A CURATED LIST OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES, 

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTS AND ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES IN 

NORTHERN VIRGINIA, STATEWIDE AND NATIONALLY FOR 

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTERS

September 2024

The City of Alexandria will kick off their two-part Housing 2040 Master Plan (Housing 2040) process, an update to the 2013 Housing Master Plan. Starting with a Housing Needs Assessment, the Housing 2040 process will establish new housing affordability goals and examine housing policies, programs, and tools to support all Alexandria residents and workers. The first event will be virtual and held September 18, from 7-9 p.m, registration information will be available here. On September 25, an in-person meeting will be held from 7-9 p.m, with an Open House from 6-7 p.m., at the Charles Houston Recreation Center Gym, 901 Wythe Street, Alexandria. Register here.

Erik C. Johnson was recently named as ARHA’s new CEO. Johnson will begin his role on September 9, after previously serving as the Director of Economic and Community Development for the Town of Hamden, Connecticut. He brings many years of executive level experience in city and regional planning, project finance, affordable housing, and building public-private partnerships.

ARHA is holding public hearings on their 5-Year Agency Plan FY 2025-2029, the FY 2025 Annual Agency Plan, and the Cap Fund 5-Year Action Plan (the Plans). Public hearings for all “Plans” will be held at ARHA’s main office located at 401 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 on Wednesday September 11th and Wednesday September 18th from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Alexandria residents fighting the city’s massive Zoning for Housing/Housing for All overhaul won a battle in court, as Judge David S. Schell ruled their case has standing and can go to trial.The Zoning for Housing/Housing for All initiative includes a single-family zoning provision allowing developers to build homes with up to four units on any property, reducing parking requirements for single-family homes, and analyzing office-to-residential conversions.

Tenant Empowerment Volunteer Opportunity! NAACP’s Arlington Branch is holding non-partisan voter engagement events at affordable housing properties in September and October. Volunteers will help with voter registration, inform about early voting opportunities and this year's elections, help with restoration of rights, and provide citizenship information. You can visit this page to sign-up for door knocking events, or sign up to staff tables in the buildings. 

Speak up by September 30 about the Arlington YOU want to see in the future! The County’s “Arlington 2050” visioning process has a goal to create two or three draft visions of Arlington’s future, to inform long-term planning. You can complete a postcard or online form, or leave a voicemail about how Housing Supply and Housing Affordability are crucial components of a functional and equitable Future Arlington! Please share this link with your network today!

The EHO (Expanded Housing Options, or Missing Middle) lawsuit against Arlington County has concluded, with post-trial briefings submitted by both parties on August 23rd. We hope for a verdict in Sept. / Oct. You can track updates by visiting www.ArlingtonWINS.org. 

Arlington County’s median rent was 5th highest among the U.S. 100 largest urban areas and grew at 7 times the national rent rate month-over-month in July, as per Apartment List. The County’s July median rent of $2,621 ($2,468 for 1-BR and $2,982 for 2-BR) was 85% higher than the national median $1,414 and 19% higher than the DC region’s median rent of $2,198.

HUD released the CoC Builds Notice of Funding Opportunity. The Arlington Continuum of Care (CoC) is seeking letters of interest for construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation funding for new units of Permanent Supportive Housing. The funding must be used to assist only PSH units dedicated to serve households experiencing homelessness . Only one application can be submitted to HUD for Arlington, VA's CoC. Interested applicants must submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) to [email protected] by 5:00pm, September 20, 2024. 

Pro-workforce housing advocates are needed to attend the public hearing on the Franconia Government Center redevelopment on Thursday, September 12 at 7 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center, Rooms 9 and 10.  The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) will hear the public’s views on an interim agreement with a potential development partner.  Residents wishing to speak are encouraged to register with Brandy Thompson by phone at 703-877-5696, TTY 711, or by email at [email protected]. Please submit written comments by email on or before September 10 to [email protected].

Due to a County oversight, the July public hearing will be re-held on September 10 at 3:30 pm and will include the Proposed Plan Amendment 2023-CW-1CP, For-Sale Workforce Dwelling Unit Policy and Program as well as the Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment regarding Data Centers.

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors plans to use a $260.6 million budget surplus for roads, schools, parks, public safety, and other community services, with no mention of affordable housing investment. The surplus comes from higher-than-expected revenue, reduced spending, and unspent federal COVID-19 relief funds. The Board will vote on the carryover budget package on September 24.

The Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has announced the availability of an estimated total of $1,514,302 in funding ($1,193,354 in CDBG and $320,948 in HOME). RFP Project proposals are being solicited to acquire, develop, and rehabilitate affordable rental housing to further advance the county Board of Supervisors’ goal of producing a minimum of 10,000 new units of affordable housing by 2034. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, September 27, 2024.

