11th Annual Northern Virginia Housing Expo Begins in January

Northern Virginia – The 2021 Northern Virginia Housing Expo will launch January 1 as a free virtual event on the group’s website (novahousingexpo.org and social media platforms. The 11th annual event is designed to offer a wide range of free help for anyone looking to rent or to buy a first home in Northern Virginia. The first of 24 free planned workshops (two per month throughout the year) will feature representatives of all the local housing authorities sharing information on how to access Covid 19-related rental assistance in each of the Northern Virginia jurisdictions.

Local Covid-19 Rental Assistance Programs will be presented in English on January 9 at 11 am in English and at 1 pm the same day in Spanish. Sharing information and answering questions will be representatives from Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church, as well as the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. The webinars are free and open to the public and interested attendees can register for them at novahousingexpo.org. Like all housing expo webinars, a video of the session will also be available later the same day on the event’s website and via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“So many of our neighbors are in dire straits right now,” said Laura K. Nickle, president of Leesburg-based Communi-k, Inc. and event manager for the event for its past 10 years. “While many of our exhibitors and much of our programming address helping first-time buyers get where they want to be, we felt that getting this critical information out to people who really need it should be our top priority.” For that reason, the February workshops on February 13 will focus on avoiding eviction and foreclosure. The free workshops will air live on the second Saturday of every month at 11 am and 1 pm, and feature topics such as Are You Ready to Buy Your First Home?, Spring and Fall Homebuying Market Overviews, Household Budgeting and Finance, Home Maintenance 101, and First-Time Buying Programs. The entire workshop schedule is available at novahousingexpo.org.

Other elements of the area’s only regional housing expo include a virtual exhibit hall with information from dozens of businesses, organizations and government agencies that can help area buyers and renters. In addition, visitors to the site can schedule a free, private financial counseling session with a certified volunteer from Britepaths, a Fairfax County nonprofit, who is offering 45-minute individual sessions in both English and Spanish.

MORE DETAIL ON JANUARY WEBINARS

January 9, 11 am: Local COVID-19 Rental Assistance Programs (English)

COVID-19 has impacted us all in Northern Virginia. Thousands of residents have faced

difficult decisions related to making ends meet as a result of the pandemic’s economic

impact - particularly when it comes to reduced work hours and unemployment. Many,

particularly those already living on low to moderate incomes, find themselves in need of

assistance to meet their rental obligations. Join this workshop to see what rental

assistance programs are available in jurisdictions throughout the region and how you

can access services and resources. Attendees can join this webinar by signing up here.

January 9, 1 pm: Local COVID-19 Rental Assistance Programs (Spanish)

COVID-19 nos ha impactado a todos en el área de norte de Virginia. Miles de residentes

han enfrentado decisiones difíciles relacionadas con llegar a fin del mes como resultado

del impacto económico de la pandemia, particularmente cuando se trata de reducción

de horas de trabajo y desempleo. Muchos, en particular los que ya viven con ingresos

bajos o moderados, necesitan ayuda para cumplir con sus obligaciones de alquiler.

Participe en este taller para ver qué programas de asistencia para el alquiler están

disponibles en jurisdicciones en toda la región y cómo puede acceder a servicios y

recursos. Únase a nosotros en este seminario web registrándose aqui.

The 11th annual event is a cooperative effort of Prince William, Fairfax, Arlington and Loudoun Counties; the Cities of Alexandria and Falls Church; Virginia Housing; the US Department of Housing and Urban Development; Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® and the Dulles Area Association of Realtors®. First Home Alliance of Woodbridge, Va. The event is free thanks to funding from sponsors that include: Virginia Housing; the Prince William Office of Housing and Community Development; Dulles Area Association of Realtors®; Northern Virginia Association of Realtors®; Presidential Bank Mortgage; Arlington County Housing Division; Burke & Herbert Bank; City of Alexandria Office of Housing; and the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

More information about the expo is available online; visitors can also follow the Northern Virginia Housing Expo on Facebook and Instagram and @NoVaHousingExpo on Twitter to receive event updates.