ALEXANDRIA CITY

On April 30, the Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted the FY26 Budget, dedicating $17.3M for housing. This includes annual dedicated revenues from one cent of the real estate tax rate, which remains at $1.135 per $100 of the assessed value, as well as a 1% meals tax. $11M is allocated for the Sanse and Naja project, and $2.8M to housing initiatives through DCHS. An ongoing funding of $100,000 has been allocated to the Rental Pilot Program to support 10 additional families with affordable housing.

The City of Alexandria recently hosted a panel discussion on Affordable Housing Preservation as a part of its Housing 2040 Master Plan, where panelists discussed the growing challenges facing working families, such as stagnant wages, rising rents, and high cost-burdens. The conversation highlighted local tools, such as the city’s right-of-first-refusal policy and permitting co-ops as steps toward protecting existing affordable homes. Panelists emphasize the importance of centering families in policy decisions, and suggested the city prioritize ani-displacement efforts, strengthen community support such as guaranteed income program, and explore additional levers such as tax abatements.

Alexandria City is hosting an Economic Summit on Thursday, May 8 from 3-7p. The event aims to engage the community around issues and opportunities in economic growth. Registration is required.

ARLINGTON COUNTY

Arlington’s final FY26 Budget dedicated $102M to housing and services. Increases included $17.7M for Housing Grants and a new position; $7M for Permanent Supportive Housing; $7.8M for Shelter Services; $10K for Fair Housing Education & Enforcement, but only $9.7M for the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF). Funds that would have been for the AHIF were allocated the County’s Stabilization Fund, now at $32M, reserved to address anticipated economic and housing challenges in 2025 and 2026.

Attend the 4th Annual Arlington Fair Housing Conference: The Buck Stops Here: Fair Housing and the Importance of Local Enforcement this Saturday, May 3, 11am-3pm, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. Enjoy speakers, discussions on fair housing policy and enforcement, and free lunch (be sure to register).

Attend Arlington and community partners’ hybrid Annual Tenant Summit – a day of workshops and education for tenants on Saturday, May 17, at Alice Fleet Elementary, 10am – 2pm, to gain valuable information to empower tenants, help manage housing issues, and enjoy living in the community. Register for free lunch, translation & child care – and a virtual link will be provided.

Arlington County is offering the Neighborhood Mini Grant (NMG) program, a competitive grant program ($1,000 per applicant) to support projects that build community and engage residents, such as through programs, events, and projects that promote racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Applications are due June 30.

Clarendon Presbyterian Church and True Ground Housing Partners released a joint statement announcing their decision not to proceed with the redevelopment of the church property for affordable housing for older adults.

On April 15th, the newly formed Affordable Housing Ordinance Working Group held a Special Panel Presentation: The History of Arlington’s Affordable Housing Ordinance (AHO) & How We Got to Today featuring original AHO Working Group members. Take a watch!

The public is encouraged to attend and provide feedback at the Community Engagement Task Force of the Housing Commission, which was established to identify barriers to and make recommendations to promote participation in housing policy decision-making for historically marginalized communities within Arlington.

FAIRFAX COUNTY

NVAHA testified before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at the FY2026 Budget Public Hearing on April 23, expressing strong support for the proposed budget’s investments in affordable housing and shared comments on human services. You can watch the full testimony, along with remarks from other allies here. 

As part of the ongoing staff work and analysis for Plan Forward, the Community Feedback Report is now available. This topic will be discussed with the Planning Commission Policy Plan Committee during their April 3rd meeting which will be streamed live on Channel 16 and available afterwards. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact PlanForwardFFX@PublicInput.com.

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) is inviting rental property owners to a free virtual information session on May 8, at 12:00 p.m., focused on the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Learn how partnering with HCV participants can offer stable rental income, with a portion of rent guaranteed by the federal government. This session will feature affordable housing experts who will walk through the benefits of the program and how landlords can grow their rental business while helping meet local housing needs. Registration is required. 

Fairfax County has completed the initial steps of converting a former hotel into a permanent emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness. Families began moving into the Fair Ridge Shelter (3997 Fair Ridge Drive) off of West Ox Road in the Fair Oaks area last Wednesday (April 2). The opening came shortly after the county wrapped up its Hypothermia Prevention Program, which provides overnight accommodations throughout the winter, on March 31.

The Housing & Neighborhood Livability dashboard is now published to support the implementation of the Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan. The Housing & Neighborhood Livability dashboard presents information under the following topic areas referred to as indicators: Adequate Quantity and Availability of Housing, Affordable and Quality Housing, Access to Amenities that Promote Healthy Neighborhoods, Flexibility and Adaptability of Land Use Rules & preventing and Ending Homelessness.

CITY OF FALLS CHURCH

Falls Church unanimously approved a by-right Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance, eliminating the need for special-use permits. The new rules allow ADUs up to 700 sq ft or 50% of the main home, limit height to 20 ft or 1.5 stories, ban short-term rentals, and not require extra parking.

LOUDOUN COUNTY

The Board of Supervisors approved the FY2026 county budget on April 1, including $17.3M for affordable housing.

