The Growler has been preoccupied with other activities lately, but just can't let some recent news pass without calling it to readers' attention.
A few weeks ago Dr. Stephen Fuller of George Mason University's Center for Regional Analysis presented an astounding recommendation to City leaders at a gathering hosted by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, ACT for Alexandria and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership.
Dr. Fuller advised Alexandria's leaders that to grow economically the City needs to build more housing for middle- and upper-income residents. The Alexandria Gazette reported that Dr. Fuller believes building such higher-end housing would boost housing and retail markets while creating a labor pool that will be available to fill jobs that will be created after the recession ends.
The Growler can't imagine a prescription for success that is further from the predilections of our local politicians. Affordable housing and public housing are such sacred cows in Alexandria that Dr. Fuller's words may very well have sent a ripple of quiet indignation through his listeners.
But curiously, at about the same time the Washington Post ran an article on suburban poverty that cited Scott W. Allard, a University of Chicago professor and author of a recent Brookings Institution study on suburban poverty. Dr. Allard has apparently found that more poor people now live in the Washington suburbs than in the District.
What appears to be happening is a broad and massive reversal of sociological and economic trends at work since the 1950s. Instead of being a phenomenon of blighted and abandoned inner cities, poverty is now being pushed to the outer edges of metropolitan areas while historic downtown areas and older inner suburbs are enjoying a renaissance and attracting new waves of affluent residents.
With such factors at work, the Growler muses aloud and wonders if Alexandria is politically and historically afraid of becoming too affluent and too successful. Are our leaders still deluded that this is the region's oldest and most prestigious city and are therefore bent on maintaining a microcosm of all classes (lower, middle, and upper) with a diversified industrial and retail economy, instead of letting the place lapse into its real identity as a bedroom suburb nearly indistinguishable from Arlington and Fairfax County?
47 comments:
The problem with Alexandria politicians is the misunderstanding that throwing enough money at the poverty problem will fix it. What we need is someone in charge who understands that someone has to get their hands dirty if anything is going to get fixed.
The problem with Alexandria politicians is the misunderstanding that throwing enough money at the poverty problem will fix it. What we need is someone in charge who understands that someone has to get their hands dirty if anything is going to get fixed.
How'd they do that exactly? Where is money being "thrown?"
It's long past time that we acknowledged the role that 'cultural' attitudes play in keeping areas of Parker Gray poor. It seems in Parker Gray it always a bad thing to judge the poor or think about other possibilities for them besides what has already been mandated.
I am sure Ludwig Gaines and Lenny Harris's heads exploded when they read the Gazette article.
Our housing policy is predicated on the belief that we need "affordable" housing, without ever really defining what "affordable" is. Who defines whats affordable? the afford-ability police?
More so, where does our housing policy propose to get the money from to pay for all this "affordable housing"? And where would it be placed?
"How'd they do that exactly? Where is money being "thrown?"
I guess unconditional ARHA loans, multiple poverty programs that all purport to accomplish the same purpose but cant justify that they have ever accomplished anything, housing mentally ill patients from Fairfax and Arlington in local hotels at City taxpayer expense, concentration of poverty in certain selected areas of the City, and a school system that consistently ranks among the poorest performing in the state despite spending more money per student than anyone else in the US is somehow just a great idea.
Getting your hands dirty would be looking in the mirror and asking yourself "Is all this working, and if it isn't why do we keep spending so much money on it"
Public housing is driven by the black community and handled mostly as an entitlement. Affordable housing is a creature of the public employees union. Both are politically driven. Neither rationally.
What are "unconditional ARHA loans"? It seems to me that any "loan" ARHA has received has been fraught with all kinds of conditions. Also, ARHA as always paid back its loans so far as I can see. Council just doesn't acknowledge the fact. Please clarify.
Dr. Fuller is just one in a long line of rational people who have been screaming this at the City for years. City politicians are OBSESSED with affordable housing, despite the fact that the "need" is largely based on misleading stats manufactured by consultants whose existence depends on the need for affordable housing.
Their misleading stats notwithstanding, any nonexpert person can see that Alexandria already has plenty of affordable housing relative to its higher end housing. In fact, the West End is essentially largely affordable in its entirety by most people's standard. (The City and their consultants cling to the 35% of income standard, but that's been proven to be an unrealistic and unreliable measure, particularly in urban areas like this).
