Increasing suburban poverty and the extremely high housing costs of growing metropolitan areas amplify the importance of suburban low-income housing programs. Aside from traditional hurdles to social and economic mobility, suburban low-income households are confronted by impediments that are inherent to sprawling, fragmented suburban landscapes with poor access. This research investigates the site suitability of a booming suburban region, Fairfax County, Virginia, for low-income housing.

To do so, this research identifies and explains location amenities and neighborhood characteristics that maximize the success of low-income housing programs for low-income households, and explores how suburban landscapes constrict the ability of policymakers and planners to incorporate such location considerations into low-income housing planning. Using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model, the site suitability of Fairfax County, Virginia for low-income housing is examined. Results highlight numerous location amenities in a heavily developed suburban environment, yielding overall decent low-income housing site suitability scores across Fairfax County. However, the sprawling nature of Fairfax County also provides few optimal locations for low-income housing development. The incorporation of key location amenities in strategic locations as well as modern planning techniques hinging on new urbanism and smart growth concepts are emphasized to improve low-income housing suitability in many American suburbs. This research links GIS methodology with social policy, providing policymakers and planners with a tool to analyze the spatial distribution of critical location amenities and low-income housing development.