Alliance for Housing Solutions, a nonprofit working to increase the supply of affordable housing in Arlington County, announced today the appointment of community advocate Charles McCullough (He/Him) as its new Executive Director.
2022 Bozman Awards to Honor Michelle Krocker
Alliance for Housing Solutions Names Charles McCullough as New Executive Director
BU-GATA: More than 20 Years of Preserving Community, One Tenant Leader at a Time
AHS works to amplify the voices of housing advocates and tenants that are too often absent from the affordable housing conversation. As part of that effort, we will feature stories that shine a light on the lived experiences of those facing housing challenges in our community.
“We’re trying to bring stability and a better quality of life to our community. That’s what we strive for.”
When renters in Arlington, Virginia face challenges finding and keeping a safe, affordable home, the Buckingham and Gates of Arlington Tenants Association (BU-GATA) is ready to lend a hand. By providing resources like rental assistance and advocacy support, BU-GATA creates informed renters and tenant leaders. At a time of rapid change in the County, grassroots organizations like BU-GATA play a key role in preserving affordable homes and the communities that depend on them.
BU-GATA was founded in 1992 by a group of Latino tenants who aimed to stop the displacement of low-income residents from an apartment complex in Arlington’s Buckingham neighborhood. Fast forward to 2022, and BU-GATA has expanded to serve all of the County with Buckingham native Saul Reyes as its executive director.
Reyes first joined BU-GATA in 2002 as a member of the Buckingham Youth Brigade (BYB), a program supporting leadership and civic engagement for youth ages 14–18.
“As the organization grew, residents began to broaden BU-GATA's focus to achieve greater community stability,” Reyes explains. And in 1998, BU-GATA addressed another neighborhood need—youth leadership development—by creating the Buckingham Youth Brigade (BYB) to help young people gain self-esteem and self-sufficiency.
Reyes was first motivated to volunteer with BYB while seeking extracurricular activities to help with his college admissions. But the dedication of the youth in the BYB struck a chord with him. “I enjoyed supporting the youth, who were the kids of recent immigrants,” says Reyes. “Even after I left for college, I kept coming back on Wednesdays to encourage them and explain that college really isn’t that hard.”
The BYB has thrived by filling an important gap in immigrant communities. “We expanded it in 2010 to include the middle schoolers because they didn’t have anything to do after school. We saw kids running around playing soccer in the street, and nothing was organized for them. So today we have BYB Junior for ages 10–13.”
After his college graduation in 2007, Reyes expanded his volunteer role to help with BU-GATA’s campaign to save Buckingham Villages. The large, market-rate apartment complex had been up for sale on the open market until the County stepped in to assist in its purchase and preservation.
“The residents were afraid of displacement, just like we see with Arlington tenants today,” recalls Reyes. “I helped BU-GATA by interviewing and assisting tenants, which prepared me for the work I do now.”
While several parcels of Buckingham Villages were demolished and turned into luxury townhomes, one section of 140 units was preserved as affordable. “Families had been living there for decades before the renovations, and they’re still there today. That provided a lot of stability for the community. Families raised their kids, most of whom came through BYB and went to college. Some of them still come back and help out.”
The Buckingham Village apartment community in Arlington, Virginia (Photo courtesy of Arlington County)
“We have a lot of immigrants who come here and work very hard. Without these workers in our restaurants and hotels, other people in the community would be feeling the pain.”
The tenants BU-GATA now serves across Arlington are primarily low-income and immigrant families. “We have a lot of immigrants who come here and work very hard. Without these workers in our restaurants and hotels, other people in the community would be feeling the pain. Workers would have to come from farther away, and they would demand higher wages.”
But Reyes emphasizes that BU-GATA supports any renter in need of greater stability. “We don’t want families to have to struggle so much to feed their children and make ends meet because of all the expenses that come along with housing,” he explains.
BU-GATA awards a college scholarship to a recipient’s family during the Buckingham Community Festival. (Photo courtesy of Bu-GATA)
“Lower-income tenants often feel afraid to reach out to property management to report problems, and that’s when issues start getting worse in housing.”
