The Good News:

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(No Transcript)
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• The Good News
• The National Capital Regions economy is strong
• Its one of the nations best places to weather
  a recession
• The Bad News
• The region has a shortage of 70,000 workforce
  housing units
• Teachers, police officers, and service
  employees cant afford
• to live here

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• Affordable Housing
• Critical to continued economic health of the
  NCR
• One of the most important issues facing our
  region

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• Washington Area Housing Partnership (WAHP)
• The regions only public-private partnership
  dedicated to promoting affordable housing
  solutions of all kinds

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Discussion Point What are the most important
jobs in our community?
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• Service workers
• Childcare providers
• Emergency medical
• technicians

• Police officers
• Firefighters
• Teachers
• Clinicians

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Q Who needs affordable housing?
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• Some of the most important members of a
  communitythe people who help make it safe,
  smart, and strongneed affordable housing.
• The need for affordable housing can arise at
  various stages of life
• New graduates
• One-income families (after death, separation or
  divorce)
• Fixed-income individuals (following retirement or
  disability)

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Discussion Point Who qualifies as low income?
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• Area Median Income (AMI)
• The AMI for the Washington Metropolitan Area
  was
• 99,000 in FY 2008
• HUD FY 2008 Income Limits Summary

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• Luz Serrano
• Mother of two children
• Moved from Puerto Rico to
• Virginia, searching for a new
• beginning and a better school
• system for her children
• Is currently enrolled in
• language school

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Discussion Point How much do they REALLY earn?
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Counselor and Social Worker Teacher Emergency
Medical Technician and Paramedic Nursing Aide,
Orderly, and Attendant Firefighter Correctional
Officer and Jailer Security Guard Cook, Food
Prep Worker, Waiter, and Dishwasher Janitor and
Cleaner Childcare Worker Bank
Teller Construction Laborer Driver (Bus, Truck,
Taxi, or Chauffeur)
52,504 55,120 44,480 26,520 52,660 50,6
90 30,240 21,800 22,640 21,480 25,540
29,130 30,430
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• Bill Brown, 67
• Retired radiation therapist at
• Georgetown University Hospital
• Now living on a fixed income
• Has a daughter and twin
• grandsons in the area
• Thankful that he can live
• nearby and stay in the region he
• has called home for many years

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• Misperceptions About Affordable Housing
• Affordable housing is public housing and
  requires huge government subsidies.
• People who need affordable housing dont work
  and collect welfare.
• Affordable housing development brings down
  property values and attracts drug dealers and
  criminals.
• The density of affordable housing causes traffic
  and overcrowding on public transit.
• A shortage of affordable housing doesnt affect
  me.

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Discussion Point Affordable or
Market-Rate Can you tell the difference?
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Try to identify the affordable housing property.
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Try to identify the affordable housing property.
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Try to identify the affordable housing property.
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Q How will more affordable housing benefit our
region?
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Discussion Point Brainstorm some of the
benefits of affordable housing.
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Diversity of populations, diversity of professions
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• Stronger workforces

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• Healthier families

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• Reduced traffic congestion

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Discussion Point Raise your hand if
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• You know someone who lives in a committed
  affordable housing unit.

• You know someone who could really benefit
  from
• living in a committed affordable housing
  unit at
• this time in their life.

• You have at some point in your life needed
• affordable housing options.

• You can think of a situation that could put
  you in a
• position where you might need affordable
  housing
• options.

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• We Cant Afford to Wait!
• Problems will get worse (more traffic, difficulty
  finding workers, public health concerns)
• Housing costs are rising far more rapidly than
  incomes
• There are important benefits that can come from
  affordable housing initiatives

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• What Can You Do?
• Support local efforts! Be open to new ideas.
  Dont let anyone assume the worst about a
  proposed project.
• Get involved! Ask questions and learn more.
• Help us help others! Volunteer for or give to a
  local nonprofit group in our community that helps
  create and preserve affordable housing.
• Join the effort! Help us lobby local governments.
  There are plenty of tools and options available.

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Vital Statistics for Our Community Fairfax
County, VA
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Fairfax County, VA (2007) Population Housing
units Median household income Mean household
income Owners with a mortgage paying 30 or more
on housing costs Renters paying 30 or more on
housing costs Poverty rate
1,010,241 392,338 105,241 131,107 35 41
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Q Why do we need affordable housing in Fairfax
County?
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• Shortage of housing units
• A projected 84,000 new housing units will be
  needed for households earning up to 120 percent
  of AMI from 2005 - 2025.
• Income greater than the AMI is needed to live
  without a public subsidy
• Income needed for a family of five to live
  without a public subsidy in Fairfax County is 123
  percent AMI.
• Dramatically rising home prices and rents
• Average sales price for all types of housing from
  2000 to 2006 increased 125 percent.
• In 2000, 64 percent of units for sale were priced
  at 250,000 and below. By 2005, that number
  decreased to 3 percent.
• Projected rent increase is 7 percent per year.

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Examples of Affordable Housing in Our Community
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• Hollybrooke II III
• 3012 Patrick Henry Drive
• 148-unit garden-style apartment community

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• Westcott Ridge
• Ridge Top Road
• County purchased 10 units in a larger, market-
  rate condominium development
• Made affordable to firefighters in training

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• Crescent Apartments
• 1527 Cameron Crescent Drive
• 180-unit garden-style
• apartment community

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• Janna Lee Village
• 7986 Janna Lee Avenue
• Formerly known as Creekside Village
• 319-unit garden-style apartment community

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For more information visit www.wahpdc.org