225 More Affordable Housing Units Coming To Somos At McLean Metro

MCLEAN, VA — SCG Development announced on Thursday that it had closed on the second phase of a two-phase affordable housing development in Northern Virginia. The second phase will add 225 mid-rise, multi-family rental homes to the county's affordable housing stock.

“Somos at McLean Metro Phase B will bring high quality affordable housing options to families and individuals in a very high barrier to entry market that is walkable to the McLean Metro and all the surrounding amenities that Tysons has to offer,” said Steve Wilson, president of SCG Development. “We are thrilled to move this project to the construction phase after many years of effort. I am very thankful that our team and partners, who have shared this vision for our community and worked hard to make it happen.”

SCG Development broke ground in July on the Phase A of the Somos at McLean Metro project. 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. Once Phase B is completed, the project will add 456 rental units toward the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors' goal of building 10,000 affordable dwelling units by 2034.

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 Westgate Elementary School. The footbridge across I-495 is also nearby, providing access to all the shops and restaurants at Tysons Corner Center.

The following SCG Development press release provides more details about the Somos at McLean project.

Virginia Housing, Virginia’s state housing finance agency, has committed over $38 million in financing, as well as 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), adding to the 28.3 million previously committed to support the first phase of development. These tax credits make it possible for the units to be affordable to residents earning an average of 60% of the area median income (AMI).

“We are excited to be a part of bringing this much needed affordable housing to McLean,”
said Tammy Neale, CEO, Virginia Housing. “Innovative partnerships like this will be a driving force to continue to address the affordable housing crisis.”

“It is our mission to create a community everyone can afford to call home. Closing on Phase B of Somos at McLean is another step in bringing affordable homes to all corners of Fairfax County, enabling those who work here to live here as well,” said Lenore Stanton, Chair, Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

Amazon is also supporting this new affordable housing community with a $18.2 million low-rate loan for Phase B through the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, the company’s more than $3.6 billion commitment to create or preserve more than 35,000 affordable homes for low- to moderate-income families in the Arlington, Virginia-Washington D.C. region, Washington state’s Puget Sound region, and the Nashville, Tennessee region. For both Phase A and B, Amazon has committed over $47 million to the homes at Somos at McLean Metro.

SCG Development is also receiving over $15.8 million in financing from Fairfax County, in addition to the over $11.4 million that was previously awarded to Phase A, and over $19 million in County funds used to acquire the property. Fairfax County is providing Project Based Vouchers as well. A contribution of $32 million of tax credit equity from Freddie Mac syndicated through Hudson Housing Capital reflects the significance of this large-scale, transit-oriented development opportunity.

“In addition to creating much-needed affordable housing, Somos at Mclean will connect individuals and families to transit, employment, and other critical resources across the DMV. We’re grateful to be a part of the unique public/private partnership – including Fairfax County, SCG, Virginia Housing, and Amazon – that is bringing this project to life,” said Senthil Sankaran, Managing Principal, Amazon Housing Equity Fund.

“Freddie Mac is proud to be part of projects that deliver on our mission and help create new affordable housing right in our backyard,” said Peter Lillestolen, Vice President, Targeted Affordable Housing at Freddie Mac Multifamily. “This new housing is the result of creativity and commitment from both the public and private sector, and a great example of how Freddie Mac can inject the equity needed to get complex deals over the finish line.”

“Hudson Housing Capital is proud to partner with SCG to finance high-quality, affordable housing for families in McLean. We thank and commend all those involved in making this day possible, including our investor Freddie Mac, and look forward to seeing this impactful housing development thrive for many years to come,” said Sam Ganeshan, Managing Director, Hudson Housing Capital.

Construction of Phase B will begin immediately and will create 225 homes for households earning between 50-70% AMI. Affiliates of SCG Development are leasing the sites from the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA), and Fairfax’s ground lease will ensure long-term affordability for 99 years. Construction of Phase A began earlier this year.

“We are dedicated to developing innovative, sustainable solutions to address affordable housing needs in Fairfax County,” said Dalia Palchik, Supervisor, Providence District, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. “Through creative public-private partnerships, we’ve transformed an unused office site into a model for affordable housing. This project is more than just housing; it’s a major step toward ensuring that more of our residents have access to quality, affordable homes. We look forward to welcoming future residents to the Providence District.”

Related: Somos At McLean Metro Affordable Housing Project Breaks Ground