ALLIANCE FOR HOUSING SOLUTIONS

The Alliance for Housing Solutions seeks to increase the supply of affordable housing in Arlington and Northern Virginia through public education, policy development, advocacy and innovation.

Each year the Alliance for Housing Solutions offers a number of free programs to educate Arlingtonians about the causes of - and solutions to - our affordable housing crisis. These programs include the Leckey Forum (150-200 attendees per year) along with small programs such as roundtables, happy hours, and other trainings.

AHS convenes a coalition of housing and related service providers and advocates sharing information, planning strategy, and advocating on the range of housing issues in Arlington, including budget issues. This group meets monthly and collaborates on writing letters and speaking elected officials in favor of affordable housing.

The AHS team is lead by Michelle Winters, a housing expert who previously worked at the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, led capacity-building initiatives in sustainable communities and affordable housing preservation for NeighborWorks America and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and worked on housing policy issues for nine years at Fannie Mae and the Fannie Mae Foundation.

AHS leverages support from volunteers, community members, and partner organizations to achieve its goals.

2016: Led by AHS, housing and services advocates from across Arlington argued successfully for a $13.7 million allocation to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (up$1.2 M from FY2016). AHS also advocated in favor of APAH’s 68-unit development in Westover.

2017: AHS participated in the County working group that proposed updates that would streamline the requirements and allow more opportunities for residents to add accessory units. The Board adopted the changes in December. AHS supported three affordable housing developments: Queen’s Court in Rosslyn, Park Shirlington preservation, and the American Legion site on Washington Blvd.

2018: AHS commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act by focusing the annual Thomas P. Leckey Forum on the topic of housing segregation and discrimination. Amazon announced in November that it would be opening a new headquarters in National Landing, sparking community dialogue about Arlington’s housing crisis.

2019: AHS began working with the Arlington Community Foundation's Shared Prosperity Initiative to look at ways to bring together public and private support for affordable housing.