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https://www.arlnow.com/2024/11/19/advocates-for-affordable-housing-on-faith-parcels-make-new-appeal/

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https://www.dcnewsnow.com/video/advocates-hope-additional-funding-for-after-school-programs-help-drug-problem/9706892/

VOICE 2023 Impact … Read more

VOICE 2023 Impact Report

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https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/arlington-board-meet-again-vote-missing-middles-next-phase

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https://www.fox5dc.com/news/arlington-missing-middle-homes-debate-continues

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/26/arlington-missing-middle-zoning-eightplex/

BREAKING: Arlington County Board gives green light to hearings on Missing … Read more

BREAKING: Arlington County Board gives green light to hearings on Missing Middle

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https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/arlington-board-meet-again-vote-missing-middles-next-phase

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/12/05/virginia-mental-health-crisis-centers/?utm_campaign=wp_afternoon_buzz&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_buzz&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F387eb4d%2F638e5ef49d88976ba34b563a%2F596a43edae7e8a0ef33c1580%2F18%2F51%2F638e5ef49d88976ba34b563a&wp_cu=df2a30835647a206e6ba273ce2bfc5ba%7CFC8C76B7D93706BCE040007F01006178   … Read more

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/12/05/virginia-mental-health-crisis-centers/?utm_campaign=wp_afternoon_buzz&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_buzz&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F387eb4d%2F638e5ef49d88976ba34b563a%2F596a43edae7e8a0ef33c1580%2F18%2F51%2F638e5ef49d88976ba34b563a&wp_cu=df2a30835647a206e6ba273ce2bfc5ba%7CFC8C76B7D93706BCE040007F01006178

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A new model for affordable housing: In a predominantly Black Chicago neighborhood, how one affordable housing program is addressing inequality by enabling homeownership.

These Chicago residents are trying to revitalize their neighborhood without gentrification

Metro IAF Vision for National Nehemiah* Homeownership Replication:  A Strategy to Address America’s Racial Wealth Gap & Transform … Read more

Metro IAF Vision for National Nehemiah* Homeownership Replication:  A Strategy to Address America’s Racial Wealth Gap & Transform Communities.

Adiba shares how she and her immigrant family struggle to make ends meet during the pandemic.

Guiseppe speaks five languages and 21 Arabic dialects. His job offer was put on hold because of COVID, and now he faces eviction.

Wed, 09/02/2020 : ARLnow.com Leaders of VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) cautiously welcomed the announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of a nationwide eviction moratorium through Dec. 31, but noted that Congress and the Administration still need to work together to provide significant funding to prevent huge rental housing market instability after the ban … Read more

Wed, 07/21/2021 : dcist.com The Prince William County Board of Supervisors is evaluating plans to create a mental health crisis center in the county, and may be able to use federal coronavirus relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to do … Read more

Wed, 07/21/2021 : dcist.com
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors is evaluating plans to create a mental health crisis center in the county, and may be able to use federal coronavirus relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to do it.

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This is the document excerpt

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.

Wed, 07/21/2021 : InsideNova But then the nightmares started. He couldn’t sleep. He distanced himself from family. Eventually Sessoms started self-medicating with a bottle of vodka, just to get some sleep. By that point his daughter told him the obvious: He was in crisis and had post-traumatic stress disorder. Sessoms, now a pastor at Little Union Baptist Church in Dumfries, was able to get the help he needed, but he wants others to be served as well. “I was one of the fortunate ones,” he … Read more

Wed, 07/21/2021 : dcist.com The Prince William County Board of Supervisors is evaluating plans to create a mental health crisis center in the county, and may be able to use federal coronavirus relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to do … Read more

Tue, 07/20/2021 : WTOP.com Earlier this month, Virginia announced that five of its eight mental health hospitals will stop taking patients because of capacity limits. And now, there’s a push in Prince William County to build new facilities to deal with mental health … Read more

Tue, 07/20/2021 : Prince William Times In the emergency room. Handcuffed to a gurney. In a hospital gown. For several days straight. That’s where an increasing number of Prince William County residents suffering from severe mental health crises have found themselves as Virginia’s overburdened mental hospitals face limited bed space or have ceased taking new admissions … Read more

Tue, 07/20/2021 : The Washington Post Prince William County officials Tuesday called on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to fund the creation of community mental health centers that would help fill some of the gaps in care caused by staffing shortages in the state’s strained psychiatric hospital … Read more

Thu, 05/20/2021: ARLnow After residents spoke out about poor living conditions at the Serrano Apartments, county officials and building owner AHC Inc. say they are committed to making … Read more

Thu, 05/20/2021: ARLnow After residents spoke out about poor living conditions at the Serrano Apartments, county officials and building owner AHC Inc. say they are committed to making changes.

Thu, 05/20/2021 : ARLnow After residents spoke out about poor living conditions at the Serrano Apartments, county officials and building owner AHC Inc. say they are committed to making … Read more

Fri, 10/16/2020 : https://www.virginiamercury.com/ NEWPORT NEWS — Cecelia Woodard gave a nervous glance down the road every time she heard a car approach. It was Tuesday morning and the sheriff was scheduled to arrive to evict her from the apartment she shares with her 64-year-old mother, who had left a few minutes earlier with a plan to donate plasma in hopes of scraping together money for a hotel … Read more

Wed, 09/02/2020 : ARLnow.com Leaders of VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) cautiously welcomed the announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of a nationwide eviction moratorium through Dec. 31, but noted that Congress and the Administration still need to work together to provide significant funding to prevent huge rental housing market instability after the ban … Read more

Fri, 08/07/2020 : Washington Post RICHMOND — A sharply divided Virginia Supreme Court on Friday granted Gov. Ralph Northam’s request for a statewide moratorium on evictions, extending protections for another … Read more

Fri, 08/07/2020 : virginiamercury.com As pastors of African-American congregations, we are gripped with uneasiness and frustration about the potential of hundreds of thousands of people in our congregations and around Virginia potentially losing their homes because the pandemic ravaged the economy and robbed them of jobs, income, health and housing … Read more

Mon, 08/03/2020 : Washington Post Affordable housing and antipoverty advocates are pressuring Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to issue an executive order banning evictions at least until late August, as state and federal protections have expired and eviction cases are piling up in local … Read more

Fri, 07/31/2020 : WAMU.org As eviction cases mount in Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam is again asking the state’s high court to delay hearings that could leave thousands of Virginians homeless during the … Read more

