A CURATED LIST OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES,  PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTS AND ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES IN  NORTHERN VIRGINIA, STATEWIDE AND NATIONALLY FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTERS

The City of Alexandria kicked off its Housing 2040 Master Plan last month with two meetings. The Housing 2040 team will be coordinating a series of events and releasing educational materials throughout October. The entire process will take over a year, with public hearing and approvals scheduled for December 2025. To receive updates on upcoming events, sign up for eNews and select the "Affordable Housing" news category

The Alexandria Planning Commission has delayed the approval of the Alexandria West plan due to concerns about its impact on affordable housing. While the plan proposes adding 1,000 affordable units, it also risks losing an equal number of market-rate affordable units, sparking fears of displacement. The Commission voted to defer the plan until December to allow time for necessary revisions.

Construction is underway on Seminary Road for a new Housing Alexandria project, which will include 36 affordable ownership units. The development uses a shared equity model to keep homes affordable for households earning up to 80% of the AMI. Some units will be managed by Sheltered Homes of Alexandria to support adults with disabilities.

Registration is now open for the next Condominium and Community Association Training session for homeowners, property managers, and interested buyers of common interest communities. The City of Alexandria, in partnership with Alexandria-based law firm Mercer Trigiani, is sponsoring a series of free workshops related to common interest communities (condominiums, townhomes, cooperatives, others) during FY2025. The first session of this series is scheduled for Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 9:30am. The topic is Transparent Governance and registration is requested. 

On Friday, September 27, a circuit court judge ruled against Arlington's Expanded Housing Options (EHO) ordinance, a decision that could significantly impact future housing developments. NVAHA-Arlington expresses deep disappointment in this ruling, as the EHO is a critical tool for promoting diverse and affordable housing options in our community. The Arlington County Board released its own statement, reiterating its commitment to creating diverse housing options across the county. You can visit ArlWINs for more in depth coverage and updates.

Arlington has been working on a vision and goals for the County’s Homeownership Programs in collaboration with the community. County staff have released both the Consultant Report: Arlington County Homeownership Study Program Recommendations and County Staff Response to Consultant Recommendations. To share your feedback by Oct. 11 and for more information and upcoming meetings, visit the Homeownership Study webpage. 

Plan Langston Blvd is beginning to be realized. This past summer 3 different development plans were submitted totalling around 500 new residential units near Rosslyn, Lyon Village, and Lee Heights. While these are not affordable developments, they will add needed supply to this corridor and will lead to infrastructure upgrades and some affordable units, to begin to transform Langston Blvd.

Arlington County is exploring the conversion of office buildings into residential apartments to address high office vacancy rates. The County Board will hold public hearings on proposed zoning changes and policies aimed at reducing the resources and time needed for adaptive reuse projects. Drafts of proposed changes will be available on the county’s Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative webpage in early October.  

Our partner, NAACP-Arlington Branch’s Religious Affairs Committee chair authored a thoughtful letter to the editor, entitled Recipe for Arlington’s Future.

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) has announced more than $50 million in local funding for affordable housing development and preservation projects. Interested developers can find application information and criteria here. 

The push to redevelop the former Franconia Government Center site into affordable housing is stirring strong opinions among local residents and housing advocates. At a recent public hearing, the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) heard both support and opposition to the proposed project. NVAHA, along with other proponents emphasized the critical need for affordable housing, while opponents raised concerns about the site’s suitability, citing potential health risks. FCRHA is set to vote on an interim agreement with the developers on October 17, which could advance the project to a more detailed review and planning phase. 

Fairfax County has cleared its largest homeless encampment as part of a land swap with Inova to advance the redevelopment of Reston Town Center North. The displaced individuals were relocated with support and temporary shelter. The site will eventually house a new Embry Rucker Community Shelter, library, and housing.

The Herndon Town Council held a Special Meeting last month on Affordable Housing. The Town is looking at ways in which it could possibly partner with Fairfax County on affordable housing programs and other opportunities to promote affordability.

Loudoun Habitat for Humanity will open its applications for potential homebuyers from

October 1- 31. Minimum & Maximum gross income limits are based on 30%-60% of Area Median Income (AMI) as set by HUD for the Washington DC Metropolitan Area FY2024. 

Unfortunately, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted against the RISE Loudoun Economic Mobility Pilot Program last month. Please read the statement from our partners at New Virginia Majority about the benefits of guaranteed income pilot programs. 

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold the next AfDU (Affordable Dwelling Unit) Work Session on October 22, at 2 pm. An agenda will be posted here closer to the date.

