City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2023
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: HELEN S. MCILVAINE, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF HOUSING
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Receipt of the Regional Housing Equity Plan.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Regional Housing Equity Plan (“Plan”).
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council receive the Plan.
BACKGROUND: The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) released the Draft Regional Fair Housing Plan (formerly called the Regional Analysis of Impediments (RAI) and now branded the Regional Housing Equity Plan) on January 31, 2023. Eight area jurisdictions including the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Loudoun County, Fairfax County and Prince William County, the District of Columbia, Montgomery County, and the City of Gaithersburg, participated in a multi-year process managed by COG and an expert consultant team selected by the jurisdictions. Technical assistance and guidance were provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Enterprise Social Impact Corporation (Enterprise) based on their experience with other regional planning efforts.
An analysis of impediments to housing is a required component of the Five-Year Consolidated Plan which every jurisdiction that receives federal funding submits to HUD. In 2018 the COG Housing Directors’ Advisory Committee opted to undertake a regional analysis which is considered a best practice. This approach reflects other efforts towards greater regional collaboration on issues of mutual interest. While the regional approach has been challenging due to many external factors, the Plan is on track to be submitted to HUD in late summer 2023 after it is reviewed and accepted by the eight participating jurisdictions.
Development of the Plan spanned the pandemic, involving assembly and analysis of information required by HUD based on its Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing datasets and mapping tools. Information was also obtained from local jurisdictions on subjects like local zoning policies. Besides research, throughout the planning process the consultant team engaged and solicited input from members of participating jurisdictions with an emphasis on those communities most likely affected by housing discrimination; they met with representatives of various stakeholder and special interest groups; and conferred with some regional elected leaders. A virtual forum was held with Alexandria residents in December 2021 to solicit information on fair housing and housing discrimination, with interpretation provided. Alexandria’s efforts have been staffed by Melodie Seau, Chief of Housing’s landlord-tenant division, and Housing Analyst Kim Cadena, who manages Housing’s federal program reporting. Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) staff have also supported the COG-led process.
The public comment period for the Draft Regional Fair Housing Plan lasted for sixty days, ending on March 31, 2023. A “plain language” version of the Plan’s Executive Summary (available in English, Spanish, and Amharic) was posted on MWCOG’s website as well as on the Office of Housing’s website. The Alexandria-focused portion of the Plan was similarly posted on both websites. Reviewers were invited to submit comments via the COG website.
Social media was used extensively to inform the public about the comment period, as were announcements at housing-related events and meetings, as well as at a City Council Legislative meeting, on eNews and via the City Council digest. Three community meetings occurred, including two in-person meetings at the Patrick Henry and Chick Armstrong Recreation Centers (the meeting in Arlandria was conducted in Spanish with English interpretation; Spanish and Amharic interpreters assisted attendees at other meetings) and there was one virtual community meeting conducted on Zoom. At the in-person meetings, children’s activities and dinner were offered. The Draft Plan was also presented at the Federation of Civic Association’s monthly meeting in February.
The various community meetings were structured to be “listening sessions” to collect feedback on the Draft Plan and its recommendations following brief staff presentations. Since feedback on the Draft Plan was required to be provided in writing, the Housing translated and/or transcribed comments received at the meetings to submit to COG. Following the close of the public comment period, staff reviewed all comments received at the listening sessions as well as Alexandria-specific comments submitted directly to COG. The comments ranged from strong support and a desire to see the Plan goals expanded to opposition to the Plan and the methodology used to create it. Many comments were received regarding the Plan and its potential relationship to the ongoing Zoning for Housing/Housing for All Initiative. All Alexandria-specific comments were shared with the Departments of Planning & Zoning, Transportation & Environmental Services, Human Rights, ACPS, and ARHA, as appropriate. It is noted that some commenters expressed support for specific Plan goals like increasing the amount of housing available to people with disabilities, while others were broader in their nature, such as expressing concerns about climate change. In total, 31 substantive and relevant comments were received on the Alexandria section of the Draft Plan, from both individuals and groups representing homeowners, tenants, and those with an interest in increasing housing supply. Housing staff acknowledged and responded to each comment submitted with valid contact information.
COG revised the Draft Plan to incorporate various comments and edits it received in writing. Council is being asked to receive the final version of the Plan, as presented.