Fri, 07/31/2020 : insidenova.com The head of Prince William County’s first public defender’s office hopes to begin accepting cases in … Read more

Thu, 07/30/2020 : pilotonline.com A month after a state moratorium on evictions was lifted and as the federal ban ends, Gov. Ralph Northam has renewed his request for the state Supreme Court to put a halt to the court hearings that must happen before tenants can be thrown … Read more

Wed, 07/22/2020 : princewilliamtimes.com With hundreds of residents facing eviction in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park this month, area lawmakers are urging the local general district court to halt eviction hearings for three weeks to allow more time for at-risk renters to apply for housing … Read more

Mon, 07/20/2020 : princewilliamtimes.com As thousands of Virginians face the prospect of losing their homes during a pandemic, faith leaders are calling on Gov. Ralph Northam to halt evictions while the new housing assistance programs can be fully … Read more

Sun, 07/19/2020 : Wtop.com Virginia faith leaders addressed Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam at a virtual news conference on Sunday where they asked him to hold off on evictions so they can help inform residents about the assistance and protections in place to keep people in their homes who have been unemployed due to the coronavirus … Read more

Sat, 07/11/2020 : DCist.com A coalition of 65 faith institutions in Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley is calling on Governor Ralph Northam to put in place a new eviction moratorium across the … Read more

Fri, 07/17/2020 : bluevirginia.us See below for a video recording of the VOICE (“Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement”) news conference today, “in which 160+ renters and faith leaders called on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to pause evictions to allow time for his new rent relief program to be implemented and for the General Assembly, when it convenes on Aug. 18th, to address expanded renter … Read more

Thu, 06/25/2020 : Associated Press RICHMOND — Virginia is launching a new program to help people struggling to pay their rent or mortgages amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Ralph Northam announced at a Capitol news conference Thursday that his administration is putting an initial $50 million in federal coronavirus-relief funds toward housing assistance. Starting next week, Virginians whose ability to cover housing costs has been hurt by the pandemic can apply for financial … Read more

Thu, 06/25/2020 : Associated Press RICHMOND — Virginia is launching a new program to help people struggling to pay their rent or mortgages amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Ralph Northam announced at a Capitol news conference Thursday that his administration is putting an initial $50 million in federal coronavirus-relief funds toward housing assistance. Starting next week, Virginians whose ability to cover housing costs has been hurt by the pandemic can apply for financial … Read more

Sat, 06/13/2020 : El Tiuempo Latino Centenares de familias en Virginia que no han podido pagar el alquiler de su vivienda debido a la pandemia del coronavirus, pueden respirar unos días más sin temor a quedarse en la calle. Los procedimientos de desalojo en ese estado fueron detenidos el lunes 8 de junio por orden de la Corte Suprema de Virginia, tras el pedido del gobernador Ralph … Read more

Mon, 06/08/2020 : Prince William Times Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday the state’s temporary moratorium on eviction proceedings has been extended until June 29 to allow time for his administration to launch a planned COVID-19 rent relief … Read more

Tue, 12/03/2019 : Prince William Times Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park are the only Northern Virginia locales that aren’t served by a public defenders’ office. But that could change in 2020 if a bill introduced by state Sen. Scott Surovell reaches the governor’s … Read more

Fri, 05/29/2020 : Washington Post “IF YOU could change anything about the criminal justice system, if you had a magic wand, where would you start?” Community organizers in Prince William County posed that question to hundreds of prison inmates, ex-offenders and their families. Most said the same thing: They would start with legal representation. “Many of them were indigent defendants who had court-appointed attorneys,” explained the Rev. Keith Savage of the First Baptist Church of Manassas. “They said they didn’t feel like their appointed attorney fought for … Read more

Tue, 04/28/2020 : WAMU.org Prince William County is the largest locality in Virginia without a public defender office — but it’s now another step closer to getting … Read more

Thu, 09/03/2020 : Washington Post On Wednesday the Trump administration announced a halt on evictions through the end of the year, a move that may shield the millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes due to the financial chaos sparked by … Read more

Wed, 02/12/2020 : https://wamu.org/ A public defender’s office is likely coming to Prince William County after getting overwhelming support from Virginia lawmakers in both … Read more

Mon, 02/10/2020 : insidenova.com A bill to create a public defender office in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park has passed a major hurdle in the Virginia General … Read more

Wed, 02/05/2020 : princewillimtimes.com Bills to create a public defenders’ office in Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park were approved by the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates with bipartisan support this … Read more

Tue, 12/31/2019 : InsideNOVA.com Legislators and criminal rights advocates are pushing to create a public defender office in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas … Read more

Tue, 12/17/2019 : Prince William Times Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed budget provides start-up funding for 35 public defenders and support staff to operate a public defenders’ office in Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas … Read more

Fri, 07/05/2019 : Fairfax County Times A new slate of state laws took effect in Virginia on July 1 as the Commonwealth observed the beginning of a new fiscal year. While these laws primarily stem from bills introduced and adopted by the Virginia General Assembly, one of the most significant legislative changes from the 2019 session came out of Gov. Ralph Northam’s state budget … Read more

Fri, 06/28/2019 : Fort Hunt Herald Starting July 1, 2019, more than 620,000 Virginians whose licenses have been suspended for failing to pay court fines and fees will be eligible to have those licenses reinstated by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). That’s thanks to a new law prohibiting Virginia courts from suspending driving privileges over unpaid or delinquent court … Read more

Mon, 06/10/2019 : ARL Now A local interfaith group is proposing Arlington and Alexandria redirect Amazon revenue to address long-standing community issues like affordable housing and school … Read more

Mon, 06/10/2019 : Fox5 Virginia Tech has announced plans to build its Innovation Campus in Alexandria. The campus will be part of a mixed used development in National Landing and will be near the future Potomac Yard Metrorail Station, the university … Read more

Sun, 06/09/2019 : … Read more

Sun, 06/09/2019 : WJLA 

Tue, 06/04/2019 : Washington Post About 600 people gathered inside a Fairfax County church recently to hear how the four Democratic candidates for chairman of the Board of Supervisors would address a widening gap between the rich and poor in Virginia’s most populous … Read more

