Expiring affordability commitments and a large site where leaders could potentially expand affordable housing are presenting questions for Falls Church policymakers.
“There’s a policy decision: What are the choices before us?” Mayor Letty Hardi said at a Feb. 18 meeting to set the timetable for discussion of key upcoming issues.
Specifically, the Falls Church City Council is trying to decide how to intervene, if at all, as some properties pledged to be affordable for a period of time reach the end of that requirement.
Local officials are also trying to determine what to do with the Virginia Village site, where the city owns some affordable apartment buildings and could attempt to obtain more and eventually redevelop the parcel.
The Virginia Village issue is likely to be discussed when Council members hold a joint work session with the Economic Development Commission (EDA) and Planning Commission on March 2.
The EDA already owns nearly 10 of the Virginia Village apartment buildings, and could use bond funding to acquire more. City officials are also speaking with developers of affordable-housing properties to see if a partnership would make sense.
Council direction is likely to play a role in City Manager Wyatt Shields’ fiscal year 2027 budget proposal. He is expected to detail his spending package on March 23.
If affordable-housing proposals have budget implications, “we want to be able to do that before budget season starts,” Hardi said.
Council members also will have to decide whether to intervene before covenants preserving affordable dwelling units at other properties expire.
Winning approval from property owners to continue maintaining properties at affordable rents likely would require financial incentives from the city government.
“Essentially, it’s a math discussion,” Shields said, to determine “what would that cost, a range of what that would cost.”
As discussions move forward, city officials will need to determine what must be discussed in open session, and when Council and top staff can retreat into executive sessions for deliberations.
Shields told Council members he would confer with the city attorney, Sally Gillette, to ensure compliance with state open-meeting requirements.
