Housing Affordability – A Shift Towards Common Sense

At its September 9th meeting, the Board finally acknowledged that the County’s current strategy to address housing affordability needs to change, something I have been saying since my first years on the Board and addressed in detail in a Herrity Report early last year. Giving away County land and spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer funds to provide a target of 10,000 government subsidized units, costing more per unit than the homes of most of the taxpayers subsidizing them, is not going to solve the problem. Affordability of housing is clearly one of the County’s major challenges to continued economic growth as recognized by the Northern Virginia Chamber.

On September 9th, Chairman McKay presented his plan outlining multiple areas of consideration, including many of the commonsense proposals I’ve brought forward over the years including bolstering our homeownership program and reducing the cost of housing for all residents by streamlining our permitting and zoning process.

There was a lot to like in the Chairman’s motion including:

• Recognition that we can’t solve our housing affordability crisis by giving away county land and hundreds of millions of dollars in government subsidies to build 10,000 units.

• Recognition that we need to address our permitting and zoning process for residential and commercial development. It is too hard to open a business and make simple home improvements like building a deck, much less building a house. I have been advocating for years that we need to streamline our permitting and zoning process and was told that the new PLUS system was going to fix it. Unfortunately, it hasn’t.

• Recognition that the County needs to bolster homeownership. I’ve been bringing it up at every Housing Committee meeting I can and featured the benefits in my April 2024 Herrity Report newsletter. Homeownership builds generational wealth and presents the opportunity to create a revolving fund for home purchases, among many other benefits.

However, I also have some serious concerns about other considerations in the Chairman’s plan:

• A Flawed Foundation – Unfortunately, the One Fairfax Policy focuses our housing efforts on “anyone who wants to live in Fairfax County” versus supporting County residents or employees of county businesses. The County can put preferences for County residency on affordable housing, but we don’t. Instead, the County opens itself to a virtually infinite need for housing that has to be funded with the finite resources of our taxpayers. With a looming budget shortfall in FY 2027, and County agencies considering 5-10% cuts again, we can’t afford to subsidize the cost of housing for “anyone who wants to live in Fairfax County.”

• More Incentives? Incentives already exist for affordable housing developers, including Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). We need to take advantage of them. I have a LIHTC affordable housing project in my district that has been in the entitlement process for three years. Again, with the budget issues we are facing – taking advantage of already funded programs should be a priority.

• Faith Communities By-Right Housing Development – While I am interested to hear more information on the faith communities consideration, I think we can provide more flexibility for faith communities to use their spaces for our shelter programs and potentially for affordable housing. This could be especially beneficial as faith communities may be able to collocate housing with services that they offer. However, it concerns me that we would consider additional by-right development in residential areas that would leave our residents out of a very important land use process.

And there were some very important items missing…

• Cost of Regulation – At every meeting I can, I relentlessly ask about the impact of our new regulations on the cost of housing. For example, the urban park requirement forces developers to include a certain amount of green space in their development, even if it can’t be realistically utilized by residents, drives up the cost of housing by reducing the number of possible units, increases the per unit cost, and prolongs development timelines. Even if an existing park is within walking distance, this is still required. Governor Youngkin just finished eliminating 25% of the regulatory requirements by the state. For Fairfax County, I suggested that the best goal is to work on reducing the regulatory cost of housing by 25% of the current cost.

• Additional Regulatory Costs On The Way – Plan Forward is quickly approaching and there has been no discussion by the Board on the cost of the regulatory burden that will be added to new housing units. I made a friendly amendment to look at regulatory costs, which was unfortunately not included in the approval of the motion. The County should be consulting with industry partners like Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA), Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP), and Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) to find ways to cut costs that benefit all our residents.

• Reduction in the Cost of Government Subsidized Units – There was no mention of efforts to address the high cost of government subsidized affordable units. County land and taxpayer dollars are being used to make these units nicer than the market rate units that the majority of our taxpayers are living in. This fails the commonsense test.

Overall, I supported the Chairman’s motion because many of the considerations are promising additions and a small step forward on how we address housing affordability. I remain concerned that the Board is continuing towards the political promise of dedicating two pennies of the real estate tax (approximately $66M) to government subsidized housing. As we are going into another difficult budget year (a projected $271M shortfall) where we will again consider cutting essential county services, the housing authority is soliciting proposals to spend another $42M (Fairfax County Announces $48+ Million Available for Affordable Housing | Housing and Community Development) on expensive government subsidized units. We can do much better with taxpayer money and stop taxing residents out of their homes.

Affordable and Reliable Energy

Affordable and reliable energy was something that Fairfax County and Virginia residents used to be able to take for granted. That is no longer the case. Since April of 2020, when the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) was passed, the demand for electricity has soared because of economic and data center growth. Production of dispatchable energy (on demand energy that is produced day and night) has dropped due to the VCEA requirements, this includes the closure of two production facilities. As a result, Virginia has become the number one importer of electricity in the country. Imported electricity is not only more expensive but also typically less green than electricity produced in Virginia.

Fairfax County regularly represents our citizens before the State Corporation Commission at utility rate hearings. At last week’s Board meeting, I asked the Board to have a discussion on supporting the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center, a natural gas-powered electrical generating plant that would be turned on when needed to maintain the integrity of the grid. The motion failed to get a second. We have a responsibility as a Board to our constituents to increase the reliability of our electrical grid in Virginia as well as lower the cost burden we place on residents by importing electricity from other states.

