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    • CPHD

    Affordable Housing

     

    The County's vision of being a diverse and inclusive community underlies its
    commitment to providing affordable housing opportunities for its residents.  A key step in achieving affordable housing is adopting County-wide and area-specific goals and targets and using the necessary planning mechanisms for implementation.

    Arlington Goals and Targets for Affordable Housing

    In December 2000, the County Board adopted the original nine Affordable Housing Goals and in December 2003, the County Board adopted targets for those Affordable Housing Goals.  In March 2011, the County Board voted to revise the County’s
    affordable housing goals and targets, adding the prevention/ending of homelessness and sustainable development as goals and adopting targets to meet those goals.  The goals and targets establish a long-term vision and articulate ideal parameters for
    affordable housing.  The targets offer a quantitative way to measure progress toward achievement of the goals.  Arlington County's Affordable Housing Goals are:

    1. Balance support for the elderly and persons with disabilities with a transitional safety net for families with children.
    2. Prevent and end homelessness.
    3. Ensure through all available means that all housing in Arlington County is safe and decent.
    4. Ensure that consistent with Arlington’s commitment to sustainability, the production, conversion and renovation of committed affordable housing is consistent with goals set by the County to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Arlington County.
    5. Permit no net loss of committed affordable housing, and make every reasonable effort to maintain the supply of affordable market rate housing.
    6. Reduce the number of households in serious housing need (defined as those earning below 40 percent of median income who pay more than 40 percent of their income for rent).
    7. Increase the number of housing units with two or more bedrooms in order to match the needs of households with children.
    8. Distribute committed affordable housing within the County, neighborhoods, and projects.
    9. Increase the rate of home ownership throughout the County, and increase home ownership education and opportunities for low- and moderate-income households.
    10. Ensure, through all available means, that housing discrimination is eliminated.
    11. Provide housing services effectively and efficiently.

    Affordable Housing Ordinance

    In December of 2005, the Arlington County Board approved amendments to the County Zoning Ordinance that are used in the approval process of site plan projects to increase the supply of affordable housing and to streamline the approval process. The developer chooses whether to provide a cash contribution or to provide units using a percent of the increased gross floor area (GFA) above 1.0 Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.). For on-site units, the requirement is 5% of the GFA; for off-site units nearby, 7.5%; for
    off-site units elsewhere in the County, 10%. Cash contribution amounts are indexed to the Consumer Price Index for Housing in the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

    Planning Mechanisms for Implementation

    The following mechanisms are used to implement affordable housing goals and targets adopted by the County Board.


    Last Modified: April 30, 2012
    2100 Clarendon Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201 Tel: 703-228-3000 TTY: 703-228-4611