HUD has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for organizations to apply for Continuum of Care (CoC) Builds funding, aimed at adding permanent supportive housing units for those experiencing homelessness. Eligible organizations, including nonprofits and local governments, must submit applications to Fairfax County's Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) by October 2, 2024. The maximum funding request is $7.5 million.

Loudoun County Director of Housing and Community Development, John Hall, recently resigned from his position. George Govan has been appointed as Interim Director. Govan also serves as the Director of Finance and Procurement. 

Supervisor Julie Briskman will host a Town Hall on Attainable Housing on Tuesday, September 24 at 6 p.m. at the Cascades Senior Center. This town hall will be a discussion on housing in Loudoun County, including current county programs, and opportunities and challenges of building attainable housing featuring: Brian Reagan, Assistant Director of the County Dept. of Housing & Community Development; Benjamin Miller, Co-Founder & Partner of Wellington Development Partners and Jill Norcross, Executive Director of Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA). This event is free and open to the public; no pre-registration required. More information can be found on the Facebook event page here.

The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development invites residents to provide comments on the Draft Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) (PDF). The Draft CAPER covers the performance of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Programs within the county from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. These programs provide funding on an annual basis for local projects that address a variety of housing, public service and community development needs. Written comments may be submitted via email through Friday, September 6, 2024.

Prince William County Brentsville District Supervisor Tom Gordy, Coles Supervisor Yesli Vega and Gainesville District Supervisor Bob Weir will host a Town Hall on Monday, September 16, 2024 at 7 p.m. at Unity Reed High School regarding Community Safety & the proposed Affordable Dwelling Unit Ordinance (AfDU). Advocates are needed to attend to support affordable housing initiatives in Prince William County.

The City of Manassas Park recently completed their Housing Needs Assessment Report and presented it to the Planning Commission in July. For more information, contact Ivette Monney, Housing Program Coordinator.

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission recently released the Northern Virginia Diversity Index Report. Northern Virginia's racial and ethnic composition makes it more diverse today than the United States and Virginia. This has been the case for decades according to new interactive data found on NVRC’s NOVA Region Dashboard, and as recently published in their monthly Demographic and Economic Factsheet.

U.S. Senators Kaine and Warner announced federal funding from Senate draft bills which could benefit Northern Virginia affordable housing and community development projects.

Virginia Housing’s Strategic Housing team is hosting their Community Impact Session series, “Elevating Housing Solutions Across Virginia.” The Northern Virginia session will be held September 24 at the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, 3040 Williams Drive, Suite 200, Fairfax, from 9:30 am to noon. Anyone interested in the production and preservation of affordable housing and wants to learn more about their programs is encouraged to attend. Registration is required.

The Amazon Housing Equity Fund recently re-opened their portal for the second round of funding in the total amount of $1.4B. This portal is for non-profits, developers, and public agencies seeking funding. The fund will prioritize proposals in resource-rich communities with easy access to neighborhood services, transit, amenities, and employment. Funding typically prioritizes housing for those earning 30% to 80% of the area’s median income, and maintaining affordability for up to 99 years.

Registration for Virginia Housing Alliance’s Housing Credit Conference, October 15-16, and Housing Most Vulnerable Populations Conference, October 17-18 are now open. This year’s conferences will take place at the Richmond Marriott, East Broad Street in Richmond.

As the Virginia Housing Alliance gears up for the upcoming General Assembly session, the need for affordable housing remains urgent, with nearly 1 million Virginians struggling to afford basic necessities due to high housing costs. In Northern Virginia, 28% of households are affected. To address this, VHA proposed the 5,000 Families program, which would provide rent relief to families with school-aged children, helping to ensure housing stability and support children’s academic success. 

• Most Northern Virginia Land is Reserved for Single-Family-Detached Homes, Research Finds, WAMU

• A Look at How Federal Plans Could Make the Costs of Housing MoreAffordable, Virginia Mercury

• Renters Struggle with Competing Costs of Food, Energy, and Housing, JCHS

• Permanently Affordable Housing Has Support from Both Republican and Democratic Voters. Presidential Candidates Should Take Note, Urban Institute

• New Players Streamed Into Affordable Housing in a Down Cycle. Many Will Stick Around When It's Over, Bisnow

• Research Project with Georgetown Students Shows Value of Resident Services, Affordable Homes & Communities

• You Can’t Trickle Down Housing, Virginia Mercury 

• California’s Decade-Long Effort to Legalize ADUs Offers Lessons for Other US States and Regions, Brookings Institute

• Rental Markets Are Cooling, but Rents Still Far Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels, JCHS