Some Alexandria residents push back on 'missing middle' housing plan

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria leaders want to bring more affordable housing to the city. They are holding a meeting to talk about how to do that on Tuesday evening. It centers on changing zoning restrictions, and the city is facing some pushback. 

A new coalition is worried is worried changing zoning ordinances to allow for more mixed-use buildings and multi-family homes in certain areas could change the historic character and impact things like infrastructure and sewage. 

"We're concerned that this remedy is going to do more harm, that we don't see any guarantees that this will actually result in more affordable housing. It could potentially result in overdevelopment within Alexandria," said coalition chairman Roy Byrd. 

Alexandria is looking at nine different zoning initiatives with everything from restructuring where multi-family homes are allowed, to converting offices into condos. One of of the main goals is to address what leaders say is a huge disparity in homeownership between majority and minority communities as well as a segregation of where different groups are living.

Some of that comes down to income — where the median household income for the city is $105,000, but a single family home has an average assessed value of $940,000. 

"We have not created a sufficient housing supply for the demand in our community. That is freezing people out — people who are unable to live here in Alexandria, people who have lived in our city for generations that are unable to make their home in our city. That's really this conversation," said Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson. 

He reminded everyone that right now, these are just recommendations. Formal proposals will be presented next Tuesday, and there will be a public comment section before the vote in November.