Housing Master Plan

What's New

• NEXT MEETING:
  Thursday, September 16, 2010 7-9 p.m.
  Housing Master Plan Advisory Group and Community Meeting
  Topic: Housing Economics
  John Adams Elementary School Multipurpose Rm.
  5651 Rayburn Avenue
  Alexandria, VA 22311
  Click on link for map: http://www.acps.k12.va.us/maps/jaes.php

Background

Due to sharply increasing real estate costs and regional development pressures over the past decade, the City of Alexandria faces a severe shortage of affordable housing.  Since 2000, there have been dramatic declines in market affordable rental units, as well as in opportunities for affordable homeownership by individuals and families earning between 60 and 80 percent of median income despite City loan assistance to subsidize purchase.

The dearth of affordable housing options makes it difficult for City and school employees, as well as other members of the local workforce, to live in Alexandria.  This disparity exacerbates traffic and congestion in our City and the region.  The City’s commitment to producing and preserving affordable housing is now challenged by a dwindling pool of resources at the federal, state and local levels, and turmoil in the financial markets.  The lack of affordable choice in Alexandria’s housing market threatens the community’s diversity, as well as its long term economic sustainability.

The City of Alexandria will undertake a citywide Housing Master Plan to establish a comprehensive vision to guide future development with the goals of preserving and enhancing affordable housing opportunities, community diversity, and economic sustainability. The Housing Master Plan process will begin April 1, 2010 and will conclude around June 2011.  An Advisory Group, comprised of the Alexandria Affordable Housing Advisory Committee plus an additional six appointees, will spearhead the housing master plan effort and will meet monthly.  All meetings are open to the public and participation by all is encouraged.

The goals of the Housing Master Plan process include:

• To make recommendations to ensure a more balanced geographic distribution of affordable, workforce and public housing throughout the City;
• Define and/or establish goals for mixed-income housing;
• Enhance community understanding of housing choice as a critical component of Alexandria’s economic sustainability strategy;
• Develop strategies for affordable, workforce and public housing preservation and production through development and zoning tools and resources; and
• Enhance/broaden the quantity and range of housing identified for preservation with a Priority Housing Unit Policy.

Schedule

• 2010-2011 Housing Master Plan Schedule revised May 19, 2010

Advisory Group Meetings and Materials

• July 1, 2010 Session 5 - Special Needs and Homeless Housing
  • Meeting Video
  • Agenda
  • Presentation
• June 7, 2010 Session 4 - Planning and Zoning 101: Discussion of how the planning and regulatory process affects housing production, including limits, opportunities and costs. Review zoning, density, heights, and issues such as parking and open space requirements.
  • Meeting video
  • Agenda
  • Presentation: Planning 101: Strategies to Secure Affordable Housing Production and Preservation
• May 6, 2010 Session 3 -  Defining The Challenge/Setting the Stage: Current affordable housing supply and demand, data and projections about population, employment and commuting patterns.  Major findings and recommendations from the Affordable Housing Initiatives Workgroup
  • Meeting Video
  • Agenda
  • Presentation 1: "Locked Out of Our Neighborhoods" 
  • Presentation 2: Affordability, Demographics, Projections and the AHIWG Recommendations 
• May 1, 2010 Session 2 - City Housing Tour - A narrated bus tour of 70 affordable housing properties in the City.  Materials from the tour are listed below. 
  • Housing Tour Properties Package
  • Detailed Tour Properties Spreadsheet
  • Tour Properties Map
  • Turn by turn route directions for self-guided tour 
• April 1, 2010 Session 1- Kickoff and Listening Session
  • Meeting video
  • Meeting audio
  • Agenda
  • Advisory Group Roster 
  • Ground Rules and Guidelines
  • Dr. Lisa Sturtevant - Presentation on regional demographics and housing trends
  • Dr. Lisa Sturtevant - Speaker topic and bio
  • HMP Intro Presentation
  • Información en español

Reference Documents

Reference materials on specific affordable housing topics and case studies will be added over the course of the planning process

• Advisory Group Roster 
• Affordable Housing Initiatives Work Group (AHIWG) Docket Item and Final Report, June 2009 
• AHAC Annual Report 08-09 
• AHIWG Powerpoint from Council meeting, June 2009 
• AHIWG Interim Report affordability definitions, April 2008 
• Commonly used income limits 2009
• Developers Housing Contribution Policy Workgroup Docket Item and Final Report, June 2005 
• MOU between City and ARHA
• Housing Budget Approved FY 2010
• Housing Budget Proposed FY 2011 
• HMP Planning Process Schedule 
• Housing Trust Fund Report FY09 
• Resolution 830 document 

Useful Links

• Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) 
• City of Alexandria Strategic Planning Process 2010 
• US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 
• Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) 

Recent/Current City Projects Related to Affordable Housing

• Beauregard Corridor Plan 
• Braddock East Plan 
• Glebe Park Redevelopment 
• James Bland Redevelopment 
• Station at Potomac Yard 

Contact Information and How to Stay Informed

• City of Alexandria Office of Housing
  421 King Street, Suite 200
  Alexandria, VA 22314
  Tel: 703-746-4990
  Fax: 703-706-3904
• Housing Master Plan Project Manager
  Carrie Beach, Office of Housing
  Tel: 703-746-3095
• Printable page with HMP Contact information 
• Sign up for eNews Notifications:
  To receive notifications of upcoming Housing Master Plan events and updates on the progress of the Plan, sign up for the City’s free eNews notification service by going to www.alexandriava.gov/enews and selecting “Housing Master Plan” in the Housing group. 
• Sign up for City Facebook updates: www.facebook.com/AlexandriaVAGov