Alexandria has kicked off an 18-month planning process to reimagine the Duke Street Corridor. This is a key opportunity to shape the area’s future around affordable housing, land-use, mobility, and open space. Residents are encouraged to complete the poll by August 18. The poll is available in English, Amharic, and Spanish.

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins denounced the new executive order on homelessness as “cruel”, warning it will strip funding from the proven “housing first” approach. The order encourages aggressive law enforcement over housing-based solutions. Alexandria has seen an 11% drop in homelessness through its interventions, based on building stability and trust. She warned that the order could undo progress, criminalize unhoused residents, and destabilize services that are already working.

USDA will vacate its Alexandria facility. This shift could disrupt operations, such as staff administration of programs like SNAP,  as employees are reassigned or phased out.

The FY2027 Community Development CD Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) is active. Pre-Applications are due Aug. 13th and the Full Applications are due Sept. 12th.  Note that the review/evaluation process was substantially revised, however, grants are still awarded for programs supporting the housing and community development needs of low- and moderate-income earners.

Please alert your residents and clients about the free Career & Community Expo sponsored by AHC, True Ground and Wesley Housing, Sat., August 16th from 10am-1pm at the Gates of Arlington “Charlie Rinker Community Center.” Free activities for the whole family will include health screenings, snacks, career / skills sessions, and raffles. Transportation will be provided. 

The Housing Action Arlington (HAA) coalition will not meet in August, but we will gather again on Zoom on Wed., Sept 10th at noon.  Watch for the registration link closer to the date.

NVAHA’s Immigration & Affordable Housing Working Group will meet again in September - date TBD. If you wish to join this group, please email [email protected].

You are invited to complete and to share widely the Housing Commission’s Community Engagement Task Force Feedback Form regarding under-represented groups’ ability and interest in participating in housing policy and decision-making in the County. The survey is available online in English and online in Spanish.

Culpepper Garden, the 300+ unit all affordable senior living community, has announced the need to close its affordable assisted living (AL) facilities, due to severe financial constraints. Pending a solution, approximately 60 current AL residents may need to relocate by mid-2026.

Fairfax County’s 2025 Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process has concluded with the Board of Supervisor’s authorization of 35 new and revised Comprehensive Plan amendments for further study on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program. The SSPA process offered community members a chance to propose and review changes to land use recommendations in the County’s Comprehensive Plan. Nominations that are included on the work program undergo further analysis before any formal amendments are considered by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.

Fairfax County and the Tysons Community Alliance are convening Fairfax County’s Housing Symposium in partnership with the GMU Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship and NVAR. This free event, Housing Fairfax: 2025 Tysons and Beyond, will take place on August 28 from 9:00 to 11:30 am at the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center.

​​Plans to redevelop the Crescent Apartments are moving forward as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 9-0 to transfer the 16.5-acre site to the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, enabling the agency to work on finding a private partner for the redevelopment project.

Shelter House and the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, hosted a community conversation and ribbon cutting for the Fair Ridge Shelter. The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness is seeking community members to join its Fair Ridge Shelter Community Advisory Committee. The group will share community perspectives and address concerns. All are welcome, those who live or work in the vicinity of the shelter are encouraged to participate.

Fairfax County is currently updating its regulations regarding manufactured housing to better address affordability, preservation, and community needs. Draft policy revisions include recommendations for one-for-one replacement of housing units during redevelopment, relocation assistance for displaced residents, and affordability analyses.

After a search of approximately twelve months, Loudoun County is welcoming Eric Keeler as its new Director of Housing and Community Development. Mr. Keeler has over three decades of experience as a senior leader overseeing housing programs for the City of Alexandria. He will begin in the new position in Loudoun on August 14. 

Residents of the Leesburg Mobile Park were notified in July that they must vacate the property by January 31, 2026.  The property was purchased in 2022, raising concerns at the time about displacement of the mobile home park residents. There are currently 86 households residing at the mobile park. Local government officials and non-profit organizations are exploring ways to support the residents as they consider their options for relocation.

Attainable housing advocates celebrated the groundbreaking of the Atlantic Boulevard project on July 17, which will bring 80 units of affordable housing to Sterling. This project is noteworthy as the first to go through Loudoun’s pilot program for expedited legislative review, which took approximately 18 months. The Transportation and Land Use Committee is expected to discuss expansion of the pilot program at their September 17 meeting.

Loudoun’s Department of Housing and Community Development will hold a series of free virtual lunch and learn sessions on fair housing from July through September. 

Loudoun County has released its 2025 Apartment Guide, including both market rate and affordable rental options. 

Prince William County Executive Christopher Shorter interviewed Planning Director Tanya Washington in the latest episode of the Shorter Topics podcast. During the podcast Director Washington talks about her journey into the land use planning field and highlights important Planning Office initiatives such as the recently adopted Affordable Dwelling Unit Ordinance and the soon-to-launch Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update.

The City of Manassas Economic Development Authority (EDA) purchased three additional properties to assist with the Mathis Avenue Corridor and shopping center redevelopment. Combined, these properties will add nearly two acres to the 17 acres the EDA already owns, bringing the total site to almost 20 acres.

