Guest Column: New zoning approach needed for housing
Northern Virginia continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Despite federal job losses from DOGE over the past two years, our region is set to return to positive job growth by the end of 2026. A little over 2.6 million people are living in the area right now, and that number is expected to climb to over 3 million in the next few years. This growth has bolstered the local economy but has also created a significant challenge – especially around the cost of housing. The most recent Virginia Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission report shows that the Northern Virginia region needs over 60,000 new affordable housing units to support growing industries in manufacturing, healthcare and information technology. Organizations like the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and others have warned that this gap in affordable housing units risks business growth opportunities that would directly lead to slower economic output. We know that the problem exists, but the only way to solve it is through additional data and regional cooperation. It is important to understand that decisions related to housing cannot be made in a vacuum. We know that
