FAQs • Loudoun County, VA • CivicEngage

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Affordable Dwelling Unit-Screening

1. Should I complete the online application right away?: Before starting your online application, please review the program checklist found on both the ADU Rental and Purchase websites. The checklist will include all of the documentation that you will need in hard copy format before you fill out and submit the online application. It is important you have the hard copies before submitting the online application to the ADU Program.

2. I applied online, what do I do next?: Now that you have submitted the online application, you have ten (10) days to submit a hard copy of the application and all the documents as requested on the checklist. Once you mail in or drop off your application packet, the Program Screener typically contacts you within 2-3 weeks. The Program Screener will reach out to the applicants via e-mail only using the e-mail address that was provided on the application. If additional information or clarification is needed, applicants will have ten (10) business days to respond.

3. I just applied, does that mean I am on the waitlist?: No, your application packet must be reviewed by staff for eligibility purposes. Just because you submitted an online application does not mean you are on the ADU Purchase/Rental waitlist. You must submit hard copies of your application, attend an intake session, and meet all eligibility criteria before you are placed on the waitlist.

4. Is there a waitlist? How long will it take before I start living in the ADU?: Due to the extremely high demand for affordable housing in the County, both ADU Programs have a waitlist. It is important to note there is no exact science to predicting how long a household will be on the waitlist. However, rough estimates can be made. The standard wait time before a household is able to lease a unit in the ADU Rental Program is at least 1 year but it can take longer. The standard wait time before a household is able to purchase a unit in the ADU Purchase Program depends on the priority listing of the household. For those households within Priority 1 (defined as a household that both lives and works in Loudoun County), the waitlist is approximately 3-4 years but it could be sooner or later than that. For other priorities, the wait time can be significantly longer.

5. I applied for the ADU Purchase Program/ Rental Program and my application met the checklist requirements. What will happen next?

For the Rental Program, the application is forwarded to the Program Specialist. If the applicant is deemed potentially eligible by the Program Specialist, the applicant will be scheduled for a Rental Intake Session by the Program Screener. Intake Sessions are mandatory for all households. After the Intake Session, applicants will receive a response from the Program Specialist regarding final eligibility determination.

For the Purchase Program, the applicant is scheduled for a Purchase Program Intake Session by the Program Screener. The approximate wait-time to attend the intake session from the date scheduled to the date of appointment is 3 to 4 months. Intake Sessions are mandatory for all households. Several weeks after the Intake Session, applicants will receive a response from the Program Specialist regarding final eligibility determination.

6. I am having difficulty obtaining a document or communicating with a certain entity to receive it. Can ADU Program staff obtain them on my behalf?: No. ADU Program staff will neither obtain documents nor contact or communicate with any organization/entity on your behalf.

7. My family members have applied to the ADU Program and I am calling on their behalf to check their status or if they will be eligible for the ADU Program.: Due to strict privacy guidelines, ADU Program staff cannot talk about an application to anyone not listed on the application. If you are not listed on the application and want to speak with staff about an application, contact staff and request a “Third Party Release of Information Release Form.” Once filled out by the applicant to the ADU Program, staff can openly speak with you about an application.

8. I need a translator for a specific language as I don’t speak English. What shall I do?: No problem! If you are accessing the County’s ADU website, use Google Chrome as your browser and a “Select Language” box should appear in the bottom right of the screen. Select the language needed and the webpage will be translated into that language. You can also call ADU staff and ask for interpretation services. Staff has access to a contracted interpretation service that will provide interpretation at no cost.

9. My application was closed. What shall I do next?: If your application is closed, you will receive an email with an attachment that explains why the application was closed. Please be aware that the closure of the application does not mean you can’t apply again. Once you gather the paperwork again and thoroughly go over the pre-screening sheet and program checklist, you can resubmit your online application. If your application is closed, you will also receive a second attachment in the email detailing additional housing resources available to you aside from the ADU Program.

10. I am applying to the ADU Purchase Program. Can I have a co-signer on the loan?: No. The ADU Purchase Program does not allow co-signers.

11. I am applying to the Rental Program. Can I have a co-signer on the lease?: Yes. The ADU Rental Program allows certificate holders to use a co-signer/guarantor if the apartment complex requires it to approve them at the community. The co-signer/guarantor is agreeing to pay the rent if the certificate holder is unable to pay it. The co-signer/guarantor must not live in the ADU Unit.

