Summary

The City increased its affordable housing nearly 50% in 2025 with the addition of 99 new affordable units in recently opened multifamily buildings. ADUs in Falls Church now total 189.
Similarly, the City’s subsidy program of committed affordable market rate units has expanded to 15 rental apartments, and its Affordable Homeowner Program (AHP) has nine occupied homes and three homes ready for occupancy, one of which is a single-family home. Staff now anticipate the AHP will eventually include 20 homes.
At the same time, 111 affordable rental units at Pearson Square and The Fields are set to convert to market rates between 2027 and 2029. The expiration of these and other affordable units over the next four years will result in a net loss of ADUs that more than offsets the 99-unit increase in affordable rental units this year unless the City is able to negotiate the continuation of their reduced rates. Neither the staff nor the City Council proposed how these units might be preserved.
The City now provides the community with a continuously updated Affordable Living Dashboard, pictured above.

The current state of affordable housing in Falls Church

During the City Council’s November 17, 2025, work session, Housing Commission Chair Meredith Anderson and the City’s Housing Development Specialist Brenden Wooley and Housing Specialist Kayleen Mark detailed accomplishments regarding affordable housing in the last two years, including the Affordable Living Policy adopted by City Council in August 2025 and now part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. All three highlighted the need to preserve expiring affordable units, most immediately at Pearson Square and The Fields. However, no specific solutions were discussed for addressing this issue.

More ADUs, Committed Affordable Units, and affordable homes

Mr. Woodley celebrated the City’s addition in 2025 of 99 new affordable dwelling units that bring the total number of available ADUs to 189 – a nearly 50% increase – with the most recent affordable rental unit additions not expiring and fixed at 40% of the Area Medium Income (AMI). He and Ms. Mark noted that more than 17% of total ADUs are now occupied by City employees, who receive priority for these units.

In their presentation, Housing and Human Services (HHS) staff members Woodley and Mark also stressed the success of the City’s subsidy program of market rate units for households between 30% – 50% AMI. There are now a total of 15 City Committed Affordable Units (CCAUs) for which the City pays $12,094 monthly from the general government’s budget funds.

In addition, the Falls Church Affordable Homeownership Program (AHP) has created nine occupied affordable homes, has three homes currently available – one of which is a single-family home, and anticipates an eventual total of 20 AHP units. Most of the homes in this program are condominiums.

Expiring ADUs by 2029

Meanwhile, Ms. Anderson told the City Council that she wanted “to emphasize how much we’re going to be losing” with the expiration beginning in 2027 through 2029 of affordability covenants at two of the City’s multifamily buildings. These expirations at Pearson Square and The Fields alone will result in a net loss of affordable units over the next four years that more than offsets the 99-unit increase in affordable rental units this year unless the City is able to negotiate the continuation of these ADUs, she added. This impact between now and 2040 is shown in the Housing Commission charts below.

By 2040, Ms. Anderson said affordable unit expirations will result in an overall 50% reduction in affordable rental units in the City from the current 2025-unit total.

Table of ADU in buildings and expiration dates — ¹ Starting in 2027, affordability expires for any unit that turns over (i.e., a resident leaves) and any incoming residents will be charged at market rate (instead of rent adjusted to be affordable to those making 60% of the Area Median Income). In 2029, affordability expires for all 96 units, regardless of unit turnover, so residents who have been there since before 2027 will have their affordable rents converted to market rate rents.

Council Member Erin Flynn thanked Ms. Anderson and City staff for their work on the Affordable Living Policy and the preservation of ADUs, adding “we really need to get serious about preservation in the next two years” to ensure the City doesn’t lose these units. “We need to ensure we aren’t essentially evicting people from our community.” Mayor Letty Hardi added that the units at The Fields are an important source of much of the diversity in the City and its schools.

Assessing community needs

Ms. Anderson said addressing the issue of expiring ADUs remains the Housing Commission’s top priority for 2026. In addition, the Commission will collaborate with HHS to conduct a Community Needs Assessment for the unhoused population, tracking the status and planning for the Gordon Road Triangle redevelopment.

Council Member David Snyder said he wants to ramp up interest and community engagement in the Gordon Road redevelopment now with the goals of serving the City’s unhoused population, addressing the needs of the City Property Yard, and creating amenities for the Falls Church community as a whole.

According to Ms. Anderson, the Housing Commission is also collaborating with staff to address through targeted outreach and marketing the challenges the City has encountered in leasing 80% AMI studio units at Broad & Washington due to potential occupants’ desire for larger spaces.

Contributions to redeveloping Virginia Village and community engagement

Both the Commission and HHS expect to contribute to the developing plan and timeline to redevelop Virginia Village as long-term, committed affordable housing. [See the companion Pulse post, Council Mulls Proposed Process to Redevelop Virginia Village, December 10, 2025.]

Staff and the Housing Commission also will continue to explore different strategies to engage the community in their work. To this end, Mr. Woodley pointed the Council and the community at large to HHS’s new Affordable Living Dashboard.