Comments At Arlington County Board Meeting, May 16, 2026.
Governor Spanberger’s recent approval of a bill allowing by-right development of church and non-profit properties into apartments, is a big boost for the Yes In God’s Back Yard (YIGBY) movement and a major defeat for everyone else.
According to Arlingtonians For Upzoning Transparency (AFUT), this legislation “allows faith institutions and other tax-exempt non-profits to construct multiplexes by-right on their properties to create supposedly affordable housing – thus by-passing neighbors’ inputs that otherwise would be considered in a site plan review.”
The only constraint on development is building heights limited to those permitted within 500 feet of the construction site. Thus plans to demolish Clarendon Presbyterian Church for a new 6-story 92 unit senior affordable housing project, which were thwarted by community opposition in 2025, will likely go forward. There may be greater height limits on construction in other neighborhoods, but there’s no limit on density. So these neighborhoods can expect more congestion, runoff, heat islands, overcrowded schools and reduced tree canopy in the name of affordable housing.
The 2026 Arlington Profile indicates that Arlington has 127,090 housing units (p. 5) for 120,240 households (p. 7) . This does not take into account 9,200 new residential units the County approved in 2025 alone for what amounts to a glut of future housing. Yet less than 5% of the new units will be low income affordable. Thus the demand for YIGBY housing, 60% of which must be affordable to those under 80% of AMI.
The upshot will be more affordable housing and a lower quality of life for everyone near the 300 tax-exempt sites across Arlington that choose to cash in.