The concept of granting religious organizations more flexibility to create affordable housing on their properties is a good one, Falls Church officials say.
But city leaders remain wary of pending legislation in Richmond that could handcuff local-government zoning powers in order to obtain that outcome.
The three members of the City Council’s legislative committee on Tuesday (Nov. 12) concluded that the best course of action was to neither support nor oppose the proposal in its current form, but keep an eye on the topic as things play out.
“My view would be we stay neutral,” Council member David Snyder said at the meeting. He said the current ask by housing advocates was “way too broad.”
Council member Debora Schantz-Hiscott came to a similar conclusion, although she felt that, if refined, the proposal eventually could prove a winner.
“In my heart I really want to support it,” she said. “I like the bottom-line approach of what [advocates] want to do.”
The neutrality recommendation made by committee members Snyder, Schantz-Hiscott and Justine Underhill is not the final say, but likely will be a driving force when Council members vote on their 2025 legislative package. That vote currently is set for Monday, Nov. 25.
A coalition of religious groups earlier this year pressed the General Assembly for broader powers to allow for the by-right development of properties owned by religious organizations into affordable housing.
But many local governments balked at the idea, since it would scale back governmental power in regulating density, height and other facets that other developers must abide by. As a result, state legislators opted to punt on the matter during the 2024 session.
“The intent [of proponents] is very positive,” said Cindy Mester, the city’s legislative liaison, but “this takes away local authority. Most localities are saying [they] can’t support this.”
The Virginia Municipal League, which represents cities and some counties in the commonwealth, has not formally taken a position but seems hostile to the proposal. Falls Church is a member of that body.
One of the key proponents of such a policy change is Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, or VOICE.
“This bill cuts through red tape, allowing congregations to convert land into affordable homes for low-income residents while providing community spaces,” the organization says on its website.
VOICE leaders say concerns about a lack of guardrails in the development process are overblown, and that religious organizations need a more streamlined and therefore less expensive path through the development process to make housing projects financially viable.
With many mainstream religious denominations seeing declining membership and facing high costs of maintaining existing facilities, some have turned to partnerships with affordable-housing providers or others in what they see as a win-win. The community gets more housing, religious bodies receive funding support and congregations typically return to purpose-built space within the redeveloped property.
One recently completed project involved the Central United Methodist Church in Ballston.
‘Saigon Blvd’ Signage Wins Approval: Falls Church City Council members on Tuesday approved honorary signage denoting a stretch of Wilson Blvd in front of the Eden Center as “Saigon Blvd.”
The new signage will replace similar, but outdated, signs in the vicinity. Officially, the name will remain Wilson Blvd; postal addresses and emergency responses will not be impacted.
The honorific is designed to honor those in the Vietnamese community who after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 came to Northern Virginia. The Eden Center has become a hub of Vietnamese activity across the region.
Mayor Letty Hardi said the renaming represented a commitment to the Vietnamese community and to those living and working in the far eastern part of the city. But she also acknowledged “there’s more to do” and asked those residents and business owners to stay involved.
Council OKs Committee to Celebrate Nation’s Birthday: Falls Church City Council members voted 7-0 Tuesday to create a body marking the nation’s 250th birthday that will arrive in 2026.
The Falls Church 250 Committee will be in charge of coordinating activities at the local level. While no funding was included with establishment of the panel, Council officials likely will appropriate funds as projects are developed, and the city will be able to compete for state grants. such as for restoration work on the Cherry Hill Farmhouse.
The vote incorporated a few changes from the initial proposal: A member of the School Board will be included on the panel and a student representative will serve as liaison to it, and the body will remain in existence until the end of January 2027 in order to provide a debriefing and likely a final report to city leaders on all its activities.
Individual members will be appointed at a later time.
New Council Member Sworn In: The Falls Church City Council is back to its full complement of seven members.
Laura Downs, a former School Board member who was elected Nov. 5 in a special election, was sworn into office in advance of the Tuesday (Nov. 12) Council meeting. She participated in discussion and votes throughout the evening.
The seats of Downs and three other Council members will next be on the ballot in November 2025. The remaining three seats will be up in November 2027.
