In January, dozens of VOICE leaders turned out at Arlington County Board hearings to support ending the County’s exclusionary zoning policy and expanding much-needed housing options. Leaders wearing purple shirts and yellow buttons filled several rows of seats in the County Board room for seven hours on a Saturday and a subsequent hearing the following Tuesday night.
The Patch online blog reported: “Hillary Horn, a long-time Arlington resident speaking on behalf of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, or VOICE, said her group supports the Missing Middle proposal because it believes Arlington needs to expand its housing supply.”
DCist/WAMU reported: “’This is a racist past, and we continue to live in it, and we want out of that system,’ said Rev. Ashley Goff, the pastor of Arlington Presbyterian Church, who also owns a home in Green Valley. She was at the hearing Saturday with a large contingent of Arlington clergy and parishioners from local congregations (representing) Virginians Organized For Interfaith Community Engagement, a group that advocates with and for low- and middle-income communities.”
The County Board voted to hold hearings over the next 5 weeks on specific changes that among other things would allow multi-family housing of up to 6 units in areas now zoned for single family homes only. While VOICE leaders were disappointed at the exclusion of the 8-unit buildings, we plan to work with allies to ensure the final vote in March results in the inclusion of 6-plexes without restrictions.