Attainable Housing Development Pilot Program Accepting Applications

Loudoun County’s new Expedited Attainable Housing Development Pilot Program is open and accepting a limited number of applications. The program is intended to promote the development of attainable housing units to help address the county’s unmet housing needs and will run until Dec. 31.

While not guaranteed, the aim of the program is to move applications from acceptance to a Board vote in approximately eight months, a significant acceleration of the standard timeline for legislative land use applications. The pilot will accept three applications, selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The county’s Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan, which was unanimously adopted by the Board of Supervisors in September 2021, sets a goal that 20% of forecasted new homes through 2040 will be attainable housing, based on the land use policies outlined in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan.

Attainable housing is defined as units affordable to households earning up to 100% of the Area Median Income with costs, such as rent or mortgage payments, not exceeding 30% of gross annual income.

The EAHD Pilot Program has the following criteria for interested participants and projects:

• Applications must consist of only a project that includes 100% attainable housing.
• Each application must be independent and not dependent on a legislative application for a master development.
• The necessary infrastructure, such as utilities and roads, must already exist or the applicant must commit to providing the necessary improvements to serve the attainable housing.
• Deadlines for any relevant funding must be at least six months after the application acceptance date by county staff.

For more information, visit loudoun.gov/AttainableHousingPilot.