Two major items are on the Planning Commission for Thursday October 9. A 275-unit workforce housing will be proposed for WestEnd site next to the future Inova Alexandria Hospital. The 7-story building includes income-restricted units for households earning 80% to 120% AMI. The Planning Commission will also discuss the proposed Zoning Text Amendments on Thursday, October 9. The conversation will cover residential and commercial zoning updates, including commercial-to-residential conversions.

The City is updating the Duke Street Land Use plan for the first time since 1992, with top priorities including mobility, economic growth, safety, and open space. Housing affordability was raised during the community engagement on September 25th, and your feedback can help make it a priority. The online feedback form on the draft guiding principles is open through Thursday, October 23.

First-time homebuyers who live and work in Alexandria can apply for 8 affordable units at The Whitley. Applications are open from September 26 through October 24, and eligible buyers will be selected by lottery. For information about the affordable units, application requirements, lottery process, and available downpayment assistance, please visit Homebuyers Resources, or contact [email protected], 703.746.3092.

Congratulations to Wesley Housing, who was selected to develop 88 new affordable housing units in Potomac Yard on land donated by JBG Smith. The six-story building will feature two and three bedroom units for households earning 30% - 80% AMI.

Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) has fired CEO Erik Johnson after it was revealed he was living in one of the agency’s public housing units. The Board of Commissioners appointed Rickie Maddox as the acting CEO.

October is Affordable Housing Month ~ some housing-related events include a digital equity presentation, an affordable housing bus tour, and several on-line engagements.

As part of the Affordable Housing Master Plan 10th anniversary, the County hosted a Lunch & Learn to present Arlington's updated Housing Needs Analysis by George Mason University.

On October 8th at 6:45 pm, Advance Arlington will offer a free hybrid program, Beyond Market Rate: What It Takes to Make Housing Truly Affordable in Arlington, which will begin with Samia Byrd, Arlington’s Director of CPHD, and continue with a panel discussing Arlington’s needs, and explore the costs, challenges, and partnerships that define affordability in practice.

The Housing Commission will meet on Thurs., Oct. 9th at 7pm (hybrid), to discuss the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Ordinance Working Group, as well as the recommendations of the Community Engagement Task Force, and other development topics.

The County seeks our input into the Comprehensive Plan update and introductory chapter. NVAHA and several other organizations provided a letter encouraging sustainability, inclusion and diversity to be key considerations in the update. To complete the feedback form (by Nov 16), you can reference these Talking Points. There will also be 4 community meetings (hybrid and in-person) between Oct. 14 and Nov. 5.

The fall engagement phase of the County’s Low Residential Study will include two upcoming open houses at Lubber Run on Oct. 20 from 6-8 pm and at the Trades Center on Nov. 13 from 6-8 pm to learn more about the study, ask questions and provide your feedback.

On September 9, Chairman McKay and the Board approved new directives for the County Executive to accelerate affordable housing production and preservation. The summary/recap is available here.  You can also watch the video recording of BOS meeting, which begins at ~2:02 and ends at ~2:49.

Fairfax County is updating its Comprehensive Plan through the Plan Forward initiative. The update covers land-use, housing, transportation, environment, and other core elements. Plan Forward staff recently released the 370-page staff report. The Planning Commission Policy Plan Committee will meet on Thursday, October 9 at 7:30pm at the Fairfax County Government Center (Conference Room 11), and will be broadcast live on Channel 16. You can also submit comments at upcoming public hearings on Oct 15 at 7:30pm.

Fairfax County adopts new guidelines to support displaced affordable housing tenants. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 adopted a package of new guidelines for relocating tenants when affordable apartments are slated for redevelopment, acquisition or condominium conversion.

Fairfax County could be moving forward soon with the rezoning of the outdated Penn Daw Fire Station. The plan is to replace the current facility off Route 1 at 2801 Beacon Hill Road with a new mix of fire station, emergency shelter and supportive housing. According to the rezoning application, the plan is for the new Penn Daw Fire Station, Shelter and Supportive Housing to replace the current building. The new fire station will be built adjacent to the current building, allowing the fire department to continue using the current Penn Daw Fire Station, with the redevelopment of that building starting once the fire department has moved into the new fire station.

