The Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee (AHAAC) will meet this Thursday, December 4 at 7 PM in City Hall (Room 2000) to review draft recommendations for two Housing 2040 projects: Affordable Housing Preservation and Common Interest Communities. AHAAC will provide feedback to staff as part of the Housing 2040 planning process. No registration is required, and updates on other Housing 2040 projects will also be shared.

Community Open House for the Duke Street Land Use Plan will take place on Wednesday, December 10 from 6:30-8:30 PM, at Bishop Ireton High School, 201 Cambridge Road, Alexandria VA, 22314. The Open House will include interactive stations and the opportunity for community members to engage with City staff about specific opportunities they see on the corridor, weigh in on proposed corridor themes, and learn more about the planning process.

Following the Planning Commission’s approval of the Development Special Use Permit (DSUP) package in Potomac Yard, including Wesley Housing’s 88-unit affordable housing project at 601 E. Glebe Rd, the project now moves to City Council for review on Saturday, December 13 at 9:30 AM in City Hall Council Chambers (Room 2400, 301 King Street). This vote is a key step toward bringing new family-sized affordable homes to Potomac Yard on land donated by JBG Smith. Advocates are encouraged to attend in person or join virtually to support the DSUP approval. Written comments can also be sent in advance to [email protected].

Alexandria Redevelopment Housing Authority (ARHA) has paused tenant eviction proceedings while the new board reviews its policies and addresses concerns raised by residents, advocates, and city staff. 

Important: DHS is holding two community engagement sessions to review the significant changes to federal homelessness policy and funding affecting Arlington’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program. These changes will have a direct impact on housing and services in Arlington and across the nation. Come learn the current state of homelessness and available services in Arlington, the local impact of impending federal policy/funding changes, and ways to get involved and advocate for solutions. Join one of two upcoming sessions: Thursday, December 4 (Virtual) 3-4pm -OR- Monday, December 8 (In Person) 6:30-7:30pm - RSVP recommended.

Arlington County has announced the FY 2027 Opportunities Grant to support nonprofits in implementing programs or projects responding to demonstrated community or human service needs while reducing, eliminating, and preventing inequities. A virtual information session will be held this Thursday, December, 4 at 12 noon. Proposals are due Jan. 13, 2026.

In conjunction with the redevelopment proposal for 249 new 100% committed affordable (CAF) units at Leckey Gardens, the public is encouraged to attend the Leckey SPRC Meeting #2 on Monday, December 8 at 7 PM, in person or virtually, to share our support for this important project. The first new CAF’s under the new LB Plan will include 11 units at 30% AMI and 41 units at 50% AMI, and will offer 35 3-bedroom units.

Arlington’s Low Residential Study is evaluating how to limit impervious area in low-density residential neighborhoods, improve stormwater management, and create more space for trees.  Learn more about the study and how it may impact housing development at the Low Residential Study Virtual Open House Opportunity - share your feedback now through Sunday, December 21. Read the FAQ’s or view the recent LRPC meeting about the Low Rez Study.

Arlington’s Housing Choice Voucher 2026-2027 Annual PHA Plan is available for review and public comment now and until the County’s Housing Choice Voucher Program Public Hearing at DHS at 2100 Washington Blvd. on Tuesday, January 27th from 6-7:30 p.m. The public may also submit written comments prior to the public hearing by emailing [email protected]. 

Our NVAHA~Arlington coalition, Housing Action Arlington (HAA) meets on Wednesday, December 10 at 12noon (virtually). REGISTER now to join us!

Wesley Housing’s HUD Project-Based Section 8 waiting list for Strawbridge Square Apartments is now open for new applications until Friday, December 5 at 4 PM.

Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Emergency Food & Housing Assistance grant opportunities. A pre-proposal conference will be held virtually on Monday, December 8 and final proposals will be due January 20.

On November 19, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors amend the Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance guidelines for manufactured homes, which are sometimes called mobile homes or trailers. The Board of Supervisors will vote on the regulations on Tuesday, December 9.

