The Planning Commission will host a work session Tuesday, January 6 at 6 pm at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center at 4850 Mark Center Drive on a draft Duke Street Land Use Plan. The Planning Commission will discuss concerns about loss of housing affordability as well as redevelopment opportunities, among other items.

The Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee will host a virtual meeting on January 7 at 7 p.m. on draft recommendations related to Housing 2040’s Financial Tools for Affordable Housing. This meeting is open to the public. To attend, please register using this link.

Last month two housing projects received unanimous City Council approval, one is a 640-unit, mixed-use development by JBGSmith and Wesley Housing in Potomac Yard and the other is a 145-unit affordable housing redevelopment in Old Town led by Alfred Street Baptist Church and The Community Builders. Combined, these two projects are anticipated to bring 233 new units of affordable housing to the City.

Save the date for Saturday, February 28, between 10am to 4pm (tentative), to learn about and provide feedback on updates to the Housing 2040 draft principles, goals, and project recommendations and strategies. Location and details to be announced.

The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is pleased to announce that the Alexandria Fund for Human Services (AFHS) is now accepting grant proposals for the FY 2027-2029 grant cycle. For complete information, links to the applications, and to register for training sessions, visit Alexandria Fund for Human Services. For more information, contact [email protected].

Arlington Community Foundation’s ‘Meeting the Moment’ grant for human service nonprofits is offering $25K grant awards. Applications are due Jan. 12.

3-in-1 Empowerment Opportunity! Proposals for Arlington County’s FY 2027 Opportunities Grant, formerly the “RACE to Rebuilding Trust & Community” grant program, are due Jan. 13. In addition, the County seeks feedback (in English and Spanish)  by January 14 on which sectors would help residents thrive. Finally, the County is recruiting community members with lived experience to review grant proposals. Submit a short application by January 19. Questions? [email protected]

The Arlington Civic Federation’s Housing Committee is hosting “Challenges of Creating Affordable Senior Housing,” a brief overview of the landscape for affordable housing finance in Arlington and specific challenges with senior housing. January 15 at 6:30 pm, virtual. Register here.

Last Call: Sign up for a free 5-week course, Poverty and the Myth of the American Dream, beginning Sunday, Jan. 18, which will also cover Arlington’s affordability challenges - presented at Arlington Presbyterian Church in collaboration with Arlington Community Foundation. Register here.

Arlington’s Housing Choice Voucher 2026-2027 Annual PHA Plan is available for public comment until the County’s Housing Choice Voucher Program Public Hearing at DHS on January 27 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm. Or submit written comments to [email protected]. 

The County Board submitted its FY2027 Budget Guidance in December. It includes $5M each for the police and fire departments, investments they said would make an already difficult budget year even more challenging. The FY27 budget deficit could be up to $45M. Among many suggested remedies was the ‘restructuring’ of many housing-related programs, with a note to prioritize reductions that do not “disproportionately burden vulnerable community members.”

In December 2025, the RiverHouse PDSP development was approved to include 743 new housing units and permit increased height for 3 additional 22-story buildings (with up to 2,000 more units). The Pentagon City Sector Plan requires 10-20% of net new units to be affordable (CAF) units.

There are several vacancies on Arlington’s Planning, Housing and Aging (its Housing Subcommittee) Commissions. Bring your housing voices to the table and apply here.

Our NVAHA~Arlington coalition, Housing Action Arlington (HAA) meets again on Wednesday, January 14 at 12 noon (virtually). Register now to join us!

Effective January 1, 2026, Fairfax County will begin levying a tax on the purchase of all prepared food and beverages sold as a meal. The Food and Beverage Tax is 4% of the total cost of food and beverages sold by restaurants, caterers, or other designated establishments defined as a restaurant.

The Tysons Community Alliance published the Future Housing Demand in Tysons report from consultant Jon Stover & Associates (JS&A) which estimated Tysons needs over 10K new homes in the next 15 years. The report also states Virginia’s population growth over the next two decades will remain concentrated in its metropolitan areas.

