Housing and Community Development - Public Affairs

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Fairfax, VA 22030
Allyson Pearce
Manager, Marketing and Community Outreach

Department Resources

Fairfax County Proposes Changes to WDU Policy Plan Amendment

apartment building

On July 14, 2020, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized consideration of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to provide updates to the county's Workforce Dwelling Unit (WDU) Policy. The Countywide and Tysons WDU Policies were designed as proffer-based incentives to encourage housing development at a variety of affordability levels in mixed-use activity centers. The WDU Policies adopted in 2007 and 2010 were designed to meet the housing need for households earning between 60 and 120 percent of the area median income (AMI). The proposed changes reflect the current market and would better meet the growing need to serve county residents with low- and moderate-income.

"The WDU Policy has been a useful tool in introducing about 1,600 units into the county,” said Tom Fleetwood, Director of Fairfax County’s Department of Housing and Community Development. “In looking at how the market has evolved over the last decade, we see that market rate rents have not increased at the projected rate, and we are seeing that workers earning 100 and 120 percent of the median income are accommodated naturally through market rate units. It’s time that the policy be updated to more effectively provide units with affordability at a variety of income bands below market rate rents.”

The proposed changes recommended by the Workforce Dwelling Unit Task Force are intended to meet the existing need in the county. The proposal would enhance the affordability of the rental WDUs by adjusting the commitment to units at lower income levels (60, 70 and 80 percent of the AMI), instead of including units at 100 and 120 percent of the AMI. See the following matrix as an example.

wdu matrix

For additional details of the proposed changes, visit the WDU Policy Plan Amendment website.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Fairfax County staff will host three virtual open houses where all are invited to learn more about the proposed changes and participate in a Question and Answer session with staff. Events are scheduled as follows:

  • Saturday, November 21, 2020, 10:00 am
    ONLINE MEETING Via WebEx
    Audio Only Call-in: 1-844-621-3956, Access Code 173 069 5471
     
  • Monday, November 23, 2020, 12:00 pm
    ONLINE MEETING Via WebEx
    Audio Only Call-in: 1-844-621-3956, Access Code 173 053 3562
     
  • Monday, November 30, 2020, 7:00 pm
    ONLINE MEETING Via WebEx
    Audio Only Call-in: 1-844-621-3956, Access Code 173 186 7134

Comments and questions are welcome via email, letter, online or at one of two public hearings. For details on how to submit your feedback, please visit the WDU Policy Plan Amendment website.

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