Announcement

Low income housing assistance in Arlington: panel discussion and community forum, Nov. 12, 6-7:30 PM, Arlington Central Library

Thursday, November 12, 2026, 6 PM-7:30 PM

Where:  Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington VA, in person only

Why:  Arlington County households continue to struggle to meet housing costs, but the greatest burden is on renters earning under $46,000 a year (under 40% area median income (AMI)). Public funds should be targeted effectively to help these lowest income renters.

Who:   GMU professor Terry Clower (Center for Regional Analysis); Thaddaeus Elliott, National Low Income Housing Coalition; and Charles Albert, NOVA Catholic Community

Background information: Arlington County’s Housing Program focuses primarily on the acquisition/funding of committed affordable units (CAFs) for housing, and rental grants that are limited to only 1,600 households.  Only 3% of the 12,000 CAFs were built to house the lowest income households (those making under 40% AMI).  The vast majority of these lowest income rental households are without housing assistance of any kind, often spending more than 50% of income on rent which is termed “severely housing cost burdened.”