Chair Randall focuses on housing, economy in Loudoun State of the County Address
LEESBURG, Va. (7News) — In a State of the County Address that lasted about a half-hour, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall discussed everything from the business climate in the county to new partnerships with sister counties across the world, but seemed to key in on the need for attainable housing.
Randall outlined how Loudoun County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, but acknowledged how much more difficult it is getting for people to afford living there.
"The fact is, the attainable housing crisis does not just only impact Loudoun. It's a problem shared with the region, the commonwealth, and the nation. That is why Loudoun is taking proactive steps to provide attainable housing – not just for rent – but, more importantly, for purchase," Randall said in her speech.
In an interview with 7News after her speech, Randall elaborated on what steps she wants the county to take to make sure people are not priced out.
"Our development community has been working with us very closely to put attainable housing - not just affordable - on the ground. We have a strategic housing goal, and we're working from that," Randall said. “We're not just looking for housing for rent. I've met people who have lived in rental homes for 26, 27 years. You really want houses for purchase because that's how you create generational wealth. We don’t know what our exact target number is yet, but right now we’re just trying to put homes in the ground.”
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Randall also touted the growth of businesses in the county, expressing a desire to keep that trend going with a more diverse set of businesses.
With this continued growth, Randall emphasized how important it will be to help residents pay for housing.
“A lot of people in apartments, what they’re paying for in rent is not much less than they pay for their mortgage. The biggest challenge they have is to gather enough money together for closing costs and down payment. We do have a closing cost and down payment program in Loudoun County.”
You can find more information on the county's down payment and closing cost assistance program by clicking this link here.
