TD Forum on Affordable Housing: Where were Chesterfield’s Representatives? September 27, 2006
Posted by responsiblegrowth in Uncategorized.trackback
By Mike Harton
President, RGAC
September 26’s Richmond Times-Dispatch “Public Square” forum on affordable housing draw a packed house for a passion-packed hour-and-a-half. Who represented Chesterfield County at the meeting? With the exception of Tom Jacobson, Director of Revitalization and Community Development, I saw no county officials present—no commissioners, no supervisors, no other staff members. Proof that affordable housing is not on their radar screen?
Who represented Chesterfield at the forum? Scores of hands went up when Tom Silvestri asked who was present from Chesterfield. Our county was well represented by our citizens, many of whom spoke informatively and passionately about the subject. In addition to remarks by RGA member Shelly Schuetz (who drew enthusiastic applause) I called attention to the fact that, despite our county officials’ assertions that there is plenty of affordable housing, there is no affordable new construction. Even for our public servants—firemen, police, teachers, service workers—there is little available, and as Jacobson pointed out, what is available is older housing lacking in quality of life amenities such as parks, sidewalks, etc.
In the past developers provided a wide price range in new construction, Woodlake being a prime example.
Under any circumstances we cannot simply assert that there is ample affordable housing available today. We should be planning for the future, including planning for an increasingly diverse population. For example, what useable housing will be available to a growing aging population?
A two-year old Virginia Tech study asserts that demand is projected to grow by the thousands, will supply is not increasing.
Municipalities can address the issue in their comprehensive plans if they have the courage (of course, first it has to hit their radar). For example, why couldn’t cluster homes include a certain percentage of affordable units? This might be done by eliminating some interior “luxury amenities” while maintaining a uniform exterior. But there should be incentives, whether in the form of tax credits, interest free loans of by other means, and whether it is for new construction, redevelopment or for encouraging investors to set aside some properties for section 8 housing.
A news release from HUD reports that Chesterfield received over $2,000,000 in grants to address the affordable housing issue. Has anyone seen a report of how those funds have been used?
There are solutions if we have the will to find and create them. To be fair, citizens have to work with the county and with developers to educate and influence our NIMBY neighbors.
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Wazzup! Bored between classes here so decided to introduce myself.
Anyways, I had this urge to talk about an event. Here is what happened When I was done with school one day I headed out, I hadn’t eaten lunch so I took a detour to this fast food joint and picked this sandwitch from the menu and then went off to eat it in a corner after finishing it I realized I had not paid for it!
Yeah evidently they were super busy and distracted because there was this manager/investor type looking around everywhere and talking to them. So I was just about to go up to the counter and say I hadn’t paid but then I realized if I did that the owner guy might get mad at the employees. So I just left. What should I have done do you think?
Yup
There is no financial crisis
Wazzup! I’ve hung around watching and reading for ages here.
Well, tbh I had this experience recently. Here is what happened School was out and I was heading home, I was starving so I stopped in at this restaurant and picked this sandwitch from the menu and took it to a table and sat down when it suddenly occured to me they didn’t charge me!
Yeah evidently they were super busy and distracted because there was this manager/investor type looking around everywhere and talking to them.
The reason I didn’t realize this was well I was obsessing over this concept about last year’s dow jones numbers. The fact is that nothing crashed except currency! All the people in all the companies are still there, all the technology is still there and not forgotton. Now obviously besides the fact that the dollar is known to have lost value the price of stock(in dollars) has also crashed. Now think! Shouldn’t the opposite have happened? How can stock value fall more than currency? It can’t! This financial crisis is purely psychological and those who don’t snap out of it are doomed to failure. Not that it matters much to me personally at this stage in my life though but my guess is that most people are fully unaware or only partly aware that most stock is currently undervalued and there will be no depression. This is so audaciously simple that it just goes over everyone’s heads. All of these figures of low growth don’t mean anything. Answer me this, if the growth of the last decade was 20% then what difference does it make if everything shrinks by 10% over the next decade? Answer, none! There is no crisis or as that one person whose name I don’t recall right now said, it’s just an opportunity.
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