The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce recently released a report, NOVA Roadmap, highlighting a strategic plan to diversify NOVA’s economy amid declining federal reliance. It identifies housing affordability as a core barrier to workplace stability and economic growth. The report calls for zoning reform, fast tracked permitting, and expanded public-private partnerships to increase housing supply.

These new housing laws that went into effect July 1, 2025

• HB 2415/SB 1221. Public housing authorities; indigent parties; unlawful detainer.

• HB 1867/SB 1043. Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act

• HB 2533. Local comprehensive plan; tiny homes; accessory dwelling units. 

• HB 2660. Subdivision ordinance; local approvals; report. 

• SB 974. Subdivision ordinance; plan review by designated agent. 

• SB 1267. Zoning; enhanced civil penalties; certain residential violations. 

• SB 1476 .Sale of certain vacant and blighted or derelict property. 

• HB 1617. Homeless youth; fees; certain government documents. 

• SB 1153. Department of Social Services; assisted living facilities; appointment of receiver; emergency. 

The 2025 Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference will be held in Roanoke on November 19-21. Conference organizers have issued a Call for Topics and Proposals and are requesting suggested topics, speakers and sessions to include as part of the 2025 program.

Virginia Housing’s noncompetitive grants, including Community Impact Grants and Capacity Building Grants, are now open. The application window runs from July 1, 2025 - May 31, 2026.  The Event Sponsorship Grant application is also open, with a deadline of August 31 (event must occur between November 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026).  

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development's Affordable and Special Needs Housing (ASNH) Program opened the FY26 fall application on July 15, 2025. The ASNH Program is the consolidated, competitive application used by DHCD to award National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Virginia Housing Trust Fund (VHTF), and Housing Innovations in Energy Efficiency (HIEE) funds toward the development of affordable multi-family rental and single-family homeownership projects across the Commonwealth. 

Join the Virginia Interfaith Center for a Congregations and Housing Workshop on Thursday, August 14 from 3:00 - 6:00 pm at the Kingdom Family Worship Center, in Fredericksburg for an informative event focused on leveraging faith properties for housing initiatives. These workshops around the commonwealth will bring together pastors, lay leaders, and experienced professionals to share their insights and experiences on creating housing projects that serve the community. Registration is requested for this free event. 

The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) will offer Trauma-Informed Property Management Certification to property management professionals working in Virginia. With the generous support of Virginia Housing, CSH is able to offer this program free of charge for up to 50 participants. The six-week session begins in September, and they are accepting applications through August 15.

Novogradac shared information on the FFY2025 Reconciliation Bill that was signed into law on July 4. This massive budget package includes notable wins for affordable housing by permanently lowering the Private Activity Bond threshold from 50% to 25% starting in 2026 and expanding access to 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for more developments. It also permanently increases 9% allocations for the LIHTC by 12% starting in 2026 and makes the New Markets Tax Credit permanent at $5 billion annually. The Opportunity Zones incentive is now a permanent part of the tax code, with stronger eligibility rules and new transparency requirements. However, we note severe cuts to medicaid and increases for immigration enforcement will negatively impact some affordable housing residents.

The Senate Transportation-HUD Subcommittee released and approved their fiscal year (FY) 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill, which provides annual funding for HUD’s vital affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs. 

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs unanimously passed the bipartisan “Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act” out of committee on July 29. This is the first bipartisan housing bill markup in over a decade. The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) published an analysis of the bill, including information on provisions they support and those about which they have concerns.  

President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) titled 'Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.' This order aims to make it easier for states and localities to criminalize individuals experiencing homelessness and to force them into involuntary treatment.

For up to date federal housing policy information, please check out the Federal Housing Action Tracker from our partners at HousingForward Virginia and the Virginia Housing Alliance. 

The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) recently released Out of Reach 2025: The High Cost of Housing. This new report highlights the significant gap between wages and the income necessary to afford housing. Communities in Northern Virginia can search by zip code to find their “housing wage.”

• Frustrated by NIMBYs, States are Trying to Force Cities to Build Affordable Housing, NPR 

• Fed’s Hidden Immigration Weapon – Virginia’s Surveillance Network, WHRO

• Chicago and Washington, D.C., Among Cities Well Suited for Office-to-Co-Living Conversions, Pew

• Immigration Agents Demand Tenant Information from Landlords, Richmond Times Dispatch

• Trump Administration Prepares to Drop 7 Major Housing Discrimination Cases, Propublica 

• Marcus Simon Richmond Report, Falls Church News Press

• Barriers to Generational Wealth: Why Older Hispanic Homeowners Struggle to Leave a Financial Legacy, JCHS

• Good Cause Eviction Policies Don’t Hamper Construction, New Research Shows. Legislators Are Still Concerned, ShelterForce

• The State of Housing in America, U.S Chamber of Commerce

• Wealthy Loudoun County Considers What a Tiny Home Community Would Look Like, WTOP