FOX 5 Investigates: Luxury Affordables: MyFoxDC.com

FOX 5 Investigates: Luxury Affordables


FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - As Fairfax County commuters waited in the heat for their bus, many like Ryan Lauer, wished they had a pool waiting at home.

"That would be great!" Lauer says. "But we would have to pay. At my community right now, we don't have a pool."

What Ryan and thousands of other county taxpayers don’t realize is they are already paying for these pools. But as the gates imply, don’t expect to be allowed in for a quick dip.

“That’s not very cool,” Lauer says. “I don’t have access to that.”

FOX 5 has discovered Fairfax County taxpayers are footing the bill for luxury amenities like pools, billiards tables and indoor basketball courts as part of its affordable housing program run by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

“These are amenities that the people, the taxpayers that are subsidizing this housing don’t have,” says Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity. “So, you've got people that are subsidizing other folks to have these luxury amenities and that's just not right."

Developers who want to build high-density condos and townhomes in Fairfax County are required to sell some of their units at reduced prices to the county, who in turn, rents these units for as little as $300 a month to low-income families, the elderly and the disabled.

“I agree with affordable housing,” says Tina Wright, another county resident waiting for a bus. “But you don't need a clubhouse and a homeowners association and fresh flowers every month. That is ridiculous and I pay taxes, so to me, that is crazy."

Herrity is also upset with some of RHA’s decisions. He says RHA bought townhomes with brick driveways and brick sidewalks in a million dollar neighborhood in McLean, which means taxpayers are also paying the homeowners association fees that go with living in a neighborhood like this.

"Our taxpayers are paying for it,” Herrity says. “It is up to us to make sure we are prudently using taxpayer dollars and I think in this case, we are not prudently using taxpayer dollars."

Records obtained by FOX 5 show the RHA is paying homeowner association fees on more than 500 condos and townhomes, including one development with two outdoor pools, a clubroom, an athletic center and a billiards room. Another comes with an exercise room, indoor basketball court, party room and sports pub.

Based on the documents, amenities like these end up costing the county an estimated $1.3 million in homeowner association fees every year.

"Obviously it doesn't sound good,” Lauer says. “It sounds like just another area where they are not really paying attention to where the money is going."

"I would rather see them not spend the money on the extras and actually use the money on more of the bare essentials to help more people," says Jamie Adams, another Fairfax County taxpayer.

Ron Christian just retired as Chairman of RHA.

"We have a really good housing policy in this county. I am proud of it. I am proud to be a leader of it,” he says.

Christian says RHA follows a strict policy on which units to buy.

"That policy has to do with diversity, making sure we don't put all affordable housing of any kind in one location all the time,” says Christian.

He says the federal government recently gave RHA the very best rating possible for financial management and suggests the county might actually be saving money by paying homeowner association fees.

"They pay for certain things that if we didn't pay a homeowners fee, we would have to send staff from RHA to do. Snow removal, garbage pickup in some cases,” says Christian.

But Herrity remains skeptical.

"These people living in these million dollar homes with these amenities have no real incentive to improve themselves because as soon as they get a raise, they are going to have to move out of these nice units and they're going to end up in units not nearly as nice as the ones they're in."


Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/special_report/fox-5-investigates-luxury-affordables-062711#ixzz1QYpkqO59

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thats what you get when you try and spread the wealth around,a more in depth investigation would have interviewed some residents who lived in these neighborHOODS to see how they felt about living with sobsidized housing units in their communisty.money can't buy you exclusivity when bleeting hearts call the shots.

And how many of those people living in subsidized housing are scamming the system?

__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.

I bought a condo a few years back and had one of the wonderful low income units next to me and was never told about it. Every year a new set of trash would move in until the inside was ruined and the county would come in and refurbish it. Nice scam for the lazy.

Warhawk Wrote:
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> And how many of those people living in subsidized
> housing are scamming the system?

I interviewed someone a few years back, and when we started to talk about salary, her biggest concern was that she might be offered too much (lol, something you *NEVER* hear). She said she was in some rent-controlled living situation, and she would lose it if she earned too much money. I thought that was sorta fucked up, but it also could've been a source of cheap labor who'd never bug me for a raise or bonus.

Notice they don't identify some of these "luxury" condo projects. The county owns 20% of the units at ParcReston at a cost of approximately $150K/unit. You can get a nice photo shot of the swimming pool and clubhouse with the buildings in the background to make it appear nice, but it's still a run-of-the-mill apartment complex where rents are in the range of 1400-2000.

TheMeeper Wrote:
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> ...She said she was in some rent-controlled living situation, and
> she would lose it if she earned too much money...