In addition to providing resources to tenants, BU-GATA also advocates on behalf of renters whose property managers aren’t willing to work with them. “A lot of people feel disrespected,” says Reyes. “Lower-income tenants often feel afraid to reach out to property management to report problems, and that’s when issues start getting worse in housing.”
BU-GATA also coaches tenants on how to stand up for themselves to property managers. “We tell tenants, ‘the site manager is here, but they have a boss. And that boss has another boss. And when it comes to affordable housing, we can go to the County too.’ The County is being more proactive now in addressing these issues in affordable housing by ramping up inspections. But this is more difficult within the private market,” says Reyes.
“Someone may not meet the income requirement for affordable housing because they earn an extra dollar. But that extra dollar is not going to help them afford the prices in the private market.”
One of the key challenges Reyes sees for lower-income renters is the income restrictions of affordable housing. “Someone may not meet the income requirement for affordable housing because they earn an extra dollar. But that extra dollar is not going to help them afford the prices in the private market,” he says. “People in market-rate affordable housing (MARKS) may move to affordable housing but end up paying even more in housing costs. There’s no low rent, even in affordable housing.”
Reyes notes that since there are fewer occupancy restrictions with MARKS, tenants often double or triple up in these units to ease the rent burden. But they may experience an uncomfortable living situation and poor living conditions. “Landlords or owners often take calculated approaches to keep housing somewhat habitable while awaiting the right opportunity to sell or redevelop,” Reyes explains.
The need for BU-GATA’s services is great—and growing. “Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of losses as far as housing affordability,” says Reyes. “We keep losing what’s market affordable. The private market keeps dwindling down. We’re trying to bring in affordable housing, but you can only do so much. It’s difficult to create enough new affordable units to match the ones being lost and the demand.”
Reyes emphasizes the need for housing advocates and leaders to hear directly from residents about the challenges and barriers they face. “We in the housing community need to help elevate those voices and, whenever possible, bring people out,” says Reyes. “One example of this is the development of the Affordable Housing Master Plan. BU-GATA brought out residents in support so the elected officials got to see the faces of actual people. We also saw this at the preservation of the Buckingham Villages. The residents were involved in the entire process, from the RFP to selecting who the developer and owner would be.”
“That’s the goal we have—to create leaders in the community who help out each other.”
Reyes credits BU-GATA’s track record of success with its network of adult and youth volunteers that spans across Arlington. “These are residents who were grateful for our help in the past and came back. We train them as volunteers, and then they feel empowered to help their friends, families, and neighbors. Some volunteers become independent and do a lot of work on their own in the community. That’s the goal we have—to create leaders in the community who help out each other.”
Most recently, BU-GATA played a key role in advocating and assisting tenants at the Serrano and Columbia Gardens properties. Back in his native Buckingham, Reyes still joins the BYB meetings and oversees the program, helping to continue the cycle of empowerment that is the hallmark of BU-GATA’s success.
“Our fight is to be able to preserve our community here in Arlington. We’re trying to bring stability and a better quality of life to our community,” he says. “That’s what we strive for.”
To learn more about BU-GATA’s work, visit bu-gata.org
Members of the Buckingham Youth Brigade (Photo courtesy of BU-GATA)
Why AHS Supports Missing Middle Housing
As Arlington prepares to complete Phase 2 of the Missing Middle Housing Study, AHS strongly supports the draft Framework under consideration.
Arlington County Releases Draft Framework of Missing Middle Housing Study Phase 2
Arlington County Board Increases Housing Investments in FY 2023 Budget
Together with other concerned Arlington organizations and citizens, AHS asked the County Board to increase investments in affordable housing in the FY 2023 budget.
