What to do about Affordable Housing in Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its disheartening to hear that the AHs don't house the people you hope, but it does sound like it helps some people who need it, like the of single parents working two jobs. I'm sure there are some cheats, but hopefully, that system helps more needy people than enabling cheats. That said, I don't live terribly far from the West end of the Pike, and I wouldn't want more of Arlington Mill's problems either. I cringe to think of how the APC build will go.

APC?

Sorry, Arlington Presbyterian Church on Columbia Pike. It's going to become AH. I think it will be called Gilliam Place.

That project sucks, but hopefully it will be the only one. It's also geared toward seniors. The majority of units are 1 bedroom.

I am all for senior housing but honestly that location sucks. It's very busy, the sidewalks are so, so and very close to speeding traffic. The most needed amentities like grocery store and drug store are not that close by. and it's just kind of an ugly area.

[Anonymous]

It's important that we provide free or heavily subsidized housing for the area's taxi drivers.

We all know what a positive impact they have on the community. Our community would lose so much if they were not living in Arlington.

I am urging the Board to triple the number of cab drivers in AH by 2018. I also strongly urge doubling the number of construction and food service workers. They are long time residents and have more than earned the right to AH.

[Anonymous]

Even if property taxes will be forced to increase by 5.75 percent, or more it is important that all area cab drivers are provided AH in N. Arlington. They are the bedrock of the Arlington community and should not have to pay. Uber is taking their jobs and it is our responsibility to make up the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I encountered two members of the Arlington County Council this morning in my upper end North Arlington neighborhood. One was campaigning for the other. I wasn't aware about the affordable housing issue until I read this thread yesterday. I asked them what they thought about it. I have never seen two people try to get away from me so quickly. She thrust her campaign material at me and he said "we have a lot of ground to cover today." and off they went. Doesn't sound like it is something council wants to discuss

Haha, of course not. The way affordable housing works in Arlington is like this: there is a small group that is HIGHLY supportive of it. Think professional service providers, AH developers, and community activists like VOICE (the group that advocated converting public parks into AH complexes). They are highly informed on the AH issue, and personally benefit from it.

There is a much larger group that is reflexively sympathetic but have less information on AH and how much the County spends on it. This is the bulk of the Arlington Democratic base, who are the bulk of Arlington voters.

All the AH crowd has to do is not do anything to piss off these lower information voters. That means minimal information, general platitudes in press releases, and repeated claims that AH is about keeping Arlington teachers/firefighters/cops living in Arlington. It's not true, but it sounds good and is enough to keep AH funded.

There MIGHT be enough for a turn around today. People still remember VOICE's ridiculous proposal to build affordable housing on County parks, and the inevitable fight over the Virginia Hospital Center Complex between building schools vs AH there will get this in front of the voters in a real way.

By park, you mean the parking lot of a County Rec Center, correct? The level of dishonesty of AH opponents is infuriating.

She means the "Public Land for Public Good" initiative, which recommended putting AH into community centers. To line the pockets of developers, of course.

AH proponents are the ones who are dishonest. They are all getting kickbacks in some way -- money from development, a source of livelihood and grants, feel-good political support.

I grew up poor and rural, and I don't want people living here that can't afford to live here. I had to hustle for a decade to earn enough to live in Arlington. It's a small county. They can drive in from somewhere else. Heck, most of the AH residents I know (and yes, I know plenty of them, they are mostly very nice, but that doesn't mean I want to subsidize their lives) don't even seem to work here.

[Anonymous]

I seriously don't understand the level of hate that is pointed out affordable housing.
Nor am I certain what different things different posters are talking about.
Arlington is not increasing affordable housing, in order to bring people into the community. Rather, they are trying to ensure that market rate affordable housing is replaced with some dedicated affordable units.
Those are not coming out of the county budget.
Now- the rental assistance housing grant program, does come out of the budget. The eligibility for a housing grant is the following;
Eligibility Requirements

This program serves Arlington renters who are:

65 years or older
Totally and permanently disabled
Working families with at least one child under age 18
Clients and patients of a County-operated or County-supported mental health program
plus, income guidelines based on family size-
https://housing.arlingtonva.us/get-help/rental-services/local-housing-grants/

Which of those categories of people do you think shouldn't be helped? Who is your vitriol directed at?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I seriously don't understand the level of hate that is pointed out affordable housing.
Nor am I certain what different things different posters are talking about.
Arlington is not increasing affordable housing, in order to bring people into the community. Rather, they are trying to ensure that market rate affordable housing is replaced with some dedicated affordable units.
Those are not coming out of the county budget.
Now- the rental assistance housing grant program, does come out of the budget. The eligibility for a housing grant is the following;
Eligibility Requirements

This program serves Arlington renters who are:

65 years or older
Totally and permanently disabled
Working families with at least one child under age 18
Clients and patients of a County-operated or County-supported mental health program
plus, income guidelines based on family size-
https://housing.arlingtonva.us/get-help/rental-services/local-housing-grants/

Which of those categories of people do you think shouldn't be helped? Who is your vitriol directed at?

Where do you think the money for CAF's is coming from? There's something like 36mil in the affordable housing fund.
There's soemthing like a couple hundred thousand put aside for county employees...
So who is this money helping?

