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Planning director outlines ADU ordinance and $20M Housing Trust Fund; implementation work begins
Summary
Planning Director Tanya Washington briefed the commission on the recently adopted Affordable Dwelling Unit ordinance and an accompanying Housing Trust Fund; the ordinance becomes effective December 1 and the Board set aside $20 million over four years to seed the fund, with the housing office to administer gap‑funding awards.
Tanya Washington, Prince William County planning director, told the Planning Commission on June 11 that the Board of County Supervisors adopted an Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance and established a Housing Trust Fund as part of the FY26 budget.
"This ordinance still is not in effect right now. It will be effective December 1," Washington said, describing the ordinance’s two core components: voluntary bonus density in exchange for affordable units at 50% and 80% area median income (AMI) and a separately administered Housing Trust Fund.
Washington described the ADU bonus schedule at a high level: developers offering at least 5% of units at 50% AMI could receive roughly 20% bonus density, and a parallel table ties higher affordable‑unit percentages to larger density bonuses; similar ranges apply for 80% AMI units starting at a minimum of 10% affordable units for 20% bonus density. The ordinance is voluntary for both by‑right projects and rezonings and includes standards that affordable units be comparable in quality to market‑rate units and remain affordable for a period (the ordinance allows affordability periods between 15 and 50 years, to be worked out with the housing office).
Washington said the Housing Trust Fund will be administered by the county housing office on an application basis and will be used primarily as gap financing to support construction of affordable units. Commissioner Brown noted the Board set aside $20,000,000 over the next four fiscal years to seed the fund; David McGettigan (planning office) clarified that previously proffered funds remain under Board control and would be transferred into the trust fund on a case‑by‑case basis subject to Board authorization.
Washington emphasized the housing office will draft implementation guidelines and procedures ahead of the ordinance’s effective date so applicants can begin using the program when it becomes active.
Next steps: housing and development services staff will finalize implementation criteria and procedures and the planning office will coordinate outreach to developers and applicants ahead of the December 1 effective date.
