Affordable Housing Investment Fund
Now Accepting Applications!!! Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for County Loan Funds
As of February 18, 2026, Arlington County has released a NOFA for $11 million in County loan funds for the development/preservation of affordable rental housing. Applications are due by March 20, 2026. For general information about County loan funds and other sources, visit Financial Resources.
Application and Baseline Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must adhere to the following application requirements:
- County funding requests may not exceed $11 million. Projects that require more than $11 million in County funding are ineligible to apply.
- Partial County funding requests are not allowed - requests must be for the entire building (and not just one component of a 9%/4% hybrid).
- If the project requires more than $11 million in County funding, please fill out this Project Information Form(PDF, 209KB), which will help inform future pipeline and funding needs, instead of submitting an application. Project Information Forms can be submitted to amcmillen@arlingtonva.us.
- If a project is a 9/4 hybrid project, submit only one application with one loan request.
- See “Library” tab in the application for the full list of required attachments.
Staff will accept and consider proposals from non-profit or for-profit qualified applicants for projects that meet the Application and Baseline Eligibility Requirements(PDF, 124KB).
NOFA Scoring Guidelines and Application
The application period will begin on February 18, 2026, and close on March 20, 2026, at 5 p.m.
The scoring guidelines for the NOFA will guide the review and evaluation of loan requests and form the basis for future pipeline funding recommendations to the County Manager and County Board. Pipeline recommendations will be based on which project meets or exceeds these criteria to the greatest degree. If project proposals do not adequately meet the described guidelines, County staff may recommend not funding the proposal(s) and reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. County staff also has the discretion to make a recommendation for County loan funds in an amount that is less than is requested in the application.
The NOFA application will require completion of a Microsoft Excel Workbook and submission of mandatory attachments. Complete all applicable fields in the "Project Basics" tab, "Affordability & Population" tab, "Budget" tab, "Developer Info" tab, and "Developer Experience" tab, and submit all required and optional materials listed in the "Library" tab. Ensure the project meets all Application and Baseline Eligibility Requirements(PDF, 124KB). Completed applications can be submitted to CPHD-NOFA@arlingtonva.us.
Selection is not a commitment of loan funds. Selected applicants will move forward with financing negotiations, including negotiations on the requested loan amount and public review process. A County Board hearing would be scheduled upon successful completion of this process. Any commitment of County loan funds is contingent upon County Board approval.
All content-related questions, and staff answers, will be posted to this webpage. This document will be updated as questions are submitted. View the Q&A Document here(PDF, 102KB).
Other NOFA Materials
Out-of-Cycle Applications
Out-of-cycle applications will be considered for time-sensitive third-party acquisitions on a case-by-case basis. “Time-sensitive third-party acquisition” means the development is currently listed on the open market or will be listed on the open market in the immediate future and contains affordable housing.
If the applicant is applying to be considered out-of-cycle, e-mail a letter to Alex McMillen at amcmillen@arlingtonva.us with information about the project (location, units, price) and documentation of time-sensitivity (listing or letter from owner). Describe why an in-cycle application would preclude the ability to purchase.
Help is Available
All questions related to the NOFA can be submitted to Alex McMillen at amcmillen@arlingtonva.us. All content-related questions and answers will be posted to this webpage. View the Q&A Document here(PDF, 102KB).