>> Desirable schools, jobs and entertainment. Make Fairfax
County Premier location to live work play and raise a family.
And guess what? The word is out
as our community continues to grow, the more people we have,
the more homes we need. Fairfax County's housing market has
reached a pivotal Cross Road in providing homes that are
affordable for residents at all income levels, particularly for
individuals and families with lower to moderate incomes.
Me. What does it mean to have a home that is affordable in
general having an affordable home means you earn enough
income to pay for your housing expenses and still have enough
money left over to provide for other means.
Ideally your household expenses should not exceed 30% of your
income with the average rent in Fairfax County costing about
$1913. This means the households need to earn an
average of about 76,000 $500 per year to live in an
affordable home for many essential workers in our
community like teachers, retail and grocery store employees,
construction workers and even public safety workers. The
average cost of housing in the county is simply out of reach.
Why is affordable housing so important today in Fairfax
County, about one in 5 renters are spending more than 50% of
their income on housing costs. This leaves them with less
money for other needs like food, medical care,
transportation and child care as rents continue to rise
faster than income workers with lower incomes have fewer and
fewer opportunities to find housing here, pushing them and
their families out of the communities where they work in
Fairfax County want to be a community where everyone can
find a decent, safe, affordable home to provide a platform for
physical, social and economic well-being. A stable home
environment opens doors to opportunities, financial
stability and growth and self-sufficiency to help
everyone achieve their fullest potential.
How does Fairfax County worked to create more affordable
housing opportunities? The redevelopment and housing
Authority along with the Department of Housing and
Community Development Works to enhance affordable housing
opportunities. In several key ways. We administer federal and
state housing voucher programs as well as local rental
programs to provide assistance for households with low-income
older adults, individuals with disabilities and those with
specialized housing needs. We make investments of local
funds, public land and other federal and state resources to
assist with financing private new construction as well as
preserving existing committed affordable housing in every
corner of the county, we administer public policies that
incentivize developers to include committed affordable
homes for households with lower income as part of their market
rate communities. We also administer the county's
homeownership programs to help prospective home buyers with
lower incomes have the chance to purchase a home in Fairfax
County at below market prices with options for down payment
assistance and lower interest rates.
What does affordable housing look like in our communities?
Most of the time, residents can't even recognize the
difference between homes that are market rate. And those
considered affordable affordable homes. Look just
like all the types of housing you see in your community and
they blend right in. They can be townhouses or single-family
homes, manufactured homes.
>> Even a high-rise apartment building affordable homes can
also be for rent or for sale.
What's next? Fairfax County needs more affordable housing
opportunities, incorporated into all our communities and
neighborhoods in order to sustain the needs of our
growing economy and workforce. As we work together to advance
the availability of homes that are affordable, we are
dedicated to making sure that everyone who needs a safe,
decent and secure place to call home has won in Fairfax County.
>> You can help by being a part of the solution. Keep informed
about he, Fairfax County housing initiatives and News on
Facebook at Fairfax County, Housing and learn more about
our programs at Fairfax County DOT Gov Forward Slash housing