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) will accept waitlist applications for select, new-construction Project-Based Voucher (PBV) units. Applications become available on October 6 at 8:00 a.m. through October 12 at 11:59 p.m. Project-Based Voucher waitlist applications will be accepted for Indigo at McLean Station & Fairfax Crest. Interested individuals can apply on the Fairfax County Housing and Community Development website.

The Consolidated Community Funding Pool FY2027-2028 Funding Application Package #2000004219 proposals are due December 8. Details are available in Fairfax County’s Bonfire/Euna Procurement portal, A pre-proposal conference will be held virtually (MS Teams) on October 16, at 1:30 PM to review the RFP and answer questions. Please register for the conference through this link  Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams.

NVAHA is extremely grateful for the generous support of the Loudoun Community Cabinet. With this support, we have increased our capacity to focus directly and intentionally on addressing Loudoun County’s housing crisis. Congratulations to the Community Cabinet on five years of impact here in our community!

On September 16, the Board of Supervisors approved a land use application that would allow the development of 518 units of housing, including 496 single-family detached and 22 multi-family attached units. The project would be south of Leesburg along Evergreen Mills Road. 62 of the single-family detached units and two of the multi-family attached units would be affordable dwelling units, serving households at 70-100% of the area median income.

At their September 16 business meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved the recommendation by the Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee (FGOEDC) to amend the county’s Home Accessibility and Repair Program, increasing the maximum assistance amount from $25,000 to $35,000 and amending the repayment terms from a grant to a deferred forgivable loan.

Loudoun’s Department of Housing and Community Development continues to offer free Fair Housing resources. As an approved Fair Housing School, the department provides free training and outreach to educate housing providers and community members. The next Complete Overview and Understanding of Virginia Fair Housing course will take place in person on December 11 at 1pm at the Cascades Library.

NVAHA continues to convene biweekly meetings of our mobile home park task force. Contact Amanda ([email protected]) if you’re interested in getting involved to support the residents of the Leesburg Mobile Park as they face displacement from their homes.

NVAHA’s Loudoun Alliance will meet virtually on Monday, October 27 at 11am.  All are welcome to join the conversation about opportunities to increase the supply of and equitable access to affordable housing in Loudoun County. Contact Amanda at [email protected] for more information.

The Prince William County Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) received its FFY25 (FY26) Grant Agreements from HUD for the Community Planning and Development Division which included $2,634,741 for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), $830,452.40 for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and $224,909 for the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs.

OHCD has implemented several new housing programs to include Tenant Based Rental Assistance through the HUD funded HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan (HOME ARP) funding, which will provide tenant based rental assistance to the Qualified Population as determined by HUD, and the Affordable Rental Rehab Program (ARRP), which will focus on rental units to be made available for low-moderate income families including Housing Choice Voucher Participants, providing health, safety, and energy-efficiency repairs. This helps preserve the existing housing stock and improves living conditions for vulnerable residents.

OHCD has been awarded 72 Permanent Supportive Vouchers through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services (DBHDS), which will provide long-term rental assistance for adults with serious mental illness.

Prince William County earned a 2025 Government Experience Project Award from the Center for Digital Government (CDG) for its  Demographics Hub - an interactive, web platform that makes county demographic information easily accessible to residents, businesses and policymakers.  Launched in 2024, the hub provides on-demand access to up-to-date population, housing and economic data, significantly enhancing transparency and informed decision-making.

Join the George Mason’s Regional Elected Leaders Initiative webinar on Friday, October 10 at 12 pm on “Housing: Is NOVA on the Road to Meeting our Region's Housing Needs?” Registration requested.

Join Homes for All: VOICE Assembly on Sunday, Oct. 19, from 3:30-5:00 pm at Floris United Methodist Church, 13600 Frying Pan Rd, Herndon, VA 20171. With the 2026 legislative session and gubernatorial election ahead, this assembly will lift up diverse voices from across Virginia and call for bold solutions to the housing shortage, to demonstrate broad public support and make clear to candidates and elected officials that housing must be a defining issue in 2025 and beyond. Please register to attend and to request a ride.

