Dear Friend,
AHS was deeply saddened to hear about the death of County Board Vice-Chair Erik Gutshall on April 16, just eight weeks after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Our hearts go out to his family in this difficult time.
Takis Karantonis, Vice-Chair of the AHS Board of Directors, wrote the following tribute:
In Erik Gutshall, Arlington lost a very dedicated public servant, an attentive listener, a policy thinker, and a genuine believer in that all present and future solutions need to be carried by the broadest possible community coalitions.
His proverbial focus on equity, which he repeatedly called an “Arlington Value” was at the core of his passion of using his elected office to enable, engage, and activate many others for the common good. Whether it was about confronting the housing crisis, or the climate crisis, or fighting to keep our small businesses in our town, for Erik Gutshall, “Arlington for Everyone” was a central principle of policy and action, a measure of success, and the driving inspiration for the way ahead.
Erik’s passion and leadership will continue to inspire our work to bring new housing options and create a more diverse and inclusive Arlington.
Sincerely,
Michelle McDonough Winters
Executive Director
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From left: Erik Gutshall, Matt de Ferranti, and Takis Karantonis at the Alliance for Housing Solutions' 2018 Leckey Forum. Photo by Terry Belt
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VIRGINIA HOUSING VICTORIES CLOUDED BY PANDEMIC
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Historic. Best year in a generation. Best session in recent memory.
That’s how Arlington’s state senators and delegates described Virginia’s 2020 General Assembly during an April 16 roundtable (read: Zoom call) with the Alliance for Housing Solutions.
But also: Bittersweet.
“Sweet, because there are a lot of policies we can be proud of,” said Del. Patrick Hope. “But bitter because of the budget situation we are in.”
Champions of affordable housing barely had time to celebrate legislative and budgetary victories before COVID-19 swept Virginia into a state of emergency, leaving budget allocations up in the air and revealing gaps in State and local safety nets.
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Arlington's County Manager released a revised FY 2021 budget April 6. According to the County's press release, the budget "maintains only the current levels of service, removes all salary increases, places many projects on hold, uses funds from the Stabilization Reserve, and removes almost every addition proposed only a few weeks ago."
In the proposed budget, funding for the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) would remain the same as FY 2020 with an allocation of $16 million to the revolving loan fund. The $2.7 million proposed increase from just a few weeks ago would be used instead for a housing contingency fund that would help cover such expenses as eviction help, housing grants, and food assistance.
We are grateful to the 1,000 people who signed our petition asking the County to invest in Arlington's affordability by increasing the AHIF allocation to $25 million in FY 2021. This outpouring of support shows that our community believes in the value of making Arlington a place where people of all walks of life are welcome and can afford to live.
At this time, we recognize that the immediate needs of our lowest-income neighbors due to the COVID-19 crisis outweighs the long-term goal of increasing the supply of affordable housing. Many Arlingtonians are already facing loss of income and food insecurity. We support the County's decision to focus on emergency assistance at this time.
Arlington County's next public hearing on the County Manager's revised proposed budget will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. Click here to register to speak or call 703-228-3130. Public comment may also be submitted in writing to [email protected] or by mail to Arlington County Board 2100 Clarendon Blvd Suite 300, Arlington, Va 22201.
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The Alliance for Housing Solutions has gone virtual, and you're invited to join us. We're using the platform Mobilize.io to organize groups and share information. You are welcome to join any of the following groups that spark your interest.
Housing Action Arlington: Join this coalition to discuss policy updates, advocate for affordable housing resources, and coordinate across housing and service providers. AHS facilitates a monthly meeting (currently via Zoom) for providers and advocates. Join here.
Missing Middle Network: Learn about and support County efforts to allow more missing middle housing through zoning and land use policy reforms. Join here.
Accessory Dwellings: Learn, discuss, and share efforts to create accessory dwellings through practical discussions, tips, and resources. Join here.
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April 23: Arlington County Budget Public Hearing
7:30 p.m.
Arlington County's public hearing on the County Manager's proposed budget will be held virtually (there will be no in-person participation at any physical location).
Click here to register to speak or call 703-228-3130. Public comment may also be submitted in writing to [email protected] or by mail to Arlington County Board 2100 Clarendon Blvd Suite 300, Arlington, Va 22201.
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May 13: Accessory Dwelling Webinar
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Are you curious about what it takes to create a new Accessory Dwelling on your property under Arlington’s updated rules?
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Join us for a free, one-hour webinar on Accessory Dwellings. You’ll learn from contractors and builders about how the process works and how to get started, plus meet others who are also considering adding an Accessory Dwelling to their properties.
Due to COVID-19 the Arlington Home Show and Garden Expo has been indefinitely postponed.
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COVID-19 HOUSING RESOURCES
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Housing Virginia COVID-19 Toolkit
Housing Virginia's new COVID-19 Resources toolkit to offer unique insights into the way this pandemic has and will impact affordable housing in our communities, including an interactive housing data dashboard.
Arlington County Renter/Landlord FAQ
Arlington County has a web page dedicated to answering some of the top COVID-19-related questions renters and landlords are asking. The page also lists the COVID-19 hotline number.
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Increasing the supply of affordable housing through education, policy, advocacy, and innovation.
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