways that create lasting economic opportunity across the DC region. Sustaining impact means continuing to lend while strengthening our operations to meet the needs of an increasingly complex environment.
As we move forward, our mission remains constant even as our approach evolves. By investing in institutional strength alongside community impact, we are building an organization designed to endure—one that will continue to meet the needs of families, entrepreneurs, and neighborhoods for years to come.
We are grateful to our borrowers, team, and board for their continued trust, leadership, and partnership as we advance this work.
Total originations in 2025
Portfolio Growth in 2025
Investments to Historically Disinvested Communities
CFE’s Board of Directors offered strategic leadership and governance that helped advance the organization’s results. Their service reflects a strong commitment to our mission.
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, NCTA - The Internet & Television Association
President and CEO, City First Enterprises
President and CEO, City First Bank
President, Capital Division, Enterprise Community Partners
CEO, National Housing Trust
SVP, Greater Washington Market Manager, PNC Bank
Executive in Residence, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland
Attorney, Goldfarb & Lipman
Community Development Consultant
Executive Vice President, Commercial Real Estate & Capital Markets, National Cooperative Bank, N.A
