Summary of Housing Programs
Annual Homeownership Fair
Purpose: To provide an opportunity for low and moderate income City residents and workers to learn about the home purchase process and homeownership opportunities in the City of Alexandria.
Area Served: City-wide
Eligibility Criteria: None. This event is open to the public and there is no charge for admission.
Description: This annual event features real estate professionals, lenders, and a variety of nonprofit agencies who can offer current information on the home purchase process. Fair attendees can learn about a range of issues related to buying a home including how to qualify for a mortgage, how to overcome past credit issues, how to purchase with little money down, and the availability of special homeownership assistance programs. Seminars are held in English and Spanish. The annual Homeownership Fair is typically held in the spring.
Contact Person: Shane Cochran 703.746.4990
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Home Rehabilitation Loan
Purpose: To improve the quality of homes owned by low- and moderate-income City residents.
Area Served: City-wide
Eligibility Criteria: Owner-occupants meeting the federal Section 8 Low Income limits.
Description: This program enables low- and moderate-income owner-occupants to correct code violations and structural problems and to enhance the value and livability of their attached or detached single-family homes. Eligible households may receive loans of up to $90,000 for construction costs, plus additional funds if needed for moving and storage fees, permits, title and appraisal reports, architectural and engineering expenses, and other related costs. Loans are no-interest and repayment is deferred for 99 years or until the property is sold, whichever comes first. The Home Rehabilitation Loan Program is funded with federal CDBG and HOME monies and City General funds.
Contact Person: Arthur Thomas (703) 746-4990
Rehab Brochure FY10
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Rental Accessibility Modification Program (RAMP)
Purpose: To assist low- and moderate income tenants with physical disabilities in completing accessibility modifications to their residences.
Area Served: City-wide
Eligibility Criteria: Physically disabled renters meeting the federal section 8 Low Income limits.
Description: This program provides grants of up to $50,000 for primary residence modifications that are necessary to accommodate the particular circumstances of the disabled member of the household. The program also provides "mini-grants" to assist households needing limited modifications of up to $1,500. The RAMP program is funded through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, while the mini-grants program receives funding through the City's Housing Trust Fund. Landlords are encouraged to deem any modifications to be permanent improvements to the rehabilitated rental property. City residents may also be eligible for a VHDA Accessibility Rental Modification Grant.
Contact Person: Gypsy Erostegui (703) 746-4990
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Homeownership Assistance
Purpose: To provide affordable homeownership opportunities for lower-income homebuyers.
Area Served: City-wide.
Eligibility Criteria: Households meeting the federal Section 8 Low Income limits who have lived and/or worked in the City of Alexandria for at least six months. The sales price of properties purchased through this program is limited to $362,790.
Description: This program offers second-trust loans of up to $50,000 for principal and interest write-downs, down payment assistance and settlement costs for the purchase of an attached or detached single-family home, condominium or share in a cooperative. Purchasers must contribute $2,000 or more of their own funds toward the down payment and/or settlement costs. This program is funded with CDBG and HOME monies and provides no-interest loans with repayment deferred for 99 years or until the property is sold, whichever comes first. First-trust financing at below-market interest rates is available through VHDA. Other state homeownership financing is sometimes available through the Sponsoring Partnerships and Revitalizing Communities (SPARC) and the Single Family Regional Loan Fund.
In addition to down payment/closing cost assistance and below-market interest rates, the Homeownership Assistance Program also provides homeownership counseling to applicants and potential applicants. This service is designed to increase understanding of the homebuying process and to address applicants' individual situations with respect to credit, budget and/or saving issues that may affect their home purchase.
Contact Person: Tom David or Vicente Espinoza (703) 746-4990
Homeownership Program Brochure | Homeownership Program Brochure (in Spanish)
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Moderate Income Homeownership
Purpose: To provide affordable homeownership opportunities for moderate-income homebuyers.
Area Served: City-wide.
Eligibility Criteria: Households with incomes between the federal Section 8 Low Income limits and the City established income limits, who have lived and/or worked in the City of Alexandria for at least six months. The sales price of properties purchased through this program is limited to $399,600.
Description: This program offers second-trust loans of up to $30,000 for down payment assistance and settlement costs for the purchase of a single-family home, condominium or share in a cooperative. Residents of apartments under conversion to condominium ownership may be eligible for up to $40,000 in assistance through the MIHP program if purchasing their current residence or another unit within the converting property. Except in extenuating circumstances, this limit applies only to purchasers exercising their 60-day exclusive right to purchase.