The Fundamentals of Affordable Housing Development Program will be held on October 23-24, 2025, presented by the George Mason’s Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship at the Costello College of Business, with the generous support of Virginia Housing.  This is a two-day in-person class at the Mason Square campus in Arlington, Van Metre Hall, Classroom 113. Participants will learn about the affordable housing industry, the process of real estate development, the structuring of affordable housing financing, local and state programs, and much more from industry experts. The class includes a case study tour of Terwilliger Place, a new and innovative 160-unit affordable housing project in Arlington. For more information, email May Abou Ghazaleh.

MWCOG’s Housing Affordability Planning Program (HAPP) will award small, flexible grants of up to $75K to area local governments and non-profit developers (with the support of a local jurisdiction) engaged in planning, approving, or developing housing near transit stations. HAPP, administered by COG and financed by the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, aims to advance the region’s shared housing targets to increase the amount, affordability, and accessibility of our housing supply and help work toward creating more transit-oriented communities. Applications are due on October 10 at 5 PM. For questions, contact [email protected].

Join the Virginia Housing Alliance for a series of events next week. The Housing Credit Conference will be held October 20-21 exploring emerging and established trends, as well as best practices for utilizing low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC).  On October 21, the 2025 Annual Awards Ceremony honors outstanding individuals dedicated to affordable housing  development, advocacy, and homeless services in the Commonwealth. On October 22-23, the Housing Virginia's Most Vulnerable Conference for all service providers who work with individuals and families who are homeless or face housing insecurity. All events will be held at the Richmond Marriott Hotel, 500 E Broad Street; Richmond, VA 23219

The Virginia General Assembly’s Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions issued a report in September. Several potential actions for laid off workers include allowing workers to end leases early, increasing Virginia eviction funds in one time assistance to workers in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, and creating rent and mortgage payment assistance programs for laid off federal workers.

Virginia Housing recently launched Housing Essentials, a collection of resources on financial wellness, homebuying and renting. Free courses include homebuyer education and renter education, savings strategies and advice on finding the right lender.

On October 1, the federal government of the United States began a shutdown as a result of congressional failure to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year, which began that day. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Contingency Plan shows the extent to which the Trump administration has reorganized and cut staff at the agency.

A federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order blocking HUD’s unlawful restrictions in the Continuum of Care (CoC) Builds Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) as reported by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

On September 30, we gathered to mark 20 years of advocacy and impact at our Educate & Celebrate anniversary event. Whether you joined us in person or continue to stand with us from afar, we are grateful for your support and partnership in advancing affordable housing across the region.

We are grateful to our speakers for their insights, to Congressman Gerry Connolly’s family for accepting his posthumous award, to our tenant advocacy partners for their leadership, and to our sponsors for their support.

Even with challenges ahead, our path is clear: stay focused, build on what works, and continue moving forward toward lasting change.

NVAHA will be hosting a Lunch & Learn on Manufactured and Modular Housing on Wednesday, October 22. Save the date, as more information is to follow this week.

• Potential Impact of a Government Shutdown on Affordable Housing, Nixon Peabody
• Virginians Say Housing Costs are at a Crisis and Want Lawmakers to Act, Virginia Mercury
• Trump Administration Looks at Deep Cuts to Homeless and Housing Programs, Politico
• Federal downsizing hits Alexandria hardest among Virginia suburbs, study shows,  AlxNOW
• Investors Snapping Up Nearly 1 in 3 Homes Report Finds, Real Estate News 
• Black Homeownership Rates Drop As Economist Issues DEI Warning, Newsweek
• Trump Administration Threatens Funding for Public Housing Programs Assisting Unauthorized Immigrants, Bisnow
• Two-Thirds of Working-Age Renters Struggle to Afford Basic Needs, Harvard Joint Center
• 2025 Modular Building Institute Award Winners and 2026 Award Eligibility, Modular Building Institute
• Alexandria eviction filings jump 21% in 2025, ALXNow