1. Housing Stakeholders Join Chairs Brown and Waters to Call for the Inclusion of Housing Provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Package 2. New I-66 express lanes on schedule to open in December 2022 3. REMINDER: Absentee Ballot Deadline Oct. 22, Early In-Person Voting Open Through Oct. 30 for November 2 General Election 4. Arlington’s ARPA Allocation Focuses on Recovery and Equity 5. Richmond Highway BRT Virtual Community Meeting

Voters wishing to cast a mail-in ballot in the November 2, 2021 elections have until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 22 to request a ballot be sent to them. All registered voters in Virginia are eligible to vote by mail or in person. The deadline to vote early is Saturday, October 30, at 5 p.m. Carefully review the information below to determine applicable deadlines.

On October 7, the ever-popular Politics & Pancakes Breakfast at the NVAR Convention and Trade Show once again went virtual – with some real pancakes delivered by NVAR. Realtors® and elected officials from across Northern Virginia gathered to hear insightful political analysis from Amy Walter, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of the non-partisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

1. NAR Policy Forum Series: The Impact of Student Loan Debt 2. Every Fairfax County Voter to Receive a Personalized Sample Ballot 3. Flood Mitigation Plans Along Old Town's Waterfront Move Forward 4. More than half a billion dollars went to keeping D.C. area renters in their homes ahead of federal deadline 5. New I-95 bridge to open near Fredericksburg, bringing relief for drivers at one of the highway’s biggest bottlenecks 5b. Don't miss the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance's 17th Annual What You Need to Know about Transportation!

Welcome to FIVE FOR FRIDAY: A weekly roundup of Public Policy Issues and Headlines from around the Northern Virginia Region, the Commonwealth and on Capitol Hill. 1. Virginia expands Amtrak service to downtown Richmond as part of $3.7 billion rail program 1b. Don't miss the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance's 17th Annual What You Need to Know about Transportation! 2. Neglectful landlord ordered to pay nearly half a million dollars in back rent in record-setting case 3. Alexandria City Council Approves Additional Eviction Prevention Resources 4. Bus rapid transit seen as top option on Route 1 corridor 5. House Passes Remote Online Notarization Legislation

Early voting begins Friday, September 17 for the November 2 General Election all across the Commonwealth of Virginia. This off-year election ballot includes the high-profile contests for Virginia Governor; Lieutenant Governor; and Attorney General. All 100 seats of the Virginia House of Delegates are also up for election in 2021 along with local contests around the state.

Welcome to FIVE FOR FRIDAY: A weekly roundup of Public Policy Issues and Headlines from around the Northern Virginia Region, the Commonwealth and on Capitol Hill. 1. NAR Concerned over Proposed Limitations on Real Estate Investment 2. Virginia leads nation in distribution of federal rent relief 3. Silver Line’s second phase could open to passengers early next year 4. Get Involved in Northern Virginia’s Transportation Future 5. Here's how Metro could transform the Blue, Orange and Silver lines in the coming decades

1. Updated and Modernized Countywide Zoning Ordinance in the Latest Fairfax County Conversation Podcast 2. Code Create Vienna, an online engagement platform for the Zoning Code and Subdivision Ordinance Update 3. New policy could open up more 'co-living' options in Alexandria 4. Back to 1986 for the Waters of the U.S. Definition (What’s Old is New Again) 5. Virginia’s Redistricting Commission has its first draft maps. They look… normal? 6. (Bonus Read) Dollars and Dirt: Fairfax County’s Investment in Affordable Housing