The Board responded by accepting many of our requested changes on Tuesday, April 26 when they approved the final budget. Highlights of the budget include:
Increased funding for the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF), bringing the total in the FY 2023 budget up from $16.9 million in FY 2022 to $18.7 million
The creation of two new full-time staff positions to provide additional capacity for housing development and oversight of the County’s growing committed affordable housing portfolio
$14.3 million in Housing Grant support
Additional funding for permanent supportive housing and eviction protection
As we look toward an inclusive and sustainable future for our community, AHS is pleased to see the County’s increased investment in affordable housing.
Our full letter to the County reads:
April 4, 2022
Dear Chair Cristol and Board Members,
The Alliance for Housing Solutions would like to thank you for your ongoing commitment to affordable housing and related programs in the FY2023 draft budget. The steady funding for AHIF and Housing Grants and the increase for Permanent Supportive Units are very welcome. The recent increase in FTEs for inspections and planning are strong indicators of long-term foundational support for quality and quantity in our housing portfolio and programs.
The momentum of several housing advances in the past months, from the Barcroft Apartments purchase and the large-scale Marbella Apartments project to the use of the new bonus height provision, and the inclusion of affordable units in the Pentagon City Sector Plan, demonstrate the County is building the capacity to increase the pace of growth called for in the Affordable Housing Master Plan.
These commitments build on the progress and leadership shown in this past year and through the many ways County staff and leaders supported our diverse communities during COVID and set the pace for realizing our goals. To maintain this momentum and deliver on the County’s housing and equity goals, AHS believes that investing in additional housing staff and committing to increasing AHIF funding in FY2024 and beyond are critical funding considerations for the upcoming budget. AHS shares these recommendations:
Staffing:
We are concerned, even with the recent addition of compliance and planning FTEs, that County staff may not have the time and capacity to carry out the volume and complexity of housing work in the coming year. In 2023 alone, staff will be addressing projects including Barcroft, Park Shirlington, and Crystal Houses, as well as planning processes including Plan Langston Blvd, both the Missing Middle Housing and Housing Grant studies, the Regional Fair Housing Plan, the Serrano after-action report, and the Analysis of Aging Properties. This workload raises the question: Are there enough staff and expert resources to carry out this quantity of work and at the level of excellence Arlington expects? The decision not to undertake the NOFA process this year is an indicator of the existing shortfall of time and staff.
As Arlington’s CAF portfolio grows and development deals become more complex, the County must equip staff to ensure our community has the capacity to meet the 2040 Affordable Housing Master Plan goals, while maintaining housing quality, as well as fostering innovation. To better address these many needs, we recommend that the County create a Deputy Director position for the Housing Division. This would bring additional capacity to handle the increasing number of projects and situations that require the Housing Division leadership’s attention. We hope the Manager and Board will give serious consideration to this new position.
AHIF Funding:
In addition, we know that for the FY2024 budget and beyond, AHIF funding will need to increase substantially to close the gap between the current CAF portfolio and the AHMP goals of more than 15,000 affordable units in Arlington. The Housing staff’s recent Implementation Framework states:
“…the County would likely need to finance around 440 new [CAF] units a year for the next 19 years. Currently, the cost per unit for County-funded CAF projects is between $85,000 and $112,500 per unit. The estimated resources to fund that level of production would be between $37.4 and $49.5 million annually. For reference, the average annual funding for the County Loan Fund from 2016 through 2020 was $27.4 million.”
In addition, the County’s 2020 Housing Needs Analysis found that there are over 13,000 Arlington households earning under 50% of the AMI. At present, the County has a deficit of 9,500 rental units affordable at the 50% AMI level and below.
While these are extraordinarily challenging times, Arlington also has extraordinary opportunities to achieve a new level of housing supply and affordability needed across our county. Now we must respond to these plans to advance our shared goals and the work of keeping Arlington a welcoming community for all, by leveraging the resources necessary to bring them to fruition.
Again, we thank the Board and the County Manager for your ongoing commitment to providing the range of housing necessary to sustain our community. It is our hope that Housing Equity will continue to be a high priority in the County’s work throughout this year and as we look to 2024. We appreciate your efforts to protect Arlington tenants, as well as to empower our dedicated County staff, and support our non-profit housing development partners, who are all working to fulfill our shared vision of keeping Arlington a diverse and inclusive, world-class urban community.
