Affordable Housing: Identifying Gaps and Potential in Prince William- Virtual Town Hall, June 23

Prince William County Supervisors Kenny Boddye (Occoquan District) and Margaret Franklin (Woodbridge District) are inviting the community to an “Affordable Housing” Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, June 23 at 7:00 pm. As the gap between incomes and housing affordability continues to widen across the DC metro area, Prince William remains one of the few Northern Virginia jurisdictions without concrete affordable housing policies in place. Something that both Franklin and Boddye want to see remedied. 

Boddye noted that while the county has suffered from decades of missed opportunities in creating affordable housing, it can now make up for lost time. “We are in a position to learn from others as we create policies that address housing affordability in Prince William,” said Boddye. “While this is foremost a quality of life issue, it is also an economic issue. It’s also a workforce issue – our teachers, public safety personnel, and our other essential workers should be able to live where they serve. When everyone has access to quality, affordable housing, the whole community benefits. I look forward to working with staff, subject matter experts and residents to tackle this important issue.”  

Supervisor Franklin said that she wants to ensure housing affordability is a central topic as county staff work to update Prince William’s Comprehensive and Strategic Plans. 

“The county must address the important issue of affordable housing as we plan for the future growth of Prince William County,” said Franklin. “It is vital that all community stakeholders have a voice in creating a vision of this community that is fair, and equitable, and also contributes to its economic vibrancy.”

 The supervisors will be joined by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Housing Programs Manager Hillary Chapman and Prince William County’s Community Development Director Rebecca Horner and Planning Director Parag Agrawal. The panel will take a big-picture look at affordable and workforce housing, existing housing programs in the county and proposed policy updates that could increase access to appropriate, affordable housing for people in Prince William. The public is invited to submit questions in advance at https://occoq.org/housing_th, and can also participate in a moderated chat during the town hall.