Renter Resources

The Office of Housing provides a range of services to renters in collaboration with the Department of Community and Human Services, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and local and regional partners.
Page updated on November 1, 2024 at 11:42 AM
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Housing Crisis Services

If you are experiencing a housing crisis or facing homelessness, please contact the Department of Community and Human Services, call 703.746.5700, or text 703.346.5599. If you are experiencing landlord-tenant issues, please contact the Office of Housing at 703.746.4990.

Eviction Prevention

For eviction prevention programs and services provided by the City and its partners, please visit the Eviction Prevention Resources page.

Stay Informed!

To receive email alerts when affordable rental units, workshops and other resources become available, please sign up for the City’s eNews notices (select "Affordable Housing") or contact the Office of Housing at 703.746.4990.

Affordable Rental Options

Current Availability

Learn about committed affordable rental units in the City (Spanish) (updated November 1, 2024). To apply, please contact each property directly.

  • Discounted senior independent living units are now leasing at the Alate.

General Resources

Interactive Affordable Rental Housing Map

Reduced Pricing for Independent Living at Alate Old Town

Nine discounted one-bedroom rental units are available for one and two-person income-eligible households at the Alate Old Town, a new 133-unit age-restricted (62+) independent living community located at 1112 First Street in the Braddock Metro neighborhood. The units are being provided though the City’s Affordable Rental Set-Aside Program. NEW! The rents for the discounted units have been reduced. 

Services and Amenities

The community offers a wide range of services and amenities as part of its monthly housing cost. These include:

  • Outdoor courtyard
  • An on-site theater
  • An art studio
  • On-site lifestyle coordinator
  • Entertainment, social and educational programs and events
  • Fully equipped kitchens
  • In-unit washer/dryers
  • Internet and cable

NEW! Please note that meals and transportation will not be provided at this time as part of the monthly housing cost.

Rents and Fees

The one bedroom/one bath discounted units are the National and Washington models providing 512-520 square feet of living space. The rents and maximum eligible housing incomes are:

2024

Single/Double occupancy

Notes

Discounted Monthly Housing Cost

Approximately $2,500

The approximate monthly housing cost includes an internet and cable fee, utility allowance, and access to all services and programming. Additional fees are listed below. Please contact the Alate for further information. 

Maximum Eligible Annual Household Income

$64,980-$74,280 (depending on occupancy)

Household income is defined as monthly income received from salaries, pensions, annuities, earned interest, Social Security, and other sources. It does not include the value of assets (for example, real estate property, stocks, or vehicles), other than the monthly or annual income generated by those assets. Applicants may be eligible to receive assistance from a family member or family friend to cover the monthly housing cost. Income eligibility is defined at the time of application.

 Additional fees:

  • Application fee: $50
  • Community fee: Approximately $261 (one-time non-refundable)
  • Pet fee & rent (if applicable): TBD (one-time non-refundable)
  • Parking fee (if applicable): $59/month for the first car

Contact Information

For more information about the amenities and services at the Alate Old Town, to tour the units, and to learn about the income verification and application process, please contact Keren Lewis at alateoldtownmgr@greystar.com/703.254.3382.

Southern Towers Committed Affordable Unit Program

The City has a partnership with Southern Towers Apartments to provide prospective residents with committed affordable units at the property. The affordable apartment homes include efficiencies and one-bedroom units. The 2024 rents are:

Efficiency Unit: $1,489/month (including all utilities)   |   One-Bedroom Unit: $1,741/month (including all utilities)

Please note that three months verification of your income must be provided with the application, and that your monthly household gross income must be, at a minimum, twice the rent. Once an application is approved by the Office of Housing, it will be provided to the Southern Towers Apartments Leasing Office for rental background checks and final approval. To apply for a committed affordable unit at Southern Towers, please click on one of the links below to access an application. If you have questions about the program or would like an application mailed to you, please contact Virginia Patton/703.746.3083.

How to Report Apartment Maintenance Requests

To report a maintenance request in your rental unit, first contact your landlord or property manager. If the repairs are not completed in a timely manner, contact the Office of Housing via 703.746.4311 (text 703.405.7100) or submit a Alex311 request. To learn more, download our information sheets in English, Spanish, Amharic, and Arabic.

For other tenant complaints including suspected discrimination, failure of landlords or property managers to provide services or amenities listed in the lease, and mold and mildew, please contact the Office of Housing/703.746.4990.