Sincerely,
Jenny Denney Lawson
Chair, Board of Directors
Martha Bozman
Interim Executive Director
AHC, Inc.
APAH
Coalition for Smarter Growth
Habitat for Humanity of Washington DC & NOVA
NVAHA
THRIVE
Wesley Housing
Susan English
Mary Hynes
Detta Kissel
Dave Leibson
Joan McDermott
Pat McGrady
Sueyen Rhee
Kathryn Scruggs
Daniel Weir
Arlington County Board Passes Redevelopment Plan for Marbella Apartments
On February 28, 2022, the Arlington County Board voted 5-0 to move forward with the phased redevelopment of the Marbella Apartments as well as $21,400,000 in loan financing (Affordable Housing Investment Fund) for the first phase of the project. A portion of the Marbella’s existing apartments will be redeveloped into two new 12-story buildings with a resulting 555 committed affordable homes (CAFs)—an unprecedented number for one location in the County. All 555 homes will remain affordable for 75 years and will include much-needed family-sized and senior units. In addition to the nearly 500 new units on the site, approximately 60 existing older garden-style apartments will be renovated to better serve the current families in need of affordable housing.
The project will also help achieve digital equity in Arlington by providing hard-wired, free internet access to all residents. The new buildings will meet many green building goals including an array of rooftop solar panels and a green roof, as well as native plantings and stormwater management features.
The Marbella’s developer, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), will now begin applying for financing and permitting for the first phase of the project, which will begin construction in 2023.
The Marbella is an ideal location for affordable housing because it ensures that residents have convenient access to the Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro stations, bus transit, restaurants, parks, and employment.
AHS applauds this important step forward for affordable housing in Arlington and urged the County Board to support the project.
AHS’s full letter to the County Board reads:
February 11, 2022
Hon. Katie Cristol
2100 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
Dear Ms. Cristol,
The Alliance for Housing Solutions is writing to support the Marbella Apartments redevelopment project to be considered by the Board on Feb. 12. We would like to thank you, the other Board members, and County staff for maintaining affordable housing as a priority.
The Marbella Apartments will provide 555 newly constructed units, which will be committed affordable units (CAFs) for a period of 75 years. The developer also proposes to preserve and renovate the remaining garden-style apartments in the complex. Use of the new Zoning Ordinance amendment allowing additional height is an important component of the success of this project. We applaud the number of family-sized units planned for these buildings and the depth of affordability of the units, as well as the designation of 125 senior-restricted apartments.
The Marbella Apartments project is an excellent example of appropriate in-fill development for this site and will provide housing, employment access, and community opportunities, to hundreds of low-wage families in this resource-rich neighborhood. It will advance County priorities of equity and sustainability, two important goals in Arlington’s Affordable Housing Master Plan.
We urge the Board to support this important project in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, and once again thank you for your continued commitment to affordable housing throughout Arlington.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jenny Denney Lawson
Chair, Board of Directors
Martha Bozman
Interim Executive Director
Arlington County Board Adopts Pentagon City Sector Plan
On February 12, 2022, the Arlington County Board voted 5-0 to approve a new vision for the future of the rapidly developing Pentagon City neighborhood. Along with several other local groups, the Alliance for Housing Solutions recommended that the County adopt the Sector Plan.
The Sector Plan will add much-needed new housing in an area not currently prepared to handle the density expected from the arrival of Amazon’s HQ2. In an unprecedented move, the Plan requires at least 10% of net newly constructed rental units in Pentagon City to be affordable at up to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and 10% of owner units affordable up to 80% of AMI, all for a period of 30 years.AHS also applauds the Sector Plan’s eye toward sustainability, which thoughtfully considers public spaces and tree canopy as well as walkability and bikability.