The Sudley Road Corridor in Prince William County has been chosen for the FY 2025 regional Technical Assistance Panel, or TAP, program by the Urban Land Institute Washington and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. 

Prince William Supervisors approved the rezoning of the 337-unit Ashford Glen project in Woodbridge. Ten percent of the units would be designated as affordable housing for people making 80% to 100% of the DCMetro area median income. The set aside units will consist of 

22 townhouses and 14 triplexes.

HUD, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the County’s Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD). The recognition reflects the exceptional use of the CDBG program to enhance communities within Prince William. Through the program, OHCD has been able to provide housing rehabilitation, acquire affordable rental properties, participate in public service initiatives, and undertake ADA-compliant renovations to public facilities.

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Virginia Real Estate Partners, Virginia Housing and NVAHA are co-hosting a Congregations and Housing forum on October 29 from 3 - 6:30pm at the Central United Methodist Church/Unity Homes in Arlington. The event focuses on leveraging faith properties for housing initiatives. This event will bring together pastors, lay leaders, and experienced professionals to share their insights and experiences on creating housing projects that serve the community. There are separate registration links for Faith Leaders and Development Partners. 

The George Mason University Regional Elected Leaders Initiative is hosting a webinar on Transforming a House of Worship to Affordable Housing on October 11 from 12-1:15 pm. The NOVA region is home to a number of faith communities who have transformed their underutilized properties into thriving affordable housing communities. How did they do it? The ins and outs of church processes, government processes and community involvement will be the focus of discussion. Register here for this free event.

The Northern Virginia Health Foundation is currently accepting grant proposals for connected and engaged spaces which lead to healthy communities. Greater social connectedness can result in better physical and mental health, safer communities, greater civic engagement, deeper resilience, and even better economic opportunities. Foundation staff will hold an information session on October 8 at 10am. Please click this link to register. Applications are due October 25. 

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission just updated the NOVA Region Dashboard’s demographics in the five main jurisdictions on income, poverty, educational attainment, and the foreign born population with the new 2023 American Community Survey one-year data released September 12 by the U.S. Census Bureau. This latest article focuses on poverty statistics.View this data to stay informed and for insights on current demographic conditions and trends. 

The Metropolitan Washington Regional Fair Housing Plan received an Achievement Award from the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo), which recognizes excellence in local government programs. Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties, and the City of Alexandria, joined forces with their peer jurisdictions in the District of Columbia and Maryland to develop the Metropolitan Washington Regional Fair Housing Plan. It delivers on the promise of the Fair Housing Act and is one of 45 winning award entries being recognized by VACo.

Register for the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference to be held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on November 13-15. The annual conference has a broad range of attendees from many professional sectors including nonprofit organizations, foundations and other philanthropic donors, affordable housing developers, economic developers, local government elected officials, design professionals, financial institutions, government agencies, private developers, real estate professionals, educational institutions, trade organizations, community-based and faith-based organizations, and public housing providers.

The Virginia Housing Trust Fund - Homeless Reduction Grant application is now open. The goal of the HTF-HRG program is to reduce homelessness in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will support CoC strategies and homeless service projects that are or will be a part of an effective emergency crisis response system to ensure that homelessness is rare, brief, and one time.

The HTF-HRG application is due by Friday, October 4th, 2024.  For any questions, contact Deserae Williams at [email protected] or (804) 965-4690.

NLIHC announces Generation Housing Justice, a new initiative aiming to encourage young advocates to participate in the housing justice movement. Fellows will participate in virtual monthly meetings, complete educational workshops, attend NLIHC’s annual Housing Policy Forum and Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C., and complete a final project that contributes to NLIHC’s mission. Each fellow will receive travel support to attend NLIHC’s Housing Policy Forum and a stipend of $1,000 upon successful completion of the program.  Applications are due November 1.

• U.S. Justice Department Sues RealPage for Algorithmic Pricing Scheme that Harms Millions of American Renters, U.S Dept of Justice

• A Roadmap to Address America’s Housing Crisis, Urban Institute

• DC Unpaid Rent Crisis, Bisnow 

• Hispanic Heritage Month: The Unique Housing Needs Of The Spanish Speaking Community, Forbes

• Upward Mobility Dashboard, Urban Institute

• The Market Alone Can’t Fix the US Housing Crisis, Harvard Business Review

• In a Major Shift, the U.S. Government Explores Giving Renters Cash, Not Vouchers, NPR 

• What Effects Could a Growing Senior Population Have on Housing Markets, Urban Institute

• How to Fix the Housing Shortage, Planet Money