Arlington Greens support the county manager’s proposal to increase FY 2022 spending on housing grants to $12.7 million, and also the $17.5 million proposal for emergency Covid spending that includes emergency rental assistance for unpaid rents, food assistance and related help to residents who lost income or jobs during the pandemic.

While the good news is that widespread vaccinations will make possible reopening, many tenants are facing unpaid back rents and need help in FY 2022 to avoid eviction.
We have reservations about the $8.9 million the manager proposes to spend for AHIF to fund the building of more subsidized apartments CAFs) next fiscal year.

There is a glut of market rate apartments and subsidized units available for rent today in Arlington, and now is a bad time for any new units to enter the market, private or nonprofit.

Commercial realty companies report that rents in Arlington for apartments have dropped from 8 to 15 percent in the past 12 months, depending on the neighborhood, and there are at least 15% of existing apartments are now vacant. The county housing division this month listed about 100 CAFs available for rent, and thus even CAFs are empty, and the nonprofit providers having a hard time renting existing CAFs.

The best way to provide housing assistance right now is a housing voucher or an emergency grant to pay back unpaid rents. There are still thousands of renter households who maintained their jobs but still pay over 50 percent of their incomes for rent (generally tenant earning under 50% of the area median income). The county should shift all of the new AHIF funds into housing grants or emergency back rent grants so that tenants can stay in their apartments and not have a heavy housing cost burden.

We invite you to a silent, socially distanced protest on Saturday, March 20, at 10 am outside the Febrey house (6407 Wilson Boulevard, at Wilson and McKinley Road) to grieve the county board’s decision to allow demolition of the house and estate before the April 17 public hearing on historic preservation of the estate.   

The county board granted the demolition permit to the property owner despite our pleas and common sense to keep the house intact until after the public hearing. 

The property owner has refused to allow county historians to even visit the house and grounds-we believe there are Civil War artifacts and possible human remains of Civil War soldiers buried on the property.  Many mature trees, some a hundred years old, and shrubs will be lost in addition to the house. 

Our county government refuses to use its authority under state law and county ordinance to save this historic site and places the profits of a developer above our community’s interest in more parkland and keeping an important Civil War historic site.

Bring your camera and your own sign urging the county borad to reverse its decision and stop the bulldozers.

The county board under state law could have delayed issuing the demo permit and followed state historic preservation law.  Instead, the board really wants the estate bulldozed before its April 17 public hearing. 

The county parks and rec commission has repeatedly asked the county board for a decade to purchase the property and add it to our parkland, but the county board refuses and pleads poverty even though Arlington voters have repeatedly approved many millions of dollars for parks bonds to purchase more parkland.  

It is outrageous in a wealthy community such as Arlington with a rising population that these 9 acres of mostly open land cannot be purchased as a park for all to enjoy, and the house preserved as a historic center and community house for all residents to enjoy.   Thousands of Union soliders camped and lived on the Febrey house which also served as a hospital, and significant battles fought nearby.

Silent protest:    Wear a mask, bring your own sign if possible                           

Saturday, March 20, 10 AM  Outside the Febrey House,

6407 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington VA  22205

                            Please park on McKinley Road or on Madison Street.