COUNTY BOARD INCREASES HOUSING INVESTMENTS IN FINAL BUDGET
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Together with concerned organizations and individuals, AHS asked Arlington County to double the proposed allocation to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund in the FY 2022 budget after the County Manager proposed slashing the fund.
The County Board responded by accepting many of our requested changes on Tuesday, April 20 when they approved the final FY 2022 budget. Highlights include:
- Increasing funding for AHIF, bringing the total in the FY 2022 budget to $16.9 million, an increase of $8 million above the proposed level and $0.9 million above the FY 2021 enacted level. The increase was made possible by using one-time funds;
- Maintaining expanded COVID-related eligibility criteria for existing recipients of Housing Grants using one-time funds;
- Reducing Housing Grants client’s contribution towards rent from 40% to 30% of income using ongoing funds. Together with the one-time funding maintaining the COVID eligibility criteria, the total FY 2022 funding for Housing Grants totals $14.2 million.
The board also directed staff to increase resources used to ensure the health and safety of the affordable housing funded by the County and to conduct an analysis of the Housing Grants program with the goal of expanding eligibility and adjusting rent standards for FY 2023.
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WEBINAR RECAP: MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING AND ARLINGTON'S SENIORS
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On March 25, 2021, Arlington residents and community leaders joined AHS for a webinar to explore ways to improve Arlington’s livability for seniors and the potential for Missing Middle Housing in the County. The conversation was moderated by Maureen Markham (Arlington Neighborhood Village) and featured panelists Danielle Arigoni (Director, AARP Livable Communities) and Erica Wood (Arlington Age-Friendly Task Force). Issues discussed included impending demographic shifts, Arlington’s livability, universal design, and more.
Read the latest blog post on missingmiddlearlington.net to watch the session, view slides from our speakers, and discover more resources on this critical issue.
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Affordable Housing in Falls Church: Problems and Prospects
Sunday, April 25, 2021 • 4:00–5:15 p.m.
Are you interested in promoting a more vibrant, inclusive, and diverse Falls Church? Join AHS's executive director Michelle Winters and other panelists for a virtual forum hosted by the League of Women Voters-Falls Church and Citizens for a Better City.
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Plan Lee Highway Community Meetings
Thursdays: April 29 • May 13 • May 27, 2021
The Lee Highway Alliance is working with Arlington County to create a more economically vibrant and livable corridor. The Plan Lee Highway team has recently announced three upcoming neighborhood meetings where they will present their land-use scenario findings. Housing will be a major component of the updated plan, so AHS encourages housing supporters to attend the meetings and provide comments on the alternative scenarios being discussed.
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Virtual Fair Housing Workshop
Tuesday, April 27 • 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
April is Fair Housing Month! Join Arlington County for a free Virtual Fair Housing Workshop that will cover fair housing basics including protected classes, theories of discrimination, and types of prohibited behaviors. Also, learn about the new protected classes in Virginia: “Source of Income,” Gender, and Veteran Status.
Pre-registration is required.
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FEDERAL UPDATES
Biden Administration Proposes Historic Investment in Affordable Housing and a 15% Increase to HUD's FY22 Budget
The American Jobs Plan includes $213 billion to build, preserve, and retrofit more than two million homes and commercial buildings to address the affordable housing crisis. The plan also includes an innovative approach to eliminate state and local exclusionary zoning laws through a new competitive grant program. The House and Senate will consider the plan over the next several months.
The President's proposed HUD FY22 budget increases the department’s funding by 15%. Noteworthy provisions include expanding rental assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher program to 200,000 additional households and increasing funding for Homeless Assistance Grants by $500 million to $3.5 billion.
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NEW TOOLS AND RESOURCES
PolicyMap Housing Needs Assessment Report
This new tool from Local Housing Solutions helps you to access generally available data to better understand and document your local housing needs by:
- Identifying key data points
- Presenting compelling and interactive visualizations
- Providing information to interpret and integrate this data into a comprehensive housing strategy
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Accessory Dwelling Unit D.C. Homeowner's Manual
A new guide from the Coalition for Smarter Growth helps homeowners navigate the process of building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). While the guide was created for homeowners in Washington, D.C., much of the information is generally applicable to ADUs everywhere.
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AHS IN THE MEDIA
Missing Middle Offers a Path Forward
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In a HousingForward Virginia guest blog, AHS executive director Michelle Winters explains why Missing Middle Housing is an important step to an Arlington (and Virginia) for everyone.
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GET INVOLVED
Join the Alliance for Housing Solutions on the platform Mobilize.io to learn, share ideas, and be part of policy discussions. 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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Increasing the supply of affordable housing through education, policy, advocacy, and innovation.
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