Someone posted a comment recently that stated "Even with increased enforcement by the cops, the commonwealth attorney will decline to prosecute or the judge will give a meaningless sentence, and ARHA will decline to evict people who are tossing trash and blaring radios all night."
Time for a reality check. ARHA does attempt to evict tenants, and at a board meeting several months ago, the Growler learned why it doesn't happen more frequently. The subject at that meeting was unauthorized individuals living with ARHA tenants, but it's likely similar hurdles face ARHA when it attempts to evict for other causes, including unruly or criminal behavior.
There are two reasons evictions are difficult:
1. The legal system needs corroborating testimony that unauthorized tenants have been seen living in the ARHA apartment with the leaseholder. Apparently other tenants are reluctant to do this, even if they are concerned about the situation. It's likely they are fearful of repercussions.
2. There is at least one judge in Alexandria Circuit Court who is reluctant to evict the legitimate tenant and leave them homeless in order to throw out their illicit guests. This has been a source of concern and disappointment to ARHA's board and staff.
The Growler isn't sure what can be done about judges, since they are appointed. Nevertheless, ARHA could encourage and help build stronger resident councils. These tenant groups could help manage and self-police the projects, making it safer for the law-abiding residents.
But as the Growler knows from past board meetings, ARHA's executive management doesn't seem to take resident council concerns seriously. The case of the elderly Ladrey representatives and their complaints about the lobby security cameras being disabled or unmonitored comes to mind.
The fact that effective tenant leadership hasn't been encouraged in public housing is just one more indicator that the City's social policies are not enabling but essentially paternalistic.
21 comments:
Too right, Growler. For all the reasons you cite, and many more, the ARHA model of public housing is beyond repair. In these large, concentrated public housing projects, many problems are simply un-overcomable.
The only hope for improvement, for current/future residents as well as the surrounding neighborhood and the City as a whole, is to scatter these public housing residents, preferably via section 8.
Throwing more money at ARHA is NOT the answer. We've tried that method with our schools, and look where it's landed us. At the very bottom.
By "at the very bottom," it appears you are referring to the recent Forbes analysis of school district performance in areas where property taxes are high. Alexandria finished near the bottom.
Here's a link to the Forbes article:
http://tinyurl.com/2uxyyo
According to the Forbes article, we are spending $18,000 per year to educate our students???? Can that be true? That is literally MORE THAN TWICE the yearly tuition and fees at UVa for 2007-08. Disgraceful.
2007
Alexandria City Public Schools
www.acps.k12.va.us
Rebecca L. Perry, Superintendent
2000 N. Beauregard St.
Alexandria, Virginia 22311
Highlights at a Glance:
FY 2007 Cost Per Pupil $18,232
Average Teacher Salary $42,040
FY 2007 Membership 10,286
Percent ESL Enrollment 21.6%
Percent Free/Reduced Price Meal Eligible 61.6%
Schools
Elementary 13
Middle 2
Secondary & High Schools 2
Alternative High Schools 1
Sources of Revenue
Local 76.2%
State 14.6%
Other 9.3%
Authorized Positions
School-Based 89.3%
Nonschool-Based 10.7%
Percent of Local Funds Disbursed to Schools 32.5%
Percent of Graduates Continuing Education 84.0%
Dropout Rate 4.5% (Latino 9.5%* State average:1.5%* *= found deeper in WABE report)
Source: Washington Area Boards of Education
FY 2007
Published November, 2006
From: http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/wabe/2007.pdf
"the ARHA model of public housing is beyond repair."
If people genuinely believe that the ARHA model is beyond repair then it is time for those neighbors living closest to public housing to bag the ICCA, form a task force, research the problem and then pressure Council for a policy change. Whiners will say it has been done. Not so! Hamer's want to study the housing problem and delay discussion by at least one year. The success measure is whether or not ARHA begins to purchase alternative land to site future projects. The price of west end, Eisenhower and Potomac Yard land only increases with time. Or Eisenhower and Potomac Yard build outs will conclude absent additional review.
The city does nothing on its own. The Council repeatedly has to be peppered and, sadly, the burden is yours.
If ARHA were a private slumlord, instead of a public one, would the government let it stay in business?
"If ARHA were a private slumlord, instead of a public one, would the government let it stay in business?"
Of course it wouldn't. To admit there is a problem now will make the council look like fools since they support ARHA.
What people don't realize on this blog is that the public housing situation will not go away. Years and years of history of this mess has been shown by the Growler on the new site.
What has been done about this blight over the years? Nada.
Why you ask? Lets just say, that when it comes to the polls, who is going to stand up and say, "ARHA needs to be fixed".
It's career suicide. Everyone in PG will vote for that person. Whats that, 5% of the population? The rest of the city doesn't want Arha residents living around them. So their will never be a candidate who can vocally run opposed to condensed public housing and win.
What say you?
While I am not certain I could be of much use in dealing with the unruly guests I did today think of a potential approach for dealing with trash.
What about organizing "Neighborhood Clean-Up Walks" where we take a section of PG and walk through picking up trash? We could include sections of the Public Housing Projects in each walk, and invite anyone to join us. I am guessing that those areas are private property, so we would probably need ARHA permission to enter. But it might be worth a try.
Is this something that the ICCA could take for action? Or does this not make sense?
Before Dearman left he issued a written warning to all residents in the berg that they were responsible for their yards, and warnings would be issued even if the trash was not theirs.
