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Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program

Arlington County Housing Division (Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development) · Arlington, Virginia

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Income limit

80% AMI

Of area median income; varies by county and household size

What is Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program?

Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program is down payment assistance for homebuyers in Arlington, Virginia, administered by Arlington County Housing Division (Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development).

  • Arlington County's Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) program offers below-market, for-sale homes to qualified first-time homebuyer households earning at or below 80% AMI. ADUs carry restrictive covenants ensuring affordability in perpetuity: resale prices are capped at original purchase price plus cumulative HUD AMI increases, owners must occupy the unit as their primary residence and may not rent it, and at resale the home must be sold to another income-eligible household. New-construction ADUs are sold by random-selection lottery; the portfolio currently consists of 62 units.
  • Below-market purchase price for income-eligible first-time homebuyers.
  • Permanent affordability via restrictive covenants.
  • Lower value-restricted property tax assessment.
  • Stackable with Arlington MIPAP and Virginia Housing financing.
  • Funding comes from Arlington County (developer-provided affordable units via County agreements/random-selection lottery).

Do you have to pay it back?

Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program is down payment assistance and is repaid under the terms set by Arlington County Housing Division (Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development).

  • The assistance is recorded in Deed restriction / restrictive covenant position.
  • Forgiveness and repayment terms are set by the program and can change — confirm them on the official program page before applying.

Who qualifies?

Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program is open to first-time homebuyers and buyers who will live in the home as their primary residence.

The program requires

  • First-time homebuyer — with exceptions: Must be first-time homebuyer or no homeownership/real estate interest within the last 3 years
  • The home is occupied as a primary residence
  • A completed homebuyer education course, through Virginia Housing First-Time Homebuyer Class (certification required for each adult). Arlington also funds education through the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC).
  • Residency: No residency requirement to enter the ADU drawing (Arlington residents get preferred status for some County homeownership programs)
  • Citizenship or immigration status: Proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible status required (birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate, or Resident Alien Card I-551)
  • DRAFT (dpa-gap-finder 2026-06-15): pending review. First-time homebuyer or no homeownership in the last 3 years. Submit Homebuyer Assessment Form, Virginia Housing First-Time Buyer Class certification (each adult), and mortgage pre-approval. U.S. citizenship/eligible-status proof required. Owner-occupancy required; renting prohibited. Household-size-to-bedroom limits apply. Income limits, prices, and minimum down payment set per offering and updated annually; figures shown reflect the documented 2000 Clarendon offering. Eligible applicants selected via random-selection lottery. Join the list via homeownership@arlingtonva.us.

The program excludes

  • Manufactured homes
  • Households above 80% of area median income

These are the program's own published rules, not a decision about any individual — the administering agency and a lender determine who actually qualifies.

What are the income limits?

Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program limits household income to 80% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size.

  • ADUs sold/resold to households at or below 80% AMI; max gross income varies by household size and updates annually. Example (2000 Clarendon): 1p $70,560; 2p $80,640; 3p $90,720; 4p $100,800; minimum income $50,000.
  • The limit applies to total household income, not only the borrower’s.
  • Area median income figures are published by HUD and updated annually, so check the current table for the county before relying on a number.

What kind of home can it be used for?

Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program caps the purchase price as follows: ADU sale prices restricted (below market) and set per offering. Example (2000 Clarendon): 1BR condo $306,000; 2BR condo $360,000. Resale capped at original price plus cumulative HUD AMI increases.

  • Eligible property types include Condo and Townhouse.
  • New construction is eligible.
  • Manufactured homes are not eligible.

Where does it apply?

Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program serves buyers purchasing in Arlington, Virginia.

How do you apply?

Applications for Arlington County Affordable Dwelling Units (ADU) Homeownership Program go through Arlington County Housing Division (Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development), which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site.

  1. Take a homebuyer education course

    Required by the program, through Virginia Housing First-Time Homebuyer Class (certification required for each adult). Arlington also funds education through the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC)..

  2. Contact Arlington County Housing Division (Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development) to reserve funds

    Funds are reserved through Random selection lottery; prospective buyers submit Homebuyer Assessment Form, Homebuyer Education Certification, and lender pre-approval to join the eligible-applicant list, and are subject to availability.

  3. Work with a lender who handles the program

    Hey Prescott is not a lender and does not accept applications; this page describes the program so a buyer can take it to a lender or housing counselor.

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