Variations on this theme have been going on for quite some time - it is why Florida is full of octogenarians "living in sin" - cohabiting without getting married. If they get married, they lose their dead-spouses' pensions.

I know someone who limits her working hours (hourly worker) because she does not want to lose her government-paid medical benefits for herself and her kid nor her subsidized apartment - same reason she hasn't married the guy she's been going with for a decade.

Typical Fox report.

Biased report indeed. The county does have some mansionettes where they house low income people. They look like mansions to people passing by in cars, but a closer look shows the mansions are actually 4 or more townhomes. I'm not sure what they call these, but the Washington Post ran a piece about these homes in the Tysons Corner area several years ago. I believe they're located in the first subdivision on Leesburg Pike across the Toll Road from Tysons Corner.

Mansion quadplex (#5)



article: http://www.hispanic5.com/no_need_to_be_ugly.htm

look, the guy from the housing authority is correct-concentrated low income housing is not good for the local economy. It produces crime and lousy schools that cost us tons of money in the long run...drop outs and prisons.

HOWEVER, a big HOWEVER, we have to find a balance. Can't we integrate low income housing in middle class neighborhoods without having to buy into high end markets?

This does not seem all that complicated.

I rather have concentrated institutionalized urban renewal poverty boxes like in the 60-80's…they worked well.
Attachments:

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Warhawk Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And how many of those people living in
> subsidized
> > housing are scamming the system?
>
> I interviewed someone a few years back, and when
> we started to talk about salary, her biggest
> concern was that she might be offered too much
> (lol, something you *NEVER* hear). She said she
> was in some rent-controlled living situation, and
> she would lose it if she earned too much money. I
> thought that was sorta fucked up, but it also
> could've been a source of cheap labor who'd never
> bug me for a raise or bonus.

I was a recruiter for a temp company years ago, and this happened all the time. We'd call several potential temps at home, only to hear their well-rehearsed explanations that if they worked X hours this week, they'd be ineligible for their disability, welfare, child support or other "benefit checks." Each knew exactly the max amount of hours/income they *could* work without losing benefits.

I'm in social services now and it is shocking how many county-funded flophouses there are now. Look at any older, garden-style apartments in Fairfax County and you can be certain that all have an astounding percentage of low-income, Section 8 residents. Sure, these complexes have pools and gyms but drive by and the pools sit empty.

This Surprizes you why?

Experiment has been tried to mix in the poor amongst wealthy families, and the results were disastrous for the children.

I drove though a complex owned by the Co. Housing Authority & all the cars in the parking lots are newer then mine.

I know everybody pictures "welfare queens" in these deals but the one person that I know personally that lives in a subsidized townhouse is anything but a welfare queen.

She is a white, 27 year old mother of three boys who was living a normal middle class life until her husband got killed in a car wreck and she lost about everything. No life insurance and no family able to help. So, she works two part-time low wage jobs that enable her to raise her boys and lives in a County subsidized townhouse.

I don't know if she minimizes her hours to not lose eligibility for the townhouse, but I wouldn't blame her a damned bit if she did. She could work 24/7 and still not be able to afford the place.

She's a great mom and an absolutely beautiful girl. No drugs or loser boyfriends around. She could make a ton of money as a stripper, etc but she has way too much class for that kind of shit. Her boys are her number one priority and I'll bet they turn out just fine. And part of the reason I think that is they are not growing up in a fucking ghetto.

If she lived next door to you, you'd never know any of this by casual observation. Your wife would be keeping a close eye on your ass, though!

say Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know everybody pictures "welfare queens" in
> these deals but the one person that I know
> personally that lives in a subsidized townhouse is
> anything but a welfare queen.
>
> She is a white, 27 year old mother of three boys
> who was living a normal middle class life until
> her husband got killed in a car wreck and she lost
> about everything. No life insurance and no family
> able to help. So, she works two part-time low
> wage jobs that enable her to raise her boys and
> lives in a County subsidized townhouse.
>
> I don't know if she minimizes her hours to not
> lose eligibility for the townhouse, but I wouldn't
> blame her a damned bit if she did. She could work
> 24/7 and still not be able to afford the place.
>
> She's a great mom and an absolutely beautiful
> girl. No drugs or loser boyfriends around. She
> could make a ton of money as a stripper, etc but
> she has way too much class for that kind of shit.
> Her boys are her number one priority and I'll bet
> they turn out just fine. And part of the reason I
> think that is they are not growing up in a fucking
> ghetto.
>
> If she lived next door to you, you'd never know
> any of this by casual observation. Your wife
> would be keeping a close eye on your ass, though!


PICS OR GTFO!

@ say - that's the type of people that the programs are meant to help. Not the lazy soul sucking trash that typically benefits from social programs.