Purchasers must contribute $3,000 or more of their own funds toward the down payment and/or settlement costs. This program is funded with monies from the City's Housing Trust Fund, which consists of contributions from private real estate developers who have completed development or redevelopment projects in the City. First trust financing at below-market interest rates is also available from VHDA. Special financing through VHDA's SPARC program may also be available.
As in the Homeownership Assistance Program, housing counseling services are also provided to applicants and potential applicants of the Moderate Income Homeownership Program. This service is designed to increase understanding of the homebuying process and to address applicants' individual situations with respect to credit, budget and/or saving issues that may affect their home purchase.
Contact Person: Tom David or Vicente Espinoza (703) 746-4990
Moderate Income Homeownership Program (MIHP) Brochure
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Law Enforcement Moderate Income Homeownership
Purpose: To provide affordable homeownership opportunities for City of Alexandria law enforcement officers.
Area Served: Homes must be purchased in areas of the City designated by the Alexandria Police Department. Call for availability.
Eligibility Criteria: City of Alexandria police officers and deputy sheriffs with households incomes between the federal Section 8 Low Income limits and city established income limits.
Description: This program offers second-trust loans of up to $50,000 for down payment assistance and settlement costs for the purchase of a single-family home, condominium or share in a cooperative. Purchasers must contribute $3,000 or more of their own funds toward the down payment and/or settlement costs. This program is funded with monies from the City's Housing Trust Fund, which consists of contributions from private real estate developers who have completed development or redevelopment projects in the City. First trusts at below-market interest rates are also available from VHDA. The sales price of properties purchased through this program is limited to $370,800.
Housing counseling services are also provided to applicants and potential applicants of the Law Enforcement Moderate Income Homeownership Program. This service is designed to increase understanding of the homebuying process and to address applicants' individual situations with respect to credit, budget and/or saving issues that may affect their home purchase.
Contact Person: Tom David (703) 746-4990
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Purpose: To provide reduced interest rate financing to low and moderate income first-time homebuyers.
Area Served: City-wide
Eligibility Criteria: First-time homebuyers meeting qualifications for either the Homeownership Assistance Program (HAP) or the Moderate Income Homeownership Program (MIHP).
Description: This program provides reduced interest rate mortgage financing for City residents or workers who are eligible for either the HAP or MIHP Program. HAP-eligible households may receive a reduced interest rate of 1% below the Virginia Housing Development Authority's conventional First-Time Homebuyer Program loans. MIHP-eligible households may be eligible for a 1/2% interest rate reduction through the SPARC Program. SPARC funds are provided annually by the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) and are allocated to program participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
Contact Person: Tom David, Vicente Espinoza or Shane Cochran (703) 746-4990
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Affordable Homeownership Set-Aside Units
Purpose: To provide affordable home purchase opportunities in newly constructed condominiums or town homes.
Area Served: City-wide.
Eligibility Criteria: Limited to first-time homebuyers who have been found eligible for the HAP or MIHP Programs.
Description: This program provides a limited number of discounted, resale restricted units in some newly constructed homeownership developments. The units are discounted by the developer to levels affordable to low and moderate income purchasers. Units designated as affordable set-asides have long-term affordability requirements which are enforced by restrictive covenants.
Contact Person: Shane Cochran (703) 746-4990
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Housing Counseling
Purpose: To educate first time homebuyers in the home buying process and homeownership issues.
Area Served: Citywide
Eligibility Criteria: Age 18 and over.
Description: A private counseling agency under contract with the City provides group counseling for applicants and potential applicants on the home buying process, affordable housing opportunities, affordable financing, credit issues, consumer debt management, and post-purchase homeownership responsibilities, as well as individual homebuyer counseling specific to applicant’s individual situations.
Contact Person: Shane Cochran (703) 746-4990
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Microenterprise Loan
Purpose: To support the development of micro-enterprises in Alexandria.
