Alexandria Public Housing Rebuild Shows Early Gains

Residents of ARHA's more than 1,100 public housing units in Alexandria are seeing corrected rent ledgers and completed inspections under new leadership.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Apartments

Low-rise brick public housing building on a tree-lined street under soft overcast daylight, with a freshly painted entrance door and a trimmed lawn. — The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority told City Council it has corrected rent ledgers and completed inspections of all its more than 1,100 public housing units under new leadership. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) reported progress to City Council after a year of rebuilding under new leadership, including correct rent ledgers, handling of resident maintenance issues, and inspection of all of its more than 1,100 public housing properties in the city.

Why it matters

Public housing residents in Alexandria have been dealing with unresolved back rent and maintenance problems, and the Council's demands for a board resignation followed news that the former CEO was fired for living in a public housing unit. The rebuilding effort matters because it determines whether residents can count on accurate rent records, responsive repairs, and stable oversight of the units they live in.

ARHA reports that all of its more than 1,100 public housing properties in the city have been inspected, and that more than $1 million in outstanding tenant back rent was paid off through a fundraising effort led by Mayor Alyia Gaskins with Alfred Street Baptist Church. The agency has had five CEOs over the last five years, with a board that now meets 11 times a year.

The players

Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA)

The city's public housing agency, which manages more than 1,100 public housing properties and reports to a nine-member board.

Mayor Alyia Gaskins

Alexandria's mayor, who led the fundraising effort that paid off over $1 million in tenant back rent.

Alfred Street Baptist Church

A local church that partnered with the mayor on the back-rent fundraising effort.

Roy Priest

ARHA's interim CEO, who tracks customer service by counting resident requests about service quality.

Mark Jinks

The newly installed chair of the ARHA Board of Commissioners.

The details

Mayor Gaskins asked ARHA for a list of each type of inspection it conducts on its properties, and interim CEO Roy Priest tracks customer service by counting resident requests about service quality. City Council demanded that the nine-member Board of Commissioners resign after then-CEO Erik Johnson was fired for living in a public housing unit. Mark Jinks was installed as the new board chair, and ARHA's staff remain under a hiring freeze while the board's meeting schedule has increased.

Last fall: City Council demanded the ARHA board resign after the CEO firing.
Earlier this year: fundraising effort paid off more than $1 million in tenant back rent.
Saturday, Nov. 7: Jinks and Priest present the Capital Improvement Program budget at the City Council annual budget retreat.
December: ARHA's year-over-year budget is expected to be approved.
This spring: a permanent CEO is expected to be hired, ending the interim role.

The Home Front

Alexandria's public housing oversight has been reshaped by a Council demand that the nine-member ARHA board resign after the former CEO's firing for living in a public housing unit. The rebuilding now underway, including an interim CEO and a Capital Improvement Program budget, is the city's current answer to a turnover pattern of five CEOs in five years.

If you rent a public housing unit from ARHA, ask the agency for a written record of any outstanding back rent and of your open maintenance requests so you can track them. Keep copies of rent receipts and repair requests, since the rent ledgers are only now being corrected.

The takeaway

Stable public housing depends on accurate records and consistent leadership, and Alexandria's rebuilding is still in progress. Keep a dated file of your rent payments and maintenance requests so you can verify the agency's work over the coming months.

What happens next

The ARHA year-over-year budget is expected to be approved in December, and a Capital Improvement Program budget presentation by Mark Jinks and Roy Priest is scheduled for the City Council budget retreat on Saturday, Nov. 7.