Affordable Housing Ordinance Working Group - 2026

The County Board established this working group to further refine proposed amendments to § 15.2-735.1 of the Code of Virginia ahead of the next legislative session with the objectives:

To enable the County Board to make adjustments to the formulas for affordable housing contributions in the Zoning Ordinance in response to changing community needs, economic considerations, financial conditions, and

To establish the process and parameters for considering any future amendments to the local zoning ordinance.

The County’s Affordable Ordinance (ACZO § 15.5.8 and § 15.5.9) has been in effect since 2005 and was codified into the Code of Virginia in 2006. After a Housing Commission review of the ordinance in 2025 amendments to the state code were introduced in both chambers of the legislature with the intent to provide greater local authority regarding the contributions for affordable housing in site plan projects. Both bills did not pass but have been continued to the next legislative session. The working group’s efforts are anticipated to clear the way for successful amendments to the enabling legislation in the General Assembly.

Members

Tenley Peterson, Planning (Chair)

Tony Striner, Planning

Bryan Coleman, Housing

Danny Ross, Housing

Scott Pedowitz, AOBA

John Musso, Arlington Chamber

John Kusturiss, NAIOP

Cathy Puskar, NAIOP

2026 Meetings

Meetings are open to the public and subject to public meeting requirements. To be included on the email distribution list for meeting agendas, contact Alex McMillen.

Date & Agenda	Location	Topic & Meeting Materials
Sept. 2 at 7:00 p.m. View the meeting recording here	Bozman Government Center Room 306A	Adopt Electronic Meetings Policy(PDF, 160KB) - Action Affordable Housing Ordinance Discussion(PDF, 2MB) - Information AHO Briefing Binder(PDF, 1MB) Public Comment - Information
Sept. 14 at 7:00 p.m. View the meeting recording here	Bozman Government Center Room 306A	Review of 2026 General Assembly Bills HB922 and SB296(PDF, 480KB) - Information HB922(PDF, 28KB) SB296(PDF, 31KB) Affordable Housing Ordinance Discussion - Information Public Comment - Information
Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m.	Bozman Government Center Room 311
Oct. 26 at 7:00 p.m.	Bozman Government Center Room 216

Date & Agenda

Location

Topic & Meeting Materials

Sept. 2 at 7:00 p.m.

View the meeting recording here

Bozman Government Center Room 306A

Adopt Electronic Meetings Policy(PDF, 160KB) - Action

Affordable Housing Ordinance Discussion(PDF, 2MB) - Information

AHO Briefing Binder(PDF, 1MB)

Public Comment - Information

Sept. 14 at 7:00 p.m.

View the meeting recording here

Bozman Government Center Room 306A

Review of 2026 General Assembly Bills HB922 and SB296(PDF, 480KB) - Information

Affordable Housing Ordinance Discussion - Information

Public Comment - Information

Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Bozman Government Center Room 311

Oct. 26 at 7:00 p.m.

Bozman Government Center Room 216

How to View and Participate in a Hybrid Affordable Housing Ordinance Working Group Meeting

Hybrid Affordable Housing Ordinance Working Group meetings will be held in-person with the option to participate through electronic communication means in compliance with the Code of Virginia.

Virtual participation will be hosted by teleconference/videoconference via Microsoft Teams.

Meeting access information will be provided on the working group’s webpage at arlingtonva.us. (Link will be posted in chart above prior to the meeting start.)

Live captioning is available when using the Microsoft Teams App. Please download the free Microsoft Teams App onto your computer and test it prior to the meeting. You must be using the Teams App and be logged in to use the live captioning feature. For further instruction on how to join a Teams Meeting, see the How to Join a Microsoft Teams Meeting video.

Audio is available from the dial-in phone option.

A recording of the meeting will be posted to the working group’s webpage two business days after the meeting.

To request translation services or other reasonable accommodations, contact Alex McMillen: amcmillen@arlingtonva.us; 703-228-3773

The public can participate by sharing live verbal testimony or written comments in advance.

If participating virtually, sign-up online to speak or email amcmillen@arlingtonva.us by 12 noon on the day of the meeting.

Registered speakers will receive an email with further instruction.
Speakers will join the meeting via Microsoft Teams (accessible through a web browser or the free app) or via a phone line to provide their comments.
To register by phone, contact Alex McMillen: 703-228-3773.
In-person registration at the meeting will also be available

Submit written comments online to the working group. Comments received by 12 noon on the day of the meeting will be provided to the working group in advance.