In December, the Fairfax Board of Supervisors approved updated rules to help preserve affordable housing opportunities in Manufactured Housing Communities. Last month they approved three actions: the Zoning Ordinance amendment was adopted in conjunction with a related Comprehensive Plan amendment and Relocation Guidelines.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors paved the way for housing to replace Fair Oaks-area office buildings. The Board voted unanimously at its Nov. 18 meeting to amend the county’s Comprehensive Plan and allow the Fair Oaks Business Park and nearby High Ridge office building to be redeveloped with more than 800 new homes.

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) is starting to test the waters on an initial concept for its plan to replace and expand on Reston’s Crescent Apartments.

Last month, the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) held its annual Egan Excellence Awards ceremony to recognize the outstanding achievements of Department of Housing and Community Development staff. The Egan Awards recognize exceptional contributions in achievement, collaboration, service, and leadership that assisted the FCRHA in achieving its mission.

Falls Church increased its affordable housing nearly 50% in 2025 with the addition of 99 new affordable units in recently opened multifamily buildings. However, 111 affordable rental units at Pearson Square and The Fields are set to convert to market rate units between 2027 and 2029. Data of this kind can be accessed on the City’s new and continuously updated Affordable Living Dashboard.

The Housing Commission and Department of Housing and Human Services announced they expect to contribute to the unfolding plan and timeline to redevelop Virginia Village Apartments as long-term, committed affordable housing.

The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) continues its free monthly Lunch and Learn Series on Fair Housing. Each session is held virtually from 12pm-1pm. Registration is not required, but find information on how to join is at loudoun.gov/fairhousing. Upcoming sessions include:

• January 14 - The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Impact on Fair Housing Law

• February 18 - Healthy Homes, Healthy Hearts - Fair Housing and Nutritional Health

• March 18 - National Women’s History Month - Access and Equity to Fair Housing

Loudoun DHCD will host the next two sessions of its fair housing course “Complete Overview and Understanding of Virginia Fair Housing.” Attendees will receive a certificate upon completion of the course and can apply their certificate for continuing education (CE) credits or post-licensing education (PLE) credits towards their fair housing certification or real estate license. Register at loudoun.gov/fairhousing. The next sessions will be held on:

• Tuesday, January 13, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Virtual

• Wednesday, February 11, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Dulles Area Association of Realtors, 540 Fort Evans Road, Suite 300, Leesburg

Loudoun County invites local nonprofit organizations to participate in one of two upcoming virtual meetings to gain insights and feedback regarding changes designed to improve the county’s Human Services Nonprofit Grant Program. The sessions will include a presentation on the proposed FY2028 and FY2029 changes and an opportunity for those in attendance to provide comments. The meetings will be held:

• Thursday, January 15, 2026, 1:00 – 2:30 pm, Join the meeting.

• Monday, January 26, 2026, 1:00 – 2:30 pm, Join the meeting.

At their December 8 work session, the Leesburg Town Council discussed increasing the number of multi-family residential units allowed by-right in the downtown B-1 district. Some concerns were raised about additional pressure on downtown roads and parking, as well as maintaining downtown’s historic character. Town staff is supportive of raising the by-right cap to ten units from the current cap of five. Additional units currently require a special exception permit.

The City of Manassas will vote on January 26 to approve a proposal to advance the community’s long-term housing goals. Good Housing, a Northern Virginia–based developer, received approval to build a 100-unit apartment building at The Landing at Cannon Branch, on the site of the former DMV building. The project supports the housing and neighborhood priorities outlined in the City’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan and NVAHA’s Housing Trust Fund & CDBG Report.

Last month, the Board of County Supervisors approved 134 affordable/workforce housing units in the county. From January to December 2025, the Board approved new development in the county providing a total of 3,682 housing units, of which 202 are affordable/workforce housing, as well as 2.7 million square feet of commercial and industrial development.

During their meeting on Dec. 16, the Board of County Supervisors appropriated funding to award a $21.5M contract to build the Homeless Navigation Center - East on county-owned property at 14716 Potomac Mills Road. This project will provide overnight, temporary, emergency sheltering and wrap-around services for up to 50 adults experiencing homelessness.

