Housing Trust Fund
Summary
The City of Fairfax Housing Trust Fund is a pool of developer contributions—committed prior to the adoption of the Affordable Dwelling Unit Ordinance in 2020 via proffer agreements—currently holding a balance of approximately $542,524. It is distinct from a recurring housing trust fund in that its current funding is not a reoccurring resource, though "Housing Trust Fund" is used as a shorthand term. The fund is intended to support affordable housing production, preservation, and protection (assistance to renters and homebuyers) and is described as playing a central role in the city's broader affordable housing strategy. The Housing and Healthy Communities Advisory Board (HHCAB) presented an update on the fund's current funding and future considerations at the December 2, 2025 City Council Work Session, with no Council action taken. On July 14, 2026, Housing Program Manager Jamie Ergas presented recommended guidelines and an application process to govern access to the existing fund balance; the presentation included regional benchmarking, eligibility criteria, and a scoring framework, but no formal Council action was taken at that session either.
Open questions & options on the table
- A standardized timeline for the application process and the first award cycle has not yet been established or approved.
- Transparent public reporting standards on scoring and outcomes have not yet been formally adopted.
- Measurable performance metrics (e.g., homes preserved, units created, households served) and a framework for Council to evaluate program outcomes have not been finalized.
- The mechanism for accountability—how funded projects will report back to the city—was discussed internally but not yet formally established in adopted guidelines.
- Additional sustainable funding sources beyond the existing $542,524 balance (e.g., recurring general fund appropriation, dedicated revenue share, state/federal grants, loan repayments or interest earnings) remain under consideration but unresolved.
- Staff capacity constraints were identified as a real limitation on implementing the housing plan; how this will be addressed is unresolved.
- No formal Council action has been taken on the draft guidelines and application; their adoption status is pending.
What members have said
At the July 14, 2026 work session, Ergas presented the recommended Housing Trust Fund guidelines and application process, providing regional context on affordability (median home prices in the city rose 34% from 2020–2025 while incomes rose only 8%), explaining the fund's origins from pre-2020 developer proffers, detailing the $542,524 balance, and describing the eligibility criteria and the effort to balance comprehensiveness with accessibility for applicants. Ergas also noted that accountability metrics—to be embedded in award notifications and agreements—were already under internal discussion.
Presented the HHCAB update at the December 2, 2025 work session, covering current funding and future considerations for the Housing Trust Fund.
Co-presented the HHCAB update alongside Chair Mark Light at the December 2, 2025 work session.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[4a] Current funding and future considerations for the Housing Trust Fund were discussed as part of the HHCAB presentation; no Council action was taken.
[12c] Housing Trust Fund guidelines and application were discussed during the July 14, 2026 work session; no formal action was taken.
Discussed alongside
Topics that come up in the same meetings.