Affordable Housing Goal Doubled By Fairfax County Supervisors

FAIRFAX, VA — When Tuesday's meeting of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors started, the county was committed to building 5,000 affordable housing units by 2034. But very quickly, the board blew the roof off that goal and doubled it.

Chairman Jeff McKay and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust introduced a joint motion to set a new goal of 10,000 net new affordable housing units by 2034 and also identify the resources that would be needed to achieve that goal. The motion was approved on a 9 to 1 vote, with Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity voting in opposition.

While the measure would double the future availability of affordable housing units in the county, it still falls short of the 15,000 units the Affordable Housing Resources Panel predicted the county would need.

In proposing the motion, McKay noted that the original goal of building 5,000 units had always been considered a floor rather than a ceiling. Currently, there are 2,200 new affordable housing units in the county's development pipeline.

“As a complement to the new countywide goal of 10,000 units by 2034, I have set a goal of 1,000 additional Hunter Mill affordable units by the end of 2027," Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said, on Tuesday. "And I challenged my colleagues representing districts on the board to a friendly competition for getting additional affordable housing units built — so far only Providence District Supervisor (Dalia) Palchik has taken me up on that challenge.”

Tuesday's motion is the latest step taken by the board since the beginning of the year to pave the way for more affordable housing in the county.

In January, the board approved $33 million in Housing Blueprint loans to help fund the development of 175 affordable multifamily housing units as part of the Dominion Square West Phase 1 project in Tysons Corner. The board voted on Feb. 8 to designate the site as a revitalization area, which would make it easier for the project's developer, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, to obtain Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

At its Feb. 22 meeting, the board authorized the consideration of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment recommending residential use for the Cornerstones development northwest of the Route 50 and West Ox Road interchange in the Sully District. The 1.2 acre site is currently planned for commercial use. The board directed county staff to study the impact of affordable housing at the site with a density of 35 dwelling units per acre.