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2019 SESSION

19106434D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 1101
Offered February 18, 2019
Commending the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing.
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Patrons-- Lopez; Senators: Ebbin, Favola and Howell
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WHEREAS, the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2019; and

WHEREAS, inspired by faith and a desire for economic justice, four couples created the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) in 1989 to meet the housing needs of their diverse and inclusive Arlington community; it has grown from that hopeful but humble beginning to provide today nearly 1600 high-quality, affordable rental homes in 16 apartment communities; and

WHEREAS, the mission is to develop, preserve, and own quality, affordable places to live; to promote stability and opportunity for APAH residents; and to advocate for the people and communities the organization serves; and

WHEREAS, APAH is an effective, award-winning nonprofit that combines best practices and innovation to meet the Commonwealth’s growing affordable housing needs and whose work has been honored by the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference, the Urban Land Institute, the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers, the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, and more; and

WHEREAS, APAH has pioneered the use of new financing tools for affordable housing, enabling the construction of more housing in high-cost urban areas and providing a model for other developers; APAH is an innovative and supportive partner, deepening its impact and service through the development of affordable housing in collaboration with faith and civic institutions including Clarendon Baptist Church, Arlington Presbyterian Church, and American Legion Post 139; and

WHEREAS, APAH is a leader in energy conservation at The Springs Apartments, the first multifamily property in the Commonwealth to be certified as Earthcraft Platinum; at Columbia Hills Apartments, opened in late 2018 and also designed to Earthcraft Platinum standards; and at Parc Rosslyn Apartments, Arlington’s first multifamily mixed-income property to receive a Silver LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council; and

WHEREAS, APAH partnered with Arlington County to build Arlington Mill, the first use of public land for housing, effectively reducing land development costs through a long-term discounted land lease, and using savings to further reduce rents and shelter more very low-income residents at this affordable, four-story construction atop the county-built parking garage; and

WHEREAS, APAH is dedicated to the wider community and will build a 9,000-square-foot public park in the heart of Rosslyn as a part of the construction of the Queens Court Apartments; the organization celebrates the power of home by offering meaningful services to enrich and stabilize the lives of all of its residents both directly and through nonprofit partners, providing access to healthy food, financial coaching, wellness classes, and educational support; and

WHEREAS, APAH promotes equity and inclusion by nurturing resident leadership; creating opportunities for residents to participate in civic life; and creating, founding, and leading coalitions, including the Community Progress Network, to ensure that community programs and priorities reflect the needs and hopes of all while continuing a trajectory of extraordinary growth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing on its 30th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to Nina Janopaul, APAH president and chief executive officer, and Kevin Yam, chair of the APAH board of directors, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing’s 30 years of continuous service to Arlington County and its mission to provide quality, affordable housing so that low-wage earners and their families can thrive and succeed in the community.