Goal: To give ‘working class’ Alexandrians the dignified housing that they deserve, we need to stabilize the income-poor, culturally rich Alexandria neighborhoods that are facing gentrification. We seek expanded working class committed affordable housing, rent vouchers funded with non-federal dollars (so undocumented folks can access them), and an expansion of ARISE guaranteed income program.
Background: It is currently impossible, even for a non-profit developer, to build housing for working class families without taking a loss. Thus, we have two types of affordable housing for working class Alexandrians: decaying buildings, where a landlord can make a profit by neglecting maintenance, and designated affordable housing, where the “loss” is covered by public or private subsidies. Recent public debate, centered on zoning issues, fails to elevate this basic fact and potentially threatens working class people already in our neighborhoods. This must change.
Project: Housing Advocacy
Please Act Now: Please support Grassroots Alexandria by writing to City Council in favor of expanding the Zoning For Housing/Housing For All initiative. Here is a sample message: ‘I am writing to support the Zoning For Housing/Housing For All initiatives, but feel that we need to go further to support deeply-affordable “working class” housing. Alexandrians deserve dignified housing and we all benefit when we preserve and appreciate our local Latinx, African, and African American cultures. Please reach out to leaders from these communities to guide these decisions.’
Action Plan: Our Housing Advocacy project team speaks up in public demand that Alexandria support and stabilize our ‘working class’ neighborhoods. We work with our allies to create change and to elevate the voices of affected communities. We particularly seek opportunities to support our friends and allies, including Tenants and Workers United, African Communities Together, the Democratic Socialists of America NoVA Branch, and the YIMBYs of Nova.
While we support an “all of the above” approach to housing supply, including Zoning For Housing, simply changing policies to expand property rights and allow more density raises land values in the short term. This must be accompanied by neighborhood stabilization measures that allow current ‘working class’ residents to remain in their neighborhoods even as things change. Neighborhood stabilization preserves economic and cultural diversity to the benefit of all Alexandrians. According to the Office of Housing, nearly all households with incomes under $50,000/year are cost burdened. The need is great.
In the short term, we need proactive measures to support families who earn below 60% AMI (area median income). These can include:
- A significant local version of the Housing Choice Voucher Program that is available to all Alexandrians, including the undocumented, with incomes below 60% AMI. We are asking for $10 million/year in the next (Fiscal Year 2025) budget. Vouchers are a proven way to “buy down” rents; a $5 million/year program was previously considered.
- Expansion of the ARISE guaranteed income pilot program from $2 million/2 years/175 families to $6 million/2 years/500 families. Because guaranteed income pilot programs nationwide have produced significant successes, including increased housing stability, we ask that this expanded program be run as simply as possible.
- Effective continued support of the Arlandria Rent Ready program that will bring current neighborhood residents into the soon-to-be-built ‘Sansé and Naja’ designated affordable housing development, and expansion of this Rent Ready program to the West End small area plan.
In the long term, we need significant new funding to address the fundamental fact that the market does not provide dignified housing for working class Alexandria families. This can include:
- Dedicated funding for sub-60% AMI designated affordable housing with a measurable goal of 1,000 new units per year in the next 10 years.
- Increased local tax revenue, such as the meals tax and the “penny fund” property-tax set aside for new units below 60% AMI in order for there to be more stabilization.
- Expanded focus and creativity from city staff in seeking federal, private, state, non-profit funding for affordable housing; expanded innovation from city staff to find affordable housing opportunities, such as was evident in the Casa Chirilagua cooperative housing development.
Project lead: Jonathan Krall
Project Status: At present we are pursuing the following opportunities to create change:
- We will continue to support Zoning For Housing/Housing For All.
- In 2023, we attended a series of meetings with the developer (Housing Alexandria) of the ‘Sansé and Naja’ development. Here we join TWU and the Legal Aid Justice Center in advocating for working class housing and in supporting an effective Rent Ready program that will bring people from the existing neighborhood into the new housing. We are working with our allies to expand the Rent Ready program and ask for growing funding of sub-60%-AMI designated affordable housing.
To join a project team, please write to one of the project leaders or to grassrootsalexandria@gmail.com.