Five of the six people who will sit on the Herndon Town Council next year have never served on it. That is a big shift, and if you own a home here or hope to buy one, it is worth a few minutes of your attention.
Here is what happened. Voters sent Sabrina Bruce, Soniya Shafiq, Meron Yohannes, Josif Ezekilov and Justin Britt to the council, and they will join Vice Mayor Clark Hedrick, the one incumbent who held his seat. Four-term councilmember Cesar del Aguila lost by fewer than 300 votes in the preliminary count. Mayor Keven LeBlanc ran unopposed. These are unofficial numbers until they are certified, so I will keep an eye on that.
The newcomers talked most about affordability. Soniya Shafiq has said she wants an affordable housing policy similar to Fairfax County’s, along with a bigger tax base. Meron Yohannes supports inclusionary zoning, wants a fresh vision for downtown, and wants a new town manager within six months. Several others campaigned on smart growth and making Herndon more affordable and easier to do business in.
Now for the part I care most about: separating what is real from what is headline. In March, the sitting council directed staff and a consultant to develop guidance for promoting affordable housing in new projects until a longer-term policy can be written into the Herndon 2050 comprehensive plan. That is a direction, not an adopted rule. The long-term plan is moving slowly, with the Planning Commission due to hold its public hearing by the end of 2027. So nothing has changed yet for anyone buying or selling today.
It also helps to know that Herndon doesn't have the same state authority Fairfax County has to require affordable or workforce units in new developments. That is a big reason the details of any policy will matter, and it is why I would be skeptical of anyone who tells you exactly what is coming.
So what does this mean if you own a home? If you live in an established neighborhood in Herndon, an affordable housing policy aimed at new development won't change what your house is worth next month. The people who will feel it first are developers working near the Metro station and downtown, where most of the new housing is being planned. What’s interesting for existing owners is the conversation about growing the commercial tax base. I will be watching closely for how this council balances that with what residents pay, because that is the kind of thing that shows up in buyer decisions over time.
If you are thinking about buying, the possibilities are more concrete. New construction near Metro is where affordable units would most likely show up, and that could widen the range of options in a town where entry-level inventory has always been tight. I cannot tell you how any of this moves prices, and honestly, nobody can right now.
What I can tell you is what I tell my clients whenever the political winds change. Local policy moves slower than the headlines make it feel. A new council takes office, hires a town manager, gets its footing, and then starts working through the comprehensive plan in public meetings, with real opportunities for residents to weigh in. The Herndon Town Council has a lot on its plate, including the downtown legal fight, the Metro area, and a housing policy that is still in draft form. The smartest thing you can do as a homeowner is to stay informed, not act out of worry.
I have lived in Herndon since 2002 and sold homes here since 2009, and I have watched many councils come and go. The pattern is consistent. The homeowners who do well are the ones who pay attention early and make decisions based on their own situation, not the news cycle.
If you have questions about anything here, I’m always just a call or text away. 202-409-7513.
About LeAnne Anies & The Fox Homes Team
LeAnne Anies is a Herndon real estate agent and the CEO of LeAnne + Company with the Fox Homes Team at Samson Properties. She has personally sold 157 homes in Herndon, and her team has 411+ closed transactions and $231M+ in lifetime sales volume. She is an NVAR Platinum Top Producer, a Washingtonian Top Agent, a military spouse, and part of the most-reviewed real estate team in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with 2,155+ five-star Google reviews.
