Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance

3/6/2023

To: Arlington County Planning Commission

From: Jill Norcross, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance

Re: Support for Missing Middle Housing / Expanded Housing Option Development Zoning Amendments

I am writing on behalf of the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA), a coalition of cross-sector housing industry professionals and advocates working in five jurisdictions in Northern Virginia. Our mission is to promote healthy, sustainable and equitable communities that meet the diverse housing needs of Northern Virginia residents. Our activities include housing research, policy analysis and advocacy, as we seek to build political will to advance housing affordability through a better understanding of its impact on health, equity, and economic development.

Arlington County’s MMH/EHO initiative is the first in Northern Virginia to advance our understanding of this issue, and an important step in demonstrating how zoning reform can unlock the potential to increase housing supply in our region. These recommendations move us closer to dismantling the legacy of racial inequities in our current land use and zoning patterns, and therefore we support the most expansive MMH/EHO options.

For Arlington to remain an inclusive and diverse community, and to retain these values, policies must change and the goals for MMH/EHO will only be realized if the housing is actually built and if the most attainable units are allowed.

Therefore, Arlington should adopt zoning ordinance amendments that:

● Allow up to 6 units per building by right on all residential lots where detached single residential structures are currently allowed under the zoning ordinance

● Apply the same building standards for 2-6 unit buildings as the current building standards for detached single residential structures

● Allow MMH is all areas of Arlington ● Have no parking mandate for lots near transit

● Give flexibility in lot coverage, design standards, gross floor area

● Do not impose a cap on permits

● Amend the General Land Use Plan to recognize the value of allowing diverse forms of housing throughout the county

We urge the County Board to adopt these recommendations, and look forward to seeing missing middle housing opportunities in Arlington in the future.