Alexandria City Council Approves New Affordable Housing and Shelter

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- At its regular meeting Saturday, Alexandria City Council unanimously approved a development special use permit for Carpenter’s Shelter to construct a modern shelter facility and 98 affordable rental units, the City announced in a news release Saturday night.

The project will redevelop the current Carpenter’s Shelter site at 930 N. Henry St.

Here's more about the facility, from the news release:

The ground-floor shelter facility includes space for day programs offered to shelter clients and related administrative and case management space. Ten of the planned 98 affordable units will serve as permanent supportive housing with deeply affordable rents and case management services to help shelter residents transition into permanent housing.

“Approval of this project demonstrates our commitment to affordable housing in Alexandria,” said Mayor Allison Silberberg. “Thank you to Carpenter’s Shelter for all they have done for decades and continue to do for some of the most vulnerable in our community. I also want to thank the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation and City staff for their collaboration and hard work on these plans.”

City Council also approved a rental subsidy grant program of $250,000 to make 10 units deeply affordable and a loan of up to $7.1 million to help with the construction of the affordable rental housing. Each dollar of the City's investment in the project is anticipated to leverage five dollars in public and private funding, the City noted.

This redevelopment project, which involves two Alexandria-based non-profit organizations, meets several City housing needs articulated in the Housing Master Plan, including supporting partnerships with and among non-profits, providing family-sized and accessible units, and locating affordable housing close to transit, jobs, and amenities, the City said.

The project was also supported by many neighbors and the immediately adjacent civic association. For more information on the City’s housing programs, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Housing.

PHOTO: Alexandria City Council members (front row): Mayor Allison Silberberg, Vice Mayor Justin Wilson (back row): Councilman Timothy Lovain, Councilman Paul Smedberg, Councilman John Chapman, Councilman Willie Bailey Sr. and Councilwoman "Del" Pepper; photo courtesy of City of Alexandria