A church that wants to build affordable housing on its campus in the Herndon area will soon step up its efforts to win over skeptical neighbors.
The Community of Faith United Methodist Church announced on Wednesday (Aug. 20) that it has partnered with the affordable housing developer Pennrose on the project, which could bring around 90 apartments to its 8.9-acre property at 13224 Franklin Farm Road.
Though its headquarters are in Philadelphia, Pennrose has a regional office for the D.C. area in Baltimore, Maryland. Its past projects in Virginia have included the Residences at North Hill, a 279-unit apartment complex that opened off of Richmond Highway in Groveton in June 2023.
As the financial development partner, Pennrose will handle pre-development activities and the design of the proposed project, according to Abi Foerster, a pastor at Community of Faith UMC.
The church identified Pennrose with the help of Sanctuary AP3, a nonprofit that connects faith organizations interested in building affordable housing on vacant or under-utilized land with potential development partners and with Georgetown University students who can provide feasibility studies.
“The proof-of-concept plan came from the Georgetown Affordable Housing Initiative, which completed a study for the church last fall,” Foerster told FFXnow by email. “This study by a graduate student validated the proof of concept that the site is a good place to build affordable housing.”
With a developer now in place, the church says it will host “regular” meetings starting this fall “to gain input from the community, neighbors, and potential future residents” on its affordable housing proposal.
“Our mission has always been rooted in service, compassion, and justice,” Foerster said in a press release. “Partnering with Pennrose allows us to move from vision to action, creating homes that reflect the dignity and worth of every individual in our community.”
Community of Faith characterizes its affordable housing initiative as an extension of its commitment to community service, building on a food pantry, among other works, that it has hosted for 26 years and now serves over 50,000 people annually.
The church nominated its property in February for an amendment to Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan that would allow affordable multifamily residential development.
Originally, the proposal sought a density of 16 to 20 units per acre, allowing up to 157 units, on a site where the comprehensive plan currently recommends one to two units per acre. However, in response to objections from some neighboring residents, the church and Sanctuary AP3 later revised their concept to show a three-floor apartment building with 93 units.
Some residents still harbored objections, testifying at a Fairfax County Planning Commission hearing on May 22 that building housing would deprive the Franklin Farm neighborhood of open space and a “sense of security.” They also took issue with a reported lack of communication about the project from the church.
Other residents at the hearing expressed support for the possible development, highlighting the need for more housing that could serve young workers and others who currently can’t afford to live in Fairfax County.
According to Community of Faith, about 44% of Fairfax renters spend more than 30% of their income each month on housing, and average apartment rents in the Herndon and Reston area specifically are around $2,450 per month.
Per its website, the units in the church’s project would be all affordable for households earning approximately 60% of the area median income (AMI), which is currently $108,300 for an individual and $157,400 for a family of four.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized staff to study the proposed plan amendment in May, but it was placed in Tier 3 of the work program, meaning any review will be deferred until other studies are completed or the developer conducts more community outreach.
Community of Faith says anyone interested in following the project can get updates through its website, signing up for its affordable housing email list, or contacting church leaders at cofleadershipboard@gmail.com.
While the church has “preliminary ideas” for what the future development might look like, Foerster says the goal of the meetings planned for this fall and into the new year is to gather input from the community about what they need and hope to see.
“We also very much want to hear from the larger community too — our food pantry clients, the neighbors in Franklin Farm and the surrounding community, and the local businesses,” Foerster said. “Only when we work together with Pennrose and Fairfax County will we arrive at the best possible outcomes.”
