Prospective residents can now apply to be considered for one of the affordable apartments currently under construction near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons.
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) began accepting waitlist applications at 8 a.m. today (Monday) for a limited number of units in The Exchange at Spring Hill Station reserved for its Project-Based Voucher program, which subsidizes rental costs for low-income households.
The housing authority will accept applications through the Fairfax County Housing and Community Development’s website until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 7.
“Applications will be selected at random and placed on the waitlist,” FCRHA said when announcing the application opening. “Once a unit becomes available, the waitlist applicants will be contacted, screened, and determined eligible based on income level, household size, and the size of the rental unit.”
Built by the nonprofit developer True Ground Housing Partners, The Exchange will be the first fully affordable multifamily residential development in Tysons and the first to include Project-Based Voucher (PBV) units.
Under the federal housing assistance program, residents in PBV units typically pay monthly rent equivalent to about 30% to 35% of their household’s income, while the remainder is covered by the FCRHA.
Approved by Fairfax County in 2023, The Exchange — previously known as Dominion Square West — will consist of a 20-story apartment building with 516 one-, two- and three-bedroom units, all of which will be available to households earning 70% or less of the area median income (AMI).
For fiscal year 2026, which will end after June 30, the median family income for the D.C. region, as calculated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is $166,100, so 80% of that for a household of four would be $106,800.
The complex at 8711 and 8721 Boone Blvd will also house a 30,000-square-foot community center operated by the county.
According to FCRHA, only a limited number of PBV units are available in The Exchange, but applications for other apartments will open “in the forthcoming months.”
“Interested individuals are encouraged to watch the developer’s website for news and updates,” FCRHA said.
The project was funded by a combination of public and private money, including $55 million from Amazon that enabled True Ground to develop both buildings at the same time instead of in phases. All units are expected to be delivered by 2027.
The development’s completion will put a small but meaningful dent in Fairfax County’s goal of adding 10,000 new affordable homes by 2034 as well as the 10,318 additional units that the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) estimates the area will need by 2040.
The housing demand study released by the TCA in December projected that most of the new homes will be needed for higher-income residents, based on the types of jobs and people expected to come to Tysons. But the study predicted there will still be “considerable demand” for income-restricted and other “affordable” housing.
Construction is also continuing to advance on the Indigo at McLean Station apartment buildings that developer SCG Development is bringing to a former office site at 1750 Old Meadow Road. Previously named Somos at McLean Metro, the project will have 456 units designated as workforce dwelling units (WDUs) for households earning between 30 and 70% AMI.
That development began actively leasing in February for a first phase of 231 apartments, which welcomed its first residents in May, according to Paradigm Property Management, which was enlisted by developer SCG Development.
“Although we have not yet started leasing apartments in the second phase (225 apartments), that will start this summer for move ins before the end of this year,” Paradigm Marketing Director Karen Kossow told FFXnow.
Corrections: This story initially said The Exchange at Spring Hill Station consists of a pair of buildings. While The Exchange was originally conceived as two buildings that would be built in separate phases, it’s now being constructed all at once as a single building. The timeline for Indigo at McLean Station has also been clarified.
