The Loudoun Democratic Committee Calls for Local, State, and National Policies to Make Housing More Affordable
This resolution was approved by LCDC membership at the Sept. 4, 2025, meeting.
Whereas,
In his 1944 State of the Union Address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that the United States had a “Second Bill of Rights,” including the right to a decent home. In 1948, the United States signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), recognizing adequate housing as a component of the human right to an adequate standard of living.
Eight decades later the United States has failed to honor the spirit of this commitment to decent housing. Indeed, there is a nationwide homelessness and affordable housing crisis. The residents of Northern Virginia, including Loudoun County are experiencing this crisis. Ending the housing crisis needs to be a priority at the national, state and local levels. Too many people are suffering from a system that is not working for them.
When compared to other large metropolitan areas, Northern Virginia has the highest rate of severe housing burden among low-income households and the sixth highest rate among moderate-income households in the country.
42.4% of Loudoun renters are cost-burdened (spending over 30% of their income on rent), and 21.1% are severely cost-burdened (spending over 50% of their income on rent).
Racial and ethnic minorities and immigrant communities experience severe housing burden at higher rates nationally and in Northern Virginia. Over half (57%) of severely housing burdened households were non-white, and 47% were born in a different country.
Seniors account for 23% of severely housing burdened households in Northern Virginia.
Cost-burdened households are forced to cut back on essentials like education, child care, health care, and nutrition in order to remain housed. As a result, high housing cost burden limits economic opportunity, creates disparities in health outcomes, and traps families in a cycle of poverty.
Loudoun County has made significant advances in recent years toward addressing housing affordability for low-income families. Yet while existing programs provide desperately needed support, there remains a gap between available assistance and need, adding up to thousands of working-class households.
Therefore, be it resolved that the Loudoun County Democratic Committee:
Believes affordable housing is a human right, and that all Virginians deserve access to clean, safe, and affordable housing.
Calls upon all elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels to redouble their efforts to ensure that all members of our community have access to affordable and decent housing.
Asks our Loudoun County officials to consider establishing a locally-funded voucher program to close the gap between working-class wages and rising rents in Loudoun County. This would be a commendable use of the considerable revenues that the County receives from taxes associated with its extensive data center infrastructure.
Asks our Loudoun County officials to adopt zoning practices designed to increase the housing supply with the goal of significantly reducing the percentage of housing cost-burdened households.
Calls upon our state and federal elected officials to conduct an assessment of the impact of purchases of single-family homes by hedge funds, private equity, and other institutional investors that are reportedly driving up the costs of purchasing and renting homes. Government should take action to mitigate the negative effects of this growing trend.
Calls upon local and state officials to take concrete actions to ensure that more affordable housing is built to ensure an end to the affordable housing crisis in Loudoun County and all of Virginia by 2030.
Calls upon our state legislators to support anti-rent gouging legislation that would allow localities to stabilize rents in their jurisdictions.