While Arlington builds condos, offices, and retail which attract high income people to its jurisdiction (then feeds on itself), Alexandria lets its best land rot (i.e. Braddock Road area), while spending scarce energy and resources on bizarre feel-good do little projects like the Potomac Yard Firehouse, the new Bland, etc.
The other thing that's always boggled my mind is that the City maintains huge tracts of public housing, enlarges the homeless shelter, and makes it clear that the public housing will always be there (by failing to take advantage of the recent Bland opportunity), then wonders why an area struggles economically and why retail, etc. are not attracted to the area (i.e. Braddock Place, etc.).
Why do we even debate such issues? Alexandria has belonged to the Democrats probably since before the Civil War and the Dems pander accordingly. Nothing is going to change is mindblowing. Council is bassackwards group that couldn't balance cut a budget on a dime. It would require establishing priorities of a type they do not consistently have. Personally Hughes doesn't impress me but her independence maybe her tough mindedness allowed her to forcefully inquire regarding consultant hirings. Why do I care about consultant fees? The Braddock Road Small Area Plan. Goody Clancy, Goody Clancy, Goody Clancy. Hartmann says additional expertise is needed, staff lacks. If staff is lacking then he should dump the Department head. Yet we all know Hamer and Baier are here to stay. Consultants are needed only to deflect the political fallout. BRAC is spelled how?
Are our leaders still deluded that this is the region's oldest and most prestigious city and are therefore bent on maintaining a microcosm of all classes (lower, middle, and upper)?
Do we really have a middle class here in Alexandria? Anecdotally, I see largely upper and lower classes. Even though many of my neighbors would consider themselves middle class, they are not. The median income for an individual in the U.S. is just over $25k annually.
"The problem with Alexandria politicians is the misunderstanding that throwing enough money at the poverty problem will fix it."
I sometimes wonder if throwing money at the problem doesn't actually make it worse. We maintain large public housing complexes to house "our" less fortunate. Yet, we see that a large number of those residents moved from other jurisdictions, such as DC and PG County.
We should be focusing our resources on projects which are either economically sustainable or (gasp!) result in a net gain for the City. Yet we continue to maintain and build projects which just deepen the budgetary black hole.
"instead of letting the place lapse into its real identity as a bedroom suburb nearly indistinguishable from Arlington and Fairfax County?"
Because of our history, architecture, and geographical setting on the Potomac, we will never be indistinguishable from Arlington or Fairfax.
But unfortunately our City leaders are living in the past, or at least trying to perpetuate it, instead of letting the City grow organically. For example, it is folly, not to mention highly insulting, to attempt to artifically maintain a racially diverse population through public housing. The City should celebrate its rich black history, but it's weird and backwards, for example, that they claim that more public and affordable housing is needed in PG because, for a portion of its long history, it was historically black.
"What are "unconditional ARHA loans"? It seems to me that any "loan" ARHA has received has been fraught with all kinds of conditions."
I guess you would imply that these are "conditions"
http://alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/housing/info/MOUCITYARHA.pdf
I mean, are you serious? C'MON MAN
"How'd they do that exactly? Where is money being "thrown?""
Lets turn this around and ask point-blank:
Do you believe that the City is currently expending its funds wisely and efficiently in support of its anti-poverty objectives?
Whats sad is the disconnect between our City's economic growth and what City residents and nonprofits say they want.
You have residents and groups traipsing down to City Hall every budget season trying to protect their programs and whims from budget analysts who remind the City we only have so much to work with.
And they never ask why we cant generate enough money to fund all these programs and needs.
Does anybody ever ask WHY that is?
Arlington and Fairfax county have the same budget pressures but seem able to provide a greater extent of services and programs, even if they are being forced to retrench just like we are.
"The median income for an individual in the U.S. is just over $25k annually."
What is the median income for our region? That is the more realistic measure.
Remember the Arlington ads at Braddock and King St Metro stations urging businesses and individuals to "think Arlington". We are not doing enough to grasp these higher-income knowledge workers and businesses that Arlington steals away from us, a steady source of tax revenue.
Do you believe that the City is currently expending its funds wisely and efficiently in support of its anti-poverty objectives?
What spending?