Fri, 05/31/2019 : Fairfax County Times The Gum Springs Community Center is a second home to Elias Anwar. The West Potomac High School student visits the community center in Alexandria on a daily basis and has spent summers working there. One of 10 centers currently overseen by Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, the Gum Springs Community Center provides recreational facilities, event space, programs, and support services to area residents. The center even paid for the suit that Anwar wore to prom. However, the high school senior has become frustrated by the lack of upkeep for the community … Read more

Mon, 05/20/2019 : Fort Hunt Herald In a spirited community forum on Sunday, May 19, 2019, Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) obtained commitments from the Democratic Party contenders for Chairman of the Board of Supervisors on a range of important local issues, to include millions more dollars in County funding for affordable housing projects, and an expansion of the legal defense fund for local immigrants who are in the country … Read more

Wed, 05/22/2019 : Fort Hunt Herald Democratic Party candidates for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have pledged to increase funding for a new legal aid program set up to help immigrant residents fight deportation by the federal … Read more

Thu, 04/11/2019 : LocalDVM.com VIENNA, Va. – It was two years ago when the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority decided to eliminate a bus route that many people relied on as their primary mode of transportation. Thanks to grassroots efforts, that route is up and running … Read more

Wed, 04/10/2019 : Prince WilliamTimes In voting to end the practice of suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid court fines and fees, Virginia lawmakers paved the way for as many as 13,000 residents of Prince William and Fauquier counties and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park to have their driver’s licenses reinstated July … Read more

Fri, 04/05/2019 : Charlottesville Tomorrow RICHMOND — During the reconvened General Assembly session, state legislators voted Wednesday to eliminate driver’s license suspension fees for people who lost their licenses due to unpaid court fees or fines. More than 600,000 Virginians have been affected by the law, which can have a disproportionate effect on lower income Virginians for whom public transportation may be sparse or inconvenient and the ability to drive is a necessity for them to get to … Read more

Thu, 04/04/2019 : News 3 WTKR.com RICHMOND, Va. – Overshadowed by the sexual assault allegations surrounding Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, Virginia lawmakers upheld all of Gov. Ralph Northam’s vetoes. The General Assembly convened Wednesday for just one day to consider Northam’s vetoes of bills passed during the Assembly’s regular … Read more

Thu, 04/04/2019 : NBCWashington.com On Wednesday night, Virginia’s General Assembly agreed to a budget amendment which ended the state’s practice of suspending the driver’s licenses of people with unpaid court fees. Many argue that practice made it hard for people to repay their debts. However, as News4’s Drew Wilder reports, this “vicious cycle” might be relitigated next … Read more

Tue, 02/12/2019 : Washington Post Young Virginians, raised amid a culture of tobacco and enamored of the newly popular vaping products, probably will have to wait to buy smoking materials until they turn 21 under a bill passed this week by the General … Read more

Fri, 10/26/2018 : Fairfax County Times Virginia’s current cash bail system prioritizes money over safety and is in clear need of reform, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring told a gathering of Northern Virginia faith communities at Fairfax High School on Oct. … Read more

Mon, 10/22/2018 : WTOP.com FAIRFAX, Va. — They’re not on the ballot for the 2018 midterm election, but two of Virginia’s top leaders fielded questions from a multifaith, nonpartisan group at Fairfax High School … Read more

Mon, 12/11/2017 : National Catholic Reporter Thousands of northern Virginia Catholics knew Fr. Gerard (Gerry) Creedon for his Irish baritone and the twinkle in his eye, but many more knew him for his untiring advocacy of Catholic social teaching. Creedon, born in County Cork 73 years ago and ordained for the Richmond Diocese in 1968 (the Arlington Diocese was created six years later), lived Pope Francis’ vision of a church at the margins decades before anyone had heard of Jose Mario … Read more

Mon, 12/04/2017 : Washington Post When her daughters were children, Khadija Athman packed the major Islamic holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, with celebration. They opened gifts and covered their hands in henna. After prayer, they had breakfast at a pancake house before spending the day at the movies and Chuck E. … Read more

Mon, 11/06/2017 : Prince William Times When Phyllis Robinson cracked the door to her Westgate townhome to greet the strangers standing on her front stoop Saturday afternoon, she seemed to understand immediately why they were there. Still, she had a question: “What are you, Democrat or … Read more

Tue, 08/08/2017 : WAMU.org A non-profit organization in Alexandria is calling for the city council to invest more funds to build and preserve affordable housing in the area, and has proposed land owned by Metro as potential sites for new … Read more

Wed, 07/26/2017 : Washington Post An increasingly powerful coalition of faith-based activists won a commitment from a majority of the Alexandria City Council on Tuesday to increase support for public housing and affordable housing in the … Read more

Thu, 11/05/2015 : Washington Post One exception to the North Arlington dominance came from the interfaith group VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement), which has been at the forefront of the Arlington affordable housing debate. The nonprofit and nonpartisan group spread out Sunday through Tuesday to knock on doors and pass the word of the importance of the County Board election at bus stops in two low-turnout … Read more

Wed, 11/04/2015 : The Connection to your Community More than 40 volunteers in bright yellow shirts saying “Your Voice is Your Vote” flooded two particularly low-voting precincts on Sunday, Nov. 1 to encourage voters to turnout on Election … Read more

Tue, 11/03/2015 : ArlNow A group of more than 40 people in yellow shirts has been knocking on the doors of homes in the Glebe and Arlington Mill voting districts the past few days in hopes of increasing voter turnout … Read more

Fri, 09/18/2015 : Washington Post The Arlington County Board will decide Saturday whether to significantly expand its goals for affordable housing over the next 25 years by requiring nearly 1 in 5 residences to be within the financial reach of low- to moderate-income households. The plan, three years in the making, is the latest attempt by lawmakers to ensure that at least some housing in the increasingly expensive Northern Virginia suburbs remains affordable to starting teachers, food preparers, retirees and others who make 60 percent or less of the area median income — about $65,000 for a family of four, or $45,900 for a single … Read more

Wed, 07/22/2015 : Inside NOVA Editor: Many of us have grown and changed with Arlington. I arrived 40 years ago, fresh out of the Peace Corps, with my Turkish husband and little money. We found an affordable rental in the Buckingham community. (A $900,000 townhouse sits there … Read more

Wed, 07/08/2015 : Inside NOVA Editor: I have been struck by some of the comments in letters to the editor opposing the county’s draft Affordable Housing Master Plan and Implementation Framework. A letter in the July 2 edition decries doing “radically more than our fair share,” which seems to be defined as more than what neighboring jurisdictions are doing. Yet, the writer doesn’t make clear why Arlington should be considered comparable to other … Read more

