HISTORY
ARLINGTON HISTORY & AFFORDABILITY
Arlington County’s development in the 19th century was closely linked to the expansion of the federal government and its role in creating some of the nation’s earliest public housing projects. Colonial Village, constructed from 1935 to 1940, was the first large-scale, rental housing project in the country that received Federal Housing Administration insurance and housed more than 1,000 families. These complexes, located in different parts of Arlington, provided low-cost housing for many residents for years, but faced growing threats of redevelopment as the buildings deteriorated and the housing demand rose.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Arlington was losing thousands of low-income homes every year. Several organizations emerged from the community to address this challenge, such as Housing Corporation of Arlington (AHC) (1986), the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (1989); Arlington New Directions Coalition (1999). In 2002, Ellen and Bill Bozman, Joe Wholey and Jack Cornman envisioned a new kind of community actor in this field, one that would not build or fund affordable housing, but that would support those who did; one that would not claim to be an expert in the field, but that would bring experts to the table to influence housing policies in Arlington; one that would not organize grass roots movements, but that would unite them to strengthen the voice of affordable housing advocates in Arlington.
This vision led to the establishment of the Alliance for Housing Solutions in 2003.
ANNUAL REPORTS
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022
AHS HISTORY & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AHS joins with other advocates in celebrating the County Board’s historic decision to eliminate single-family zoning in Arlington.
Charles McCullough is appointed Executive Director of AHS. With the Covid-19 pandemic abating, AHS holds its first hybrid Leckey Forum.
In 2021, AHS began an extended outreach campaign to educate the community on opportunities for housing diversity through the Missing Middle Housing initiative, and AHS-focus campaign begun in 2019.
A nation-wide reckoning with systemic racism prompted AHS to host three virtual Arlington for Everyone listening sessions and a webinar focused on the history of race and housing in Arlington. AHS develops a seven-minute video and a timeline of race
and housing, hosted on a new web page dedicated to the topic. The 2020 Ellen M. Bozman Affordable Housing Award was given to Arlington Thrive and the Church at Work for their efforts to keep Arlingtonians housed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony also recognized the late Arlington County board member Erik Gutshall for his dedication to affordable housing.
In 2019 AHS and partners successfully advocate for expanding options for homeowners to allow placement of new, detached accessory dwellings on their properties.
As part of AHS Missing Middle campaign, Andrea Brennan, Director of Housing Policy and Development for Minneapolis, speaks to a full house at our annual Leckey Forum about how her city is using zoning changes to address historic patterns of segregation and lack of affordability. AHS also launches Housing Happy Hours as a way to engage new audiences, served on half a dozen panels, were quoted time and again in the media, and formalized a partnership with Arlington Community Foundation as consultants for their Shared Prosperity Initiative.
AHS commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act by focusing the annual Thomas P. Leckey Forum on housing segregation and discrimination.
Amazon announced in November that it would be opening a new headquarters in National Landing, sparking community dialogue about Arlington’s housing crisis and AHS advocacy for clear affordable housing incentives to be included in package offered by the County to Amazon.
AHS joins in the County working group working to update and streamline requirements and expand more opportunities for residents to add accessory units to their properties.
AHS weighed in to support affordable housing developments at Queen’s Court in Rosslyn, Park Shirlington, and the American Legion site on Washington Blvd.
Led by AHS, housing and services advocates from across Arlington argued successfully for a $13.7 million allocation to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (up $1.2 M from FY2016).
AHS advocates for APAH’s 68-unit development in Westover.
After years of advocacy by AHS and its partners, the Arlington County Board adopts its first Affordable Housing Master Plan, a component of the County’s Comprehensive Plan.
With the strong support of AHS, Arlington adopts the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Plan, with strong protections and incentives for affordable housing.
AHS expands its Arlington for Everyone campaign and works to ensure affordable housing is a cornerstone of Arlington’s economic development plans.
Arlington adopts Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Plan with strong protections and incentives for affordable housing.
AHS organizes support for affordable housing projects including the purchase of the Marbella Apartments by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), the purchase of the Howard Manor Apartments by the Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC), and the purchase of the Magnolia Commons Apartments by AHC, Inc., preserving 408 units of affordable housing.
AHS raises awareness about the lack of sustainable, affordable housing in Arlington and partnered with local and regional groups—including the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA), the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND), the Arlington Interfaith Council (AIC), and others—on public education and advocacy efforts.
AHS joins its partners in celebrating the adoption of Arlington’s first Accessory
Dwelling Ordinance, which allows gradual density in single family zooming communities, which dominate the landmass of the County.
AHS establishes the Ellen M. Bozman Award to recognize outstanding contributions to affordable housing in Alrington.
AHS convenes the fifth annual Leckey Forum (attended by 110 individuals) on “Expanding Options for Affordable Housing” exploring examples of successful affordable housing tools used in other communities that could help with No. Virginia’s affordable housing shortage, as well as next steps to be taken in the planning process.
AHS releases our first study: “Market Rate Affordable Units Survey” written by Lisa Fowler of GMU for AHS and based on a survey of owners of market rate affordable units in Arlington.
Arlington’s Affordable Housing Ordinance signed into law by Governor Tim Kaine.
AHS convenes a broad representation of Arlington faith communities in conjunction with the Arlington Interfaith Council to raise awareness of affordable housing issues. More than 3 dozen individuals representing 19 congregations attend.
AHS hosts 150 individuals for our annual Annual Leckey Forum at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, focused on preserving and enhancing affordable units in older garden apartments, which represented most of the available affordable housing in the County at that time. The Forum takes place against the backdrop of the loss of almost half of the housing affordable to families at 60% of area median income over the previous four years.
AHS and partners successfully advocate for new County guidelines for developer contributions for site plan projects within Metro corridors, calling for 10% of the gross floor area devoted to affordable housing units, making them committed to remain at
affordability levels no greater than 60% of DC-area median family income for no less than 30 years for residential/mixed use development projects.
AHS is established and begins its advocacy of APAH projects at the Clarendon First Baptist Church and Rosslyn Ridge, presses for greater County expenditure on affordable housing development and grant programs, and begins to conduct public outreach programs to raise awareness for the need to preserve and expand affordable housing in Arlington.