Area Served: City-wide
Description: This program, which is administered by the ECDC Enterprise Development Group, provides loans of up to $25,000 to new micro-businesses in the City (defined as having five or fewer employees) who generally do not meet the traditional commercial lending requirements of collateral, minimum equity investment, operating and credit history, and loan size. Loans are available at an interest rate of prime plus 4% and may be used for equipment, inventory or working capital. Funds from local lending institutions will be used to capitalize the program's loan pool fund and a portion of the loan loss reserve fund, while federal CDBG funds from the City will be used for loan loss reserves and administrative costs.
Contact Person: Shane Cochran (703) 746-4990
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Landlord/Tenant Complaint Mediation
Purpose: To mediate housing-related disputes between landlords and tenants
Area Served: City-wide
Eligibility Criteria: Complainant must be age 18 or older
Description: This program assists landlords and tenants in resolving disputes by providing information to both parties on their rights and responsibilities under local and state law, and by helping to settle disputes through mediation. This program is funded with City General Fund monies and is overseen by the Landlord-Tenant Relations Board.
Contact Person: Mark Nell or Melodie Seau (703) 746-4990
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Fair Housing Testing
Purpose: To identify discriminatory practices in the Alexandria housing market and promote compliance with fair housing laws.
Area Served: City-wide
Description: Through this program, the City conducts fair housing testing to determine the presence of discrimination in the rental and sales housing markets and in mortgage lending. Paid testers visit apartment complexes, real estate firms and mortgage lenders to test for discrimination. Staff meet with the owners and managers of apartment complexes and real estate firms with less serious problems of discrimination discovered during testing, and file complaints with the City's Human Rights Office concerning more serious, repetitive problems. To date, the program has tested for rental housing discrimination based on race, national origin, familial status and sexual orientation, and for real estate sales and mortgage lending discrimination based on race and national origin. This program is funded with federal CDBG monies and is overseen by the Fair Housing Testing Program Advisory Committee. In addition to fair housing testing activities, staff of the Landlord-Tenant Relations Division provide a half-day training seminar on federal, state and local fair housing laws to real estate and property management companies. Training is provided on request.
Contact Person: Onwuchekwa Okpara (Dr. Goodman) (703) 746-4990
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Relocation Counseling
Purpose: To provide housing counseling services to persons seeking rental housing in the City.
Area Served: City-wide
Eligibility Criteria: Must be age 18 or older.
Description: Assistance is provided to persons seeking suitable rental housing in Alexandria. A listing of rental apartment complexes is provided and staff offers available information on vacancies and their locations. In addition, staff conduct an annual Apartment Survey, which provides information on the location, contact numbers and available amenities of rental complexes with 10 or more units in the City. This program is funded with City General Fund monies.
Contact Person: Onwuchekwa Okpara (Dr. Goodman) (703) 746-4990
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Fair Housing Training for Realtors and Property Managers
Purpose: To promote compliance with fair housing laws.
Area Served: Citywide.
Eligibility Criteria: Businesses involved in the sale, rental or management of property in the City of Alexandria.
Description: Landlord-Tenant Relations staff provide half-day training to real estate or property management companies on compliance with federal, state, and local fair housing laws. Training is provided upon request.
Contact Person: Melodie Seau 703-746-4990
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Affordable Rental Set-Aside Units
Purpose: To provide affordable rental opportunities in newly constructed apartment complexes.
Area Served: City-wide.
Eligibility Criteria: Low- and Moderate-Income Renters.
Description: This program provides a limited number of discounted units in some newly constructed rental developments under City’s Affordable Housing Policy. The units are discounted by the developer to levels affordable to low and moderate income renters. Units designated as affordable set-asides have long-term affordability requirements.
Contact Person: Melodie Seau 703-746-4990
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Housing Opportunities Fund
Purpose: To provide project financing to support the development and preservation of affordable rental and sales housing in the City.
Area Served: City-wide
Eligibility Criteria: Requests for funding may be submitted to develop or preserve affordable housing within the City of Alexandria. Priority for federal HOME funding will be given to City-certified Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs). Developers are expected to leverage funding from all available sources; assistance from the Fund will be provided only in the amount required to meet identified gaps in financing to produce or preserve affordability.
Description: The Fund is designed to supplement other sources of project funding by providing low interest loans or grants to produce housing units affordable to households with incomes at or below 60% of the area’s median income. Funding may be used to cover costs such as: feasibility analysis; pre-development activities; housing preservation; and development costs.
Contact persons: Helen McIlvaine or Eric Keeler 703-746-4990
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