City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 4, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: HELEN MCILVAINE, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF HOUSING
DOCKET TITLE:
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Consideration of a Grant Submission to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ 2026 Housing Affordability Planning Program for $45,000 to Create a Pattern Book.
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ISSUE: Submission of a Grant Application to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG) 2026 Housing Affordability Planning Program (HAPP) for $45,000 to create a pattern book of potential housing typologies for Alexandria Single Unit Neighborhoods.
RECOMMENDATION: That Council approves submission of the grant application. If funds are awarded pursuant to COG’s competitive review, request approval to authorize the City Manager to execute any documents necessary to facilitate the project as proposed.
BACKGROUND: In November 2023, pursuant to a yearlong planning initiative branded “Zoning for Housing/Housing for All” (ZFH), City Council adopted a series of recommendations to amend the Zoning Ordinance with the goals of expanding geographic accessibility to new housing opportunities and expanding affordability and availability of housing in terms of price points, typologies, and tenures. The ZFH process built on reforms enacted in 2021-22, including the Accessory Dwelling Unit, Co-Living and Auxiliary Dwelling Unit programs, as well as creation of the Residential Multifamily Zone which exchanged substantial density increases for deep housing affordability. These have been successfully implemented and have resulted in new housing being produced, helping the City meet the goals of its 2013 Housing Master Plan while also advancing progress on City housing targets established through COG’s Regional Housing Initiative endorsed by Council in 2020.
Among the ZFH initiatives approved is one captioned, Expanding Housing Opportunities (EHO) in Single Unit (formerly “Single Family”) Zones. The new terminology reflects a departure from use of the word “Family” as defining the tenure of a home with the word, “Unit” to enable the building code to determine occupancy limits versus a familial relationship and broadening potential access to traditional single-family home only neighborhoods. EHO proposes increasing the number of housing units permitted and expanding the diversity of typologies allowed to create more affordable (albeit not committed affordable) options in areas where such options do not currently exist. Under ZFH, neighborhood compatibility would be safeguarded by preserving existing standards for minimum lot size, setbacks, open space and floor area ratio, and tree canopy coverage. And the Zoning reform permits construction of two, three and four-unit dwellings in the R20, R12, R8 and R5 zones, and three and four units in the R2-5 zone, with the new housing density the tool might enable estimated to yield approximately 178 units over a ten-year period, well within the capacity of existing infrastructure and school capacity.
As part of the ongoing Housing 2040 process, and to catalyze available regulatory tools to promote housing production without public investment, staff propose that a pattern book to illustrate potential designs of multiunit structures enabled by ZFH/HFA be created, including floor plans, to help residents, homeowners and developers visualize how the tool might be applied in different neighborhoods. The designs would then be used to stimulate community consultation and discussion about EHO to further advance understanding, consensus and interest in this Initiative, as well as other recommendations of Zoning for Housing.
DISCUSSION: The pattern book project was initially proposed as part of Alexandria’s 2023 submission for a COG-led regional application for HUD PRO grant funding. It is noted that the City has been successful in applying for these competitive funds in the past, with prior grant awards funding study of transit-oriented affordable housing development proximate to City metro stations, and study of housing along the Duke Street Corridor in recent years,
FISCAL IMPACT: Grant funds will be used to pay stipends to locally practicing architects who produce pattern book designs and to engage a consultant to manage the pattern book process and develop an accompanying guide of practical considerations for City staff who will administer the program as well as developers who will build the new typologies. Support for the project will otherwise be carried out within existing Housing and Planning staffing resources. There is no local match requirement for this grant.
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Paul Stoddard, Director, Department of Planning and Zoning (PZ)