Dear Friend,
In the last two months all of us have had our worlds upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many things continue to change and we are doing our best to pivot in circumstances we never imagined.
One thing that hasn't changed is our commitment to increasing the supply of affordable housing in Arlington and Northern Virginia. This pandemic has highlighted the need for all members of our community to have a safe home they can afford—from our teachers and first responders to the people who stock our grocery stores and deliver our meals.
The Alliance for Housing Solutions is working to help ease the burden of those in our community hardest hit by the pandemic by working on creative, immediate solutions alongside our partners. We're also continuing to look ahead to the future to make sure housing affordability remains a priority as we recover together.
Thanks for being in this with us. We couldn't do it without you.
Best regards,
Michelle McDonough Winters
Executive Director
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COUNTY MOBILIZES RESOURCES FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSITANCE
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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arlington County has been focusing resources on the needs of those most impacted by the increasing stresses of the health and economic crisis.
Read the latest on how the County is responding to housing-related needs, from eviction stays to emergency financial assistance.
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ACCESSORY DWELLINGS IN ARLINGTON
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The Alliance for Housing Solutions’ May 13 webinar explored some of the options currently available to homeowners who wish to develop an accessory dwelling on their Arlington property.
Architect Ileana Schinder, Matt Lee from Lee Design Studio and Urban Cottage, and Pierce Tracy from Backyard Cottages gave participants an overview of the process and shared examples of their work.
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Blake Bowen, Arlington County Associate Planner and Assistant to the Zoning Administrator, filled in details on how he helps homeowners move from the initial idea stage through getting all the proper permits.
Accessory dwelling image courtesy of Lee Design Studio/Urban Cottage.
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AHS WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
The Alliance for Housing Solutions' Board of Directors unanimously voted May 11 to welcome Leslie Aun, Adele McClure, and Anne McCulloch to the Board.
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Leslie Aun
Leslie is the Vice President of Communications and Marketing for Population Reference Bureau, a non-profit think tank in Washington D.C. She grew up in Arlington currently lives in the historic Crossman House in East Falls Church.
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Adele McClure
Adele is best known as an advocate for vulnerable populations. She is the Executive Director of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and currently lives in Ballston.
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Anne McCulloch
Anne is the President and CEO of Housing Partnership Equity Trust, a public purpose REIT founded and owned by nonprofit affordable housing developers, with investments from leading foundations and institutional investors. She lives in Woodmont with her husband, Ned, and their pug, Buster.
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GET INVOLVED
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.
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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.
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Missing Middle Network
Learn about and support efforts to allow more missing middle housing through zoning and land use policy reforms. Join here.
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Accessory Dwelling Discussion Group
Learn, discuss, and share efforts to create accessory dwellings through practical discussions, tips, and resources. Join here.
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2019 ANNUAL REPORT
Will Arlington become a place where only the affluent can afford to live?
That’s the question that sparked the founding of the Alliance for Housing Solutions in 2003. It was also the question that came up time and again in 2019 as our community faced a growing shortage of affordable housing.
Check out our 2019 Annual Report to see the ways we offered solutions, educated our neighbors, and advocated for changes that will help us increase our supply of affordable housing so people of all walks of life can afford to live in Arlington.
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HOUSING NEWS AROUND ARLINGTON
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AHC's The Apex Accepting Applications
AHC's brand new building is taking applications for residents making 40-80% of Area Median Income. Located along S. Glebe and overlooking Four Mile Run stream, The Apex has 256 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments slated to welcome new residents this year.
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APAH Breaks Ground on Terwilliger Place
Terwilliger Place will provide 160 affordable apartments in Arlington as well as a new, modern 6,000-square-foot facility for American Legion Post 139. The collaboration between APAH and Post 139 provides a groundbreaking model for mission-driven veteran organizations to provide critical housing, facilities, and programs to support the needs of younger veterans and to assure their own organization’s financial sustainability. The building is slated to open in 2022.
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Brief: Determining In-Lieu Fees in Inclusionary Zoning Policies
Urban Institute's Aaron Shroyer has published a report that describes the various ways communities create developer fees to support affordable housing.
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Arlington’s current rules are set in state code and have been in place for 15 years. AHS is working with the Arlington Community Foundation, Urban Institute, and others to take a look at our approach and see whether updates make sense for the current environment.
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Increasing the supply of affordable housing through education, policy, advocacy, and innovation.
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