Arlington to cap locally funded housing grants and open a closed wait list Sept. 30

Nicole (Housing Bureau Director) told committee members that Arlington’s Housing Grant — a locally funded rental subsidy that serves seniors, working families with children and permanently disabled households — will be moved to a budget cap and wait‑list process under FY27 budget planning. She said the county has been approved for a base of $17.7 million and expects a $19 million budget cap and that open day‑to‑day application intake will end on September 30.

“While the program is open, we're continuing to accept those applications,” Nicole said, but she urged eligible households to submit before the September 30 deadline so the county can process as many eligible households as possible. She described the planned waitlist operation: a simplified pre‑application in the county’s Yardi system, public open/close windows (likely two weekends), technical assistance stations, and a randomized lottery to generate a target list (about 500) that will then be administratively screened and ranked using priority preference categories (reside/work in Arlington, Olmstead‑related needs, homelessness and other preferences).

Nicole warned that some eligibility criteria will change under policies pending county attorney review: households without official SSI/SSDI documentation but previously eligible via county behavioral health connections may lose eligibility, and a youth pilot of 12 annual slots proposed in prior years is slated to be sunsetted when the open program closes. County staff said they will release updated policy language and outreach materials before the wait‑list launch and provide technical assistance to applicants.