Affordable Housing Preservation

Department Resources

To complement the County’s efforts to produce new affordable housing, the Board established a goal of no net loss of existing affordable housing. As rents increase and older buildings face the pressure of redevelopment, the existing stock of affordable units in Fairfax County is at risk of becoming unaffordable, displacing residents, and increasing the demand for affordable housing.

The Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force was formed in 2020 to provide the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (Board) with policy recommendations for creative and sustainable housing preservation initiatives that are consistent with the One Fairfax Initiative and best practices. The Task Force Recommendations were endorsed by the Board in April 2021 and assist in guiding the Board, FCRHA, and HCD staff in the preservation of existing affordable housing.

Affordable Housing Preservation Initiatives

The Affordable Housing Preservation Administrative Policy Guidelines will be the tool for implementing the Affordable Housing Preservation Policy. The Draft Administrative Guidelines contain details pertaining to specific procedures that are not defined in the Policy itself, including:

Determination of applicability to proposed redevelopment projects
Review of preservation proposals
Equivalency of preserved units
Administration of preserved units
Relocation of existing tenants

Please click here to view a recording of an engagement session from June 13, 2023, which includes an overview of the Guidelines and discussion with members of the public.

The Affordable Housing Preservation Policy was adopted into the Comprehensive Plan in March 2023. The Policy seeks to preserve affordable housing through with a goal of one-for-one replacement of existing affordable units that are redeveloping.

The 2024 Preservation Partner Pool is a pre-qualified bench of Housing Providers that can quickly react to preservation opportunities that arise. The Pool was selected using a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Affordable Housing Preservation, issued in December 2022. It is anticipated that the RFQ will be re-issued annually to update qualifications and potentially select additional Housing Providers to join the bench.

The purpose of the Preservation Partner Pool is to streamline the process of disseminating preservation opportunities, reduce the time needed to put deals together, and pre-qualify Housing Providers for FCRHA gap financing. Pre-qualified Housing Providers will receive alerts from HCD regarding preservation opportunities and are pre-qualified for funding through the FCRHA’s Notice of Funding Availability (project-specific information will still be necessary to obtain funding).

The 2024 Preservation Partner Pool includes the following Housing Providers:

Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC)
Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH)
Community Housing Partners Corporation (CHP)
Enterprise Community Development
Fairfield
Gilbane Development Company
Green Street Housing
Homes for America
Insight Property Group
JBG Smith
Lincoln Avenue Capital
National Housing Trust (NHT)
NFP-Dantes
Osprey Property Company
Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) – Wickliffe Consulting (Joint Venture)
SCG
The Michaels Organization
Volunteers of America
WC Smith
Wellington Development Partners
Wesley Housing
Washington Housing Conservancy

Housing and Community Development

Housing and Community Development Alert:

Department Resources