Programs News

For the first time in decades, Arlington County is opening its waitlist for the housing choice voucher program that pays a portion of rent for low-income residents. 

From September 13 to September 23, an application for the program will remain open online. All the interested individuals and families can sign during the application period and the county will then be selecting 5000 residents via the lottery system. 

The priority will be given to applicants working in Arlington County, homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, disabled people, and disabled households qualified for Permanent Supportive Housing. 

The housing choice voucher program aims to help low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities afford housing in the private market. The households who earn less than 50% of the median income established by the county will be eligible for the program. Besides this, the participants should also be U.S. citizens. 

Through this program, selected waitlisted residents will receive a voucher to find a participating property for rent. The county will assess the rent’s reasonability and the property’s housing standards. A housing subsidy will be paid directly to the property owner by the county, with the renter covering the remaining rent amount.

This program is an effort to mitigate the high cost of living in Arlington. Many apartment complexes have committed affordable housing units for low-income people but these units often have long waiting lists. 

Arlington County also provides housing grants for eligible residents who are 65 or older, are disabled, and are part of a mental health program. 

Affordable housing is an issue impacting the entire Northern Virginia. In previous years, one in five families was not able to earn enough money to cover the basic cost of living such as food, medical care, and housing costs.