Posted by Jill Norcross on December 07, 2009 at 19:39:43:
Keeping Apartments Affordable: County Board aims to help
Buchanan Gardens residents remain in their homes
By Yamiche Alcindor
The Washington Post
November 26, 2009
As tall cranes line Columbia Pike and
development plans offer the Arlington County
neighborhood a new future, lawmakers,
developers and nonprofit groups agree that the
ability of Buchanan Gardens residents to
remain in the area is at risk. They are the face of
affordable housing, and they are the people
who history shows are the first to be bought
out when attractive buildings and shops are
ushered in.
The Arlington County Board voted Nov. 14 to
protect some of these residents. In a unanimous
decision, the board approved a $7.1 million loan
to the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing for the purchase of Buchanan Gardens. As
part of the deal, APAH, a nonprofit group,
pledged to keep 66 of the complex's 111 units
affordable for the next 60 years.
"This is a rare opportunity for the county to help
preserve and improve affordable housing suitable for families close to Columbia Pike," said County
Board Chairman Barbara A. Favola (D). "The county's investment in Buchanan Gardens
underscores its commitment to aggressively seeking opportunities to preserve affordable housing as
development pressures intensify."
More than 90 percent of housing around Columbia Pike is considered affordable. Development
plans for the area could change that in a few years. To brace for the change, board members have
begun strategizing how to keep the area's diverse population intact. The money for the loan came
from the county's Affordable Housing Investment Fund.
Favola said she hopes to see not only the preservation but also the improvement of affordable
housing along the pike. "I have consistently asked staff to talk to building owners and explain to
them opportunities for investing in properties," she said. "The last thing I want is market-affordable
housing to be bought by developers and made into luxury apartments. Affordable housing doesn't
mean old, run-down buildings. It can mean a family-friendly building."
Nina Janopaul, president and chief executive of APAH, said her organization plans to renovate
Buchanan Gardens. The buildings, at 914-934 S. Buchanan St., date to 1949 and need repairs for
major code violations and safety hazards, county officials said. Monthly rents range from $835 to
$1,395.
Janopaul said her organization plans to add bedrooms to some of the units and make some
accessible to people with disabilities. Once complete, she said, the renovated apartment complex will
include 55 one-bedroom apartments, 49 two-bedroom units and seven three-bedroom units.
Janopaul said APAH also plans to create a building office as well as a community space, which will
include a playground.
"Our fear is that properties like this are more likely to be torn down," she said. "We don't want to
lose the character of the neighborhood."
Despite these plans, about 6,500 apartments along Columbia Pike or nearby remain at risk of
becoming unaffordable. The market determines the rent in these apartments.
Favola said she hopes to see more developments become committed to affordable housing
initiatives but understands the challenges that the future holds.
"It's going to be a struggle," she said.
Staff researcher Lucy Shackelford contributed to this report.