I guess you would imply that these are "conditions"
That's not a loan.
ARHA has always repaid any money that the City has lent it, something that the City and Council are reluctant to admit. Also, do understand that the land that ARHA properties sit on belongs to ARHA NOT THE CITY. Council has no rights to that land. Council members are all too free to make promises about ARHA's buildings and land but fail to mention that the promises they make they cannot deliver. You all have been lied to. If I were in your shoes, I would be furious too.
"We are not doing enough to grasp these higher-income knowledge workers and businesses that Arlington steals away from us, a steady source of tax revenue."
Many of those workers did their research before buying homes and chose to live elsewhere. As for the businesses, King Street stores have disappeared Alexandria jerked around one storeowner who then opened the first King Street porn shop and even got write-in votes for mayor and he wasn't even running for office.
Do you believe that the City is currently expending its funds wisely and efficiently in support of its anti-poverty objectives?
"what spending"
Is that a serious question?
Apt name for our City's sickness, Growler
Affluence is difficult to overcome because those who want free handouts and are opposed to anything that might attract higher income residents are the ones who pack every workgroup and Council meeting in the City. They can and will get out the vote.
"Do you believe that the City is currently expending its funds wisely and efficiently in support of its anti-poverty objectives?
What spending?"
Is this Shayna Englin?
Too bad we dont have visionary leadership like Atlanta:
http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_4_atlanta-public-housing.html
All this makes what Renee Glover is doing in Atlanta so important. Since 1994, Glover, a child of Jim Crow–era Jacksonville, Florida, has led the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA)—the nation’s fifth-largest public-housing system, with 50,000 tenants and voucher recipients, 99 percent of them, like her, African-American. She has drawn national recognition for the fact that during her tenure, Atlanta became the first city in the United States to tear down virtually all its projects. But Glover’s plan is far more ambitious than demolition: she has set out to transform the dysfunctional behavior that condemns people to languish for years in public housing. Her approach is the most dramatic change in any city’s public-housing system since Franklin Roosevelt created the program in 1937.
"ARHA has always repaid any money that the City has lent it, something that the City and Council are reluctant to admit."
People are angry because we should not be lending them any money in the first place. They cant practice basic management principles like planning, financial controls, or property management.
"Also, do understand that the land that ARHA properties sit on belongs to ARHA NOT THE CITY. Council has no rights to that land. "
And ARHA has no right to Alexandria taxpayer money.
Although they do have the requirement to keep their properties clean and safe.
But hey if you want to keep Adkins as public housing for the next 15 years then don't march down to City Hall complaining when your taxes have to go up to pay for new programs. Its one of the most valuable pieces of land in the City and it sits there because of certain folks ego and stubbornness.
That Atlanta woman sounds great. Wonder if we could hire HER as a consultant????
By the way, does ARHA pay property tax to the City on its properties? If not, the City's lost property tax revenue is huge! If we could house people with vouchers instead, then the City would realize the property tax revenue.
Even if the City does collect property tax from ARHA, is it enough to make up for all the additional social services the residents of ARHA properties consume, not to mention the cost of law enforcement?
I think Dr. Fuller is right - if the City wants to grow economically, we need to start focusing on value add projects and stop throwing money at black hole anti poverty programs which are clearly not working.
Having lived on N. Royal St. , I wish to state that "affordable housing" is simply a nice word for maintaining a slum. Atlanta tore down all of their projects and we should do the same. ARHA is lucky, they own some very valuable real estate, take the money from the sale of the properties and provide vouchers. Further, a dispersion of their occupants would help decrease crime and the heavy utilization of the Police in the "subject" neighborhoods.
"Too bad we dont have visionary leadership like Atlanta"
I used to live in Atlanta and what Mrs. Glover did was tough but powerful. It took a lot of stakeholder buyin but unlike here, the so-called "screamers" understood that the current situation was not sustainable.
I dont think we have reached that point yet in Alexandria. Most of what I see in Alexandria is naivete and an unwillingness to accept that public housing as we know it is over.
ARHA and Mayor Euille can crow about their redevelopment efforts, but Mrs. Glover changed entire neighborhoods and communities, and made they truly mixed-income and truly revitalized. What I see here is more cosmetic change where there is little effort to "revitalize" but more an effort just to rebuild the same.
