Multifamily Reinvestment Study

The Multifamily Reinvestment Study will continue in 2023. The next phase of work will include development of a vision for the study area and design guidelines, updates to the General Land Use Plan booklet to incorporate this vision, Zoning Ordinance amendments, and a tailored use permit process for MRS projects. There will be community engagement and opportunities for public input at that time. In the meantime, there are several resources and educational materials available below. 

As part of Housing Arlington’s Land Use Tools initiative, the Multifamily Reinvestment Study seeks ways to stem the loss of market-rate affordable housing that occurs in multifamily apartment communities when property owners rehabilitate, redevelop, or add new units. The study also addresses the need to support increased housing development Countywide and is exploring how new land use policy and zoning tools might help meet these goals. Note: This study began as the Housing Conservation District (HCD) study but has been expanded and renamed.

Background

To address the housing challenges facing multifamily areas outside of the County’s major planning areas (the Ballston-to-Rosslyn corridor, Columbia Pike, Pentagon City, and Crystal City), the County Board created the Housing Conservation District (HCD). The HCD formed a special planning district that covered 12 of the County’s unplanned multifamily areas and contained a significant concentration of market-rate affordable apartment units (MARKs). The County Board directed staff to develop new zoning tools to achieve the HCD goals of maintaining and enhancing the character of multifamily neighborhoods, encouraging the preservation of existing MARKs, and creating opportunities for new affordable and moderate-income units when redevelopment occurs.

Given the growing importance of supporting increased housing affordability Countywide, the HCD has expanded into the Multifamily Reinvestment Study. The County is currently developing new tools that would apply not only in the 12 HCD areas but all unplanned multifamily areas (RA districts) Countywide (show on the map on the Study Rationale, Scope, & Timeline webpage). While some RA districts are located in Local Historic Districts or held in condominium or fee simple ownership, there are many other places in which rental properties are at risk of losing market-rate affordable units and would benefit from new tools to preserve affordable housing.