{"id":15799,"date":"2023-07-08T13:57:28","date_gmt":"2023-07-08T17:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bruu.org\/www2\/?page_id=15799"},"modified":"2025-11-26T18:03:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T23:03:41","slug":"affordable-housing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bruu.org\/www2\/affordable-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Affordable Housing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Check out the priority bills<\/a><\/strong> identified by the Commonwealth Housing Coalition for the 2026 General Assembly.\u00a0 See also our VOICE page<\/a><\/strong> with information about the October 19, 2025 “action” in Herndon.<\/p>\n


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Within Manassas and Manassas Park, BRUU’s affordable housing advocates are meeting directly with developers, key officials, and elected leaders.<\/p>\n

Much of BRUU’s social justice work regarding affordable housing in Prince William County is channeled through Virginians Organized for Interfaith and Community Engagement (VOICE)<\/a>.\u00a0 The county approved an Affordable Housing Ordinance<\/a> (AfDU) in June 2025<\/a>, so these are constructive times to engage in socal justice advocacy.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the BRUU Housing Task Force asked the City of Manassas to do the following:
\n– Create the position of Housing Coordinator
\n– Create a plan and strategy for affordable\/attainable housing
\n– Identify where affordable\/attainable housing could go, buy those properties and zone them accordingly
\n– Use the Housing Trust Fund to increase the number of owner-occupied units
\n– Partner with Manassas Park and Prince William County to coordinate the plan and obtain grant funding<\/p>\n

A member of BRUU’s Social Justice Committee moderated the March 21, 2024 affordable housing discussion<\/a> of the Committee of 100. One takeaway – at its April 22, 2024 budget hearing, City Council is expected to fund the housng cordinator position and add $1 million into the city’s Housing Trust Fund.<\/p>\n

The FY25 City of Manassas budget<\/a>, adopted by City Council, included funding for the Housing Coordinator.<\/p>\n

To be addressed: accessory dwelling units.\u00a0 For more background , check the Northern Virginia Housing Alliance June 2024 webinar<\/a> on Accessory Dwelling Units, plus handouts on Accessory Dwelling Unit Matrix<\/a>, ADU in ALX – Sam Shelby<\/a>, and DC ADU Case Study – Max Pastore<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And check out the 100-unit affordable apartment building at The Landing at Cannon Branch<\/a>, proposed in November 2025.<\/p>\n

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December 7, 2023 Housing Discussion<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a>Sonia V\u00e1squez Luna, Tom Osina, Del. Michelle Maldnado, and Mark Wolf on December 7<\/em><\/h4>\n

BRUU hosted a discussion on affordable housing in the City of Manassas on December 7, 2023.\u00a0 Speakers and listeners included Del. Michelle Maldonado, Sonia V\u00e1squez Luna, Tom Osina, and Mark Wolfe from City Council, city planning commissionrs and staff, plus local residents.<\/p>\n

We explored:
\n– What is the city’s responsibility to ensure there is enough affordable housing?\u00a0 How much is “enough”? Should the city have enough housing to match the number of jobs in the city that pay 80% or less of AMI?
\n– Where should the city plan for new affordable housing?\u00a0 Should Manassas partner with PW County and Manassas Park to plan for housing that might be in any one of the three jurisdictions?
\n– Should the city focus exclusively on rental housing, or also subsidize housing to help address wealth inequality and help low-wealth households start increasing wealth through projected increase in housing equity?
\n– What barriers can be removed or incentives added to make affordable \/ workforce housing easier to build?<\/p>\n

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