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Board of Supervisors Housing Committee Covers Wide Range of Issues
March 23 Meeting Included ULI Briefing, Review of Federal Stimulus Funds, and Foreclosures

  • "Beltway Burden” report:  The committee received a briefing on the new report from the Urban Land Institute Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing titled “Beltway Burden:The Combined Cost of Housing and Transportation in the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.”  Led by Michael Pitchford, Chief Executive Officer of the Community Preservation and Development Corporation, and co-chair of the DC Steering Committee for Terwilliger Center, the briefing highlighted the findings of the report as they relate to Fairfax County, and included a demonstration of the on-line calculator developed as part of the report which can be used to provide housing and transportation cost estimates for current and potential residents of the area. 
  • Update on Federal Stimulus Funds: Paula Sampson, Director of Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), provided the committee with an update on the housing-related funds in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009. Ms. Sampson reported that ARRA includes a number of affordable housing-related provisions which will both directly provide funding to Fairfax County and provide opportunities for the county to compete for significant additional resources. Specifically, Fairfax County has been notified that it will receive the following affordable housing-related funds:
    • Public Housing:  $2,294,177 for the renovation and modernization of the county’s Public Housing properties.
    • Community Development:  $1,610,504 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for eligible purposes, including the renovation of existing affordable housing properties. 
    • Homelessness:  $2,462,398 for homelessness prevention, shelter and utility payments.

    Ms. Sampson also reported that Fairfax County can compete for other stimulus funds for purposes such as foreclosure response, affordable housing financing via tax credits, and “green” energy retrofits for certain federally financed affordable housing

    Information from HUD on the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act can be found at http://www.hud.gov/recovery/.

  • Status of Fairfax County’s Response to the Foreclosure Crisis:  John Payne, HCD Deputy Director for Real Estate, provided a status report on the county’s foreclosure initiative.  Mr. Payne reported that as of this month:
    • Fairfax County has provided foreclosure counseling to 670 people;
    • A total of nine first-time homebuyer families have foreclosed homes through the initiative to date, and that a pipeline of 40 qualified buyers looking for properties; and
    • That Fairfax County has bid to directly purchase one foreclosed property. 

    Mr. Payne also reported that on Friday, January 30, HUD approved the plan from Fairfax County and awarded $2,807,300 in Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds to assist the county in addressing the high foreclosure rate and declining home values in certain areas of the county.  These funds have not yet been received.  About $1.5 million will be used to assist first time homebuyers under the Silver Lining Program, and $1 million has been set-aside for non-profits to purchase properties for use as rental housing; there is also a small administrative set-aside. 

HCD Director Paula Sampson also provided information about the possible use of vacant units at the county-owned Wedgewood Apartments development for “Housing First” for homeless families. 

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for Monday, May 11, at 3 PM.

 

 

 



 

HCD Director Paula Sampson also provided information about the possible use of vacant units at the county-owned Wedgewood Apartments development for “Housing First” for homeless families. 

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for Monday, May 11, at 3 PM.