ARHA’s funding squeeze, in three moments
Alexandria City Council and the ARHA board met Thursday for a one-year check-in. Two hours later, the housing authority had asked the city for money — and learned the federal government was sending less. 7mins
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Original Meeting
Thursday, October 29th, 2026
7260.8536
City Council ARHA Joint Work Session - Oct 29, 2026
In This Video
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Roy O. Priest lays out a five-year capital plan for 2027 through 2031: $11.1 million in needed work — roofs, windows, appliances — against $4.9 million in expected capital funds, a gap of $6.2 million. Later in the session he put the 20-year need at $54.5 million, roughly $20 million more than ARHA expects to have.
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Priest tells Council he received a directive from a HUD assistant secretary, sent to every housing authority director in the country, instructing them to stop issuing new vouchers, pause new project-based agreements and cut payment standards. Alexandria’s standard is 110% of fair market rent; HUD wants 99%. More Alexandria families are served by vouchers than live in ARHA public housing.
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Gaskins says the squeeze is familiar — when other levels of government don’t fund their share, the cost falls to the city. She calls for a federal advocacy strategy and tells the room that even if Alexandria finds room in its capital budget, “we’re never going to fill the place of HUD. The city just will never have that much money.”
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