Thu, 07/02/2015 : Inside NOVA Editor: How sad! Judging from the full-page advertisement sponsored by “Concerned Arlington County Homeowners” in recent issues of the Sun Gazette, it seems Arlington civic life has degenerated to the point that some disgruntled residents apparently feel comfortable engaging anonymously in public mudslinging and … Read more

Wed, 03/04/2015 : Fairfax Connection It is not a perfect project and not everyone got what they wanted. But it will be a vast improvement over what is there now, and it includes some much-needed affordable housing. …And indeed, an overflow crowd of City residents packed Council chambers to speak during last week’s public hearing before the Council took action. More than 70 belonged to VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement), a coalition of faith organizations and … Read more

Thu, 11/20/2014 : Fairfax … Read more

Thu, 11/20/2014 : Fairfax Connection

Wed, 11/12/2014 : GMU Fourth Estate Members of the Fairfax community gathered Monday evening for a discussion on affordable housing options available to lower-income residents. The discussion was hosted by Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement as a way to raise awareness on an issue they believe is critical for the future of the City of Fairfax. In attendance were Mayor Scott Silverthorne, as well as City Councilmembers David Meyers and Michael DeMarco. Reverend Henry Brinton of the Fairfax Presbyterian Church opened the discussion, explaining to the congregation that the purpose of the meeting was to “take a step forward in the City on the issue of affordable … Read more

Tue, 06/24/2014 : Washington Post Last week, the neighbors and VOICE and Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee) got together to celebrate the opening of the new field in Audubon, which was financed by Audubon’s management company, Hometown America. “This would not have happened without a lot of the hard work of the members in this neighborhood pressing for things to get better,” said Jennifer Knox, a VOICE spokeswoman. “It’s a mini-soccer field, but it’s enough for the kids to … Read more

Tue, 01/21/2014 : Arlington Sun-Gazette Editor: Last month, the County Board made a potentially historic decision to use public land for the public good of remedying the affordable-housing crisis in our community – “potentially” historic, because history will be made only if the county government follows through with a timely schedule for developing affordable housing before it’s too late. Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) applauds the County Board for embracing the VOICE-proposed strategy of identifying parcels of public land for affordable housing. Inclusion of affordable housing in the county government’s capital improvement program is significant progress, and we are pleased that the county manager will be tasked with identifying parcels of … Read more

Tue, 12/17/2013 : Washington Post Housing activists pushing Arlington County to build 1,500 new units of affordable housing on county-owned land said Tuesday that they do not plan to back off after the County Board said it will consider the idea along with other proposals in the coming year. “We are not going away,” said Robert Buckman, one of the leaders of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Empowerment (VOICE), which collected 10,375 signatures in the past six months in support of its plan. “Priorities are nice, but without deadlines, nothing … Read more

Mon, 12/16/2013 : Washington Post It’s no secret that some parts of Fairfax County are richer than others. Hybla Valley, along Route 1 in the Alexandria area of southeast Fairfax County, has long been part of the “others,” with more low-income housing and fewer high-end shopping and eating options. Even within Hybla Valley, there’s an economic divide between the east side of Route 1, with Gum Springs and Fort Hunt, and the west side, with the Audubon Estates trailer park and Murray Gate apartments. But the folks in Audubon Estates, which has 711 homes without yards, have begun organizing and with the help of VOICE, an interfaith community organizing group, they are making progress in bringing long-needed recreational facilities to their part of Fairfax. The Audubon residents have formed a partnership with churches and high school booster groups on the other side of Route 1 to help raise money for artificial turf fields at West Potomac and Mount Vernon high schools, and to get much needed repair to Muddy Hole Farm Park on their own side of Route … Read more

Sat, 12/14/2013 : Washington Post Finding ways to address the shrinking supply of affordable rental housing in Arlington County would be the County Board’s biggest priority in 2013, chairman J. Walter Tejada (D) declared in January. Two weeks before the year ends, the board on Saturday approved new temporary rental assistance for low-income residents who find themselves being priced out of their existing apartments, loaned a nonprofit developer $8.3 million to buy and preserve 101 apartments near South Glebe Road and I-395, and adopted a set of financial tools to preserve 6,200 existing affordable apartments in the neighborhoods along Columbia … Read more

Tue, 11/19/2013 : Fairfax Patch The City of Fairfax has taken a clear step toward attempting to increase the availability of affordable housing within its borders. At its most recent meeting, the City Council unanimously passed an amendment to the City’s Comprehensive Plan that makes it clear that having a mix of different housing types to match many different ages and economic statuses is a … Read more

Thu, 11/07/2013 : Mount Vernon Gazette When athletes at West Potomac High School travel to other schools in the region, they often hear students call their school “West Poor.” That’s because the school has notoriously bad athletic fields, ones that are so bad they have a reputation that stretches across Northern Virginia. That’s all about to change, though, because advocates for athletic fields have persuaded Fairfax County leaders to invest $3.5 million to improve conditions up and down the Route 1 corridor, where poverty rates are some of the highest in the … Read more

Wed, 11/06/2013 : Mount Vernon Voice By this time next year, West Potomac High Athletic Club Booster president Rick Genuario expects the brown grass on the school’s football field will be replaced with artificial … Read more

Sun, 09/29/2013 : Washington Post Shiny new high-rises in Rosslyn, the hip condos of Clarendon and the renovated bungalows in Ballston hide a truth about the state of housing in Arlington County and throughout Northern Virginia — unless your household income is above $60,000, you are increasingly being priced out of the market. Construction is booming and 25-to-35-year-olds are flooding into the county from the District, Fairfax County and Maryland. But even starter apartments in Arlington are moving out of range for a large portion of the workforce because incomes have not kept up with the rising cost of housing, according to a study compiled by a county task … Read more

Sat, 09/14/2013 : Washington Post Each time Ron Taylor steps outside the squat brick townhouse he rents in the Manassas neighborhood of Georgetown South, the house next door is a reminder of how things used to be. It’s his old home, now vacant. The yard, where he once carefully carved a planter from a tree trunk, is overgrown with weeds. Taylor, 68, and his wife lived there for about a decade before it was foreclosed on last year. Georgetown South was envisioned as a tony, southern sister for the District’s famous and affluent Georgetown when it was built in 1964. But that was never in the cards for the neighborhood, and it soon became better known for blight and crime. When the foreclosure crisis came, it was among the area’s hardest hit neighborhoods. At the height of the housing bubble, nearly 60 percent of residents were homeowners. Now, about 60 percent … Read more

