About ELCD
Building Communities with Purpose
At East Lake Community Development, we believe affordable housing creates the foundation for stronger, healthier communities.
We develop and manage housing communities that provide safe, stable living for seniors, families, and individuals in need—while continuing to grow through new development opportunities and partnerships.
Our work goes beyond property management. We focus on creating communities where residents feel supported, connected, and empowered.
What We Do BEST
Affordable housing development
Community and Asset Management
Resident-focused support services
Long-term community investment
Expansion into new housing developments
Housing is a basic human need and access to affordable housing is critical
VALUES
Respect – this is a basic of human perspective that is applied through our behavior and actions- Fairness – through our actions we demonstrate justice, strong ethics and impartial treatment within our communities, without regard to race, religion or other social factors
- Quality – living experience / customer service – we strive to provide affordable and stable access to housing
GOALS
- To offer a stable living environment for all of our residents
- To provide vibrant and healthy housing communities in urban and rural environments
- To provide affordable housing to as many people as we can
- To expand our mission by adding affordable housing communities that enrich lives
Our Leadership
Meet Eric Lipp
Eric Lipp holds a B.A. from Albion College in Economics and Management and a B.A. in Mathematics, as well as a M.B.A. from the Wharton School, which is part of the University of Pennsylvania. After practicing as a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Young, Eric became Chief Financial Officer for a family owned manufacturing enterprise, and then returned to public accounting at Deloitte. After his tenure at Deloitte, he became an executive with General Motors and joined GMAC Commercial Mortgage focusing on mergers and acquisitions. Eric then joined Welden-Field, a Birmingham based family real estate company, and focused on affordable housing activities including new construction, rehabilitation, acquisitions, divestitures, lending and refinances.
Eric is now the Executive Director of East Lake Community Development which is non-profit that has a mission of providing affordable housing. He and his wife, Debra, reside in Birmingham, Alabama and have four children.
Meet Steven Lipp
After attending Auburn University and University of Alabama – Birmingham, Steven spent time managing in the service industry and then worked building foundations and water works for water towers across the Southeastern United States. He joined East Lake Community Development in 2023 as a Developer and Asset Manager and has worked on expanding both the portfolio of ELCD and the Good Neighbor Program across the state of Alabama. He lives in Birmingham, AL with his wife and two children.
Be Part of the Impact
Whether you're a donor, development partner, or organization looking to launch a community initiative—there’s a place for you here.