Shaping Lives
Our organization is a leading voice highlighting the need for more affordable housing in the City of Falls Church, and year after year, community support continues to grow. In 2018, we witnessed more citizens alarmed by the rapid decline in the City’s affordable housing stock, and the decreasing opportunity for lower income people to claim the City of Falls Church as their home. The overall number of housing units deemed affordable for lower income households is now at 244 out of over 5,000 total housing units. These calls for action coincided with proposals for three new mixed-use development projects, all market-rate, representing another lost chance for the City to combat the affordability crisis. However, the FCHC Virginia Community Development Corporation is encouraged by the interest citizens and elected officials are showing. This includes the promise to further develop strategies and relationships to achieve our mission to preserve and increase affordable rental housing, serve unmet needs, and help ensure that low to moderate income people have access to stable housing they can afford. Over the last year, we have followed through on this mission by continuing to strengthen our ties, working to steer local housing policy, and constructing regional housing partnerships to create a more affordable and diverse community. We are excited to announce that we have sponsored another internship for the City of Falls Church and the Department of Housing and Human Services (DHHS). In this report, you will learn how our fourth intern followed the path laid down by past alumni, delivering valuable research to DHHS and providing insight to better inform staff, elected officials, and residents. Through articles and guest commentaries in the local Falls Church News Press , FCHC, and the City of Falls Church collectively advanced the dialogue around affordable housing. And, in line with our commitment to furthering our relationship with the local government and due to the renovations at City Hall, FCHC hosted the monthly Housing Commission meetings and Affordable Housing Policy work group sessions at our Winter Hill offices in 2018. Finally, we will describe how our organization and Operation Pathways produced innovative and interactive programs geared to meet the needs of our residents, along with implementing new policies to form a healthier environment for our seniors. With your help and others, we can continue to open new doors for people, and in the process, shape lives.
Richard F. Burns
Thomas G. Vaccaro
Richard F. Burns
Thomas G. Vaccaro
President Executive Director & COO FCHC a Virginia Community Development Corporation
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