Wed, 08/28/2013 : USAToday The Christian housing ministry Habitat for Humanity builds houses using volunteer labor and has helped many low-income families become homeowners. But the recent foreclosure crisis and shortage of rental units have opened my eyes to an even bigger need — helping families to stay in their homes. Instead of swinging a hammer, I’m meeting with developers, bankers and politicians in an effort to preserve affordable housing for my needy church members and neighbors. It’s a trend that has caught on across the … Read more

Wed, 08/28/2013 : USAToday The Christian housing ministry Habitat for Humanity builds houses using volunteer labor and has helped many low-income families become homeowners. But the recent foreclosure crisis and shortage of rental units have opened my eyes to an even bigger need — helping families to stay in their homes. Instead of swinging a hammer, I’m meeting with developers, bankers and politicians in an effort to preserve affordable housing for my needy church members and neighbors. It’s a trend that has caught on across the … Read more

Wed, 08/07/2013 : Reston Connection “One of the primary requirements of anyone that responded to RFP was the retention of 181 affordable units,” said Barbara Byron of the county‘s Office for Community Revitalization and Reinvestment. “In addition to that, the RFP required that the rest of the units provide 20 percent of the total as affordable dwelling units.” #LAKE ANNE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, a subsidiary of Republic Land Development, was selected by the county in early July. #“They are required to submit detailed relocation plan for how the 181 residents will be moved to new development within Crescent property,” Byron said. “They will have to do that to our approval, and will be required to do that in the first phase of development.” #Many of the current residents are concerned about the proposal, fearing that any relocation will be detrimental to their way of life. Herminda Belleza, who has lived at the Crescent Apartments for 12 years, is concerned about the effect a move would have on her daughter, who just graduated from Forest Edge Elementary School. #“I am very worried about the Crescent redevelopment plan. If my family is forced to move from Crescent, this will disrupt my daughter’s education plans,” she said. “We have built our life at Crescent around good schools and closeness to my job. I would be unable to afford a more expensive apartment in … Read more

Mon, 06/24/2013 : Washington Post When Fairfax County spent $49.5 million to buy the Crescent apartment complex near Lake Anne in Reston, in 2006, it was with the stated goal of preserving affordable housing in the county as real estate values continued their upward climb. So it came as a surprise to the residents when they learned that Fairfax was already looking to sell or lease the property for redevelopment, as part of a bigger plan to revitalize the Lake Anne area. The county’s plan is to replace the 181 apartments in the 50-year-old, three-story buildings with up to 935 apartments overlooking the lake and close to shopping and a new Metro station. The current residents love the place, not only because their rents are low ($1,150 for a two-bedroom place) but because it’s near two elementary schools and many bus lines. “There are good people living here,” said Andres Paz, a dental assistant who’s lived in the Crescent for 8 1/2 years. “We are somebody. We are poor, but we are good … Read more

Sat, 06/22/2013 : The Muslim Link At a roundtable, fifteen Muslims nervously share stories about their financial problems. It is a new concept especially for older immigrants, not used to airing their laundry in public, more so inside a masjid. They are at the Dar al Noor Islamic Center in Manassas, VA located in a county heavily hit by the mortgage crisis. Some skip their turn but then gain the courage to speak up, after seeing others in the same … Read more

Fri, 06/21/2013 : Washington Post An interfaith group of housing and justice advocates is calling for the use of publicly owned land in Arlington for the development of affordable and workforce housing. The group, Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, says that Arlington County in particular needs 1,000 to 1,500 new housing units in the next five years that are affordable to people who make less than … Read more

Thu, 06/20/2013 : NPR – WAMU Fifty interfaith leaders and foreclosure victims working as part of the group Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) protested outside the J.P. Morgan Chase office in the District today. The group says the bank has refused to invest in a $30 million federal pilot program to help Prince William County recover from the housing crisis, which saw 20,000 foreclosures. The group says J.P. Morgan Chase, General Electric and Bank of America were responsible for the bulk of those … Read more

Sat, 06/08/2013 : Washington Jewish Week Jews in Northern Virginia were part of a coalition of some 50 religious communities that announced a $30 million reinvestment plan to rebuild deteriorating communities in Prince William County. The coalition, Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, or VOICE, unveiled the plan June 3 at a Woodbridge school in the presence of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and executives of financial institutions that agreed to finance the … Read more

Thu, 06/13/2013 : Mount Vernon Gazette A 200-person event, organized by the community organzation VOICE, brought together Route 1/Mount Vernon/Lee area youth, parents, and faith leaders to celebrate progress to improve youth recreation facilities and programming in the area on Monday evening, June 10, at West Potomac High … Read more

Wed, 06/12/2013 : Mount Vernon VOICE V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) members remain optimistic and as determined as ever to see turf fields installed at Mount Vernon and West Potomac high schools, as well as more recreational opportunities for youth of Audubon Mobile Home Park and Murraygate … Read more

Mon, 06/03/2013 : NBC 4 Washington The foreclosure crisis is long over in Prince William County, but hundreds of the abandoned, decaying properties are still left behind. A coalition of religious organizations is launching a plan to use $30 million to rehab foreclosed units and create more affordable rentals. Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) has spent the past three years pressuring lenders at the center of the foreclosure crisis to help financially with the … Read more

Mon, 06/03/2013 : Prince William Today A vocal group of religious leaders on Monday night plans to announce a $30 million pilot program to rehabilitate townhouses in Prince William County left vacant by foreclosure. Organizers of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, or VOICE, said the Prince William Restoration Plan will rehabilitate more than 100 vacant properties in Prince William, Manassas and Manassas … Read more

Mon, 06/03/2013 : Washington Post By Jeremy Borden. Millions in funding for a housing pilot program that would go toward restoring communities affected by the 2008 foreclosure crisis in Prince William County will be promised by two major financial institutions and a Virginia housing agency Monday, according to Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement. Prince William suffered more than 20,000 foreclosures during the housing market collapse and was the hardest hit locality in Virginia, according to the coalition of interfaith groups, which has organized around housing issues in the … Read more

