Housing Updates

Loudoun County is scheduled to open the waitlist for the county’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, October 5, 2023, with the release of the preliminary application, which will be available at loudoun.gov/housingchoice. The HCV Program is a rental subsidy program funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program pays a portion of participants’ monthly rent, based on household income. 

Waitlist Eligibility

The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development considers three factors when determining applicant eligibility for the waitlist: the date and time the preliminary application is received, qualification for one or all of the local waitlist preferences (listed below), and household income. In general, household income must be at or below 50% of the Area Median Income for an applicant to be eligible. Current income guidelines are available at loudoun.gov/ami.

The local waitlist preferences are listed below in priority order: 

1. Applicants with a disability, older adults (over 62 and head of household), families or homeless persons who meet all other qualifications for the HCV Program and who live or work in Loudoun County.
2. All applicants (families, individuals with a disability, and older adults) who meet all other qualifications for the HCV Program and who live or work in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 
3. All other eligible applicants (families, individuals with a disability, and older adults) who are residents of the United States. 
4. Single applicants, who are not disabled, and who live or work in Loudoun County or elsewhere in Virginia or the United States and who otherwise meet all other qualifications for the HCV Program.

Vouchers are Limited

This opportunity is the first time in over a decade that Loudoun County has opened the waitlist. There are a limited number of vouchers available. Loudoun County will close the waitlist and stop accepting preliminary applications once it has been determined that applicants at the bottom of the list will have to wait at least three years before receiving a subsidy, which is estimated to be 300 preliminary applications.  To learn more how this rental assistance program is administered, review the HCV Administrative Plan online at loudoun.gov/housingchoice.

How to Apply 

Residents interested in participating in the HCV Program must begin by completing a preliminary application for the waitlist. Detailed information on how to complete and submit the preliminary application is online at loudoun.gov/housingchoice.

Anyone who requires a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability or needs language assistance in order to participate in this preliminary application process, may call 703-771-5718/TTY-711.

For More Information

For more information about the preliminary application process, call 703-771-5718, send an email or visit loudoun.gov/housingchoice.

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The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development invites residents to provide comment on the Draft Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) (PDF). The Draft CAPER covers the performance of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program within the county from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. The CDBG program provides funding on an annual basis for local projects that address a variety of housing, public service and community development needs. The public comment period will be open through Monday, September 18, 2023. 

Residents may view the document online at loudoun.gov/cdbg or visit the office of the Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development to view a hard copy. The office is located at 106 Catoctin Circle, SE in Leesburg, VA 20175, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Written comments may be submitted via email or via mail to the CDBG Program Manager, PO Box 7000, Leesburg, VA 20177. 

For questions, call 703-737-8755.

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Loudoun County’s application process for the Affordable Multi-Family Housing Loan Program for developers has opened with the release of the 2023 Notice of Funding Availability.

For-profit and nonprofit affordable housing developers are eligible to apply for loans for the development of long-term, affordable multi-family rental housing units in Loudoun. The loans are to be used in conjunction with the Virginia Housing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and/or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Housing Administration 221(D)(4) mortgage insurance program.

The application process is competitive. Project applications will receive points in the following categories:

• Consistency with Countywide Housing Needs: Scoring will be higher for projects serving a mix of incomes below 60% Area Median Income, providing longer affordability periods and in close proximity to transportation and jobs.
• Project Design: Scoring will be higher for projects that have universal design, innovative features, services, and project amenities.
• Project Readiness: Scoring will be higher for projects with construction plans that are permit ready, have a public participation process, and where project feasibility is clear.
• Experience: Scoring will be higher for projects with a design team, general contractor, developer and property manager with relevant project experience who have a track record of project completion, strong organizational capacity and success at building partnerships.
• Budget and Leverage: Scoring will be higher for projects that have a sound financing plan, clear budget documents, multiple funding sources, developer participation, meet leverage requirements and have reasonable operating costs.

Loudoun County will hold a pre-application meeting Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. To register for a pre-application meeting or for more information about the application process, contact the Department of Housing and Community Development by email or call 703-737-8323. Complete applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m., Monday, October 2, 2023.

The Affordable Multi-Family Housing Loan Program is one of several initiatives created by the Board of Supervisors to increase the supply and retention of affordable multi-family rental housing units in Loudoun County. The program encourages private investment by providing gap financing to address unmet housing needs.

Loudoun County has a number of programs aimed at helping families achieve safe and affordable housing. More information about Loudoun County’s housing programs may be found at loudoun.gov/housing.

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