Earlier this week I sent this letter on behalf of the residents of the Springfield District supporting the construction of the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center to begin to address the energy affordability and reliability crisis in Virginia. Much more to follow on this issue that is critical to Fairfax County and Virginia’s future.

Other News and Information

• Early Voting Begins Friday, September 19th
• George Mason Resources for Displaced Federal Workers
• Upcoming Free Shredding Events
• Conserve Rolling Forest Park
• George Mason Space Day (September 20)
• International Coastal Clean Up Day (September 20)
• Workhouse Haunt (October 10)
• Drug Take Back Day (October 25)

Early Voting Begins Friday, September 19th

Early voting for the November 4th general elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Virginia House of Delegates, Local Offices (including the Town of Clifton), and a $460 million Fairfax County School Bond Issue begins this Friday, September 19th at the following locations:

• Fairfax County Government Center
• Mount Vernon Government Center
• North County Government Center

Additional early voting locations will open on October 23rd and early voting will be open until November 1st.

Election day is November 4th, 2025.

For more information about the election and early voting please see here: In-Person Early Voting | Elections

George Mason Resources for Displaced Federal Workers

George Mason University has launched comprehensive support resources for displaced federal workers. They are offering a broad range of career, educational, and community resources to assist affected federal workers and their families. For more information and access to these resources please see Here.

Upcoming Free Shredding Events

Marian Homes will be hosting 10 free community shredding events over the next few months. Please see below for the dates and locations of each shredding event.

Help Scouting America Troop 1176 Conserve Rolling Forest Park

On July 12th, Scouting America Troop 1176 officially adopted Rolling Forest Park as part of a vital, long-term conservation project. This initiative was sparked after two trees fell on nearby homes, prompting the park’s owners, users, and impacted residents to collaborate with Troop 1176. Their goal is to conserve this beautiful park, enhance safety for both park users and residents, and improve the park’s overall health.

In the first year, Troop 1176 will lead efforts to remove fallen branches and leaves. This crucial step will reduce year-round saturation at the base of trees, a factor that contributes to their instability. Following this, the Troop and community will focus on invasive species removal, trail clean-up, and eventually, the construction of an outdoor classroom pavilion for both Scout and community use.

Please see the flyer below for more details and join them to help preserve Rolling Forest Park!

George Mason Space Day (September 20)

Aspiring space explorers are invited to join George Mason University’s College of Science this Saturday, September 20 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Fairfax Campus for Space Day for a free and interactive event that explores the science, research, and technology driving today’s leading aerospace initiatives.

The out-of-this-world event features experts from George Mason, NASA, and the aerospace industry, and includes hands-on activities, observatory tours, and educational exhibits. Learn more at https://science.gmu.edu/spaceday.

International Coastal Clean Up Day (September 20)

Join Clean Fairfax to support community members and groups who participate in the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Officially, ICC Day is Saturday, September 20, 2025, but cleanups are happening throughout the fall, and not just on the coast. All of our waterways here in Northern Virginia drain directly into the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. To join or organize a cleanup yourself with your friends, family, workplace, or community group please see here.

Workhouse Haunt (October 10)

The Workhouse Arts Center’s 12th annual Workhouse Haunt continues this year with the “Apokalypse: Kingdom of Shadows” experience beginning on Friday, October 10th and running on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings until November 1st. For more information and to buy tickets please see here.

Drug Take Back Day (October 25)

Prescription Drug Take Back Day returns Saturday, October 25th from 10 AM – 2 PM at multiple locations across Fairfax County. This event offers the community an opportunity to safely dispose of any prescription drugs. During this event, Reworld Waste, who will be destroying all collected medications, will donate and distribute free prescription drug mail back envelopes which can be used year-round to safely dispose of unwanted medication. Please join me at the West Springfield District Station in the side parking lot to drop off any of your unused medications. See more details and participating locations here.

Four-Legged Friend

Meet Indy – Your Gentle Giant in Waiting!

At 75 pounds, Indy may look like a big boy, but he’s really just a softie with a heart full of smiles. This handsome pup arrived at the shelter as a stray, and while his past is a mystery, his future could be bright-with you! Indy has been friendly and affectionate with staff and volunteers, though he can be unsure in new situations. He’s especially hesitant with stairs and crossing thresholds. With time, patience, and positive reinforcement, he’s sure to build confidence. He gets along well with other dogs, though his play is a bit rambunctious and noisy-Indy’s big paws make quite the thump when he’s having fun!

Indy is not only looking for his family but also a canine companion. Our shelter team has determined that due to Indy’s need for companionship and positive canine role model, he must be adopted into a home with another social dog in the home! Because of his enthusiastic play style, we recommend bringing your dog in for a meet-and-greet to make sure it’s a good match. If you’re looking for a loyal, loving companion with a gentle soul and a goofy side, come meet Indy. He might just be the gentle giant your life has been missing!

This pet is eligible for an Adoption Audition! What is an Adoption Audition? It’s a 5-day, no-strings-attached, trial adoption period. You can take this pet home to try it out! Interested? Come to the shelter any time during open hours and talk to one of our Customer Care staff!

If you’d like to schedule a visit to meet Indy visit: Adopt a Dog | Animal Shelter