Wed, 05/22/2013 : Reston Connection By Lauren Young. On Sunday, May 19, V.O.I.C.E (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) walked with many residents of Reston, and tenants of Crescent Apartments to raise awareness of affordable housing in Reston and more specifically—plans to redevelop the Crescent Apartments on North Shore Drive from 181 units to much larger 700-900 units. These would be privately developed. The issue that V.O.I.C.E and those who participated in the walk on Sunday are addressing is that many of the current residents would be displaced due to the expensive rent of the new apartments. This could force 80 percent of the residents out of the apartments, and possibly out of … Read more

Wed, 05/22/2013 : Reston Connection By John Lovass. It was a lovely Sunday afternoon, ideal for marching to support our neighbors in Lake Anne’s Crescent Apartments and support some old-time Reston values. The march consisted really of walking and stops for speaking of personal memories by past and present Crescent Apartment residents and pleas to protect affordable housing and Crescent residents by Reston faith community … Read more

Thu, 03/28/2013 : CNN When the housing crisis came, no community was hit harder than Georgetown South. Tom Foreman looks at the efforts of VOICE, a group in Virginia fighting to keep people in their … Read more

Mon, 02/11/2013 : Public News Service Virginia will receive $3.5 million as part of a lawsuit settlement with financial institutions in the now infamous “robo-signing” of foreclosure documents. Some Virginians hope the state will use the money to help areas affected by foreclosures. The Rev. Clyde Ellis, clergy leader with VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement), was part of a team of more than 30 “citizen investigators” who uncovered many potentially fraudulent foreclosure documents in Prince William County, he … Read more

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Tue, 10/02/2012 : Washington Post / AP The scene at a Prince William County church Monday night may have been startling to regulators and some homeowners just a few years ago: a room full of politicians, interfaith leaders and about 700 congregants rising to their feet and praising Bank of America, once reviled by some for its banking practices. Bank of America executive Andrew Plepler, in charge of global corporate responsibility, said the bank has been a steadfast partner of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, a coalition of more than 40 interfaith congregations that have sought to hold banks and politicians accountable for the 2008 housing … Read more

Sun, 09/16/2012 : Washington Post By Jeremy Borden. “Can I get your name and the account number you’re talking about?” the bank representative asks. Things are tense in the office of Charlene Watkins-Byrd, a housing counselor for the Woodbridge-based nonprofit group First Home Alliance. But when Watkins-Byrd calls the mortgage servicer on behalf of David and his wife, Rebekah, a game of seemingly pleasant cat-and-mouse between housing counselor and financial agency representative … Read more

Fri, 08/31/2012 : Mount Vernon Gazette Mount Vernon — Touring three neglected athletic fields Aug. 15, Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay and Park Authority board member Edward Batten heard public testimony urging them to take action. Both expressed their intent to make the fields playable and … Read more

Wed, 08/22/2012 : Mount Vernon Voice At Mount Vernon Woods Park Carla Claure told a small crowd which included Lee Supervisor Jeff McKay and Fairfax County Park Authority board member Ed Batten that all she wants is a safe place for her three daughters, Carla, 17, Daniella, 6, and Alejandra, 3, to … Read more

Thu, 07/05/2012 : Washington Jewish Week A group of McLean and Falls Church activists got most of what they wanted last week, at a meeting during which they pressed local officials to increase services for the area’s growing senior … Read more

Wed, 06/20/2012 : Reston & Great Falls Connection VOICE, a local interfaith group, has raised $200,000 to fund a full-time dentist at the western Fairfax County branch of the Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, low-income dental clinic. “Virginia, historically, is one of seven states in the nation that does not provide oral health care for adults. If an individual cannot afford access to a safe heath care, they may end up pulling their own teeth or going to one of the underground clinics where there is a high risk of infection. Also, it’s important to keep in mind, a lot of people who do not have proper dental care access, end up in the emergency room, incurring greater taxpayer costs,” said Tom Wilson, executive director of the Northern Virginia Dental Clinic. The monies raised will ensure funding for the clinic for two years. The full-time dentist will begin seeing patients July … Read more

Thu, 06/14/2012 : Mount Vernon Gazette In the packed multipurpose room of Bethlehem Baptist Church Monday night, June 11, as 400 parents, students and coaches waited and listened, Supervisors Gerry Hyland and Jeff McKay committed themselves to improving after-school recreation facilities and transportation to keep the community’s young people productively occupied, nurtured and out of trouble. “This is the most people I’ve seen come out to advocate for athletic recreation facilities in my 30-plus years in being involved in the county,” said McKay, Lee District Supervisor, as he welcomed the challenge along with Hyland, Mount Vernon District … Read more

Wed, 06/13/2012 : Mount Vernon Voice A huge crowd attended a meeting Monday night on the need for more recreational amenities for the residents of the Richmond Highway … Read more

Tue, 06/05/2012 : Washington Business Journal At the urging of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement — an advocacy group known as VOICE — Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. intend to offer nearly 1,000 homeowners in Prince William County and Manassas and Manassas Park assistance through the $25 billion national mortgage settlement, NBC Washington … Read more

Sun, 06/03/2012 : Huffington Post Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase executives announced Sunday night that almost 1,000 Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park homeowners will qualify for help through the $26 billion National Mortgage Settlement. The announcement came during a packed rally organized by the interfaith group Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) at First Baptist Church in … Read more

Fri, 05/04/2012 : Washington Post Virginia’s top cop and Prince William County resident Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II toured a foreclosure-wracked neighborhood Thursday in Manassas. He met privately with organizers and religious leaders from Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) and then toured the Manassas neighborhood of Georgetown South as neighborhood leaders described how vacant properties affect a place — and, as organizers and religious leaders put it, how banks and lenders used dubious tactics that helped Prince William become one of the worst hit places for foreclosures in the … Read more

Fri, 04/27/2012 : The Nation By William Greider. If the Justice Department wants to get serious about investigating financial fraud by Wall Street big boys, it ought to drop by the White House and interview Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric. Immelt is chair of President Obama’s jobs and competitive council, where he strategizes about how to revive American manufacturing. In some other places, only thirty miles from the White House, Immelt is known as the subprime foreclosure … Read more

Tue, 03/27/2012 : Washington Post The biggest problem facing Arlingtonians, by many measures, is the cost of housing. If you don’t have it, and you’re not financially well-off, you can be in for a long, painful search. The median income in the county is a healthy $110,000, but for the half of the population who make less than that, finding a home or apartment is fraught with tradeoffs. “Affordable” housing options usually are targeted at those who make 60 to 80 percent of the median income. For those who make lower or minimum wages, the problem is even … Read more