__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.

There are some condos in Alexandria that have an amount of section 8 housing. You can always tell which ones because the units on both sides are for sale and the door to the section 8 unit is covered in kick marks and magic marker. You give someone something for free they will never appreciate it.

Want to see where their money is going drop by the local 7-11 and look for the mountains of scratch and win losers and empty beer/wine bottles. Welfare was never meant to be a lifetime program just a temporary fix. Yet now it has become just another lifetime entitlement where the takers live better than the payers. Where more kids equals more money.

Also see: All of Reston aka Cathy Hudgin's Lair of Section 8

mixed feelings Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> look, the guy from the housing authority is
> correct-concentrated low income housing is not
> good for the local economy. It produces crime and
> lousy schools that cost us tons of money in the
> long run...drop outs and prisons.
>
> HOWEVER, a big HOWEVER, we have to find a balance.
> Can't we integrate low income housing in middle
> class neighborhoods without having to buy into
> high end markets?
>
> This does not seem all that complicated.

It is because I don't want to live by trash like you! or any reliefers, that is

Les Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mansion quadplex (#5)
>
> http://www.hispanic5.com/real_estate_111502_a.jpg
>
> article:
> http://www.hispanic5.com/no_need_to_be_ugly.htm

They did the same thing in Centreville - just off Walney Road. The put in several high-end houses and then some 4-plexes to look like a large luxury home. The unfortunate part is that you have some ghetto parking going on behind these homes with the impressive facades.

it is sad, here we are working 2 to 3 jobs to make our ends meet and some people are given free ride, fairfax county needs to stop this and may be put money in giving them skills to go and earn honest living like all of us. Does any one know what can we do to change this.

Sharon Bulova is the reason for this crap. Her whole feel good libtard self missioning political career is based on affordable housing. Vote this brain dead idiot out.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/chairman/news/affordable.htm
"A Chairman’s Business Roundtable Discussion Group charged with identifying strategies for accelerating economic recovery in Fairfax County, and new economic development opportunities. Focus of the group includes the Energy Efficiency and Conservation program and development of affordable housing strategies to ensure sufficient workforce housing in Tysons and other re-developing areas of the County."

Biased? The places are actually dumps and just made to look fancy; BS. Look at the pictures from another article about this program: http://wmal.com/Article.asp?id=2225336

The bottom line is that people not contributing to society by working a job should NOT be living in apartments or condos that most of the county's working and taxpaying population can not afford for themselves.

The welfare recipient living next door to my aunt just told her that welfare is buying her a car to aid her with her job search. Yeah, I'm sure that's what it'll be used for.

Before buying our home, my wife & I lived in a very nice apartment community. When the person under us moved out, two welfare housing voucher women moved into the apartment. EVERY night after the clubs closed, they'd come rolling-in with a gang of people, turn up the music loud enough to wake everyone in the adjacent apartments, and smoke enough pot that the smoke literally poured out of our utility room (that had conduits to their's). It took six months to get rid of them and the only thing that finally did the job was repeated calls to the police who got to witness first hand 20 or 30 times the obscenely loud music and cloud of pot smoke. It was six months of hell for us and our neighbors who all worked and preferred to sleep at 3 in the morning.

People who leech off of society do not deserve anything better than the absolute necessities; their lives should be filled with lots of incentives to better themselves and get a job, NOT more handouts so they can afford to sell their food stamps for enough to buy cigarettes, pot, beer, and even vacations!

Part of this never ending cycle has to do with the housing bubble.Houses almost always appreciate.They usually do so much more gradually than they have in the last 10 to 20 years.Cities contribute to the cycle by getting rid of non taxpayer supported lower income housing[city of the future plans]IE rooming houses and apts.Many of these were owned outright by the realtors-private individuals renting them.They were able to charge lower rates without gov subsidies.Can't have that.Free enterprise lower and middle class being self sufficient.It blocks the city from being a poverty case and needing welfare.Lets face it if we don't stop this madness in a few years unless you make over a million dollars you won't be able to rent or abtain a morgage.

To enviers: Please do not start with an e,neither does the big E! You are NO smarter than your leader(s) whom created such programs. Moreover, remember " Neither shall their silver and their gold be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord" and "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy."Peace.

If you whiners don't STFU, I've got plenty more ideas of how to spend your tax dollars! I just got re-elected by all the undocumented immigrants that I've been putting into luxury housing on your dime, and no one can touch me now! Now get back to work and earn some more money for me and my socialist board of directors!

The bottom line is they dont appreciate what is given for free. When a place starts to get old the sooner you tear it up the sooner the government comes in and builds you a new one. What incentive is there to work or move up when you get a better place living on welfare. Thanks Sharon.