DISCUSSION: The Plan is premised on the principles that where you live has significant impacts on life outcomes and that when local government “affirmatively furthers fair housing” as it is obliged to do as a recipient of federal funds, residents have housing choices that allow access to quality schools, jobs, transportation, and housing affordable at a range of incomes. The regional assessment helps illuminate that while housing problems may generally challenge people across geographic or political boundaries in similar ways, specific local policies, institutions, and investments which foster fair housing and equitable development practices, can, and do, positively impact access to opportunity. The goal of the regional Plan is to measure how successfully regional and local housing, development, and related infrastructure systems address inequities and lower barriers to ensure that households representing federally protected classes (race, color, sex, national origin, religion, and familial status) as well as households representing Virginia’s protected classes (disability, elderliness, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and source of income) can access safe, decent, and affordable housing in neighborhoods across their community.
Regional recommendations made in the Plan include:
(a) increasing the supply of affordable housing for families earning at or below 60% of the
Area Median Income (AMI) especially where there haven’t been committed affordable units (jurisdictions were encouraged to target lower AMIs if possible);
(b) changing zoning and land use policies to expand access to fair housing by increasing
the development, geographic distribution, and supply of affordable housing;
(c) implementing policies to preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement of
residents and keep the same number of existing affordable rental units in our region;
(d) increasing the number of homeowners in the region and reducing the unequal treatment
and discriminatory practices that keep members of protected classes from buying a home;
(e) protecting the housing rights of individuals who are part of protected groups;
(f) increasing community integration and reducing housing barriers for people with
disabilities so that those with disabilities can live independently in our communities; and
(g) making public transit easier to access and afford for members of protected classes.
Building on the regional recommendations, and based on the City’s demonstrated progress in achieving many of the regional goals and strategies outlined in the Plan, Alexandria-specific recommendations focus on:
(a) prioritizing public land for affordable housing, including potential colocation with
municipal facilities;
(b) providing partial tax abatements for homeowners who rent Accessory Dwelling Units
(affordably) to low- and moderate-income tenants;
(c) seeking legislative authority to adopt a citywide Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) policy and
provide additional incentives for affordable housing production (density bonus, special financing, expedited development approvals, fee waivers, tax incentives); and
(d) reducing 20,000 sf minimum lot size in the R-20 zone or permitting duplexes.
CONCLUSION: Staff note that many of the Plan’s recommendations, and associated strategies and tools, are already being considered in the ongoing Zoning for Housing/Housing for All Initiative or are proposed as topics for study in the upcoming Housing Master Plan (HMP) Update (for example, reviewing the feasibility of providing tax incentives for accessory dwelling units in exchange for committed affordability, including associated legislative authority, if required). The HMP Update is anticipated to commence public meetings in Fall 2024. Many recommendations are embedded in Housing’s work plan pursuant to City Council’s Priorities. While Alexandria leads in many housing and community development areas, and the City aspires to an unwavering commitment to affirmatively further fair housing, there are findings in the Plan that demonstrate shortcomings where our community has more work to do.
Of note to Housing staff are data that show that while Alexandria’s population has grown and become more diverse over the past three decades, many of the City’s neighborhoods are more racially and ethnically segregated than they were in 1990. This potentially reflects the perpetuation of historic patterns of discrimination in the city’s housing market and economic inequities impacting access to housing opportunity and generational wealth that disproportionately affects low-income households, BIPOC households, and immigrant households. The ability of our neighbors to remain in Alexandria requires that the City continue to mitigate housing cost burden and create more housing options across more neighborhoods. Going forward, staff proposes that the findings, recommendations, and strategies outlined in the Regional Housing Equity Plan guide our efforts and act as one of many benchmarks to measure progress in addressing historic and current housing inequities.
FISCAL IMPACT: None specific to reception of the Plan.
ATTACHMENTS:
(1) Regional Housing Equity Plan
(2) Compendium of Alexandria-Specific Comments Submitted to COG
(3) Regional Housing Equity Plan Summary Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Eric Keeler, Deputy Director, Housing
Melodie Seau, Chief, Landlord Tenant Division, Housing
Brandi Collins, Housing Program Manager
Kim Cadena, Housing Analyst, Housing