Monday, February 2, 2009

FCRHA Adopts FY 2010 Strategic Plan – Action Plan
Housing Authority Annual Work Plan Guides Efforts in High-Priority Strategic Areas
                     
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) adopted its FY 2010 Strategic Plan-Action Plan at its meeting on Thursday, January 22, covering July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010, pending final action by the Board of Supervisors on the County budget plan in April 2009. 

On June 24, 2004, the FCRHA adopted a five-year Strategic Plan for the period from July 1, 2005 through June, 30 2010.  The FCRHA adopts one-year Action Plans each year to outline how the FCRHA and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) will meet the goals of the Strategic Plan and the HCD Vision, in response to current trends and needs, and within available resources.

This work plan provides an overview of the major FCRHA activities and projects – and their anticipated FY 2010 outcomes – in strategic areas such as affordable housing preservation, affordable housing for seniors and persons with disabilities and other special needs, homeownership, and new affordable housing production. Highlights of the plan include:

1. Ongoing response to the foreclosure crisis in Fairfax County, including the implementation of the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds;
2. Permanent financing of all or a portion of Wedgewood Apartments, a 672-unit rental complex acquired and preserved as affordable housing by Fairfax County in November 2007 (Braddock District).
3. Identification of additional development options for the Fairfax County-owned Crescent Apartments (Hunter Mill District).  
4. Continued preservation of affordable housing by direct FCRHA purchases, or the acquisition of units by other affordable housing developer though FCRHA financing.
5. Implementation and management of Fairfax County’s new Workforce Housing Program. 
6. Providing specialized rental housing, consistent with the goals of the Countywide 10-Year Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. 
7. Construction of Olley Glen, 90 units of senior independent living on the Little River Glen campus (Braddock District). 
8. Rehabilitation/modernization of FCRHA-owned Public Housing units. 
9. Continuation of the Partnership for Permanent Housing Program, assisting up to 25 families living in Fairfax County homeless shelters in moving into transitional housing, permanent housing, and on to homeownership in five years. 

The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) participated in a wide variety of meetings and other events in recent months that provided the critical input needed to inform the FY 2010 Strategic Action Plan. HCD staff received substantial guidance from the FCRHA during its November 22, 2008 special strategic planning session. Three major principles emerged from those discussions, which guided the development of the FY 2010 Strategic Plan-Action Plan and will guide future strategic planning efforts:

1. Preserving, renovating and maintaining FCRHA-owned properties is a high priority and resources should be allocated regularly for this purpose.
2. FCRHA financial resources should be invested in programs and projects serving households earning 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and below.
3. The FCRHA should focus policy and advocacy efforts on fostering the private development of sufficient workforce housing and encourage tools to facilitate its development (density, financing, etc.).

To view the final draft of the FY 2010 Strategic Plan, click here.