affordable housing | ALXnow

ARHA renames headquarters to celebrate local civil rights champion

Published November 21, 2022 at 9:50AM

A. Melvin Miller building (image courtesy ARHA)

Last week, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) gave its headquarters an official name — one honoring a local civil rights activist and affordable housing advocate.

The newly christened A Melvin Miller Building honors A. Melvin Miller. After serving two years in the army, Miller move to Alexandria in 1958. Miller launched a criminal law practice but worked pro bono on school desegregation issues. Miller served as spokesperson for The Secret Seven, a group of Black civil rights pioneers in Alexandria. Miller was chair of ARHA from 1970 to 1977 and from 2001 to 2012.

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Southern Towers residents and activists protest rent increases and lingering health issues

By Vernon Miles

Published November 18, 2022 at 2:00PM

Organizers outside Southern Towers lead residents in a protest against CIM Group (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

At a rally outside Southern Towers (4901 Seminary Road), residents and community activists shared stories of rent increases and poor living conditions, shouting slogans against property owner CIM Group.

CIM Group purchased the buildings in 2020. Relations between tenants and owners were already fraught after the pandemic left many residents in Southern Towers — one of the last bastions of market-rate affordable housing in Alexandria — without work. Since then, community activists have raced to try and support residents facing eviction after pandemic-related protections expired.

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Alexandria launching ambitious new zoning reform with a emphasis on affordable housing

By Vernon Miles

Published November 18, 2022 at 11:00AM

Homes along the waterfront in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria could be on the verge of some of its biggest steps yet in the fight to make housing affordable in a city where housing prices continue to outpace wages.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 22, the City Council could jump-start a process set to run through next year that could dramatically reshape pieces of the city’s zoning code in an effort to make land use more equitable and inclusive. The “Comprehensive Zoning for Housing and Housing for All Package” involves a full sweep of large swaths of city zoning to look for ways to rewrite them from the ground up with a new emphasis on affordable housing and equity.

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Alexandria holding lottery for new affordable condos in Potomac Yard

By Vernon Miles

Published November 17, 2022 at 11:10AM

Dylan Condominiums in Potomac Yard (Rendering via Dylan Condominiums/Facebook)

The City of Alexandria will select nine locals via lottery for a chance to buy one of the handful of affordable condos built near the new Potomac Yard Metro station.

The units are committed affordable units — part of a trade for extra density from new development — in the Dylan Condominiums development at 701 and 737 Swann Avenue.

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City Manager: Trading height for affordable housing means ‘unlikely’ impact on historic districts

By James Cullum

Published October 26, 2022 at 3:45PM | Updated October 26, 2022 at 11:35PM

A packed house at the Agenda Alexandia discussion on building heights and affordable housing, October 24, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

The most contentious part of last Monday’s Agenda Alexandria discussion on building heights was when City Manager Jim Parajon told the audience that the City Council’s priorities on affordable housing have the best interests of residents in mind.

Many members of the audience voiced disapproval by groaning, “No,” that they don’t.

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New Duke Street development replacing car dealership with affordable housing

By Vernon Miles

Published October 26, 2022 at 10:45AM

Witter Place (Community Housing Partners (CHP)

The Beyer Land Rover dealership at 2712 Duke Street could soon be replaced with a new 94-unit affordable housing development (item 9).

The project, Witter Place, is being put together by Community Housing Partners (CHP). The Virginia-based non-profit has worked in affordable housing development since 1975, but this is CHP’s first project in Alexandria.

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Community meeting planned for controversial Braddock redevelopment

By Vernon Miles

Published October 11, 2022 at 10:50AM

Samuel Madden redevelopment rendering (image via Torti Gallas + Partners/City of Alexandria)

The Samuel Madden redevelopment project at the north end of the Braddock neighborhood is heading back to the community review process after a significant redesign.

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) is planning on tearing down a dozen aging townhomes at the north end of the Braddock Neighborhood, where Patrick and Henry streets reform into Route 1. They will be replaced with a new 500-unit multifamily residential development that would act — as it was called in some of the earlier meetings — as a gateway into Old Town.

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New report examines progress on Alexandria’s housing and tourism goals

By Vernon Miles

Published September 27, 2022 at 2:45PM

As seen around Old Town Alexandria and Waterfront Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new report, prepared for a City Council meeting tomorrow (Wednesday), looks back at the progress made on several priorities adopted earlier this year, from pandemic recovery to housing.

The mulit-part update tackles a dozen community-welfare topics identified as a priority early in 2022, with each of those broken down into a look at progress on individual initiatives. While some have been fully completed, others are still in their early stages.

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Old Town North affordable housing redevelopment moves forward

By Vernon Miles

Published September 19, 2022 at 9:50AM

Ladrey High-Rise in Old Town North (image via Google Maps)

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) has announced some next steps for plans to redevelop Ladrey High Rise, a public housing building in Old Town North.

The current building is an 11-story, 170-unit high rise building housing seniors and residents with disabilities. The redevelopment plans will see that building and an adjoining property demolished for a new mid-rise construction. The new development is slated to be a one-to-one replacement of the units on the site.

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The Waypoint at Fairlington to open later this month

By Vernon Miles

Published September 6, 2022 at 1:30PM

Waypoint at Fairlington concept rendering (image via Wesley Housing)

Two years after it broke ground, The Waypoint at Fairlington (2451 Menokin Drive) is scheduled to have its grand opening later this month.

In an email, affordable housing developer Wesley Housing said the housing complex is scheduled to open on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

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Alexandria Mayor says Youngkin’s affordable housing reform comments are positive step forward

By Vernon Miles

Published August 22, 2022 at 9:50AM

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks at the Safeway at the Bradlee Shopping Center on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. (Photo via Eli Wilson)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin hasn’t always gotten the best reception in Alexandria, but recent comments about working with localities to establish better affordable housing zoning could help find some common ground with local leadership.

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said a recent Washington Post article about a trip to Michigan included some promising comments about improving housing availability.