February 6, 2026 | Samir Ali Nomani | Fairfax County Times
Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization “advocating for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the [DC region] to grow and provide opportunities for all,” offered a statement to the Fairfax County Times on the tools needed to ensure affordable housing.
He said that it is important to have “well-funded housing trust funds to help fund preservation of affordable housing and new construction.”
He also recommended “tax abatements and targeted investments of public funds to convert market-rate affordable housing to long-term committed affordable housing.”
Schwartz endorsed “Low Income Housing Tax Credits to fund non-profit and for-profit development of mixed-income housing.”
He said another needed tool is to instantiate “inclusionary zoning, where developers receive a density bonus in return for providing 10-15% of units as affordable.”
Finally, to promote affordable housing, Schwartz recommended implementing vouchers and rental assistance while supporting rapid rehousing programs to address homelessness.