Arlington seeks authority to reset affordable-housing set‑aside formula; committee delays bill for stakeholder work

Delegate Delia Lopez told the subcommittee HB 922 would allow Arlington County — the only county governed under the county‑manager plan affected by this code section — to set its own formula for affordable housing set‑asides or cash contributions rather than rely on an outmoded statewide indexing formula.

"The result has been that the cash payment amounts have risen, but they no longer come close to covering the cost of developing a similar number of affordable units," Lopez said, arguing the county’s cash option has become the least costly compliance path and has produced few on‑site units.

Arlington County representatives, including a housing planner and Chris Lane, urged the committee to grant the requested local flexibility, saying it would let the county rebalance options to produce on‑site units for teachers, first responders and service workers. The Virginia Housing Alliance and other housing groups also supported the bill.

Opponents, including trade and development representatives such as Scott Pedowitz and the Arlington Chamber, said the proposal was broad and risked creating uncertainty for the development pipeline; they urged a stakeholder process in Arlington to craft specifics before statewide authorization.

After discussion, the committee voted by voice to carry HB 922 over to the 2027 session to continue work among county officials, developers and housing advocates.