Alexandria’s Office of Housing has launched a survey that could help shape the Housing 2040 Master Plan — a blueprint for Alexandria’s goals and policies shaping affordable housing in years to come.
The plan is an update to the Housing Master Plan from 2013 which is set to end in 2025.
The survey asks questions about whether the respondent is concerned about things like the cost of rent, rent increases, and availability of housing, along with a space to write in responses.
According to a release:
The survey is open through January 12, 2025 and is also available in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Dari and Pashto (please select your preferred language using the drop down menu in the upper right hand corner of the survey). Paper copies of the survey are available at the Office of Housing, 421 King Street, Suite 215, Alexandria, VA 22314 and at all upcoming engagement events. Surveys will also be mailed upon request. Please contact Christopher Do at 703.746.3084/christopher.do@
alexandriava.gov to request a mailed copy.
Mayor Justin Wilson noted in his newsletter that the Biden administration awarded $85 million in federal resources to support local actions around lowering housing costs and boosting housing supply.
“The funds are awarded as part of PRO Housing, Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing,” Wilson wrote. “A few days later, leaders from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) traveled to Alexandria’s West End to announce that Alexandria, along with several of our regional partners had been awarded a portion of this money to support housing efforts convened by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG).”
Last November, the City of Alexandria voted to approve a series of new zoning changes that, among other things, made it easier to build housing in different zoning codes and ended single-family-only zoning — though a lawsuit has been filed to overturn that ruling and a similar set of zoning reforms were thrown out in Arlington.
“We began this effort nearly two years ago, with great ambition and high-minded language,” Wilson wrote. “We ended up with a modest package of reforms that removed barriers to the creation of a diversity of housing types, informed by deep analysis of infrastructure requirements and the history that has shaped housing access in Alexandria for generations. I believe these reforms will move our community forward, improve accessibility and protect the quality of life we cherish.”
