Alexandria nonprofit ALIVE! has a new trio of affordable housing units thanks to some help from HomeAid National Capital Region, a nonprofit building homes for those in need.
The project took a three-story, single-family home and created three separate housing units along with office space.
Alexandria and regional partners will be getting $3.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to “identify and implement” new affordable housing strategies.
The $3.5 million is provided through HUD’s Pathways to the Removal of Obstacles grant. The funding will go to Alexandria and other localities in Maryland and D.C. as part of the Metropolitan Council of Governments.
Sarah Bagley says that Alexandria residents have invested time and energy into making her an effective member of the Alexandria City Council, and she says she’s running for reelection to honor that investment.
A lot has changed in the city since Bagley was first elected and then virtually sworn in in January 2022. Alexandria was on the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since gone through a crime surge, the introduction and the failure of the Potomac Yard arena deal, a number of key changes in departmental leadership (namely the police and fire chiefs) as well as the controversial upending of the city’s residential zoning policies.
Without the pandemic keeping James “Jimmy” Lewis and his campaign team from unleashing their ground game, he says that years of door-knocking experience will significantly improve his second Democratic primary bid for Alexandria’s City Council.
Lewis faces 10 opponents, including four incumbent Council Members, for the six Council seats in the June 18 Democrat primary. He placed eighth in the 2021 primary with 6,606 votes, and that was 730 votes behind Kevin Harris. Like Lewis, Harris is trying again this cycle to get in the top six spots to secure his nomination for the November election.
Sanse Apartments, described by city leaders as one of the biggest affordable housing projects in Alexandria, is making progress and is scheduled to start vertical construction this fall.
Director of Housing Helen McIlvaine told the City Council at a meeting this week said the housing development, which the city is developing with nonprofit Housing Alexandria, is “larger than any project we’ve undertaken with a partner.”
After a rare dip during the pandemic, apartment rents in Alexandria have continued to increase dramatically over the last few years, increasing by 4.8% so far this year.
CoStar data on rents, made available by the City of Alexandria, showed the asking rent per unit has continually risen over the last decade aside from a fluke dip in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Those hoping to learn a little more about the candidates running for local office in Alexandria can do so later this week at a forum hosted by Tenants and Workers United.
The forum is scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2 at the Tenants and Workers United, 3801 Mount Vernon Avenue. The rain location is the Del Ray United Methodist Church at 100 E Windsor Avenue.
It was another busy week in Alexandria.
This week’s top stories focused on development projects all over the city, from Old Town North to Carlyle and in the West End. News of the mixed-use projects comes as affordable housing advocates are protesting against being priced out and are asking for greater assistance from the city.
Kevin Harris didn’t like the way the 2021 City Council primary went down and now he’s taking another shot.
Harris was edged out by just 750 votes, with Council Member Kirk McPike taking the sixth and last available Council spot. Now he faces 11 opponents in the upcoming June primary.
Tsehayinesh Menberu says that she and her West End neighbors often choose between buying groceries and paying their rent.
Menberu has lived at the Southern Towers complex in the West End for more than a decade. On Saturday, she and about 50 others demonstrated for increased affordable housing outside City Hall during City Council’s public hearing on the fiscal year 2025 budget.
A coalition of affordable housing advocacy organizations is planning to rally outside of City Hall this weekend to advocate stronger affordable housing and tenant protections.
The rally is scheduled for Market Square outside of City Hall (301 King Street) on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m. — while City Council is meeting inside.
