July 7, 2021
To the Fairfax County Community,

Access to housing is a human right, but it's also an opportunity. We all do better when we all have access to housing. Housing is important for one's personal finances, the success of the economy at large, and it is also better for businesses and transportation. During the pandemic access to housing also became a public health issue. We were told we were safer at home, which meant people needed and continue to need access to affordable housing.

In Fairfax County we believe people deserve a safe and affordable place to live. Before the pandemic, we were well positioned to prioritize our housing needs by setting aside a penny in our tax rate. Because of the impact of COVID-19, we were not able to do that in the FY21 budget.

We remained optimistic. The pandemic forced us to think more creatively about housing and making systemic changes to make it easier to increase our affordable housing stock in the years to come. Thanks to the great work of our housing team we currently have over 1,700 units of affordable rental housing in the pipeline.

Those changes and our other successes in affordable housing are detailed in the videos and text below.
FY22 Budget
  • In FY22, the County expects to spend $148 million on housing through the Department of Housing and Community Development and Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority (FCRHA).
  • The Board was able to dedicate a half-penny over the County Executive's original budget proposal and allocate $13.6 million more to housing for a total of at least $23 million available for construction of new units or preservation of existing affordable units.
  • Fairfax County is becoming increasingly efficient in maximizing the funds available by investing in creative financing tools and leveraging community partnerships across non-profit and private sectors.
  • Under my leadership in Lee District and as Chairman, the Board has transferred five properties from our ownership to the FCRHA. This has created approximately 600 units of affordable housing.
  • Learn about the Board transferring a portion of the Government Center Parking Lot to be used for affordable housing here.
  • Last fall the Fairfax NAACP Housing Committee requested a study be conducted of possible racial inequities in Fairfax County’s property taxation. Similar studies have found that African American and Hispanic people face a 10-13% higher property tax burden in the US and 5.5% in Virginia. The study conducted of Fairfax County found that African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans do not face higher property tax assessments.
Workforce Dwelling Unit (WDU)
  • In February 2021, the Board approved an updated Workforce Dwelling Unit (WDU) Policy that incentivizes builders to include affordable units for households with low- and moderate-incomes within their market-rate residential properties.
  • The WDU Policy provides builders with a “density bonus” in exchange for the inclusion of committed affordable units as a component of their residential development. This means if they commit to including housing for a variety of affordability levels, that can build more market rate rental units.
  • Under the new policy, WDU targets those making 60-80% of the area's median income (AMI) and eliminate those targeting the 100- 120% tiers.
  • Learn more about WDU policy here.
Zoning Ordinance Modernization (zMOD)
  • In March 2021, the Board adopted a new and modernized Zoning Ordinance (zMOD),which went into effect on July 1, 2021.
  • As a result of of this new ordinance changes were made to the regulations for Accessory Living Units (ALU). Below is a little more about what ALUs are and how zMOD has altered them:
  • ALUs allow people to house additional residents in their existing home while still adhering to County regulations, so long as no exterior changes to the home are made and parking can be accommodated.
  • zMod allows residents the flexibility to make changes within their own home, while protecting neighborhoods, simplifying the process, and lowering the cost.
  • Homeowners take on tenants to offset their mortgage, or help them earn some extra income during hard times.
  • ALUs will be important to meeting our affordable housing goals because increased housing availability helps lower the cost of housing. Learn more about zMOD and ALUs here.
  • See the new zoning ordinance here.
Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force
  • The Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force, formed in 2020 by Supervisor Foust, along with myself and Supervisor Palchik was created to recommend policies for creative and sustainable housing preservation initiatives.
  • Preserving existing affordable housing options coincides with the County's goal of "no net loss."
  • Currently, the County's stock of market affordable rental homes face three critical pressures:
  1. Redevelopment of older apartment complexes.
  2. The renovation and/or “repositioning” of previously affordable properties.
  3. Household incomes are not able to keep pace with the increases in rent.
  • The Task Force came up with the following strategies to preserve affordable housing:
  • Renovation of existing developments with the addition of affordability restrictions.
  • Replacing units on or off-site.
  • Buying and holding communities to reserve the market affordability.
  • These strategies are recommended with the goal of preserving the affordability of approximately 9,000 market affordable multifamily units.
  • The Board has since endorsed the Task Force recommendations which include land and market surveys, gap financing tools, and private public partnerships.
  • Learn more about the Task Force's work here.
Eviction Prevention
  • Finally, I am very proud of all the work our County staff did this year not only to provide homes, but to keep people in their homes or get them back on their feet. You can see an example of this work in the video above.
  • To date, Fairfax County has distributed almost $100 million in financial assistance to our neighbors impacted by COVID. Currently, thanks to Emergency Rental Assistance funding we are able to distribute about $1 million a week in rental assistance alone.
  • We have assisted over 10,000 households.
  • The Existing CDC Federal Moratorium will be ending July 31, 2021. The County continues to administer relief for renters experiencing a negative financial impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program. Through this program, tenants and landlords may receive funds due to pay delinquent and prospective rent payments.
  • Tenant Checklists and Landlord Checklists are available in multiple languages including Arabic, Amharic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese. Each case is assessed individually, and assistance is provided based on eligibility requirements.
  • Eviction Prevention Resources
  • For additional information from Fairfax County regarding eligibility criteria, documentation and more, please visit Eviction Prevention Resources. 
  • If you are a resident seeking rental or other emergency assistance for yourself or your household, please call Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880, TTY 711, Monday through Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm. 
  • If you are a landlord seeking rental assistance on behalf of your tenant, please visit the Fairfax County Landlord Portal. If the property is not in Fairfax County, please visit the Virginia Rent Relief Program.
  • Financial and Medical Assistance is available for those in need and can be accessed online or by phone.
  • Virginia Poverty Law Center provides an eviction helpline 833-NOEVICT (833-663-8428) in English and Spanish.
  • Legal Services of Northern Virginia provide numerous services to protect tenants during COVID-19 and can be reached at 703-778-6800.
Health
Vaccine Resources:


Common Health Questions:

  • People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms reported - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. You might experience:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Follow mitigation practices:
  • Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if that isn't an option (especially when in public places)
  • Cough and sneeze into your sleeve
  • Don't touch your face
  • Social distance
  • Wear a mask (Which is required in Virginia.)
  • What it means to social distance, self-isolate, and quarantine.
  • If interacting with others outside of your household, being outside is safer than inside. You can make your home safer by increasing ventilation and filtration.
  • The New York Times (access to COVID-19 content is free) speaks with infectious disease experts, aerosol scientists, and microbiologists to find out if COVID-19 can land on your clothing, hair, shoes, and mail.

COVID-19 Resources:

  • Fairfax County Health Department
  • To view the number of cases in Fairfax County this page is updated at noon daily.
  • Visit the County site on COVID-19, Health Department Website, and see their FAQs.
  • To view multilingual health materials visit the County's Language Portal.
  • Sign up for text message alerts: text FFXCOVID to 888777. Para inscribirse, textear FFXCOVIDESP a 888777.
  • Call the Health Department from 9am-7pm weekdays and 9:30am-5pm on weekends: 703-267-3511
  • Email: ffxcovid@fairfaxcounty.gov. This account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm.
  • Inova has a helpful FAQ.
Sincerely,
Jeff McKay
Contact my Office

chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov
| 703.324.2321 |
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