About a year ago when the Arlington Greens were just beginning their advocacy of a public housing authority in Arlington to better deal with affordable housing, the Arlington County manager appointed yet another “Arlington Housing Taskforce” to come up with solutions for this problem.

She and the county board refused to appoint an Arlington Green representative of course, and the taskforce has the usual group of insiders, Democratic Party supporters, government contractors, and others seeking favors or funds from the county government.

Not too many “new ideas” in that bunch. Yet another example of government appointing yet another taskforce and coming up with recommendations not likely to be implemented nor to be effective in any event even if implemented.

Then the county housing department spends $375,000 to hire a GMU professor to further “study” the issue and support this aimless group. So a county government supported group of citizens over the past year has done nothing and now needs $375,000 contractor to support it in its work which consists mostly of hot air.

What is to study about Arlington’s affordable housing program except that is an abject failure–failing to stem the tide of nearly three-quarters of existing affordable rental housing disappearing since 2000, and that the county’s nearly $60 million a year program needs to be junked.

This past week of February 21, the taskforce came up with housing principles (see link below). These principles are clichés and nonsense. For example:
http://arlingtonva.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2014/02/Housing-Study-APPROVED-DRAFT-PRINCIPLES.pdf

Affordable housing should be safe and decent.
Wow, pretty radical. Does anyone in their right mind think that housing of any sort should not be “safe and decent?” Then they have to hire a bigshot GMU professor at $375,000 to help this hapless group come up with this drivel.

No housing discrimination in Arlington!
Wow. That is also against Federal, Virginia and county law, already.

County government leaders should be involved in affordable housing solutions.
Wow again. YOU THINK?? Arlington is already the second most expensive place in the entire region and the state to rent; about three-quarters of the current affordable rental stock is gone, and you think your elected county leaders ought to be involved? Over HALF of county residents rent today; don’t you think that leaders should be worried and concerned about how tenants are treated and excessive rents?

Some cynics think that today the county board members are only concerned about the profits of big time developers in Crystal City and Rosslyn, and forget the wellbeing of the majority of people who live in Arlington who rent their homes.

Just my opinion.