Julio Idrobo (third from right), Falls Church resident and former Chair of the City of Falls Church Housing Commission, is the recipient of the 2018 Sprague Housing Champion Award for Affordable Housing Advocacy. Idrobo was recognized at Monday night’s City Council meeting. The Sprague Housing Champion Award is presented to an individual in the Falls Church community who advocates for affordable housing and takes proactive, tangible steps to advance housing opportunities throughout the community. The award was created in memory of Steve Sprague, a defender of affordable housing, community volunteer, and City resident who previously served as chair of the Housing Commission. Idrobo was a member of the Housing Commission for six years, serving as chair for four years. Idrobo helped guide the commission to realize the housing needs for an inclusive City by defending the diverse makeup of City residents with a variety of incomes and cultures. He volunteers with Casa de Northern Virginia, an organization providing pro bono services to the immigrant community. Idrobo was a passionate advocate for the passing of the DREAM Act on Capitol Hill. He also served on former Governor McAuliffe’s Virginia Latino Advisory Board, and currently serves as co-chair of the Colombia Human Rights Committee based in Washington D.C. A native of Spain, Idrobo grew up in Colombia where he obtained a Bachelor Degree in Law. Idrobo moved to United States as a refugee in 2002, where he soon started his own business, eventually becoming a real estate agent in 2007. He currently works as circulation manager for the Falls Church News-Press