Marianela Funes

The Project

Marianela will engage in community outreach, relationship building, leadership development, and community organizing to build power and advance changes in local housing policies that preserve and expand deeply affordable housing for households at the lowest income levels (40% of the area median income (AMI) and below).

The Route one Corridor in south Fairfax County is home to a diverse community of low-income families of color. Residents have long struggled to pay the continually increasing rent prices. With the Embark Richmond Highway project’s road widening and redevelopment, coupled with the ongoing economic crisis, families are facing the imminent threat of being priced out and displaced en masse. Fairfax County lacks adequate policies to preserve and expand deeply affordable housing for those most at risk of being displaced.

Fellowship Plans

Through outreach, leadership development, community meetings, and community-led meetings with county officials, Marianela will expand the base of Tenants and Workers United. This Fellowship will focus on building relationships, conducting public education campaigns, helping people strengthen their leadership and self-advocacy skills, and organizing impacted communities to push county leaders to preserve and expand deeply affordable housing for those at the lowest income levels.

Media