Sun, 03/11/2012 : Washington Post In October, several Northern Virginia religious congregations gathered at Freedom High School in Woodbridge to discuss housing issues in Prince William County and demand action…Representatives from Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase promised support for the county in various ways. But there is another corporate player Prince William’s religious leaders would like to join them at the table: General Electric. Leaders say, however, that they have been rebuffed by GE as they have looked for ways to work with the … Read more

Tue, 02/07/2012 : Reston Connection Organization has raised $150,000, needs another $50,000 to provide free dental care. As a dentist practicing for 11 year, Kristin Donohue says she has seen plenty of lives that have been transformed by access to dental care. As a volunteer at a dental clinic that offers free care in Bailey’s Crossroads she has also seen her fair share of people who don’t have that … Read more

Thu, 11/03/2011 : NPR President Obama’s new plan to help millions of people stay in their homes by refinancing their mortgages at low rates raised hopes of easing the housing crisis. But federal budget cuts have sharply reduced the number of housing counselors who can help distressed homeowners in the nation’s hardest hit communities. Banks that own the properties are slow to pick up the … Read more

Mon, 10/31/2011 : Washington Post Members from more than 40 religious institutions across Northern Virginia are asking some of the country’s largest banks to commit to helping rebuild neighborhoods that have been devastated by housing … Read more

Mon, 10/31/2011 : WAMU 88.5 The foreclosure crisis is striking Prince William County, Va. particularly hard and homeowners there are demanding banks work with the community to stem the tide. Homeowners in Woodbridge are furious with big banks. Many families report that banks have lost their payment information or their mortgage papers, yet the financial institutions still proceed with foreclosures anyway. On top of that, 6,000 families are behind on their mortgage payments, even though interest rates are at historic … Read more

Tue, 09/20/2011 : Washington Post Lenders may have foreclosed on hundreds of homeowners in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park using unreliable, “robo-signed” documents, according to a report by the group Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community … Read more

Tue, 09/20/2011 : Channel 8 News Over the summer of 2011, a team of more than 30 VOICE citizen investigators conducted research into how the “robo-signing scandal” – a national news story profiled on 60 Minutes, in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and more – affected Prince William County, Manassas, & Manassas Park. In the jurisdiction with the most foreclosures in the state of Virginia (more than 16,000) and the 26th highest percentage of underwater properties in the United States (47.4%), these investigators uncovered clear patterns. Many of the documents filed with the Prince William Clerk of Court appeared to have been produced without proper oversight, to have been hurriedly signed and completed, and to be potentially fraudulent. VOICE found obviously mis-matched signatures from bank officials and notary publics; they also found that at least 45% of the documents they analyzed were produced at sites under federal, state, or national media investigation for … Read more

Wed, 09/21/2011 : WAMU 88.5 Prince William County has the highest rate of foreclosures in Virginia, and residents of one neighborhood who blame the foreclosure rate on the practice of ‘robo-signing,’ are demanding accountability from the banks and an investigation by state officials. At the height of the foreclosure crunch, approximately 25 percent of homes in the Georgetown South development in Manassas were foreclosed and … Read more

Mon, 08/01/2011 : Nova News – Newsletter for Northern Virginia Dental Society Members VOICE, a local grassroots organization, recently attended our Northern Virginia Dental Society Executive Committee meeting. Their goal was to discuss ways to amplify the support for Northern Virginal Dental Clinic (NVDC). You may not be aware, but V.O.I.C.E. has been instrumental in getting funding for our clinic at Bailey’s Crossroads. They secured commitments for a total of $100,000 from Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria a couple years ago. They are now working to get funding of an equal amount for the new NVDC in … Read more

Thu, 05/12/2011 : The Charlotte Observer Bank of America chief executive Brian Moynihan faced more complaints about his bank’s handling of foreclosures at Wednesday’s annual meeting, but shareholders rejected a proposal that called for an audit committee review of the mortgage business. … The Rev. Clyde Ellis, a pastor from northern Virginia, said foreclosures have affected many from his congregation. One couple he knows has lost more than 70 percent of its income but was denied a loan modification, he said. Later, inside the annual meeting, Ellis spoke in favor of the shareholder proposal that called for an independent review of the bank’s loan modification and foreclosure processes. “You just need to come to Prince William County – you’ll see some disaster,” Ellis told Moynihan, referencing an earlier comment about the bank’s response to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. “Sir, you’ve got to accept full responsibility for everything that has happened in this foreclosure situation.” The bank CEO thanked him and promised to prioritize helping the … Read more

Mon, 04/11/2011 : Washington Post The nation’s lingering housing foreclosure mess is too often about folks with McMansion-size aspirations and duplex paychecks, granite counter appetites and laminate budgets. And when we hear that one of the nation’s hot spots for foreclosures is Prince William County, we nod knowingly, thinking of the vast tracts of huge new homes and the dreamers who drowned in … Read more

Wed, 12/22/2010 : Mount Vernon Voice All the residents of Lafayette Apartments on Harrison Lane want is a clean, safe place to live. Wednesday night, V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) hosted a meeting with residents and Lee Supervisor Jeff McKay to demand that the owners, Maine-based Eagle Point Management LLC, bring the property, which is financed by the Virginia Housing and Development Authority, up to … Read more

Wed, 12/22/2010 : Mount Vernon Voice All the residents of Lafayette Apartments on Harrison Lane want is a clean, safe place to live. Wednesday night, V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) hosted a meeting with residents and Lee Supervisor Jeff McKay to demand that the owners, Maine-based Eagle Point Management LLC, bring the property, which is financed by the Virginia Housing and Development Authority, up to … Read more

Thu, 09/30/2010 : Alexandria Times The public housing residents of James Bland and their Old Town neighbors have provided a valuable lesson to the public. Feeling unfairly treated by their housing authority after they were given inadequate notice to move from their homes late last year, they decided to something about it. They organized — with the help of the interfaith organization VOICE — and went about achieving a solution pragmatically and … Read more

Thu, 09/30/2010 : Alexandria Times Residents and ousted occupants of James Bland housing projects said they received justice Saturday after Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority agreed to their demands for fair … Read more

Tue, 07/06/2010 : Washington Post Advocates for uninsured Virginians say slow action from state and federal officials means that thousands of residents who could have received free dental care this summer will go unserved unless Congress … Read more

