by Danielle Finley, Associate Director of Political Engagement

Welcome to FIVE FOR FRIDAY: A weekly roundup of Public Policy Issues and Headlines. In this Issue: 1. Overregulation drives up housing costs in Virginia 2. Fairfax County Approves Infill and Multifamily Development on Two County Sites 3. No first-round victor in Arlington County Board primary 4. Alyia Gaskins wins Alexandria’s mayoral Democratic primary 5. Why Greater Washington's economy remains flat despite a tourism boom.

Yun: Overregulation drives up housing costs in Virginia

By JOHN M. YUN, Virginian-Pilot

Virginia is experiencing a significant housing shortage. The result is higher housing and rental prices. Specifically, the average home price in Virginia has increased 65% in the past decade. These inflated costs mean longer commutes as families are pushed further away from their workplace, and, for those who do secure housing, pushing their budgets to the limit (with some families spending 50% of their income on housing). This is no way to live out the American dream. The question is what’s behind the shortage and how do we get out of it?

Fairfax County Approves Infill and Multifamily Development on Two County Sites

By ANNA STAROPOLI, Commercial Observer

The Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County has given the green light for infill projects on county-owned land. Supervisors approved a plan that will allow for 700,000 square feet of infill public office buildings and up to 300 units of affordable multifamily in the city of Fairfax at 4110 Chain Bridge Road and 10700 Page Avenue, Business Journals first reported.

No first-round victor in Arlington County Board primary

By Gazette Leader

With most precincts having reported, it's now clear that no candidate in the Arlington Democratic County Board primary will reach the magical 50-percent threshold on the first ballot. That puts the race in limbo until Friday afternoon, when provisional and final mail ballots will be added to the mix and a preliminary computer run of the ranked-choice process will play out. The final computer tabulation will be held Saturday.

Alyia Gaskins wins Alexandria’s mayoral Democratic primary

By James Cullum, ALX Now

Alexandria City Council Member Alyia Gaskins defeated her two Democrat rivals on Tuesday, effectively becoming mayor-elect as she faces no opposition in November. The win makes Gaskins the first Black woman to be mayor of the city.

Why Greater Washington's economy remains flat despite a tourism boom

By BEN PETERS, Washington Business Journal

The economic outlook for Greater Washington is a mixed bag caught between two opposing forces that are dragging the forecast to a flatline. That’s the latest finding from CBRE Group Inc.’s REVIVE Regional Vibrancy Index charting the D.C. area's economic strengths and weaknesses in the wake of a pandemic that changed the core of how the region operates, from the shift to hybrid work to the evolution in how people get around.