The Board of Supervisors held a public hearing for Plan Forward (Plan Amendment 2022-CW-2CP) on November 18, and deferred a decision until Tuesday, December 9. Written testimony will continue to be accepted until that date. The updated version of the Draft Plan Text for the Policy Plan, reflecting the Planning Commission’s recommended edits, is now available.

Fairfax County’s Department of Housing and Community Development’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (HCD OPEH) is beginning community engagement activities that will inform its next Strategic Plan. The goal is to recommend strategies that strengthen the community’s response to homelessness. Residents are encouraged to attend upcoming community meetings this week. The final report will be presented to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for their consideration in 2026. 

The City of Fairfax recently released the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, identifying practical steps to increase the supply of affordable housing, preserve existing units, and expand housing choices. It provides a framework to guide future policy, partnerships, and investment in affordable and workforce housing in the city. 

Beacon Landing, the largest Permanent Supportive Housing community in Northern Virginia is underway in the City of Fairfax. Wesley Housing, The Lamb Center, Fairfax County and City of Fairfax officials, and other development project partners gathered on November 3rd to break ground to provide 54 new Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units with wraparound supportive services to people at-risk of  or experiencing chronic homelessness.

The City of Falls Church, through its Economic Development Authority, owns nine small apartment properties within the Virginia Village community near Annandale Road. At a Nov. 19 meeting between elected officials and staff, discussion turned to moving forward on a consolidated plan for housing in the neighborhood.

New Virginia Majority and Mobile Hope hosted a vigil on November 22 for the residents being displaced from the Leesburg Mobile Park. NVAHA staff spoke at the rally and continue to convene meetings of a mobile home park task force, with the goal of bringing partners together to support the residents who are being displaced. The task force will host a Community Resource Fair, led by the Loudoun Human Services Network, on Saturday, December 6 from 3-5 PM at the Douglass Community Center in Leesburg. Interested in getting involved? Email Amanda at [email protected].

Amazon and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties recently announced the launch of the Amazon Loudoun County Community Fund. This fund will support grants to nonprofit organizations in the categories of Health and Wellness, Food Security, Community Infrastructure for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, Sustainability and Environment, and Social Cohesion. Applications are due by Monday, December 15.

At their November 18 Business Meeting, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved a 12 month pilot program for an expedited process for legislative attainable housing applications. The pilot program will run from January 1 - December 31, 2026. The Department of Planning and Zoning will accept up to three applications for the pilot, with the goal of Board action within eight months or sooner of an application’s acceptance for review.

The Affordable Dwelling Unit Advisory Board presented a Tiny Homes White Paper to the Board of Supervisors on December 2. The goal of the paper is to explore the use of tiny homes as part of the county’s overall housing strategy. The paper concludes that tiny homes may be helpful in addressing homelessness, broader housing needs, and attainable homeownership.

Prince William County’s Affordable Dwelling Unit (AfDU) Ordinance became effective on December 1. The County is excited to begin working with developers and builders on growing the county’s affordable housing stock. Information about the county’s AfDU Ordinance can be found on the website.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved the Draft Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) Guidelines and Policies presented by the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) on Dec. 2. The presentation provided an overview of the proposed guidelines, outlined the goals of the Affordable Housing Fund, and highlighted how these policies are designed to support the county’s commitment to expanding access to safe, stable and affordable housing for residents.

The Prince William County Planning Office has launched an enhanced, live version of the Build-Out Analysis, an interactive online tool that provides continuously updated information about the county’s development potential. The Build-Out Analysis estimates how much residential and nonresidential development could occur if all land within the county were built to the maximum extent allowed by current zoning. The new Build-Out Analysis Dashboard updates data quarterly or whenever the Board of County Supervisors adopts a new land development case. The hub includes access to GIS data layers available through the Prince William County GIS Open Data Portal. 

Virginia Housing will host their 2026 LIHTC How to Apply Workshop this month. The Northern Virginia session will be held on Wednesday, December 10, from 9-10:30 AM at the ASCE Bechtel Conference Center, 1801 Alexander Bell Dr, Reston, VA, Please register if you plan to attend. That workshop will be followed by Broker Training 2025 at the same ASCE Bechtel Conference Center, from 10:30 AM - 12 PM.

