Falls Church reports 34 new affordable units and warns 159 units could lose affordability by 2040

Housing staff presented the City of Falls Church’s 2025 Affordable Living report to the council on July 13, highlighting recent unit additions and continuing affordability challenges. Kaylene Mark, a housing specialist, said the city added 34 accessory dwelling units in 2025 and now counts 336 committed affordable rental units, including 189 ADUs, 36 units at Virginia Village and 96 units at The Fields. "While the city has made meaningful progress in expanding affordable housing opportunities, the report makes clear that significant work remains," Mark said.

The report found that nearly 43% of rental households are cost‑burdened (spending more than 30% of income on housing), that median gross rent in the city is $2,190, and that the median home value now exceeds $1,000,000. Mark told council there are more than 300 households on the waitlist for units affordable to households at or below 50% of area median income (AMI), while the city has only 11 ADUs affordable to that income band.

Council members pressed staff for additional context beyond affordability indicators. Councilmember Agan said the report “does a really good job” on affordability but asked for better data on the rest of the housing stock — single‑family homes, higher‑end condos and apartments — to understand whether the market is bifurcating. Staff said their census‑based data reflect 2024 figures and offered to gather extra regional analyses (for example from George Mason University/NVAR) and vacancy information for the three apartment communities that the report identifies as market‑rate affordable (Columbia West, Broad Frogs and Winter Hill).

On preservation, the report warned that 159 committed affordable units could lose restrictions by 2040 (63 ADUs and 96 units at The Fields). The affordable living policy recommends preservation strategies and new tools; staff noted the General Assembly recently granted enabling authority for local "right of first refusal" policies and that council action would be required to enact an implementing ordinance.

The report also reviewed programs and finances: staff said expanding the city’s CCAU (city‑committed affordable units) program remains a priority and that the annual cost of that program is currently in the $140,000–$150,000 range. City staff clarified the affordable housing fund balance, reporting an unallocated fund balance of roughly $1.9 million while projections show a smaller earmarked balance (about $200,000) for the 2027 line item discussed in the packet.

Council members and staff discussed related services and referrals: staff said the city refers residents to nonprofit partners such as Rebuilding Together for home repair and to Virginia Housing starter grants for senior renovations, and discussed outreach options for rental and homeowner programs.

What’s next: staff will return with supplemental data requested by council — vacancy information for the market‑rate affordable properties, additional regional analyses of housing stock, and proposed ordinance language should council decide to pursue a local right of first refusal or expand the CCAU program.