Backers of ranked-choice voting (RCV) believe this fall’s congressional races may bolster their case for changing the format of statewide elections.
If Virginia voters approve the congressional redistricting constitutional amendment on April 21, crowded ballots in many parts of the state could lead to future representatives being selected by an unusually small sliver of the overall electorate.
Those taking day trips through Arlington’s 55+ travel program could see significantly higher costs kick in later this year.
The Department of Parks and Recreation has proposed increasing fees for the excursions to pay for higher transportation costs.
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at [email protected].
Question: How much of an impact do you think the ROAD to Housing Act will have on housing affordability in Arlington?
Answer: The Road to Housing Act became law ten days ago, with the stated goal of improving housing affordability in the United States.
I don’t see many policies in the Act that will improve affordability in the Arlington/Northern VA/DC Metro markets, outside of incentives for more affordable multi-family housing, but there are policies that should improve affordability in other markets that are more saturated with institutional investors that own swaths of single-family homes (e.g. Atlanta and Phoenix) and for manufactured/mobile homes.
The Local Conversation Needs to Change
If we are going to improve affordability in our market, most of the change has to be done locally/regionally, not nationally, but it requires a paradigm shift in how we discuss and solve for housing affordability.
Affordability Disconnect: Near Term Expectations Not Realistic
A disconnect between housing affordability expectations and reality prevents the right community and political conversations from happening. We expect/demand housing affordability immediately, ignoring the difficulty, and consequences, of achieving it that quickly.
Stable and healthy housing affordability is a long-term process requiring gradual change over a 10-15+ year period.
Demand-Side Solutions Won’t Work
Demand-side solutions, such as lower interest rates or easier financing, artificially inflate home values, as seen during the COVID-era housing boom and early 2000s. They are not a good long-term solution to affordability because they push values even higher (along with your property taxes) and affordability gets worse when rates/lending normalize and no longer provide artificially low monthly payments.
Supply-Side Solutions Are Not Immediate
Most policy discussions focus on supply-side solutions: building more/faster and denser housing (e.g. Arlington’s Missing Middle/Expanded Housing Option), incentivizing more existing home sales, or disincentivizing concentrated ownership by companies and individuals. Econ 101 tells us that more supply = lower prices = affordable housing (winner winner!).
This is the only path to stable, long-term housing affordability…BUT, at current interest rates, prices must drop 30-35% in the United States to become affordable, at current income levels. A 30-35% drop in home values would devastate the economy, so a supply-side solution won’t (shouldn’t) provide immediate affordability. (more…)
A proposal for a new behavioral health center on S. Carlin Springs Road is facing pushback on environmental impacts and effects on the surrounding neighborhood.
Misgivings about the 146-bed, 131,000-square-foot development proposal from VHC Health and Lifepoint Health made their way into discussions at the March 26 meeting of the county’s Forestry & Natural Resources Commission.
Local entrepreneur MaryBeth Powers is being featured on an episode of Women in Power, a series that highlights inspiring women whose passion, perseverance, and purpose have made a meaningful impact in their communities.
The episode shares the remarkable story behind Teddy’s Turmeric Tamer®, an all-natural daily wellness topper for dogs that was born from love and determination. After MaryBeth’s beloved dog, Teddy, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and given just 2–4 weeks to live, she refused to give up hope. Through extensive research and a commitment to natural wellness, she created a unique blend of premium ingredients to support Teddy’s health. Teddy went on to enjoy three more years filled with love, comfort and quality of life.
Cherry Blossom 5K Closures — ACPD will close portions of S. Joyce Street and Army Navy Drive on Saturday, April 11 for the Cherry Blossom 5K starting and finishing at Virginia Highlands Park. Closures begin as early as 4 a.m. and run until 1 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to use Metro’s Pentagon City station. [Arlington County]
O’Connell Star in Capital Classic — Bishop O’Connell senior point guard Darius Bivins was selected to play in the 53rd annual Capital Classic at Capital One Arena this past weekend, the longest-running high school basketball all-star game in the nation. Bivins has offers from Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Miami, Rutgers and VCU. [WTOP]
Car Fire on I-395 — “The left two lanes of I-395N between Glebe and Washington Blvd. are blocked due to this car fire. The fire is now out courtesy of @ArlingtonVaFD.” [Dave Statter/X]
Redistricting Poll Tight — A slim majority of Va. voters (52%) favors the redistricting referendum ahead of the April 21 vote, but opponents are more motivated to turn out, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll. Among voters who participated in the last three general elections, 53% oppose the measure. [Washington Post]
ACA Enrollment Drops — About 33,000 Virginians have dropped their ACA health insurance since federal subsidies expired, the largest first-quarter decline on record, according to State Health Exchange Director Keven Patchett. An estimated 100,000 Virginians who relied on the subsidies are expected to be affected. [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies today with a high near 63 degrees and northwest winds at 6–10 mph, gusting to 22 mph. Clear tonight with a low around 42. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Bring the whole family to Arlington Mill for an evening of laughs, basketball, and underdog determination with Goat.
This animated family comedy follows a determined young goat chasing his dream of becoming a professional basketball star. Before the movie, kids can enjoy face painting and family-friendly activities, making this one of our most kid-focused events of the summer.
Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 3, 2026.
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
Expect mostly sunny weather with a slight chance of showers after 2 p.m., reaching a high near 85°F with a southwest wind at 6 to 10 mph. Saturday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 64°F and a south wind at 10 to 15 mph, gusting up to 24 mph. There’s a slight chance of showers before 8 p.m. and a 30% chance of showers after 2 a.m. See more from Weather.gov.
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum. 👋
This reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support in-depth local journalism — and get an exclusive early morning email with a preview of that day’s planned news coverage.
By the time of his death in late 1995 at age 96, Edmund Campbell had been lionized as a civic leader and statesman whose legacy extended well beyond Arlington into state and national affairs.
Multiple blowout victories have made the start to the 2026 high-school baseball season uniquely significant for the Bishop O’Connell Knights this spring.
The private-school squad, led by a number of players who have committed to play the sport at Division I colleges, hasn’t opened a season with so many lopsided wins in many years.
From leaky faucets and wobbly shelves to TV mounting and drywall repair, a reliable handyman can save Arlington homeowners time and headaches.
Here are the nominees for “Best Handyman in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your go-to handyman? Write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks.
Voting for Best Exterior Painter is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Cleaning Service in Arlington. The results are now official:
A new day-to-night restaurant and rooftop bar with a “supper club vibe” is opening soon at the former Wilson Hardware in Clarendon.
The Boulevard, a restaurant that “blends modern American dining with playful Asian fusion,” is planning to open this spring at 2915 Wilson Blvd — along with Solset, a new bar on the rooftop offering “lighter bites and sunset cocktails.”
