Citizen Association Services Committee

Immediate Action Requested (sent to Federation members on 2/21/26 - download text here)

Fairfax County ALU Survey -  Single Family Neighborhoods

 

Dear Member Associations and Civic Leaders:

 

Fairfax County is proposing major changes to the way it regulates Accessory Living Units (ALUs). The County has a survey open through February 28 about the proposed changes. 

 

Please fill out the survey by February 28, 2026 and ask members of your HOAs and civic associations to do the same.

 

The survey is available at https://engage.fairfaxcounty.gov/zoning-alus.

 

The County sees ALUs as a means to increase the volume of rental and affordable housing. The proposed changes may fundamentally alter residential communities in Fairfax County.

 

The Federation recognizes that housing affordability is a legitimate and pressing public policy objective. Workforce housing, aging in place, and attainable options for moderate income residents deserve serious attention. The goal is appropriate. The policy design must be equally appropriate.

 

Background.

ALUs are secondary dwelling units located inside or adjacent to single-family homes. 

 

ALUs within homes have been approved for decades, and they now require a permit. Also allowed, subject to Zoning Board of Appeals (BZA) approval, are stand-alone ALUs on a property with at least 2 acres of land. More than 200 ALU permits have been approved since July of 2021.

 

Recent and proposed changes.

In 2023, the county eliminated the requirements for a permit review by the BZA, a public hearing, and advance notification of neighbors. ALU permit requests are now handled by Fairfax County planning staff.  

 

The current proposal includes:

• Automatic approval of all ALUs when minimum zoning standards are met.

• Allowing ALUs in townhomes and duplexes.

• Eliminating owner occupancy requirements.

• Allowing more people to live in ALUs of a given size.

• Reducing the minimum lot size for detached units.

• Eliminating requirements for off-street parking for ALUs.

• Removing current permit renewal requirements.

 

A more complete description of the proposed changes is available on the County’s website here and in a presentation to the Board of Supervisors that can be viewed here.

 

Implications.

Expanding affordable housing requires targeted, measurable, and enforceable strategies tied to thresholds and duration requirements. Permitting income-producing ALUs across most residential lot types does not, by itself, ensure affordability. What it does ensure is incremental density, potentially introduced without corresponding infrastructure planning, parking analysis, or community impact assessment.

 

Whether the changes proposed would lead to sustained affordability is an open question. The effects on land value and investor participation are also unknown.

 

The implications for existing neighborhoods and current homeowners are potentially significant.  Key considerations include:

 

• Stability – Residential markets depend on zoning clarity. Significant shifts in occupancy and density may alter buyer expectations and long-term demand patterns.

• Infrastructure – Increased residential density affects parking, roadway capacity, school enrollment, stormwater systems, emergency access, and waste collection. Many communities were engineered for one principal dwelling per lot.

• HOAs – A large share of Fairfax County housing is subject to recorded covenants and association governance. How zoning changes would interact with private deed restrictions and enforcement authority needs to be clarified.

• Enforcement – Eliminating owner occupancy and permit renewal requirements reduces ongoing oversight. Effective policy requires defined compliance monitoring and inspection capacity.

• Cumulative Effects – Proposals regarding ALUs should be evaluated alongside Missing Middle, Expanded Market Options, and short-term rental frameworks that the County has considered or advanced. Over time, layered changes could materially alter the composition of neighborhoods.

 

Next steps.

The Federation urges each member association to review the survey carefully, discuss the matter at the board level if possible, and submit informed, balanced feedback before February 28, 2026.

 

Please send any questions or comments for us to Anna Dixon (services@FairfaxFederation.org).

 

With our thanks,

 

Anna Dixon, Chair, Citizens Association Services Committee

Matt Bell, Second Vice President and Planning & Chair, Land Use Committee

Doug Birnie, Co-Chair, Human Services Committee 

Dave Fitzgerald, First Vice President and Acting President

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On February 22, 2026, the Federation sent a letter to the Fairfax BOS and the Fairfax Delegation in the General Assembly.  Read it here.

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February 22, 2026

 By email

 

To:   The Honorable Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
        The Honorable Members of the Virginia Senate Representing Fairfax County
        The Honorable Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Representing Fairfax County

 

Re:    Supplemental Context Regarding Accessory Living Unit Ordinance Revisions

 

Dear Chairman, Supervisors, Senators, and Delegates:

 

We are writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations regarding the County’s proposed revisions to its Accessory Living Unit (ALU) ordinance. This letter supplements our February 21, 2026, communication to Federation members (available on our website).  Here we aim to point out the implications for structural policy discussed in that communication and to highlight areas where we believe further analysis on the part of the County is warranted.

