Dear John,

This year has caused severe whiplash for housing advocates locally and statewide. We began 2020 with a feeling of optimism about expanded housing plans across the region and excitement for what we could accomplish with new, historic investments in our local and state housing trust funds.

But in mid-March, COVID-19 knocked us off our feet, exposed the health and racial inequities of the housing policies in our communities, and ravaged certain segments of our population. With such a bleak outlook, a recent meeting of the NVAHA Leadership Council provided some hope for the future of housing in NoVA, and we wanted to share the good news.

As is our tradition in May, we invite Housing Directors from jurisdictions in Northern Virginia to share their initiatives, plans and investments for the coming fiscal year. Listening to the presentations of the Directors from Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, and we were struck by two things:

While economic circumstances have stripped non-essential programs and services out of FY21 budgets, local governments have found a way to advance the work of housing and community development at this critical time;

Jurisdictions are becoming more sophisticated in using technology to display and analyze data that can be used to drive policy decisions. Fairfax County has developed an affordable housing dashboard to track their inventory of committed affordable housing and market-affordable units. Alexandria is continuing their community engagement for an accessory dwelling unit ordinance through an online video, and Arlington continues to refine their Housing Conservation District as they engage residents in the Lee Highway Study Area planning process. In Loudoun County, there is excitement about the news of a new Office of Housing under the County Administrator. This decision by the Board of Supervisors elevates housing as a priority issue for Loudoun.

We appreciate the commitment of our elected officials to making our region more affordable and sustainable, and we value our partnerships with them. Even as localities have focused on a COVID response, the critical work of housing in NoVA continues.That's the good news, and as you review the work being done, we hope you'll agree.

Michelle Krocker

Executive Director


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