Also during their meeting on Dec. 16, the Board approved a Resolution directing staff to analyze what it would take to prioritize several housing “fast-track” measures, to include a framework for an Accessory Living Unit policy, residential development waiver reform, and evaluating publicly-owned parcels with potential for housing.

An update on Prince William County’s launch of their housing fund program and roll out of a new website that will list available affordable homes in the county. The $16 million fund will provide gap financing for developers to build affordable units.  The new website is expected to launch in the spring of 2026. The fund’s first 90-day application period is expected to open on May 1, 2026, with a deadline of August 1. The county’s housing board will consider applications in October, with the board making final funding decisions in December.  

The Greater Washington Partnership Housing Playbook was recently released in response to the Baltimore–Washington DC–Richmond region’s deepening housing affordability crisis and its impact on the broader economy. At its core, this playbook is a practical guide for employers—a catalyst to equip decision-makers with adaptable, scalable approaches that expand affordable housing, strengthen economic competitiveness and ensure the Greater Washington region remains a vibrant, inclusive place to live and work.

The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) and Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University released their new 2026 market forecast, discussing the housing market in each jurisdiction.

Are you interested in tracking statewide legislation and budgets related to housing? These are Key Dates for the 2026 Virginia General Assembly:

On January 12 from 12 - 1:30 pm, New Virginia Majority will be hosting, State of Virginia's Working Class People: Building a Virginia That Works for All of Us. They will release their2026 Working Class People's Agenda, State of Virginia's Working Class People Report, and Housing Justice for All Report, which are all rooted in their new Survival, Stability, Mobility framework. 

The Virginia Housing Tax Credit Workshop will be held virtually on January 20, from 9 - 11 am. Registration is required. More information about the 2026 Tax Credit Application Calendar can be found by scrolling down to the Event and LIHTC Cycle Year Calendar tab on the website. 

Mark your calendars for February 26 in Warrenton for the Northern Virginia meeting of Virginia Housing’s Community Impact Session series which includes an overview of Virginia Housing’s programs and how they support communities in developing affordable and workforce housing.  Registration opens in mid-January. More information to follow. 

VOICE & Commonwealth Housing Coalition are forming a Rapid Committee Deployment Standing and Speaking Team to Richmond, in which community members will attend committee hearings on short notice: Ongoing throughout the General Assembly.  Learn More & Sign-Up Here.

There are on-going updates regarding the HUD CoC NOFO. The most up-to-date explanation we received is from our partners at the National Alliance to End Homelessness:

On December 23, 2025, a federal court ordered HUD to pause several recent actions related to CoC funding. The court also stopped HUD from moving forward with the new FY 2025 CoC NOFO and from enforcing new conditions or deadlines tied to that NOFO. This order is preliminary and will remain in effect until the court rules on the case.

What this means is that HUD must return to the “status quo” that existed under the FY 2024–2025 NOFO. HUD is required to take steps to process eligible renewal projects for FY 2025 using the FY 2024–2025 NOFO rules. However, the court made clear that this order does not require HUD to award or obligate funds yet.

HUD must also communicate with communities and funding recipients about any steps they need to take so eligible renewals can be processed. A report on HUD’s plan and timeline is due to the court by December 30, 2025.

For providers and CoCs, this ruling offers temporary stability and prevents sudden changes while the case continues. We encourage communities to watch for official guidance from HUD and stay prepared to respond to any requests related to renewal processing. We will continue to provide updates as the case moves forward.

• Spanberger Makes Affordability Centerpiece of Her 2026 Agenda, Inside Nova

• Taking Action on Affordable Housing with Virginia Housing, Virginia Funders Network

• Never Seen Affordability Crisis Like This: Former HUD Sec. Shaun Donovan, Bloomberg (5-minute video)

• Herndon to Hotel Housing Conversion Trend, PCRE Homes 

• Extended Stay Hotel In Fairlakes Could be Turned into Apartments, Fairfax Now