 

The Federation recognizes the County’s objective of expanding housing options and improving affordability. Increasing attainable housing opportunities is an appropriate public goal. The proposal under consideration, however, extends beyond incremental program refinement and instead evaluates changes that may alter the regulatory framework governing established single-family neighborhoods.

 

County materials and the currently active public survey indicate that the amendment evaluates shifting ALUs from a constrained accessory use toward a broadly available residential entitlement. The proposal evaluates eliminating core guardrails that define ALUs as subordinate uses, including owner-occupancy expectations, lot size thresholds for detached units, and discretionary review triggers. Replacing these guardrails with expanded administrative approval pathways would functionally normalize second dwelling units across most single-family lots, altering development intensity, investment incentives, and neighborhood expectations.

 

The transition being considered by Fairfax County planning staff and officials represents a structural zoning shift rather than a procedural adjustment. While secondary units may contribute to housing diversity, density expansion alone does not ensure measurable affordability outcomes in the absence of defined income targeting, duration requirements, or monitoring mechanisms. Distinguishing between unit creation and durable affordability remains essential.

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The Federation respectfully urges continued analysis in the following areas:

• Infrastructure capacity impacts, including parking availability, roadway networks, schools, stormwater systems, emergency access, and solid waste services.

• Interaction between County zoning changes and private covenants within association-governed communities, including potential governance conflicts and enforcement uncertainty.

• Market impacts affecting homeowner expectations, valuation stability, and long-term regulatory predictability.

• Defined enforcement capacity related to occupancy standards, safety compliance, and ongoing monitoring resources.

• Cumulative impacts when considered alongside concurrent land use initiatives affecting density, housing form, and neighborhood character.

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Affordable housing policy is most effective when targeted, measurable, and accompanied by transparent implementation standards. Structural adjustments to single-family zoning should not proceed without clear modeling, defined enforcement capacity, explicit articulation of expected affordability outcomes, and a robust discussion involving single-family communities.

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The Federation appreciates the opportunity to provide supplemental context during the survey period and stands ready to provide consolidated member feedback and to engage constructively as the County continues its evaluation.

 

By and for the Board of Directors of the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations,

 

Dave Fitzgerald, First Vice President and Acting President

Anna Dixon, Chair, Citizens Association Services Committee

Matt Bell, Second Vice President and Chair, Planning & Land Use Committee

Doug Birnie, Co-Chair, Human Services Committee

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Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations

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Distribution list
Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Hon. Jeffrey C. McKay, Chairman At-Large chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. Kathy L. Smith, Vice-Chairman Sully sully@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. Rachna Sizemore Heizer Braddock braddock@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. James N. Bierman, Jr. Dranesville dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. Rodney L. Lusk Franconia Franconia@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. Walter L. Alcorn Hunter Mill huntermill@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. Andres F. Jimenez Mason mason@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. Daniel G. Storck Mount Vernon mtvernon@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. Dalia A. Palchik Providence providence@fairfaxcounty.gov
Hon. Pat Herrity Springfield springfield@fairfaxcounty.gov

Members of the Virginia Senate representing Fairfax County
Hon. Jennifer D. Carroll Foy District 33 senatorcarrollfoy@senate.virginia.gov
Hon. Scott A. Surovell District 34 senatorsurovell@senate.virginia.gov
Hon. David W. Marsden District 35 senatormarsden@senate.virginia.gov
Hon. Stella G. Pekarsky District 36 senatorpekarsky@senate.virginia.gov
Hon. Saddam Azlan Salim District 37 senatorsalim@senate.virginia.gov
Hon. Jennifer B. Boysko District 38 senatorboysko@senate.virginia.gov
Hon. Adam P. Ebbin District 39 senatorebbin@senate.virginia.gov

Members of the Virginia House of Delegates representing Fairfax County
Hon. Charniele L. Herring District 4 DelCHerring@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Richard C. “Rip” Sullivan, Jr. District 6 DelRSullivan@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Karen A. Keys-Gamarra District 7 DelKKeysGamarra@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Irene Shin District 8 DelIShin@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Karrie K. Delaney District 9 DelKDelaney@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Dan I. Helmer District 10 DelDHelmer@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Gretchen M. Bulova District 11 DelGBulova@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Holly M. Seibold District 12 DelHSeibold@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Marcus B. Simon District 13 DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Vivian E. Watts District 14 DelVWatts@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Laura Jane Cohen District 15 DelLCohen@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Paul E. Krizek District 16 DelPKrizek@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Garrett McGuire District 17 DelGMcGuire@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Kathy K. L. Tran District 18 DelKTran@house.virginia.gov
Hon. Rozia A. Henson, Jr. District 19 DelJRHenson@house.virginia.gov

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