Op-Ed by Paul Cunningham, President, on behalf of the FRHC Board
Fairfax City is a special place to live and prides itself on a long history of neighbors
helping neighbors. A great example of this is the Neighborhood Renaissance Program
administered by the Fairfax Renaissance Housing Corporation (FRHC). This creative program
adds incredible value to residents, neighborhoods and Fairfax City. It is essential that this
unique home improvement and neighborhood revitalization program be funded by the City
Council.
The FRHC, a nonprofit organization, and Fairfax City-based MainStreet Bank have
partnered to offer a unique home improvement program exclusively for residents of Fairfax City. The FRHC is committed to providing Fairfax City homeowners with an attractive opportunity to upgrade their homes and to improve the quality of residential neighborhoods in Fairfax City. The brainchild of former FRHC President Dale Lestina, the FRHC has assisted homeowners in completing 290 home projects since 2002.
Those 290 renovated houses translate into 290 happy households, with these homeowners loyal to, and invested in, Fairfax City. Many of these homeowners are involved with City events, boards, commissions and service organizations, giving back to the City in many ways. The City also wins as these 290 properties are assessed with an increased local tax evaluation, thereby providing a higher tax return to the City. Many homeowners who have completed projects through this program likely would have moved out of the City to another local jurisdiction. Yet, they have chosen to stay and remain an integral part of our special and
connected City in no small part due to this Neighborhood Renaissance Program.
Fairfax City homeowners, Terry and Susan Olenchuk, are great examples of homeowners who have taken advantage of this program and have remained City residents. They loved their house, but it no longer fit their lifestyle. “We didn’t want to leave Fairfax City,” said Susan. “We love it here. We have wonderful neighbors. The city services are awesome. ”The Olenchuks used a FRHC loan to transform both the exterior and interior of their home, modernizing and upgrading it to fit their lifestyle and helping to revitalize their neighborhood. In a nutshell, the program is easy, creative and a benefit to all parties.
The City Council grants money to the FRHC at the beginning of each fiscal year, FRHC and MainStreet Bank approve qualified projects and borrowers, respectively, and the FRHC pays the required monthly interest payments when due for the two-year loan for the approved homeowner. The principal is due at the end of the two-year period, after which the homeowner may either pay off the loan or apply to refinance into a conventional home equity loan or line of credit with MainStreet Bank or another financial institution. During its 24 years of existence, the FRHC program has not lost a single penny due to a bad loan.
The loans are not income-sensitive and are available for owner-occupied homes (detached, townhouses, duplexes or condos). In most cases, homeowners have been dreaming of making home improvements for awhile and this program allows them to make those dreams a reality. In return, upgrades are made to neighborhoods and housing stock, the City realizes additional tax revenue due to the increased assessed tax evaluation of the properties and the City proudly shares in the homeowner’s joy of a finished project. An added bonus is that housing stock is revitalized without being torn down and replaced with homes that do not fit with
the character of our neighborhoods.
There are no losers, and only winners, with this program. It is unique, not only in its benefits for homeowners and neighborhoods, but it is the only program that provides an actual monetary return on the City’s investment over time.
As beneficial and forward-thinking as this program is, the City Council elected not to
provide the FRHC a grant for funding it for the current Fiscal Year 2026. Although several
projects funded in prior fiscal years are under construction, without continued funding, this
program is in danger of ceasing to exist. This would be a huge loss for the City and its residents.
We are hopeful that the City Council will fund the Neighborhood Renaissance Program
for FY2027 and ensure that this unique and successful neighborhood revitalization program
continues into the future.
To express your support for funding this program, please email Mayor and City Council
at: MayorandCouncil@fairfava.gov. To learn more about the details of this program, please visit www.fairfaxva.gov, search word Renaissance.