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is undertaking its Annual Action Planning process for the program year spanning July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027. DHCD will accept input on goals and objectives for housing and community development, the projected use of funding, and the method of distribution of anticipated federal housing and community development resources including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), National Housing Trust Fund, Emergency Solution Grant (ESG), and Housing for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). The Northern Virginia planning session will be held on Thursday, December 11 from 1 - 3 PM at the James J. McCoart Administration Building, 1 County Complex Court, Prince William, VA 22192. Please register in advance.

The Virginia Housing Alliance would like to invite affordable housing practitioners in Virginia to a virtual webinar on Tuesday, December 16 from 12-1 PM to learn about recent changes to Virginia’s state code related to property tax assessments of affordable housing. Click this link to register.

As expected, HUD’s CoC NOFO was released on November 13, dramatically reducing funding for permanent housing (PSH) and redirecting the majority of resources toward transitional housing with new work or service requirements. Our partners at the Corporation for Supportive Housing calculated that Virginia stands to lose approximately $42.5 million in funding that currently provides housing to over 3,200 vulnerable persons in 2,000 households. In Northern Virginia, we could lose 617 PSH beds across our 5 main jurisdictions. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) has created many tools to assist with your advocacy efforts NOFO Activation Handbook, Sample Call and Email Scripts, and their Data Visualization Tool, where you can see the potential loss of PSH units in your jurisdiction.

Additionally, a broad coalition of local governments and nonprofit organizations is taking legal action to stop the administration from creating unlawful and unreasonable restrictions that seek to shift funding away from proven solutions to homelessness.

HUD announced an updated interpretation of immigration verification requirements for housing and disaster relief grant programs under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (“PRWORA”). HUD’s announcement is available here. HUD’s guidance explains that core programs are subject to PRWORA’s eligibility and immigration verification provisions, which limit benefits to U.S. citizens and “qualified aliens.” For more information, view this article from Feldsman.

Alexandria’s Winter Shelter is now open nightly from 7pm to 7am through April 15 at 2355-B Mill Road, operated by Carpenter’s Shelter in partnership with the City. The program serves single adults and families experiencing homelessness, offering a safe place to stay, along with light case management and referrals to supportive services.

Arlington’s Hypothermia Shelter is open now through March 31, 2026 in the Homeless Services Center at 2020-A 14th St N in the Courthouse area. Households at risk of homelessness can contact the Community Assistance Bureau at 703.228.1300. Households in crisis and/or in need of immediate shelter can call 703.228.1010. 

Fairfax County’s Hypothermia Prevention Program is now open until March 31. The program operates across existing shelters and faith community sites. Residents can check county listings for specific locations and hours.

Loudoun County Hypothermia Prevention Shelter opened on November 15 for single adults (18 and over) experiencing homelessness. This temporary shelter will be open from 5:00pm-8:30am seven nights a week through March 31. Guests can check in and have dinner at 19520 Meadowview Court in Leesburg.

Prince William County’s Hypothermia Shelter is now open through March 31. StreetLight Ministries provides nightly shelters in Dumfries at Super 8 Hotel (17416 Jefferson Davis Hwy) with reservation-based admission, and Manassas Baptist Church offers a shelter at 8730 Sudley Road on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents can contact the Coordinated Entry System at (703) 792-3366 (TTY: 711) or the individual sites for availability and operating hours.

• Virginia Zoning Atlas, National Zoning Atlas
• The American Affordability Tracker: Data on Americans’ Finances and Everyday Costs,  Urban Institute
• Election 2025: How State And City Results Will Reshape Commercial Real Estate, BizNow
• 2025 Fair Housing Trends Report, National Fair Housing Alliance
• Section 8 Voucher Funding—Dealing with Shortfalls, Affordable Housing Finance
• Prefab the Gap: Off-Site Construction for Affordable Housing on Urban Infill Sites, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
• Ezra Klein: America’s Housing Crisis in One Chart, New York Times
• State and Local Impacts of HUD’s Housing Cuts: Data Visualization, National Alliance to End Homelessness 
• To Create Abundant Housing, Ignore the YIMBY Playbook, Washington Monthly
• Office-to-Residential Conversions Are Booming, WSJ