The goal of the Arlington County Board is to create an environment in which individuals feel a part of a larger, supportive community, sensitive to their needs. That community, making use of the creativity and compassion of its members, will address the needs of its citizens, with particular attention to those facing the greatest need. Fundamental to this vision of community is equality of opportunity in employment, housing, and other aspects of life.
Strong neighborhoods build a vital community. Good housing is one of the basic building blocks of strong neighborhoods. Citizen participation is critical to the identification of neighborhood needs and solutions.
To provide and maintain the desired quality of life, it is essential that a range of housing choices be available to accommodate households of all income levels, sizes, and special needs. Individual needs will vary, e.g., from one-time monetary assistance to a range of support services such as job training, child care, and in-home health care. The goal is to improve housing stability and foster self-sufficiency by addressing that range of needs.
Communities are made up of systems which must work together in order to
thrive. Coordination of County services with private resources optimizes
service delivery and minimizes duplication of efforts. Working in partnership
with Federal and State governments, non-profits, the business community, private
developers, citizen groups, and volunteers promotes full utilization of
resources.
This vision is designed to guide housing, homeless, and community development goals and strategies within the County. The Consolidated Plan provides the framework for implementing that vision over the next three year period. The Plan views the community as a whole and addresses individual needs within that broad context (e.g., affordable housing, adequate infrastructure, fair housing, economic development, and job training). For persons who are homeless, greater emphasis is being placed on addressing needs through a "continuum of care" approach, including services designed to foster self-sufficiency and provide a support network with the goal of preventing future homelessness. The Plan takes a two- pronged approach:
The Consolidated Plan combines the planning, application, and reporting procedures for four entitlement programs funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):
| PROGRAM | FUNDING LEVEL |
|---|---|
| Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) | $2,399,200 |
| HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) | 802,500 |
| Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) | 84,000 |
| Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) | 93,500 |
| $3,379,200 |
The Plan presents a comprehensive overview of anticipated uses of a broad range of Federal, State, local, and private funding resources for housing, homeless, and community development needs. Included are resources such as the Section 8 rent assistance, State housing rehabilitation programs, and Federal McKinney funds for homeless programs.
The Consolidated Plan submission includes:
This is an interim plan, which will be updated following development of comprehensive revitalization plans by each of the four neighborhoods and adoption of the proposed continuum of care for the homeless.
The Plan also provides an analysis of demographic data, housing market conditions, geographic areas having concentrations of housing needs, regulatory barriers to affordable housing, and impediments to fair housing choice.
The County's Consolidated Plan identifies five key goals:
The major strategies to address these goals are listed in Section 1, with
detailed discussion in later sections of the Plan of the range of strategies
being undertaken. A major theme throughout is to address needs in a coordinated
way, e.g., to review a housing rehabilitation project within the broader context
of the service needs of its residents.
The County has a tradition of in-depth citizen involvement in all aspects of community life. The Plan fosters broad citizen participation in strategic planning. Particular emphasis is placed on expanding participation by low income, minority, and limited-English speaking persons, for whom many of the programs are designed. For the NSAs, emphasis will be placed on the residents developing the overarching strategy to meet their preferred vision of the future of their community. Citizens and staff developed an Interim Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), adopted by the County Board in December 1994. The Housing Commission and the Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee (CDCAC) invite public participation in the important task of developing the final CPP in mid-1995.
The next table compares the total number of elderly, family, and single households with the number needing some form of housing assistance. Almost 90% of all households with incomes below 50% of the median faced serious housing problems in 1990. Over half of all low income households were paying over 50% of income for rent. Rent burden is overwhelmingly the largest problem; other problems include living in overcrowded conditions or substandard housing.
| All | Needing Assistance | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elderly | 2,418 | 1,913 | 79% |
| Small Families (2-4) | 3,286 | 2,946 | 90% |
| Large Families (5+) | 942 | 906 | 96% |
| All Others | 4,511 | 3,917 | 87% |
| TOTAL | 11,157 | 9,682 | 88% |
The major strategies to address these needs are to: 1) increase the number of units committed to remain affordable over the long term, and 2) provide rent subsidies. Programs are available for low and moderate income renters and owners with particular attention to the special housing support services needed by residents, e.g., creation of 3- and 4-bedroom units for large families, provision of in-home health services to the elderly and persons with disabilities.
The following bullets highlight some aspects of housing need in the County:
Despite national and local efforts, the problem of homelessness has been increasing rather than decreasing. Arlington, working in concert with shelter providers, non- profits, concerned citizens, and homeless persons, is developing a "continuum of care" for the homeless, designed to break the cycle of homelessness. The purpose of a continuum of care model of services is to assist in developing a logical system of services and service delivery that is comprehensive, clear and consistent. The goal is to develop a seamless system of housing and support services, guiding the individual or family back into self-sufficiency.
The Plan displays a flow chart showing the draft continuum as of January 1995. HUD's plan is to provide funding assistance through restructured and streamlined McKinney grant programs in accordance with a locality's plan as set forth in its continuum of care.
The Consolidated Plan addresses many community development needs in conjunction with housing. Included in this section are the County's needs, resources and strategies which address:
Arlington has several mechanisms in place for citizens to identify and recommend responses to infrastructure and public facility needs, including the Neighborhood Conservation Program (NC), the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and the Vision 2020 planning process. In February 1995 the County began implementation of the Neighborhood Services Project (NSP). The NSP is designed to improve service delivery through better integration and coordination of services within a particular geographic area of the County.
Public service programs which address the needs of low and moderate income elderly, families, youth, and persons with disabilities are given high priority in the Consolidated Plan. CDBG funds will be combined with other Federal, State and local resources to address their public service needs, with particular attention to in Neighborhood Strategy Areas (NSAs). Economic development activities are also emphasized in the Plan. CDBG funds, combined with other resources, will encourage job creation and job training opportunities for low income and minority groups. Historic preservation efforts will focus on County-wide surveys, public education, and coordination between departments. Energy efficiency strategies, as well as lead- based paint abatement efforts, will be incorporated into rehabilitation projects.
In order to maximize the impact and effectiveness of limited resources, the County's strategy is to concentrate CDBG and other resources in a small number of low and moderate income neighborhoods to bring about substantial and comprehensive improvements in the physical, housing, social, and economic conditions of the neighborhoods within a reasonable period of time.
Seven neighborhoods are under consideration for NSA designation by the County Board in late April. The following areas are recommended to be designated (or continued) as Neighborhood Strategy Areas for the next three years:
Arna Valley
Buckingham
Columbia Heights West
Nauck
Concentrating efforts in a small number of neighborhoods results in a more noticeable upgrading of the targeted areas than if the programs are scattered. The County also is able to focus planning and improvement efforts on a number of interrelated problems which will more likely result in revitalization of the area. The County's neighborhood strategy area programs address a broad range of neighborhood needs, including planning assistance, housing improvements, economic development, coordination of existing social and other public services, supplementary services, improvements to public facilities, and increased citizen involvement in community activities and improvement efforts. Following designation detailed neighborhood planning will take place in the four neighborhoods to develop revitalization plans.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and proposed HUD funded projects.
Consolidated Plan Task Force
Anne F. Odell, Department Director
Joan L. Linderman, Task Force Chair
Frances M. Lunney, Editor
PH: (703) 358-3785
