Fairfax County officials hope to see an end to progressive cuts in federal housing funds this year.
The county has seen a steady drop in dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development since an initial increase after the 2000 census, said Audrey Spencer-Horsley, associate director for grants management in the county’s housing department.
Last year, the department saw cuts in major federal grant programs.
Community Development Block Grant funds and HOME funds, which paid for affordable housing and improvement projects, were cut by almost $1 million, according to the department.
The issue is of particular importance because a major county initiative is under way to preserve affordable housing, which was made necessary after the building boom send home prices skyward.
“Every time we receive a cut in the amount of federal funding we have, that’s less money to do affordable housing projects,” Spencer-Horsley said.
The federal government pays for about half of the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development’s more than $100 million budget.