AHS believes Pentagon City is an ideal location for increased density in Arlington due to its proximity to mass transit, a major airport, and employment opportunities. We will continue to provide updates as the process moves forward with specific site plans and opportunities for community engagement.
AHS’s full letter to the County reads:
February 9, 2022
Hon. Katie Cristol
2100 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
Dear Chair Cristol,
The Alliance for Housing Solutions is in full support of the draft Pentagon City Sector Plan that the County Board will be considering at its February 12, 2022, meeting. AHS would like to commend Arlington County Planning Division staff and the staff of several other departments who joined forces to produce this Sector Plan. The Pentagon City area is a rapidly developing segment of Arlington and yet it lacks a comprehensive planning document.
This Sector Plan process offered the Arlington community at large and the local neighbors, in particular, the opportunity to articulate our collective values regarding housing supply, green space, transportation, biking/walking, community services, and more. We thank the Livability 22202 coalition of adjacent civic associations, and other local groups, as well as County Planning Staff, for their efforts to gather and distill expressed needs and goals of the Pentagon City area from hundreds of Arlington participants.
Housing supply is at crisis levels throughout Arlington, and acutely so since Amazon arrived in Pentagon City, where average rents have been rising rapidly and the area is gentrifying quickly. Low-rent housing is disappearing and the area is not well planned to handle the expected density in the years to come.
By today’s standards, Pentagon City still has relatively low density, considering its adjacency to multiple forms of public transportation, business, retail, and a major airport. This Sector Plan includes important new expansions in planned density that will result in many new housing units on underutilized space, especially on surface parking lots at the River House complex, while proactively preserving green space and improving walkability and bikability across the area.
Currently, there are a total of 342 committed affordable housing units (CAFs) in the study area, of which 300 are age-restricted units located in the Claridge House building. There are 42 more CAFs being designated as part of previous site plans in the larger National Landing area, and 35 more CAFs in production, for a total of only 377 CAFs in the Pentagon City area. Arlington’s Affordable Housing Master Plan calls for 2,200 CAFs in the greater Pentagon City/Crystal City area. This Sector Plan will go a long way to adding much-needed housing supply, including affordable units.
In a bold and new way, this plan establishes a threshold of at least 10% of all net new residential density be designated for on-site affordable units. It should be stated that it is unprecedented to require a 10% minimum CAF count in a Sector Plan, and AHS applauds staff for including this important element among the community benefits it will require from developers.
That said, the County should further explore how these future CAF units could be retained after their 30-year period of affordability ends. What kind of creative and outside-the-box thinking can we bring to this challenge? It should also be noted that this is a minimum requirement in the Plan, meaning that as individual sites come for site plan review, the County will have an opportunity to further negotiate the required CAFs on a case-by-case basis, for example requesting more on-site units, or a higher percentage of family-sized CAFs, or that some CAF units be available at less than 60% AMI.
According to the draft Sector Plan, much of the new residential density will be located on the surface parking lots scattered on the River House site. This is a prudent use of space – to concentrate additional density near where it already exists, while permanently preserving the surrounding open space and protecting the lower-density residential areas found in the larger Pentagon City area. As per the language in this Plan, these scattered green spaces will be consolidated over time and secured as public green/open space - whereas today, they are privately controlled green spaces and, as such, they could be developed by-right at any time and would be lost as open space forever. The Plan will also require a minimum tree canopy be maintained or restored as sites are redeveloped, along with streetscape and bikability improvements.
In conclusion, the proposed Pentagon City Sector Plan reflects the current vision of the Pentagon City area, and it anticipates the needs of future residents in a planned, organized manner. By including on-site affordable units, along with the emphasis on a sustainable, walkable neighborhood, this Sector Plan will expand opportunity and housing choice and help Pentagon City evolve into an even more livable neighborhood for its current and future renters and owners of all income levels.
AHS encourages the County Board to adopt the draft Pentagon City Sector Plan.
Jenny Denney Lawson
Chair, Board of Directors
Martha Bozman
Interim Executive Director