Somos At McLean Metro Affordable Housing Project Breaks Ground
MCLEAN, VA — The big story out of Wednesday’s groundbreaking for Phase A of the Somos at McLean Metro project was not that it was adding 231 units to Fairfax County’s affordable housing stock. Nor was it that the project was funded through a creative mix of financing involving multiple entities.
Instead, Somos at McLean Metro epitomized the answer to that age-old real estate truism: What makes one property better than another? Location, location, location.
“Probably the most important thing about today is where this affordable housing is being built,” Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay told Patch before the groundbreaking. “It’s built near transit. It’s being built in an area where people want to live.”
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With an expected completion date of spring 2026, the first phase of the Somos project will provide 231 new rental units for households earning $87,098 or less, which is 60 percent of the $145,164 area median income in Fairfax County.
Somos at McLean Metro is scheduled to break ground on Phase B later this year. When completed, the entire project will add a total of 456 rental units toward the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ goal of building 10,000 affordable dwelling units by 2034.
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“We’re giving people who qualify for affordable housing an opportunity to also live in a good area,” McKay said. “We’ve got to make sure we continue not only to get the units, but to get the units in the right place. This, today, represents all of that.”
Located off of Old Meadow Road, Somos at McLean Metro is a short walk away from the McLean Metro Station, Wegmans, The Perch, and the Capital One Center. Students will be able to walk to Westlawn Elementary School. The footbridge across I-495 is also nearby, providing access to all the shops and restaurants at Tysons Corner Center.
Having these types of amenities close by makes the Tysons area a desirable place to live for many people. However, it’s often unattainable for lower income families.
Over the past few decades, Fairfax County has grown considerably, especially in areas like Tysons and Merrifield, according to Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
“Prices continue to go up, so being able to build and maintain this housing to be affordable and attainable for families for 99 years, right by the Metro, right by activity centers, right by the school, the park, and the economic engine really is huge,” she said. “But housing right now is one of the biggest barriers to being able to live in the Tysons area.”
To build an affordable housing project of this size in such a highly desirable area and make it economically feasible, SCG Development relied on substantial support from Fairfax County and the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
In addition, Stratford Capital Group contributed tax credit equity for the project and Virginia Housing agreed to provide $54.5 million in financing, as well as 4 percent Low income Housing Tax Credits.
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SCG also received a $28.97 million low-rate loan from the Amazon Housing Equity Fund to help finance Phase A.
Households that pay about 30 to 35 percent of their income for rent qualify for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides assistance with their household expenses.
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