"The problem with Alexandria politicians is the misunderstanding that throwing enough money at the poverty problem will fix it. "
Even if our new blog troll doesn't get it, I think a few politicians have started to see this.
Affluenzna is something that the Urban League has also cited in the past as well.
Their opinion was Alexandria does not attract young professionals or creative businesses and that we need to do more.
Here is another "business-friendly" article, Growler.
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=346591&paper=88&cat=104
Abandoning Alexandria
Artcrafters plans to move to National Harbor. Will others follow suit?
By Michael Lee Pope
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Say goodbye to Artcrafters, the funky retailer at the southeast corner of King and Lee streets. The colorful store has already opened a sister operation across the river at National Harbor, where the rent is significantly cheaper and retailers don’t have to deal with red tape at City Hall. Now the owners have decided to shutter their Old Town store for good at the end of the year, creating yet another vacant space on the city’s major business thoroughfare.
"I wouldn’t say this is the beginning of a trend," said Jay Winer, who owns Artcrafters with his wife and son. "I would say this is the middle or perhaps the end of the trend."
Up and down King Street, empty retail locations offer a glimpse at Alexandria’s precarious position. Some are being renovated into restaurants, like the old Olsson’s Bookstore on Union Street. Others are being transformed into national chains, like the Subway sandwich shop that will replace the old Wilfred-Rodgers gift shop. A handful of storefronts remain vacant, such as the Embellishments boutique on Upper King Street. Even some associations have left town, such as the School Nutrition Association.
"There’s been a lot of competition in Alexandria over the last 10 years," said Winer. "And Alexandria just hasn’t kept pace."
ALEXANDRIA’S BUSINESS climate has been a source of concern for years. Many business owners have complained that navigating the permitting process in City Hall has become too cumbersome and time-consuming. Councilman Frank Fannon says he frequently hears from businesses that have had problems knowing what’s expected of them. For example, Fannon said, one recent case involved a man who wanted to open a hot-dog stand on the waterfront. He had to go through five different city agencies before he was able to start selling hot dogs.
"That’s a classic case of where we need to consolidate some of this," said Fannon. "Time is money in business, so we need to make the process of quick and efficient as possible."
Perhaps the best-known example of a business that found dealing with City Hall difficult is Michael Zarlenga, owner of the now defunct Trophy Room. To expand the space of his historic building, Zarlenga planned to conduct a partial demolition on the backside of his building. After spending time applying for all the necessary permits, his proposal was denied by the Board of Architectural Review. He later leased the building to a retailer that now sells pornography on King Street.
--The problem with Alexandria politicians is the misunderstanding that throwing enough money at the poverty problem will fix it. What we need is someone in charge who understands that someone has to get their hands dirty if anything is going to get fixed.
How'd they do that exactly? Where is money being "thrown?" --
Wouldn't you say facts like this would define "thrown"?
"Arlington and Virginia Beach have already taken efforts to combine their mental health treatment options with social-service providers. Perhaps this is why Alexandria’s per capita spending for mental health is more than twice as much as Arlington. Consolidating the three departments would also cut down on overhead, with three agencies spending a combined $7.8 million on leadership and management. City officials say moving toward a single-point of entry could simplify administration and offer more efficient service."
--Do you believe that the City is currently expending its funds wisely and efficiently in support of its anti-poverty objectives?
What spending?--
Or read this report on what Alexandria spends its revenues on. Make sure to visit Exhibit C5 and evaluate welfare expenditures per capita compared to other cities our size.
http://www.apa.virginia.gov/data/download/local_government/comparative_cost/Amended%20Cost%2009.xls
GO AHEAD, check it out....
But hey, if you don't want to believe that Alexandria suffers from an advanced case of affluenza, don't complain when your taxes go up each year:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=341934&paper=59&cat=104
Welfare Tops Spending
Social services form the bulk of per capita non-education spending in Northern Virginia.
By Michael Lee Pope
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Alexandria spends more for welfare and social services than any other category outside education, according to a recent report by the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts. And because of drastic differences in size and demographics, city taxpayers spend about twice as much per capita for welfare and social services than neighboring Fairfax County.
"ALEXANDRIA’S BUSINESS climate has been a source of concern for years. Many business owners have complained that navigating the permitting process in City Hall has become too cumbersome and time-consuming"
And City officials wonder why they can't attract young middle-class professionals?
