AvalonBay Communities, Inc. is a real estate investment trust (a "REIT") focused on developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing high-quality apartment communities in high barrier-to-entry markets of the United States. These markets are in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, Northern California and Southern California regions of the country. As of September 30, 2016, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 283 apartment communities containing 82,708 apartment homes in 10 states and the District of Columbia, of which 22 communities were under construction and eight communities were under reconstruction. These 283 apartment communities are located in 18 high barrier-to-entry markets characterized by a low supply of zoned apartment land and lengthy entitlement processes. Our strategy is to focus on our chosen core markets and to become the market leader in each of these markets.
At AvalonBay, we're driven by a bold purpose: creating a better way to live. We do this by providing distinctive apartment living experiences and contributing to the vitality of local communities. All AvalonBay associates, from community maintenance managers to development directors to accounts payable analysts, have a role to play in bringing our purpose to life.