12. Am I eligible for the ADU Program if I owned a home before?

The ADU Rental and Purchase Programs have different regulations pertaining to previous homeownership:

ADU Rental Program: The regulation is that you cannot currently own a home. If the applicant was a previous homeowner or had vested interest in owning a home, then the applicant must provide a deed or any equivalent documentation stating that they are no longer the homeowner or no longer have any vested interest in the property.
ADU Purchase Program: The regulation is that you must be a first-time homebuyer or not have owned property within the last three years of the date of application. An exception to the first-time homebuyer / last three-year requirement will only apply to a person who can be defined as a “Displaced Homemaker:” Any individual who owned a home with his/her spouse or resided in a home owned solely by the spouse and has since become divorced or widowed and has sold or given up title and fiduciary responsibility to the property can purchase an ADU without waiting three years.

13. My spouse is living overseas, what shall I do? How shall I apply?: All spouses are required to apply as Applicant and Co-Applicant. If the spouse is living abroad, then apply as married and provide a notarized statement stating that: your spouse is residing abroad; the estimated time of arrival; and that your spouse will provide all the documents according to the ADU Program Checklist once they arrive in the United States.

14. I am earning additional income in the form of a bonus, overtime, holiday pay, etc. Counting the bonus/overtime/etc. will cause me to exceed the income limits. Will I be ineligible?

The ADU Rental and Purchase Programs have different regulations pertaining to calculating bonuses/overtime/etc.:

ADU Rental Program: Overtime, shift differentials, Sunday premiums, holiday pay, etc. will be included in calculating the projection of income. While bonuses will not be included when projecting the household’s income, the bonus is added after the final calculation of income.
ADU Purchase Program: If the Applicant’s paystubs include overtime and the inclusion of the stated overtime makes the Applicant over-income, then the overtime will not be counted. While bonuses will not be included when projecting the household’s income, the bonus is added after the final calculation of income.

15. If I apply to the ADU Purchase Program, do I have to have a Realtor?: No. Using a Realtor is not required. However, if you do use a Realtor, ADU Program staff can authorize the builder to add 1.5% of the property’s sales price to compensate the Realtor as commission. But prior to this, the applicant must provide the Program Specialist with a valid Buyer-Realtor Agreement.

16. Do I need to submit a credit score and report?: No. A credit score and report are not required for application to the ADU Program.

17. I am trying to obtain a Pre-Approval letter for the ADU Purchase Program. Does my lender/bank that I plan on using have to be on the lender list?

The ADU Program currently maintains a listing of lenders/banks that provide financing for ADUs. This list can be found online here. This is not an exclusive list but if you want to use a lender not found on the list above, you must receive approval from your lender’s underwriters that they will provide financing for an ADU.

Please be aware that Pre-Approval letters and Pre-Qualification letters are not the same thing. Only Pre-Approval Letters are accepted by the ADU Program.

18. I am applying to the ADU Purchase Program but I cannot view the ADU properties. Why?: ADU applicants receive access to the ADU sales website only after they are deemed to be eligible and receive a certificate of eligibility. This occurs after they attend the intake session and their application is deemed eligible by the Program Specialist.

19. I am participating in a similar program but outside of Loudoun County. Will my certificate from that program transfer?: No. Loudoun County’s ADU Programs do not accept transfers from any other program.

20. I am applying to the ADU Rental Program. I submitted all of my documents and am also applying to the participating apartment community for an ADU unit. How will that work out?: Applicants interested in leasing a unit through the ADU Rental Program must first apply to the County, meet all eligibility criteria, and be issued a certificate of eligibility. If the applicant does not have a certificate of eligibility, then the participating apartment community will not accept the application for an ADU unit.

21. What do I do after I obtain a certificate of eligibility? Is there a renewal process?

Yes, there is a renewal process for both ADU Rental and Purchase Programs:

ADU Rental Program: Renewal process is every 12 months for as long as you are eligible for the Program. The Program Specialist will contact you 3-4 months in advance regarding renewal requirements.
ADU Purchase Program: Renewal process is every 16 months for as long as you are eligible up until you purchase a home. It is the obligation of the household to contact the Program Specialist 3-4 months in advance to request renewal requirements.