Mon, 05/03/2010 : WRC (NBC) TV 4 Residents and a community group have serious concerns about being moved during the redevelopment of the James Bland public housing development in Alexandria, … Read more

Thu, 04/29/2010 : Mount Vernon Gazette Rising Hope UMC and VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) co-sponsored what was billed as a solidarity call for action on Sunday, April 25, to help immigrant youth in particular and immigrants in general. The focus of the gathering was to urge enactment of the pending federal legislation known as the DREAM Act that would provide a way for undocumented individuals to become legal … Read more

Fri, 04/09/2010 : WAMU 88.5 Elected officials in Alexandria are pushing to assure public housing tenants will be given fair notice when they have to relocate. Hattie Thompson lived in the James Bland housing homes for three years. Last year, the Walgreen’s employee received a 120 day warning that she would need to move out. But she says she never heard from the housing authority again, until the week she needed to move. That was just days before … Read more

Fri, 04/09/2010 : WAMU 88.5 Some public housing residents in Alexandria who were forced to move say the city owes them money for the cost of relocating. Sharlene Walker lived alone at the James Bland homes in a two-bedroom apartment. Because she had extra space, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority pegged her as one of the tenants who should down size, or right size as the authority calls it. Walker says she thought she was going to be part of one of the later groups being relocated. She assumed she had at least two years left in her … Read more

Thu, 04/01/2010 : Alexandria Times Speaking in front of her neighbors at the Providence St. John’s Baptist Church that stands humbly in the James Bland neighborhood, public housing resident Barbara Crowder identified herself with a government-issued label “I’m phase three” before giving her … Read more

Thu, 03/11/2010 : Arlington Connection More than 200 individuals from VOICE — Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement — traveled to Richmond on Tuesday, March 2, to urge the budget conferees to adopt the Senate’s bi-partisan budget that restores and protects the dental health safety … Read more

Mon, 12/21/2009 : Washington Post Martha Holmes’s small, frail body often bumps into things in her new apartment, which seems like a maze to the 87-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease. In the last month, she has been hospitalized twice, and police have found her wandering the streets, attempting to walk back to the public housing apartment in Alexandria that she called home for more than 40 … Read more

Fri, 09/04/2009 : New York Times Early one morning last June, fully two hours before his appointment, Mustafa Salih arrived at a federal office here in the Washington suburbs. He wore the new suit he had bought for the occasion. A friend, accompanying him, carried a camera to record the event. Mr. Salih had not slept the previous … Read more

Fri, 09/04/2009 : New York Times Early one morning last June, fully two hours before his appointment, Mustafa Salih arrived at a federal office here in the Washington suburbs. He wore the new suit he had bought for the occasion. A friend, accompanying him, carried a camera to record the event. Mr. Salih had not slept the previous … Read more

Thu, 08/06/2009 : Mount Vernon Gazette A quarter-century has passed since the plot of land known as North Hill was purchased by Fairfax County for the development of low income housing. Since that time, recessions have come and gone. A giant housing bubble swelled to capacity and burst. Arguments have emerged to preserve the entire site as green-space. Counter-arguments have been made to use the entire 33-acre site for affordable … Read more

Thu, 07/23/2009 : Mount Vernon Gazette Governor commits to working toward expanding dental coverage to uninsured adults. As Washington grapples with health-care reform, Willie Jackson is facing his own health-care crisis. He must choose between paying for a place to stay or scraping together enough money to fix his seven rotting teeth. It’s a choice that illustrates the difficult real-world decisions people without dental insurance face every … Read more

Thu, 07/23/2009 : Mount Vernon Gazette Governor commits to working toward expanding dental coverage to uninsured adults. As Washington grapples with health-care reform, Willie Jackson is facing his own health-care crisis. He must choose between paying for a place to stay or scraping together enough money to fix his seven rotting teeth. It’s a choice that illustrates the difficult real-world decisions people without dental insurance face every … Read more

Thu, 07/23/2009 : Mount Vernon Gazette Governor commits to working toward expanding dental coverage to uninsured adults. As Washington grapples with health-care reform, Willie Jackson is facing his own health-care crisis. He must choose between paying for a place to stay or scraping together enough money to fix his seven rotting teeth. It’s a choice that illustrates the difficult real-world decisions people without dental insurance face every … Read more

Sun, 04/05/2009 : Washington Post Since the economic downturn began, requests for food, clothing and rental assistance have skyrocketed in each of our communities of faith throughout Northern Virginia. Multiply that by the 40 congregations in V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) and you’ll understand why we and other leaders of this broad cross-section of the religious community are urging our elected leaders in Fairfax County to preserve programs for our most … Read more

Sun, 03/01/2009 : Mount Vernon Gazette Margaret Davis recently had surgery. She has no job, no place to live, and without the support of her church she would have little hope. Recently someone told her that she didn’t look like a homeless person, and it made her mad. “I am homeless and I’m not too ashamed to say it,” Davis said. As Fairfax County grapples with a projected $650 million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year, Davis said it was important to continue to fund programs that offer affordable housing and other services to the county’s low-income … Read more

Sun, 03/01/2009 : Mount Vernon Gazette Margaret Davis recently had surgery. She has no job, no place to live, and without the support of her church she would have little hope. Recently someone told her that she didn’t look like a homeless person, and it made her mad. “I am homeless and I’m not too ashamed to say it,” Davis said. As Fairfax County grapples with a projected $650 million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year, Davis said it was important to continue to fund programs that offer affordable housing and other services to the county’s low-income … Read more

Sun, 03/01/2009 : Mount Vernon Gazette Margaret Davis recently had surgery. She has no job, no place to live, and without the support of her church she would have little hope. Recently someone told her that she didn’t look like a homeless person, and it made her mad. “I am homeless and I’m not too ashamed to say it,” Davis said. As Fairfax County grapples with a projected $650 million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year, Davis said it was important to continue to fund programs that offer affordable housing and other services to the county’s low-income … Read more

Tue, 02/03/2009 : Arlington Connection Despite declining revenues that are forcing officials to consider budget cuts for the first time in years, County Board Chair Barbara Favola (D) said this weekend that she would not support scaling back Arlington’s affordable housing … Read more

Tue, 02/03/2009 : Arlington Connection Despite declining revenues that are forcing officials to consider budget cuts for the first time in years, County Board Chair Barbara Favola (D) said this weekend that she would not support scaling back Arlington’s affordable housing … Read more