The Town of Leesburg’s draft zoning ordinance rewrite is available online for review and public comment. The public review period is open from March 6 through May 5. The last comprehensive update to the zoning ordinance was adopted in 2003. The rewrite project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and your comments are encouraged.

The Board of Supervisors approved a recommendation from the Transportation and Land Use Committee to conduct a study of the feasibility of contracting with an existing public housing authority to develop affordable housing versus the feasibility of establishing a public housing authority in Loudoun County.

Loudoun landlords and property managers are invited to attend a free workshop hosted by Loudoun County about the Housing Choice Voucher and Homelessness Prevention and Diversion programs. The workshops will be held on Tuesday, May 13 at 11am at the Rust Library (380 Old Waterford Rd. NW, Leesburg) and Wednesday, May 14 at 11am online. Registration is required.

Loudoun County is proposing consolidating and replacing the existing Affordable Multifamily Housing and the Rental Housing Acquisition Loan Programs with a more comprehensive Attainable Housing Loan Program. Loudoun DHCD solicited comments from developers in April and will share details of the proposed loan program with community stakeholders in May.

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY

Prince William County adopted their FY2026 Budget on April 22. The Board voted to cut the rate to $0.906 per $100 of assessed value from $0.92 to help homeowners avoid a larger tax bill. The budget also included reductions in the meal tax rate and personal property tax rate on vehicles, but an increase in the business personal property tax rate. The adopted budget included an additional $5.5 M for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund reserve, bringing the total commitment to more than $30 million by FY2029, an investment in mental health services by supporting Crisis Receiving Center operations ($5.7 million) for adults and juveniles, and funding for homeless services via street outreach, coordinated entry and hypothermia services in western Prince William County.

PWC officials have finally found a home for the long-awaited western Prince William Homeless Navigation Center on undeveloped land at 9930 Battleview Parkway for the facility. The site is along the Sudley Road corridor near Northern Virginia Community College’s Manassas campus and Manassas National Battlefield Park. The County approved the $4.15M for the purchase of the site on April 8.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Save the date for the 2025 NOVA Fair Housing Summit on May 20 from 9 – 3:30 pm at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035. Special topics will include, Rental and Mortgage Assistance Options, Housing Rights and Protections, Fair Housing Outreach & Resources. The program includes representatives from DPOR, Prince William County, Fairfax County, City of Alexandria, Arlington County, and more.

Join VOICE leaders and allies from across Virginia for a two-hour training to build skills to hold persuasive, powerful meetings with local and state elected officials — and help lead the fight for more homes, lower costs, and stronger communities. VOICE’s Virtual Training will be held on May 29 from 7 – 9 pm, pre-registration is required. For more information or for the list of  in-person training dates and locations, please contact Jessica Sarriot.

DMV

Join the Coalition for Smarter Growth on May 14 for the 2025 Livable Communities Leadership Awards & Reception at the MLK Jr. Library rooftop. Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi and the City are being honored for their leadership in smart growth and affordable housing. The event will also recognize federal public servants for their dedication to community well-being. 

ULI Washington and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) are pleased to offer high-quality technical assistance through the Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) Partnership for the 2025-26 program year for projects in Equity Emphasis Areas, High Capacity Transit Station Areas, and Activity Centers. The window for application submissions will close at 5:00 pm on Saturday, May 31.

VIRGINIA

Virginia DHCD announced that all ASNH resources have been allocated, and they will be unable to hold a spring application round this year. They anticipate running the FY 2026 funding round earlier this year, with applications expected to open in late July 2025. To prepare for next year’s cycle, they are holding several input sessions. The Northern Virginia Rental Development input session will be held on Wednesday, May 7, from 11 – 12:15 pm at the Arlington Central Library, Barbara M. Donnellan Auditorium.

Join the Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust for a webinar about partnering with community land trusts like VSCLT for lasting affordability with special guest speaker John Emmeus Davis, Partner at Burlington Associates on May 8 from 12 – 1:30 pm. 

Virginia Housing has launched a Fundamentals of Affordable Housing course. This virtual, on-demand course dives into the critical pieces of the affordable housing puzzle. Over eight modules, participants learn about the history of affordable housing, the need for affordable housing today, and how funding and financing work. To access this course, all you need is an account with the Virginia Housing Partner Education Center.

FEDERAL

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released income limits to determine eligibility for HUD-assisted programs and low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) properties for 2025. In our region (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD) the area median income for a family of four is now $163,900.  

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House and the Senate to bolster, expand and improve the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) through the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2025. Novogradac reports that these improvements could add up to an additional 1.6M new affordable homes over the next 10 years.

NLIHC is reporting that the Trump Administration is expected to release a FY 2026 Budget Proposal by mid-May, with an outline – known as a “skinny budget” – this week. The budget will likely propose spending cuts to HUD’s vital affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs, including a significant overhaul of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program that will likely decrease the number of assisted households.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

• The GAP: A Shortage of Affordable Homes, National Low Income Housing Coalition
• How Can the Tax Code Make Housing More Affordable? Urban Institute
• Solving America’s Housing Crisis: A Q&A with Marcia Fudge, Former U.S. Secretary of HUD, Youtube