She Helped Create or Preserve 6,340 Homes. Now She’ll Lead Housing in Alexandria.
Aspasia Xypolia, who helped create or preserve more than 6,340 homes in Prince George’s County, will lead Alexandria’s Office of Housing permanently.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria has put a housing official with a record of creating and preserving thousands of homes in permanent charge of one of the city’s most closely watched challenges.
City Manager James Parajon has appointed Aspasia Xypolia director of the Alexandria Office of Housing following a national search, the City announced Thursday, Sept. 10. Xypolia had served as acting director since May.
“Aspasia’s extensive experience in affordable housing development and preservation makes her a perfect fit to continue to lead Alexandria’s Office of Housing permanently,” Parajon said in the City’s announcement.
“I look forward to continuing to work with her on initiatives to help renters, homeowners, and developers work together to meet our housing goals.”
A Record of Housing Production and Preservation
Before coming to Alexandria, Xypolia served as director of Prince George’s County’s Department of Housing and Community Development.
During her tenure there, the City says, the department created or preserved more than 6,340 housing units, distributed $122 million in emergency rental assistance and revived a dormant right-of-first-refusal program that preserved 2,260 naturally occurring affordable homes.
Those figures describe her previous work; they are not a promise that Alexandria will produce the same results. They do, however, show the scale of the housing programs she has managed.
In Alexandria, Xypolia will oversee affordable-housing production and preservation, housing finance, landlord-tenant programs, homeownership assistance and the City’s negotiations with private and nonprofit developers.
Her appointment comes as Alexandria works on its Housing 2040 plan and confronts high rents, home prices and redevelopment pressure. Housing decisions regularly shape debates over growth, displacement, taxes, transportation and whether longtime residents can remain in the city.
What Comes Next
As permanent director, Xypolia will turn the City’s housing policies into projects and programs residents can see and use.
That includes working with renters and homeowners, preserving existing affordable apartments, financing new homes and advising City leaders as major development proposals move through public review.
The appointment itself does not change housing eligibility rules, rents or development approvals. Its importance lies in who will guide Alexandria’s housing strategy—and whose experience the City is placing behind that work.