Trainings and Workshops

  • In partnership with Legal Services of Northern Virginia, the Office of Housing hosted a Tenant Rights Seminar in Spanish, with English interpretation, on June 24 at Casa Chirilagua in Arlandria.
  • The City of Alexandria hosted four tenant Workshops [Spanish] in Fall 2022 on tenant rights, responsibilities, and resources as they relate to leasing, maintenance, landlord-tenant law, and evictions. The workshops were conducted by Legal Services of Northern Virginia and Legal Aid Justice Center and were supported by the Office of Housing, Code Administration, the Department of Community and Human Services, and the Health Department. Amharic and Spanish interpretation, refreshments, and childcare were provided. 

 

Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority manages the City’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. For information, please contact Latonya Washington at 703.549.7115. 

Discounted Memory Care Unit Waitlist

As a condition of its development and rezoning approvals, Silverado provides two discounted beds at its 66-bed memory care community in Alexandria. The cost of care, room and board for the two beds are discounted by 40 percent for residents that meet eligibility requirements. The Office of Housing maintains a waitlist for the beds. 

Eligibility Criteria

  1. Applicants must demonstrate to Silverado that they meet the standards of the Commonwealth of Virginia for being in assisted living, as well as the facility’s criteria for entry. 
  2. Applicants must agree to comply with all prerequisites for occupancy. 
  3. Applicants must demonstrate need to the City; that they have been an Alexandria resident for at least one year prior to applying or have a family member who is closely involved, including a domestic partner, who has been an Alexandria resident for one year; and that have at least two years of available financial resources to pay all costs associated with the care at the facility at the discounted rate (this may include family support).

Application Steps

  1. First visit Silverado Alexandria. To schedule a tour, please contact 703.215.9110.
  2. Obtain a letter from Silverado Alexandria certifying that they meet the state’s and Silverado’s criteria for entry. 
  3. Submit a completed application to the City of Alexandria, Office of Housing, to apply for the waitlist. Download the Silverado Affordable Housing Program Application or contact Eric Keeler/703.746.3085 to learn more.

Complaint Mediation

The Office of Housing provides housing-related mediation between landlords and tenants by mutual agreement. To learn more, contact Gwen Lassiter at 703.746.3086. For assistance in Spanish, contact Virginia Patton at 703.746.3083.

Rental Accessibility Modification Programs

Alexandria Rental Accessibility Modification Program

The Office of Housing can provide accessibility modifications (such as walk-in bathtubs, roll-in showers, handicap ramps, etc.) to disabled income-qualified renters. This program provides technical assistance and grants up to $50,000 to assist low- and moderate-income renters (meeting the Tier 1 HUD Income Limits) with physical disabilities to complete accessibility modifications to their primary residences. The program also provides "mini-grants" of up to $1,500 to assist renters needing limited modifications. Landlords are encouraged to make funded accessibility modifications permanent. To learn more, download the program Brochure (English), or Flyer (English), Flyer (Spanish), Flyer (Amharic), Flyer (Arabic)

To apply, please submit a completed application in English or Spanish to Kim Cadena at 703.746.3104. For other languages, please contact Kim Cadena.

Virginia Housing Rental Unit Accessibility Modification Program

City residents may also be eligible for the Virginia Housing Rental Unit Accessibility Modification Grant Program. The Office of Housing is a designated Community Agent for Virginia Housing and can assist City renters in completing and submitting the required application. For more information, contact Kim Cadena at 703.746.3104.

Senior Rent Relief Program

The Department of Community and Human Services through the Senior Rent Relief Program offers limited grants to low-income renters who are 65 or older and/or permanently disabled and who are struggling to pay their rent. 

Area Relocation Counseling

The Office of Housing offers information, coordination and other relocation assistance to residents who are impacted by potential redevelopment or renovations of existing apartment buildings. To learn more, contact Virginia Patton at 703.746.3083.

Mold Remediation Requirements

To learn about disclosure requirements and tenant and landlord responsibilities, download the 2020 Guide on Mold in Rental Properties. 

State Rental Assistance Program

The State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) provides eligible individuals with developmental disabilities rental assistance so that they can live independently. The program is funded by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and administered in the City of Alexandria by the Office of Housing. Services and supports are provided through sources separate from housing, including Medicaid Waiver-funded home and community based services, natural supports, privately paid supports, and other community resources. For more information, visit the SRAP website.