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The Alexandria City Council will hold its next legislative meeting on Tuesday, March 24, beginning at 6:15 p.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center.
Before the regular meeting convenes at 7 p.m., council members will sit down with the Alexandria Transit Company for a stockholders meeting.
Arlandria Housing Project Reaches Final Funding Phase
The most consequential items on Tuesday's docket center on the Glebe-Mount Vernon Redevelopment in the Arlandria neighborhood, the city's most substantial affordable housing project to date and its highest-stated housing priority.
Council will consider a Housing Opportunities Fund loan of up to $4 million to Housing Alexandria, the city's affordable housing nonprofit, to finance construction of the Naja Apartments — the second and final building in the development at the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road. A separate item asks the council to approve a Housing Trust Fund grant of up to $400,000 to provide rental subsidies for eight units at the building.
When complete, the 3.2-acre development will deliver 495 affordable rental units and more than 20,000 square feet of community-serving commercial space. The first building, the Sansé Apartments, will deliver 416 affordable units this year, with marketing and lease-up beginning this spring under an anti-displacement policy designed to help qualified Arlandria residents remain in their neighborhood.
The Naja building will add 79 affordable rental units and approximately 15,750 square feet of ground-floor commercial space along Mount Vernon Avenue, the majority of which will be used by Neighborhood Health as a clinic. The project, originally conceived as a for-sale condominium development, was redesigned as rental housing after current market conditions made the original plan unfeasible.
All units across the development will be affordable at or below 80% of Area Median Income, with more than 75% at or below 60% AMI and approximately 25% at or below 40% AMI. More than half of the units are two- and three-bedroom family-sized apartments.
Council has approved approximately $79.7 million in total funding support for the project to date. The $4 million request represents the final installment of planned city funding. If approved, substantial completion of the Naja building is anticipated in late 2027, with occupancy expected in early 2028.
The Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee reviewed and recommended approval of the loan at its March 5 meeting.
The new plan, developed through a community engagement process that included public meetings, a 284-response survey, and a virtual town hall in July 2025, sets goals across several areas, including housing, transportation, health, civic engagement, and economic security.
Age-Friendly Plan Up for Adoption
Council will also consider adopting the Alexandria Age-Friendly Plan for a Livable Community 2026-2029, a strategic roadmap for making the city more accessible and supportive for older residents, prepared by the Alexandria Commission on Aging.
Alexandria was the first community in Virginia accepted into the AARP/World Health Organization Network of Age-Friendly Communities, a global initiative that guides cities in preparing for an aging population. The city's participation dates to 2017, and the plan up for adoption Tuesday is the latest installment in that ongoing commitment.
The new plan, developed through a community engagement process that included public meetings, a 284-response survey, and a virtual town hall in July 2025, sets goals across several areas, including housing, transportation, health, civic engagement, and economic security. On housing, the plan calls for advocating for a mixed-income, affordable assisted living facility, enhancing housing affordability for older residents, and working to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of older adults who prefer to remain in their homes. On health, goals include protecting Medicaid eligibility for older adults, promoting dementia-friendly supports, and expanding access to dental services.
The plan also directly addresses the current federal policy environment, noting it was crafted to allow the city to adjust course as potential federal funding cuts — including to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program — could affect implementation.
If approved on Tuesday, the plan will be submitted to AARP this spring.
Other Business
The city manager will deliver oral reports on a FIFA update, 2025 crime statistics from the Alexandria Police Department, an after-action report on a 2026 storm event, and an update on waterfront flood mitigation at a pumping station.
On the consent docket, council will consider three grant applications — one to the state's Combating Hate Crimes Grant Program and two related to public safety communications infrastructure through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
The meeting is open to the public both in person and online. It can be streamed on the city's website, watched on government channel 70, or accessed via Zoom (ID: 988 3056 8948, passcode: 702724).
Written comments may be submitted to the City Clerk at CouncilComment@alexandriava.gov.
The full docket and supporting materials are available here.
