The Office of Housing invites you to comment on the CFY 2026 Draft Annual Action Plan, which directs the use of Alexandria’s federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Program funds. Written comments will be accepted through 5 pm on April 16 and spoken testimony will be accepted at the April 3 Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee meeting, beginning at 7 pm in Room 1900, Alexandria City Hall.

The City of Alexandria is updating its Housing Master Plan and is asking public input on the draft Principles and Goals for Housing 2040. Community feedback will be accepted through April 20. 

The City of Alexandria is hosting a hybrid panel discussion on Affordable Housing Preservation on April 29 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Register to attend in person at the Charles Houston Recreation Center or virtually via Zoom.

The City of Alexandria’s Housing 2040 Survey gathered 1,200 responses to better understand local housing concerns. Respondents rated their level of concern across 28 housing issues, with the cost of buying a home or rising rents as the top concern. 

The Community Health Improvement Plan 2025 (CHIP), outlines strategies to address health inequities through programs, advocacy, education, and policy change. Dozens of organizations, including NVAHA are committed to this effort. The latest update mentions safe, affordable housing as a solution to improve community health.

Arlington’s Proposed FY26 Budget includes over $100M dedicated to housing programs: $17.6M for the County’s Housing Grant Program and a new caseload position; $7M for PSH, Permanent Supportive Housing; and $6.8M to address Homelessness. In the face of a $25M deficit, two programs could be decreased to $2.1M for Eviction Prevention and $12.3M for the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF). We are disappointed in the low AHIF allocation, however we understand the need to increase the County’s Contingency Fund to support households in these uncertain job and immigration times. We would like to see any year-end funds added to the AHIF and next year’s AHIF returned to at least 2025 levels. See this infographic.

** You can submit comments now and testify at the County Board final budget vote, which will be on April 9 at 3:30 pm or after, in-person or virtually.  

** For our budget talking point ideas, email [email protected] and join our next HAA (Housing Action Arlington) meeting on the day of the final vote, Wed., April 9 at noon.

Save The Date! April 15, 7pm: Special Panel Presentation: The History of Arlington’s Affordable Housing Ordinance (AHO) & How We Got to Today, featuring some of the folks who got it passed. Sponsored by the new AHO Subcommittee of the Housing Commission. More details coming soon.

Sign up for Poverty and the Myth of the American Dream, a free, 4-class series sponsored by the Arlington Community Foundation. Classes will be on Wednesdays from 3:30-5pm, beginning April 23rd.

The New Date for the 4th Annual Fair Housing Conference hosted by the NAACP - Arlington Branch is Sat., May 3rd, from 11am-3pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

At Open Door Mondays, the County Board welcomes residents to speak directly with a CB member in virtual meetings on Mondays at 7 pm, with one in-person meeting on the 4th Monday of the month at 6pm. Share your compliments and concerns with our elected leaders.

The second year of grants for the RACE to Rebuilding Trust and Community program have been awarded to 22 Arlington organizations, for a total of $2.39M. Many of these organizations are NVAHA’s housing and services partners.

Fairfax County’s proposed FY 26 Budget process continues with three days of public testimony April 22-24. Housing advocates are signing up to speak on April 23. Email Anika Rahman for NVAHA’s Budget priorities and talking points.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized a public hearing on April 22 to consider an amendment to the Fairfax County Code to impose a food and beverage tax of up to 4 percent on meals sold by restaurants and caterers, effective January 1, 2026.

On March 4, the Board of Supervisors accepted 43 of the nominations into the Screening Phase of the Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) to allow for community engagement and initial staff review. A combination of virtual and in-person community meetings will be held from March 24 - April 21. Visit the SSPA Track a Nomination web page or use the SSPA Interactive Map to locate nominations in your area. 

Advocacy is needed in support of affordable housing on the Franconia Governmental Center site. SCG Development, NFP Affordable Housing Corp. and Good Shepherd Housing entered an interim agreement with the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority and they recently filed a rezoning application to the county on March 21 calling for 120 affordable multi-family units at 6121 Franconia Road. Please sign up to speak or provide video testimony at the Planning Commission for the plan amendment on April 9.  The planned Board of Supervisors hearing on the plan amendment is May 13.

The Fairfax County Consolidated Community Funding Advisory Committee (CCFAC) has released, for public comment, the Draft Categories for the Consolidated Community Funding Pool (CCFP) for the FY 2027-2028 two-year cycle. The CCFP is a Fairfax County competitive contract award process for eligible programs and services offered by community-based organizations. Comments on this proposal can be provided in writing or presented at the CCFAC public hearing Tuesday, April 8 at 7 pm. 

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Proclaims April 21-25 Community Development Week. Chairman Jeff McKay and Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik accepted the proclamation to declare April 21-25 Community Development Week. “Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Programs provide essential, flexible funding to address housing insecurity, improve public

Fairfax City Council set the maximum real estate tax rate for FY 2026 to be advertised at $1.150 per $100 of assessed value, which is $0.025 (2.5¢) more than the city manager’s FY2026 proposed budget real estate tax rate. The City Council is holding a budget town hall meeting from 4-7 pm on April 2 at the Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd.

The Fall Church City Council will consider final action on the Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance at the April 14 meeting at 7:30 pm. The draft proposal calls for limiting the interior size of an ADU to 1,000 square feet or 50% of the main house’s size, whichever is smaller.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is expected to adopt the FY26 budget at its April 1 Business Meeting.

Register for the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce’s upcoming PolicyMaker Series event: The Future of Housing in Loudoun. The event will be held on April 8 from 8-10 am at the Belmont Country Club and will feature a keynote presentation from Tammy Neale, CEO of Virginia Housing and a discussion with a panel of state and regional housing experts.

