The Board of Supervisors has approved three actions aimed at supporting and preserving manufactured housing communities in Fairfax County. These actions include an update to the Comprehensive Plan and a separate zoning amendment. Together, they help strengthen one of the county’s sources of affordable housing.
Fairfax County has seven manufactured housing communities with about 1,750 homes. These neighborhoods are a crucial but shrinking source of affordable housing. In most cases, residents own their homes but rent the land underneath, which creates unique challenges that are not found in other housing types.
Our Department of Neighborhood and Community Services helped lead approximately 20 community meetings both onsite at communities and virtually during the past year. The interactive sessions provided casual, transparent forums for people to share their ideas.
Comprehensive Plan Amendment
The Comprehensive Plan amendment updates the county’s long-term policy direction for manufactured housing. It recommends preserving the affordability of the seven existing communities and, when redevelopment is proposed, supporting a goal of no net loss of affordable units. The amendment also updates definitions in the Plan glossary and makes site-specific land use changes for each of the seven communities.
This update reflects several recommendations from the Manufactured Housing Task Force, which the board formed in 2021 to study issues facing residents and community owners. The task force produced 34 recommendations focused on housing stability, resident needs and long-term preservation strategies.
Zoning Ordinance Amendment
Separately, the board approved an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance governing manufactured housing communities. Many of these communities were built before modern zoning standards existed and have long been considered nonconforming. This has made it difficult for residents and property owners to add features like porches.
The zoning amendment modernizes density limits, setbacks and spacing standards so they align more closely with how the communities were originally designed, while considering modern safety and sanitation standards.
New tools are also introduced to help maintain and improve the communities. A special permit will allow residents, with the park owner’s approval, to request flexibility when replacing or expanding a home. A special exception gives property owners a path to reconfigure an entire community so it meets current standards. The amendment also clarifies how state law applies in floodplain areas, allowing homes to be replaced by right when required by Virginia code.
Manufactured Housing Relocation Guidelines
These actions move forward at the same time as the Manufactured Housing Relocation Guidelines, which were developed by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The new manufactured housing guidelines correspond to relocation recommendations in the Comprehensive Plan.
Established following extensive input from manufactured housing residents and other stakeholders, the guidelines articulate the relocation benefits and services manufactured housing homeowners and renters who have a lease agreement with the property owner would receive if displaced due to redevelopment. Owners or developers who submit a rezoning application should adhere to the guidelines as part of the application process; those who are pursuing by-right developments will be strongly encouraged to follow the guidelines.
Three Pillars to Preserve Manufactured Housing
The Comprehensive Plan amendment, zoning amendment and relocation guidelines, combined together, will support the county’s overall strategy to support the preservation, of manufactured housing, including preservation of affordability through redevelopment.
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