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This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Fairfax County leaders recently celebrated Lake Anne House’s grand opening, a community of apartments for low-income seniors in Reston.
Residents started moving in during the summer, and the building of 240 units is already fully occupied by people 62 and older. According to a news release, many live alone on social security or supplemental income.
Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority commissioner Richard Kennedy said that housing was a basis for the rest of life and that people should not have to worry about whether they can afford a place to live.
“And I know, as a senior myself, that gets harder for people who are senior citizens,” Kennedy said.
Lake Anne House includes 56 studios, 178 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments. Residents have access to a wellness clinic, fitness center, social hall, game room, arts and crafts room, and sunroom. Fifty-four of the units are also handicap accessible.
The original building was built in the 1970s, and county Supervisor Walter Alcorn said Lake Anne was a great example of how developers can preserve affordable housing.
“I’d like to thank the development team for all the community engagement that went into this project as the community poured over every conceivable detail during the project’s planning and design phase,” he said.
Fairfax County and the Redevelopment and Housing Authority financed more than half the project’s cost through a $3 million housing blueprint loan from local funds dedicated to developing affordable housing.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development, Virginia Housing, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and Capital One were critical partners in the redevelopment of Lake Anne. In the release, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay said partnerships are crucial in projects like this.
“We had the right partners come together – leveraging local, state, and federal resources and private capital – to deliver a beautifully designed community with amazing amenities that sets a new standard for affordable living for older adults.”
Vacant buildings on the site’s east side will be demolished next year, and the land will be sold.