Loudoun residents are invited to provide comments on Loudoun’s FY2025-26 Annual Action Plan for the county’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). The public comment period ends April 9. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on April 9 to share information on the plan and receive public feedback. More information here on Loudoun’s Community Development Block Grant Program and how to share your comments.

The Loudoun County Director of Housing and Community Development position remains open and the search continues for the ideal candidate. Applications for the position are being accepted through April 28. In the meantime, George Govan, Finance and Procurement Department Director, will remain in the Interim Director position for the Housing and Community Development Department.

Loudoun County has assembled a comprehensive online resource guide for residents and families impacted by the reductions in the federal government workforce and changes to federal-level policies.

Prince William County will hold their FY26 Budget Public Hearing on proposed Tax Rates and Fees on April 8. NVAHA and other housing advocates testified at the last budget hearing in support of $5M for the Housing Trust Fund and the passage of the Affordable Housing Dwelling Unit Ordinance which allows the creation of the Housing Trust Fund.

The Planning Commission passed the draft Affordable Housing Dwelling Unit Ordinance last month laying out a menu of density additions, authorized by the state, in exchange for opting to provide various amounts of units for “low-income” or “very low-income” households. The BOS will vote on the Ordinance in May.

NVAHA, in partnership with the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), will host an informational meeting for developers and stakeholders to get feedback on the draft policies, guidelines, and procedures for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Program on April 9 at 10 am in the Montclair Library Conference Room. RSVP to [email protected]. The County has already contributed $10.5M toward the fund and is contemplating adding another $5M in FY26 with the expectation to reach $31M by 2029.

The 2025 Northern Virginia Housing Expo, a regional housing fair, will be held on April 12 from 10 am - 3 pm at  Meridian High School, 121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church, VA.  This free public event showcases both first-time homeownership and rental opportunities and resources throughout Northern Virginia. Take advantage of a variety of resources, like speaking with experts in the exhibit hall, attending a variety of informational workshops, and connecting with individual financial coaching from certified volunteer coaches, all free of charge.

A few spaces remain for the George Mason University - Fundamentals of Affordable Housing Development Program on April 10 & 11 at the Arlington Campus. Registration is limited to 35 participants. The fee is $250 for participants from non-profit organizations and $500 for those from for-profit groups. Non-profit participants must use their organization’s email address to qualify for the discounted rate.

Access to safe, stable, affordable housing is a social determinant of health and wellbeing. Take Inova’s 4-minute, anonymous 2025 Northern Virginia Community Health Needs Assessment.

Applications are Open Now for the Mid-Atlantic Preservation Academy and are due April 14. This program provides resources, training, and funding to support housing owner-operators and developers committed to preserving affordability in small and medium rental buildings. Please reach out to Laura Searfoss for any other questions regarding this program.

​Join Senator Brian Schatz, Rep. Laura Friedman, Atlantic housing reporter Jerusalem Demsas, and Arnold Ventures' Charlie Anderson for an exclusive screening of a new groundbreaking documentary about America's housing affordability crisis at the D.C. Film Screening of Fault Lines: Inside the Housing Crisis on April 9 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Miracle Theater in DC.

HAND will host a virtual discussion on April 23 at 10am on Affordable Housing Debt Executions in the Capital Region. Featured speakers include NVAHA’s Board Chair Nick Bracco and NVAHA Leadership Council member Edmund Delany. Registration required.  

The General Assembly will reconvene on April 2nd to address the Governor’s recent vetoes and actions on legislation. This includes reviewing key bills that impact housing policy. Virginia Housing Alliance tracks all housing-related bills that have been signed into law, as well as those that were vetoed.

Join the Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust (VSCLT) for a special webinar to learn about partnering with community land trusts like VSCLT for lasting affordability, with special guest John Emmeus Davis, Partner at Burlington Associates. Thursday, May 8, 12-1:30pm.

NVAHA recently hosted a Lunch & Learn on the Impacts of Federal Cuts to Affordable Housing in Virginia, where Sunshine Mathon of Piedmont Housing Alliance and Brian Koziol of Virginia Housing Alliance led a thoughtful and engaging discussion on the topic.

National Low Income Housing Coalition Interim CEO Renee Willis testified before the Senate Banking Committee, urging Congress to take bold, bipartisan steps to address the affordable housing crisis. She emphasized the deep challenges facing extremely low-income renters and called for universal rental assistance, increased supply, eviction prevention, and stronger rental protections.

The NVAHA team invites you to save the date for Thursday, September 25, 2025, for an afternoon of learning and an evening of celebration of our awardees and 20th Anniversary.

Stay tuned for more details.

• How Proposed Changes to Federal Jobs, Spending, and Policy Could Affect DC, Maryland, and Virginia’s Shared Economy, Urban Institute

• Why Housing under DOGE Should Scare us All, Virginia Mercury

• The YIGBY Movement—Unlocking Church-Owned Land for Affordable Housing, ShelterForce

• Local Law Enforcement’s Plans for Cooperating with ICE Vary, NPR

• How the Pandemic Transformed the Housing Market in 5 Years, Axios

• Homeownership Has Fallen Further Out of Reach for Younger Families with the Lowest Incomes, Urban Institute

• Fear Festers on Constructions Sites as Deportation Efforts Escalate, Bisnow

• Worsening Rental Affordability Leading to Higher Rates of Homelessness, Enterprise Community Partners

• Virginia in the DOGE house, HousingForward VA

• Mass Deportations Would Worsen Our Housing Crisis, Urban Institute