Our
Völker was born from over 20 years of development experience coming together to develop over 60 affordable housing communities across 12 states. This all started back in 2001 when Louie Lange set out on his own, seeking to make an impact in communities across the country. Since then, organizational structures have come and gone, but the impact of our developments is stronger than ever.
The Commonwealth Companies was founded in 2001 with Commonwealth Management Corporation, Commonwealth Development Corporation of America and Commonwealth Construction Corporation. A few years later Louie added architectural and design services to the portfolio by purchasing the well-established firm Meiklejohn and Associates and rebranding it as M+A Design, Inc.
This vertical-integrated approach provided Louie the ability to be involved from development all the way to management. Ultimately, the projects developed with this approach and self-managed throughout their lifecycle serve as the foundation for what Völker is today.
Between 2001 and 2018 Commonwealth developed 62 affordable housing communities in 12 states creating 2,553 homes. Commonwealth Development was named the 7th largest affordable housing developer in the nation according to the 2018 Affordable Housing Finance Top 50.
In the interest of expanding the development capabilities of Commonwealth, Mr. Lange welcomed two partners into the development, design and construction operations in the fall of 2018. Commonwealth had traditionally focused on historic preservation and new construction projects financed by 9% tax credits, these partners helped diversify the company’s geographic and project expertise. During this time, he continued to own all the interests in Commonwealth Management Corporation and its legacy portfolio.
After developing more than 100 projects and 5,000 units under the Commonwealth name, Louie sold his remaining interests in The Commonwealth Companies and, along with top executives from Commonwealth, reestablished an organization true to the values and work that he is passionate about.
In 2025, our 70+ person strong management company joined forces with Envolve Client Services Group, LLC and continues to manage most of the legacy portfolio properties.
Volker Development Inc. is comprised of passionate and experienced professionals who embody our Core Values and strive to be your “Partner of Choice” every day.