It sounds so simple when you say that CAF's are replacing market place affordable housing. Most people would be fine with it, if that was how it was being rolled out on the west Pike. It isn't. Still plenty of market rate housing, and the county is adding CAF's on top of it. They can't get business to set up shop. It's a shit show.
Quit ignoring reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, I just checked out the locations of affordable housing near me and I'm pretty much sandwiched between two large AH complexes (N. Arlington near the Ballston/Buckingham area). You know how it's impacted my life? It hasn't.

That's because most of apartments are occupied by senior citizens -- The Carlin and Culpeper Gardens and the ERDO and the affordable housing buildings off Glebe. Unless you are in one of the Buckingham condos, you are sandwiched near the Buckhingham Affordable Housing units.

You may want to report back in a year after the new large, all-family buillding opens on Carlin Springs Road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its disheartening to hear that the AHs don't house the people you hope, but it does sound like it helps some people who need it, like the of single parents working two jobs. I'm sure there are some cheats, but hopefully, that system helps more needy people than enabling cheats. That said, I don't live terribly far from the West end of the Pike, and I wouldn't want more of Arlington Mill's problems either. I cringe to think of how the APC build will go.

APC?

Sorry, Arlington Presbyterian Church on Columbia Pike. It's going to become AH. I think it will be called Gilliam Place.

That project sucks, but hopefully it will be the only one. It's also geared toward seniors. The majority of units are 1 bedroom.

The problem is that the nice seniors have children and grandchildren who crash as needed. A suspected bankrobber was holed up in granny's apartment at The Carlin.

[Anonymous]

One place that I always thought would be nice for public housing is Mission Hurst. There is a substantial amount of undeveloped land there and ok access. Prob would have to build road connecting to Taylor neighborhood on back side of property.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, I just checked out the locations of affordable housing near me and I'm pretty much sandwiched between two large AH complexes (N. Arlington near the Ballston/Buckingham area). You know how it's impacted my life? It hasn't.

That's because most of apartments are occupied by senior citizens -- The Carlin and Culpeper Gardens and the ERDO and the affordable housing buildings off Glebe. Unless you are in one of the Buckingham condos, you are sandwiched near the Buckhingham Affordable Housing units.

You may want to report back in a year after the new large, all-family buillding opens on Carlin Springs Road.

Those kids are all in-bounds for Barrett, too. Nothing like concentrating even more kids into schools that are already over 50% FARMs. Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous]

My great aunt and grandma have been benefitting from AH. I brought them over three years ago and they easily got AH. They are loving it over here. It is a wonderful opportunity for them to live in this country and experience our generosity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My great aunt and grandma have been benefitting from AH. I brought them over three years ago and they easily got AH. They are loving it over here. It is a wonderful opportunity for them to live in this country and experience our generosity.

Are they at Claridge House or Hunter Park?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its disheartening to hear that the AHs don't house the people you hope, but it does sound like it helps some people who need it, like the of single parents working two jobs. I'm sure there are some cheats, but hopefully, that system helps more needy people than enabling cheats. That said, I don't live terribly far from the West end of the Pike, and I wouldn't want more of Arlington Mill's problems either. I cringe to think of how the APC build will go.

APC?

Sorry, Arlington Presbyterian Church on Columbia Pike. It's going to become AH. I think it will be called Gilliam Place.

That project sucks, but hopefully it will be the only one. It's also geared toward seniors. The majority of units are 1 bedroom.

I am all for senior housing but honestly that location sucks. It's very busy, the sidewalks are so, so and very close to speeding traffic. The most needed amentities like grocery store and drug store are not that close by. and it's just kind of an ugly area.

There are plenty of sidewalks and a Chipotle and Sugar Shop donuts just opened there. It will between the Adams Square Giant and the Harris Teeter that will replace the Food Star. Hardly a food desert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why on earth would you pay the least productive, most importunate, and dangerous group of people in your community to STAY? If anything, you should pay that group to LEAVE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its disheartening to hear that the AHs don't house the people you hope, but it does sound like it helps some people who need it, like the of single parents working two jobs. I'm sure there are some cheats, but hopefully, that system helps more needy people than enabling cheats. That said, I don't live terribly far from the West end of the Pike, and I wouldn't want more of Arlington Mill's problems either. I cringe to think of how the APC build will go.

APC?

Sorry, Arlington Presbyterian Church on Columbia Pike. It's going to become AH. I think it will be called Gilliam Place.

That project sucks, but hopefully it will be the only one. It's also geared toward seniors. The majority of units are 1 bedroom.

I am all for senior housing but honestly that location sucks. It's very busy, the sidewalks are so, so and very close to speeding traffic. The most needed amentities like grocery store and drug store are not that close by. and it's just kind of an ugly area.

There are plenty of sidewalks and a Chipotle and Sugar Shop donuts just opened there. It will between the Adams Square Giant and the Harris Teeter that will replace the Food Star. Hardly a food desert.

There is an urgent care in the Westmont Center and a 24 hour CVS and Rite Aid blocks away. The Pike may not be your ideal but it is certainly more attractive than Lee Highway.