The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved nearly $11 million in loan funding on Tuesday (March 2) to support two affordable housing projects — one that will preserve units and another that could add dozens of new homes for seniors.
One of the proposals won unanimous support, while the other drew flak from the board’s lone Republican.
Funding for Coralain Gardens Apartments will replace lost federal support
At the March 2 meeting, the supervisors authorized $2 million in local loan funding to support a planned renovation of the Coralain Gardens Apartments in the West Falls Church area of the Mason District.
The county funding will be part of an estimated $50 million project to update the 62-year-old, 106-unit garden-apartment complex at 7435 Arlington Blvd.
The renovation will provide high-quality living opportunities “for years to come,” said Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez, whose district includes the site.
Property owner Enterprise Community Development had a redevelopment plan in place, but it relied on $6.65 million in federal funding that evaporated when the Trump administration eliminated the program that would have provided it, according to county staff.
Halted in March 2025, the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program was funded by $1 billion included in the Inflation Reduction Act that Congress passed under then-President Joe Biden in 2022. It was intended to support renovations and repairs for affordable housing, specifically energy efficiency projects.
“I think it’s critical to understand why we are back here today,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said. “… This is a very urban area, next to amenities, on a very, very busy — my — bus line.”
Coralain Gardens’ owner will now be competing for low-income tax credits to support a phased renovation. The Fairfax County government’s financial interest is expected to improve the project’s competitiveness for those tax credits.
“Hopefully they get the support needed from the state to make this happen,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “This is a great opportunity.”
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity questioned the need for the county to get involved, and why major renovations are required just 19 years after the property was substantially rehabilitated in 2007.
Tom Fleetwood, director of the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development, said the proposal would go beyond renovations to “provide for deeper affordability at this site, as well as some additional units committed as permanent supportive housing.”
“This is a more comprehensive renovation than was done in 2007,” Fleetwood told Herrity.
The vote authorizing the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) to provide up to $2 million in financing was approved 9-1, with Herrity against.
Herrity abstained on a subsequent vote to designate the property as a local preservation district. The designation is also designed to give the property owner a better chance at obtaining state tax credits to help finance the renovation.
The Board of Supervisors set a goal in 2022 of adding 10,000 net new affordable units by 2034. While the Coralain Gardens Apartments project won’t contribute to that number, McKay said it’s vital not just to build new housing, but preserve existing affordable units.
“If we do achieve our goal of building 10,000 new units, it won’t matter if, at the same time, we lost 10,000. We will have made no progress,” he said.
In 2023, the complex’s prior owner, RST Development LLC, sought to sell the property. Because of past commitments, the FCRHA had the first right of refusal to purchase it.
The authority assigned its rights to Enterprise Community Development, which acquired the property for $21.7 million and agreed to preserve income limits until at least 2087.
According to its website, apartments at the complex are available to households earning up to 50% to 60% of area median income, depending on the unit. Currently, the area median income for a family of four in the local area is $163,900.
The property offers studio apartments, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Rents begin at $1,722 monthly, according to the apartment website.
Funding approved for affordable senior apartments
County board members unanimously approved up to $8.1 million in FCRHA loans for a second phase of the Agape Chantilly House, an independent living facility at 3870 Centerview Drive.
The funding will support the creation of an additional 81 units to augment the 101 units that will be delivered in the first phase of development.
Apartments will be rented to seniors earning up to 60% of the area median income. Each featuring one bedroom and one bath, the units will provide approximately 600 to 670 square feet of living space and include kitchens.
“I appreciate seeing this move forward,” said Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith, in whose district the property sits. “It is really important for our seniors to get affordable housing.”
Wellington Development Partners and Agape Property Management LLC participate in a joint-venture agreement guiding development of the 3.8-acre site. In March 2024, supervisors approved their proposal for up to 228 units of affordable independent living with one-site adult day care.
Supervisors approved a loan in February 2025 that provided up to $9.4 million in support of the first phase of the project.