We spend more than TWICE what Arlington and Fairfax spends on mental health, welfare and social services?????
Bang head against wall....
Why why why why????? Even D-freakin-C is cutting its welfare and social service programs. How can we be MORE backwards than DC???
" For example, Fannon said, one recent case involved a man who wanted to open a hot-dog stand on the waterfront. He had to go through five different city agencies before he was able to start selling hot dogs."
One doesn't have to go through any city agencies to start selling crack rock at the corner of Fayette and Madison.
This must be what Caring Communities is all about.
"MORE NEEDS TO BE done, according to business owners who remain frustrated with City Hall. Winer said his biggest frustration with the city was what he described as "an attitude" that Alexandria plays by its own rules and those who want to do business should either fall in line of leave town. For example, Winer said, Alexandria is the only city he’s ever done business in where his annual business license is tied to how much money he pulls in each year. Then there are the endless parade of consultants.
"In the decade we’ve been doing business here, we’ve seen the city spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on studies," he said. "But none of it ever gets implemented."
YEP, thats affluenza for you.
"City officials bristle at that suggestion, citing the opening of National Harbor as an example of a situation where the Alexandria government recognized potential problems and took action to prevent disaster. To prepare for the opening of the 300-acre "waterfront destination," city leaders approved a new water taxi to ferry passengers back and forth and created a new rubber-tire trolley service that operates from the river to the rails.
"
But hey, lets not try to make ourselves competitive so we can attract National Harbor retailers.
"Then there are the endless parade of consultants.
"In the decade we’ve been doing business here, we’ve seen the city spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on studies," he said. "But none of it ever gets implemented."
YA THINK
"" For example, Fannon said, one recent case involved a man who wanted to open a hot-dog stand on the waterfront. He had to go through five different city agencies before he was able to start selling hot dogs.""
Why can't anyone at City Hall see that this a problem?
We have requests for a new school, future requirements for redeveloped public housing units, and our City wants to give hot dog vendors the runaround
I have a new theory about this city... It is not in their interests to bring in more young, relatively affluent people by building homes and shops they would like. Why? Because those folks vote... And they would vote out the council, and vote to reduce the number of public housing units in Old Town, something the mayor and his buds don't want.
FYI... ARHA is a state agency, (not a non-profit though) and is exempt from paying any property taxes to the city. So, yeah, Alexandria looses hundreds of thousands of dollars in real estate revenue each year. This is why voucher based housing is interesting. The landowners who rent the housing pay taxes, and get full rent for each dwelling. The tenant pays an mount they can afford based on their family income.
I do find it very interesting that Arlington gets high end shops and restaurants, and our quaint city gets a new Hooka Shop on Lee Street, while the corner of King and Washington has Ross Dress for Less, Gap Outlet, and the parole office! Lovely, how exactly will these types of businesses attract young professionals who can bring more money into the city??
"I do find it very interesting that Arlington gets high end shops and restaurants"
Some of the newbies need to check their logic at the door when it comes to Alexandria. I know some newcomers moved here from more economically vibrant areas, but Alexandria's economic growth basically comes from its proximity to DC. We have little to no organic growth or original economic ideas.
"We have little to no organic growth or original economic ideas."
We had organic growth in spades for decades and took a back seat to no one, but it got priced out and withered everywhere. That is, everywhere except where the city gave its tax breaks to get business going on Mt. Vernon Ave. It's long overdue for the taxers and planners to get business-friendly in Old Town-PG.
"We had organic growth in spades for decades and took a back seat to no one, but it got priced out and withered everywhere."
We did not have organic growth where it was actively suppressed by the City, i.e. in PG/Braddock Road. Once they made it clear that they were "committed" to keeping public housing concentrated there, development was severely depressed. We are one stop from National Airport and just a few stops from DC. And walking distances to the desirable shops and restaurants on King. An obvious spot for development, including a very economically desirable hotel. Yet there is little quality development around the Braddock Road metroa nd Braddock Place is struggling. Why do you think that is? One answer: concentrated public housing which the City has made clear will NEVER change. They proved that through their decision regarding Bland. An outrage to redeposit those public housing units in an already saturated area.
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