Tickets were supposed to follow, but hello?? If their living there to begin with, why would they have money to pay for fines for trashy properties?
What about organizing
"Neighborhood Clean-Up Walks" where we take a section of PG and walk through picking up trash?
I do this on my own block before street cleaning day. I would be willing to do it with a group only if the trash were saved and then prsented to the City Council at their monthly meetings.
"What about organizing "Neighborhood Clean-Up Walks" where we take a section of PG and walk through picking up trash? We could include sections of the Public Housing Projects in each walk, and invite anyone to join us."
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait just one minute.
How much of our tax dollars go to housing people that don't work, live off the gov't and treat the places we provide like crap? Or invite outsiders that don't belong there to loiter all day?
If you think I'm going to clean up their property on top of paying for it, you must be living on pluto!!
I get cited by code when I leave the area on a three day business trip because I'd forgot to let my neighbor know I needed my trash cans taken in.
Is ARHA so powerful that code enforcement can't cite them for the constant garbage (beer cans, alcohol bottles, crack bags, blunts, McDonalds bags ie...) that is on the property everyday?
If they are a private entity, they should be held to the same standards as the rest of us.
To be honest, I'm a little fed up. I'm getting a hole in my stomach just thinking about how long I've endured living so close to condensed public housing.
Fairfax is looking like a better destination each and every day. This time, I'll do my homework a little better before I settle down somewhere.
"According to the Forbes article, we are spending $18,000 per year to educate our students???? Can that be true? "
Oh its true alright. The common city excuse is that "Alexandria has lots of poor kids". So apparently, in order to educate poor children, you have to spend lots of money.
And there is the same thinking u get for ARFRAUDHA. We need lots of money to take care of poor folks.
Its never the process with these clowns. Its always "wheres my check".
"If ARHA were a private slumlord, instead of a public one, would the government let it stay in business? "
NO, there are numerous cases where the local city government brings suit against housing authorities since they are, by definition, a landowner.
The problem in Alexandria is the relationship between ARHA and Council is not arms length. A public housing task force that consists of Council members and ARHA Board members is about as close as you can get to "corrupt" without saying it out loud.
"So their will never be a candidate who can vocally run opposed to condensed public housing and win.
What say you? "
What needs to be said though by pols is that the reason for your skyrocketing taxes is policies like that espoused by ARHA. A candidate could certainly get away with that, and would just have to face Melvin and his race card.
Oh wait, that wont work either. The common avenue taken by apologists is "blaming the victim" or "blaming the poor" No, Melvin, we just blame you.
" I am guessing that those areas are private property, so we would probably need ARHA permission to enter. But it might be worth a try."
This would be news to all the guests that show up there. But feel free to try; I know the Lofties did this once and decided not to after they got subjected to the some of the foul mouths that live over there (there is only so much language you can take while you are picking up the trash for someone whose tax dollars subsidize their house and yet call you all sorts of names while you pick up the trash in front of said subsidized house)
"Before Dearman left he issued a written warning to all residents in the berg that they were responsible for their yards, and warnings would be issued even if the trash was not theirs. "
OOOOOOHHHH, Dearman. Warnings. I am sure the thugs who hang out on Madison and throw Old E on the street were frightened. ARHA cant even enforce its own loitering and trespassing statutes effectively; their solution for litter, if you havent noticed, is to put hefty bags on the fences around the properties.
"Is ARHA so powerful that code enforcement can't cite them for the constant garbage (beer cans, alcohol bottles, crack bags, blunts, McDonalds bags ie...) that is on the property everyday?"
Yes, they are. Council says they are not but if Code Enforcement made a move on them, Melvin Miller would just run up to the Mayor and complain that the City is punishing the poor for littering.
So essentially, the City has to "hire" condo developers to build massive condo buildings so some adults can watch over the projects and keep the "children" in line.
TRF, speaking of trash, here is the nuisance abatement hotline number (for Code Enforcement)
Call them:
1-703-836-0041
Listen to what they tell you when you tell them about what goes on at Bland, Adkins, and Uptown Berg.
You will be as stunned and angry as I was.
Slightly OT, but has anyone been following the Glebe Park stakeholder meeting discussions; I know they met last week and I was wondering if anyone had followed the meetings to see what direction the City is going with this redevelopment.
What I often wonder is what the Mayor and his Council buddies (like Wilson) all think is going to happen when they achieve their dream of density at the Metro.
Whats going to happen when those 200 units open up at 620 Payne, 350 at the Madison, and more at the Monarch, the Jamieson, the 900 N Washington St development, Toms garage, etc...
What kind of additional pressure do they think will come to bear once those people move in and start getting pissed off after their first Red Zone, litter pileup, loud noise night, or domestic violence street fight?
Its as if they are importing another 1000 households into an area already fed up with public housing overconcentration, yet doing nothing about that overconcentration and acting like no one will complain.
As soon as they are moved in 5 years from now, this blog might get 500 comments when you do the next ARHA entry.
"What about organizing
"Neighborhood Clean-Up Walks" where we take a section of PG and walk through picking up trash?
I do this on my own block before street cleaning day. I would be willing to do it with a group only if the trash were saved and then prsented to the City Council at their monthly meetings."
Yeah, I frequently pick up trash, too thrown by ARHA residents. But I love the idea of a neighborhood trash pickup AND deposit at City Hall. Let's also invite a few reporters. They'll love the story. Anyone game?
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