affordable housing | ALXnow

Report: New affordable housing having positive impact on Alexandria property values

Published March 4, 2022 at 1:15PM

Rendering for Mount Vernon and Glebe, via AHDC

New affordable housing developments have a positive — if very slight — impact on housing values in Alexandria, according to a new report prepared for the City of Alexandria by the Urban Institute.

The report was presented to the Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee at a meeting earlier this week. The findings were presented by Christina Stacy, principal research associate for the Urban Institute. The presentation did start, though, with a notable disclaimer that Stacy is a board member at the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC), one of the most active affordable housing developers in Alexandria.

News

AHDC gets help from Amazon to secure Arlandria apartment building for affordable housing

By James Cullum

Published February 28, 2022 at 3:30PM

Park Vue of Alexandria at 511 Four Mile Road in Arlandria has been renamed as The Square at 511. (staff photo by James Cullum)

A 14-story Arlandria apartment complex has been acquired by the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation, the latest move in an effort to preserve affordable housing in an area facing significant development pressure.

AHDC recently announced that it bought the Park Vue of Alexandria apartments from Florida-based ZRS Management with support of $51.4 million from the $2 billion Amazon Housing Equity Fund, and conditionally will reman affordable for at least 99 years.

News

Wesley Housing apartment acquisition will keep apartments affordable in Arlandria for 99 years

By James Cullum

Published January 19, 2022 at 10:00AM

Wesley Housing has acquired the six-building Parc Square Apartments in Arlandria (via Wesley Housing)

A new acquisition will preserve some affordable housing in Alexandria’s Arlandria/Chirilagua neighborhood for nearly 100 years. Wesley Housing has acquired the six-building Parc Square Apartments buildings.

Wesley Housing will now make immediate safety repairs, with a long-term plan to redevelop the property. The 1940s-era properties were acquired after Wesley Housing got a $2.3 million grant from the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, and conditionally will reman affordable for at least 99 years.

News

Alexandria looking to expand co-living options

By Vernon Miles

Published December 20, 2021 at 9:45AM

Living room, photo via Patrick Perkins/Unsplash

At Planning Commission and City Council meetings next month, the city is looking to amend the zoning ordinance to allow for more co-living units to be built.

Co-living units are a type of shared living arrangement where individual bedrooms have shared amenities, like communal kitchens or bathrooms. These are usually rental units, for short or long-term stays. It’s the individual bedroom rented out, rather than the unit as a whole, in a co-living arrangement.

News

City looking for public feedback on fair housing in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published December 2, 2021 at 9:45AM

The city is looking for public feedback on fair housing in Alexandria, with plans to incorporate that feedback into a larger effort to secure federal funds to make housing more equitable in the city and its neighbors.

Fair housing, in this context, refers to the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. The meeting will gather public responses to see what difficulties or barriers still exist in regard to fair housing in Alexandria.

News

Seminary Hill affordable housing development headed to city review

By Vernon Miles

Published October 25, 2021 at 3:45PM

Proposed AHDC development off Seminary Road (photo via AHDC)

The Alexandria Housing Development Corporation is planning to head to city review by the end of the year for a new project that will add 31 affordable housing units to the Seminary Hill neighborhood at 4547, 4555, and 4575 Seminary Road.

“The Applicant, the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC) is seeking to consolidate three lots into one and build a condominium project that includes 31 affordable for-sale townhouse-condo units that target average median incomes (AMI) at or below 80% and 8 rental and for-sale multi-family units,” AHDC said in an application.

News

City Manager lays out plan to push back on evictions in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published September 27, 2021 at 11:00AM | Updated May 9, 2022 at 1:05PM

After the end of the eviction moratorium, Alexandria’s City Council is looking to step up protection for locals facing eviction.

According to a docket item for tomorrow’s (Tuesday) City Council meeting, city staff are recommending that the city fund new services and positions aimed to support Alexandria households going through the eviction process.

News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published September 24, 2021 at 3:35PM

Police outside the McDonalds where a shooting occurred, staff photo by James Cullum

What a busy week in Alexandria.

Our top story this week was on a juvenile who was shot outside the McDonald’s at the Bradlee Shopping Center on Tuesday, Sept. 21. There have also been a number of concerning incidents at Alexandria City Public Schools, including a juvenile who was arrested for trespassing and assault and battery at Alexandria City High School.

Opinion

Poll: Do you support adding more co-living options to Alexandria?

By Vernon Miles

Published September 23, 2021 at 1:15PM

Shared living room, photo via Nathan Van Egmond/Unsplash

The city is going through a process of opening up some limitations on co-living — units with up to six individual suites that all share communal amenities.

Co-living is a little different from most apartments; typically having more residents than apartments and at a lower cost. Co-living is currently allowed in Alexandria, but requirements to go through a development special use permitting process and public hearings, among other restrictions, have been hurdles city staff are hoping get rid of. The new policy would certain development in residential zones to build up to two co-living units — with up to six-total suites — by-right, meaning without the need for public hearings and the city’s extensive permitting process.

News

What’s the difference between Alexandria’s co-living policy and regular apartments?

By Vernon Miles

Published September 22, 2021 at 9:30AM

Apartment kitchen, via Naomi Hébert/Unsplash

Alexandria is moving forward with a proposal to make it easier to build housing that allows several unrelated adults to share amenities. While that sounds an awful lot like “having roommates” — which is allowed, in case you’re renting an apartment in Alexandria and started to panic — city staff outlined some of the distinctions in the new policy at a Planning Commission meeting earlier this month.

According to a city report, a co-living unit is defined as:

News

Preserving Arlandria’s affordability against gentrification could cost upward of $100 million

By Vernon Miles

Published September 20, 2021 at 3:50PM | Updated September 21, 2021 at 9:43AM

AHDC's proposed Arlandria housing development (image via AHDC)

Update 9/21 p.m. — A previous version of the article had a typo in Division Chief Carrie Beach’s quote

Housing preservation is a central pillar of the plan to save Arlandria-Chirilagua from the anticipated gentrification stemming from Amazon’s HQ2. Last week, city staff told the Planning Commission that effort will likely require at least $100 million from public and private sources to preserve or expand affordable options in the area.