COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Planning for the future and developing the local economy to ensure Loudoun remains a great place to live, work, learn, and play. The FY 2026 budget includes additional positions within the Community Development functional area, including three new positions to support the county’s housing programs and an appropriation to the Housing Fund for attainable housing. Housing Fund Appropriation for Affordable Housing The FY 2026 budget includes approximately $17.3 million for the county’s Housing Fund. The appropriation comes from the dedication of the equivalent of a full penny of the real property tax rate to affordable housing needs. The fund, which is managed by the Department of Housing and Community Development, supports the county’s overall housing goal, which is to ensure that county residents can access housing that they can afford. The fund supports many of the county’s housing programs, including the Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Program, Home
Improvement Programs, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the Rental Housing Acquisition and Preservation Loan Program. Enhancing Housing Services Three new positions within the Department of Housing and Community Development will help expand the department’s ability to serve the needs of the public. A support specialist, inspector and counselor will help address the growing demands for affordable housing. Support for Businesses Two new positions in the Department of Building and Development and one in the Department of Economic Development will help support the county’s business community. Two of the positions will support the county’s Fast Track Program, which is designed to streamline the development process for targeted industries. The third position will serve as a dedicated resource to assist businesses with zoning, permits, referrals and other development-related inquiries.
TOTAL BUDGET
Building and Development ......................................... $33.1M Economic Development ............................................... $7.1M Housing and Community Development.................... $5.6M
Mapping and Geographic Information ..................... $4.5M Planning and Zoning ..................................................... $17.4M Transportation and Capital Infrastructure................ $11.7M
INTERVIEW | Brian Reagan | Department of Housing and Community Development Assistant Director The FY 2026 budget includes an increase in dedicated funding for the county’s affordable housing needs and three new housing-related positions.
We will also be using some of the funding to conduct several studies directed by the Board of Supervisors, including an evalua tion of the current Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan that was adopted in 2021; a look at housing policy for Transit-Oriented Development and the feasibility of a public housing authority. Are you seeing an increase in the number of people seeking assistance to find affordable housing? Yes. Whether it be through our purchase programs, our rental programs, our home ownership loan programs, our housing rehab programs, we are seeing increased requests from the community for assistance through those programs.
How will the $17.3 million dedicated to the county’s Housing Fund be used to help meet affordable housing needs in Loudoun? We are ready to put the money to good use and create new programs and expand exist ing programs to create a lot of good oppor tunities for affordable housing for residents of the county. For example, the Affordable Multi-Family Housing Loan Program serves as gap financing for developers that are bringing attainable rental housing into the county. There is a growing demand for that financing and money from the Housing Fund or Housing Trust Fund can be used for that.
FY 2026 BUDGET STORY, LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA / 19
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