ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — As rent and home prices continue to soar in the D.C. suburbs, Arlington County, Va., will soon begin a program designed to help residents find a place to live without breaking the bank.
Starting next Wednesday, September 13 at 8 a.m., Arlington County will open the application to get on the waitlist for the Housing Choice Voucher program, formerly known as Section 8.
This will work as a lottery system, awarding 5,000 applicants subsidies to help pay rent.
The system will prioritize the following:
There are also the following maximum income limits:
According to Zillow, the median rent in Arlington, Va., is $2,698 per month, which is actually a slight decrease from last year. Meanwhile, the average home price is $766,022, which is also a slight decrease.
This rent subsidy program is just the latest effort by Arlington County to help families find affordable or attainable housing.
In March, the Arlington County Board unanimously approved a change to their land use code to expand housing supply. The code change allows townhouses and multi-family homes - known as the "Missing Middle" - to be built in areas previously zoned only for single family homes.
The City of Alexandria is in the middle of discussion for similar code changes to enable the development of more affordable housing, as part of their Zoning for Housing/Housing for All initiative.
On Tuesday, the Alexandria City Council will present their nine proposed zoning changes to the public for the first time.
For more information on Arlington's Housing Choice Voucher program, click here.