On Tuesday, April 13, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors moved to adopt and take necessary actions to advance the recommendations presented by the Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force to the Board’s Housing Committee on April 6. Supervisors voted to include resource recommendations in FY 2023 budgetary guidance; to authorize an amendment to the Housing and Land Use Elements of the Comprehensive Plan to reflect the recommendations made; and to authorize the establishment of a standing interagency task force to address the issues surrounding manufactured home communities. The action, introduced jointly by Supervisors John Foust, Dalia Palchik, Kathy Smith and Chairman Jeff McKay, passed unanimously.
“The Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force was created in July 2020 to develop strategic recommendations to guide the County’s efforts in preserving the existing stock of market affordable homes and they have done an outstanding job. With this measure, this Board is taking decisive and critical steps to put those recommendations to work and ensure that Fairfax County is the kind of inclusive community that will continue to provide decent, dignified and safe accommodations for residents across the income spectrum.”
Supervisor John Foust
Housing Committee Chairman
Fairfax County is home to roughly 9,000 units of “market affordable” housing. “Market affordable” housing refers to those homes considered affordable to households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income without enforceable rent or income restrictions. These homes face constant pressures from redevelopment, renovation and repositioning of older properties into higher-rent communities. As the increase in rents across the county continues to outpace increases in income – particularly among the low- and moderate-income workforce – the preservation of affordable housing throughout the county remains a key priority moving forward.
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