HOUSING

The Office of Housing (703-838-4990, or TTY 703-838-5056) coordinates and administers City housing and housing-related programs and services and makes recommendations to the City Manager and City Council on housing policy for the City. Its major divisions are Program Administration and Landlord-Tenant Relations (703-838-4545), which are located in Room 1100, City Hall, and Program Implementation (2 W. Herbert Street - 703-838-4622). The Office of Housing also works closely with the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) on housing issues.

The majority of the City' s housing activities are funded through annual grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development' s Community Development Block Grant program. In addition, the Office of Housing administers state-funded housing programs and the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program. Its major programs are outlined below.

The Program Implementation Division administers the following

• no-interest and deferred payment loans for rehabilitation of single family homes;
  
• homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families through assistance for down payments, principal and interest writedowns, and closing costs;
  
• homeownership counseling for first-time homebuyers eligible for the City’s programs;
  
• funding to develop or rehabilitate affordable rental or sales housing for low and moderate income individuals through the Housing Opportunities Fund;
  
• coordination of the City’s annual Homeownership Fair; and
  
• removal of blight in residential neighborhoods;

The Landlord-Tenant Relations Division administers the following activities:

• conciliation of complaints from tenants and landlords concerning rent increases, health code violations, security deposits, evictions, and other landlord-tenant issues, and maintenance of a list of complaints received for each major apartment complex;
  
• monitoring the development and implementation of conversion assistance plans for conversions of rental property to condominiums, cooperatives, and other uses, and for substantial rehabilitation of rental property in accordance with the City' s Housing Conversion Assistance Policy;
  
• relocation counseling;
  
• staff support to the Landlord-Tenant Relations Board and Fair Housing Testing Program Advisory Committee;
  
• administration of the City' s Fair Housing Testing Program;
  
• provisions of half-day housing training seminars for the employees of real estate and property management companies which provide services to or housing for City residents;
  
• maintenance of an annual apartment survey date of properties in the City with 10 or more units; and
  
• provisions of technical assistance in property management and leasing to owners and managers of rental apartments.

The Program Administration Division is responsible for the following activities:

• development and administration of the City' s Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development, Affordable Housing Policy and other housing policies and programs;
  
• oversight of federal and state rules and regulations pertaining to housing and community development activities;
  
• administration of the Office' s budgetary and fiscal affairs;
  
• negotiation of private sector participation in affordable housing;
  
• planning, evaluation, and implementation of housing and community development programs and activities, including the administration of the City’s Housing Trust Fund;
  
• liaison with the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) on housing matters; and
  
• staff support to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) (703-549-7115, or TTY 703-836-6425) provides publicly assisted housing to lower-income families in accordance with state and federal statutes and the HUD regulations. As a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, ARHA does not receive any City funding to cover operating expenses; however, its nine commissioners are appointed by the City Council for four-year terms.

ARHA owns and/or operates 1,150 public and publicly assisted housing units in the City and is responsible for their administration and maintenance (with the exception of one 90-unit property for which ARHA’s role is limited to ownership of the land). To qualify for one of the units, families or individuals must meet certain income eligibility requirements.

ARHA administers the Section 8 Rental Vouchers which provide subsidies on behalf of low-income families who rent privately owned housing.To qualify for this assistance, applicants must meet certain income requirements.

To provide affordable housing, ARHA also issues multi-family housing bonds to owners and developers property acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction.