Housing Publications, Reports, and Videos

In December 2013 the City Council unanimously approved the City’s first Housing Master Plan (HMP). The HMP, the result of a multi-year public planning process, guides future preservation and enhancement of affordable housing, community diversity, and economic sustainability in the City.

Publications and Reports

Housing Publications

We are committed to racial and social equity. Please contact the Office of Housing if you would like any of our resources translated or printed.

Environmental Reviews and Assessments

Federal Reports

The Five-Year Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, and Assessment Reports for housing and community development are provided to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a condition of receipt of funding of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships programs.

Presentations

City Academy Spring 2024 Presentation (updated March 20, 2024)
Housing Needs: Zoning for Housing Spring 2023
2020 Alexandria Housing Summit

Section 106 Memoranda of Agreement and Progress Reports

Samuel Madden:

The Heritage at Old Town:

Memorandum of Agreement

Housing Definitions and Terminology

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing: Rental or ownership housing costing no more than approximately 30% of a household’s gross monthly income before taxes. Affordable housing helps Alexandria families, workers, and seniors meet their housing needs without sacrificing other priorities, such as food, healthcare, childcare, and education. Affordable housing is also important to the city’s economic vitality and competitiveness. Businesses look for a diverse and stable local workforce when deciding to locate, retain, and expand their operations in the city.

Area Median Income (AMI)

Area Median Income (AMI): Income levels that are established annually by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for households of various sizes, where half of the households in the region earn more and half earn less. In 2024, the area median income for a household of four for the Washington, DC Metropolitan Statistical Area is $154,700. The 2024 AMIs by household size, along with associated maximum rents, are available online.

Committed Affordable Units

2013 Housing Master Plan Terminology:

Committed Affordable Units (CAUs): Housing units that are available to income-eligible households through rent and/or occupancy restrictions imposed as a condition of assistance under federal, state and/or local programs. Targeted income levels vary by program.

Committed affordable rental units serve households with incomes up to 60% AMI (area median income).
Workforce committed affordable rental units serve households earning between 61% and 80% AMI.
Committed affordable homeownership units typically serve households with incomes between 70% and 100% AMI. Learn more about the City’s Homeownership Program.

Proposed Housing 2040 Master Plan Terminology Update:

Rental

Committed affordable rental units serve households with incomes up to 80% AMI (area median income).
Priority committed affordable rental units serve households with incomes up to 50% AMI.

Homeowner

Committed affordable homeownership units typically serve households with incomes between 70% and 100% AMI.
Priority committed affordable homeownership units serve households with incomes up to 80% AMI.

Community Development Block Grant

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): The City of Alexandria receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding annually from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). CDBG funds are used to address needs such as equal access to housing, preventing and ending homelessness, and maintaining housing stability for low-income renters.

Home Investment Partnership Program

Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME): The US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) provides Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funding to support housing activities. HOME funds require a 25% match from local dollars. The City primarily uses HOME funds to help finance new affordable rental and ownership housing.

Housing Choice Vouchers

Housing Choice Vouchers: The housing choice voucher (HCV) program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford housing in the private market. HCV holders pay 30% of their income toward the rent, and the HCV pays the difference up to an established fair market rent, including utility costs. In the City, HCVs are administered by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA).

Department of Housing & Urban Development

US Department of Housing & Urban Development: The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds a variety of housing programs in the city. HUD funding supports the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) and the City's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) activities.

Low Income Housing Tax Credits

Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC): The LIHTC program serves as the primary source of equity funding for the preservation and creation of committed affordable rental housing in the United States. Created through the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the program is sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service. The level of affordability required by the LIHTC program depends on whether a tax credit allocation is provided through a competitive (9% tax credit) or non-competitive (4% tax credit and tax-exempt bond) process. The tax credit allocation process is administered by Virginia Housing consistent with the approved Qualified Action Plan (QAP). Learn more about the LIHTC application process and QAP.

Rental units funded through LIHTC primarily serve households with incomes up to 50% and 60% of area median income (AMI). However, recent changes to the program have enabled affordable housing developers to provide some units at deeper levels of affordability (40% AMI) through a process referred to as income averaging; income averaging allows developers to provide units at up to 80% AMI to offset the costs associated with providing units at deeper levels of affordability.

LIHTC units have rent restrictions that correspond to the income levels (see the 2024 Income and Rent Limits). For example, the rent for a unit designed to be affordable at 60% AMI is equal to 30% of the calculated 60% AMI (adjusted for utilities).

Market Affordable Units

Market Affordable Units: Non-subsidized rental units affordable to households earning 60% AMI. Rents at these units are not restricted and may cease to be affordable at any time. Market-affordable units preserve diversity and provide housing opportunities to younger families, new residents, and recent graduates, as well as to longtime Alexandrians. They enable workers critical to our economy across numerous industries and sectors (such as education, public health and safety, construction, custodial services, and restaurant and retail) to live affordably in the City. Learn more about the City’s Market Affordable housing.

Project Based Vouchers

Project Based Vouchers: Funded by the federal government, project-based vouchers (PBVs) are a critical source of deeply affordable housing in the City. Residents pay 30% of their income toward the rent, and the PBV pays the difference up to an established fair market rent, and potentially, some utility costs. PBVs operate similarly to Housing Choice Vouchers, but are tied to a specific property rather than a household. PBV contracts typically have 20-year term of affordability with varying options to renew or extend. In the City, some PBVs are administered by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) while others are administered through Housing Assistance Program (HAP) contracts managed directly by HUD or other funding agencies.

Public Housing

Public Housing: Owned and operated by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA), public housing units are a vital source of housing for the city's poorest residents. Residents of public housing pay no more than $50 or 30% of their income (whichever is higher) in rent. The federal government provides subsidies to make up any difference between the rent paid and the cost to operate and maintain the units.

Public housing is a form of committed affordable housing, but not all committed affordable housing is public housing.

Videos

The City uses federal CDBG and HOME funds to support
our diverse community in many ways.

Housing Resource Guides

For general information on housing services and programs, please see our 2025 Housing Resource Guide (also available in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Dari, and Pashto).

City of Alexandria, VA

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