Loudoun County staff report mid‑plan progress on unmet housing needs; third‑party evaluation planned

Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development staff presented a mid‑plan update on implementation of the county's Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan during the Transportation and Land Use Committee meeting on Feb. 20. The presentation covered results from the first and second quarters of fiscal year 2025 (July 1'Dec. 31, 2024) and described a planned third‑party evaluation of the plan.

The update matters because the strategic plan establishes measurable targets and 133 key actions to expand attainable housing through 2040; the county is three years into implementation and staff said an evaluation is needed to improve performance tracking, align metrics with regional targets and forecast the county investment required to meet goals.

Christine Hillock, Housing Initiatives Project Manager, summarized recent board actions and program changes adopted last year. The board approved amendments to the county's Down Payment and Closing Cost assistance program (DPCC) and the Public Employee Homeownership Grant (PEG) program on Sept. 4, 2024. Hillock said, "Changes to the DPCC program include an increase in the amount of assistance from $25,000 to $75,000 or up to 10% of sales price, whichever is less, and a change in the structure of the assistance from a 30 year interest bearing loan to a 15 year interest free forgivable loan." She added that the PEG maximum increased from…