Supervisors Approve $3M Loan For Fort Belvoir Affordable Housing

FORT BELVOIR, VA — On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved a $3 million loan to support acquisition and renovation affordable housing in Fort Belvoir. The action confirms the authorization for the loan granted by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority on March 18.

Landings II Apartments, formerly known as Haven Fort Belvoir at 9190 Richmond Highway is a 76-unit market affordable complex purchased in February by affordable housing developer AHC, Inc. The loan will support the acquisition and renovation of the property and transition to committed affordable housing. It will be open to households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income.

The developer also acquired Haven Mount Vernon, at 5401 Claymont Drive, Alexandria. Haven Fort Belvoir is being renamed Landings II, and Haven Mount Vernon is renamed Landings I.

"The Landings II joins the Landings I Mt. Vernon Apartments which were also acquired by AHC to rehabilitate and transition current market affordable housing to being affordable to low- and moderate-income households," said Melissa McKenna, chair of the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority. "Altogether, this will bring a total of 292 units of affordable housing to the Mount Vernon District – which is just extraordinary.”

AHC, Inc. will implement a phased plan with rehabilitation in the first year, transition from market affordable to committed affordable housing over five years and renovation over 10 years. Market affordable refers to rents affordable to households earning 100 percent of the Area Median Income, while committed affordable housing involves agreements with government to be affordable to low and moderate incomes. The developer could seek long-term affordability through potential low-income housing tax credits.

Landings II will include 12 studios, 42 one-bedroom apartments, and 22 with two-bedrooms. Initial rehabilitation of the nearly 60-year-old Landings II property will include sidewalk repair, tree trimming, storm drain work, construction of a new entrance sign, structural repairs, windowpane work, replacing certain gas furnaces and water heaters and other work within units. These initial repairs could be completed within the first year of acquisition.