Ventures in Community's "Way of the Cross" bus tour on Good Friday took on much more of a political statement for affordable housing than a religious observance.
Under the joint aegis of Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church and Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, the 26th annual tour by the Mount Vernon Area Ecumenical Coalition started off by circulating a petition calling for dedicating two cents of the real estate tax to "support preservation and production of affordable housing units."
It stated, "We endorse the Preservation Task Force recommendation of one cent for housing, but propose that two cents be allocated ...." Each cent of real estate tax produces approximately $17.9 million in revenue, according to Fairfax County fiscal analysis.
The petition, given to each of the nearly 50 riders on the tour, said, "The housing crisis has grown unchecked in Fairfax County for too long. We are committed to creating communities that are inclusive and diverse and we can no longer ignore the needs of families and individuals who cannot afford housing in our County."
All three stops on this year's tour focused on affordable housing needs. They were a motel on Route 1 where families are "permanent" residents for a variety of reasons; the Penn Daw Mobile Home Park on Shields Avenue being displaced as a result of the planned Kings Crossing development; and a site where four homeless individuals died in an abandoned house fire that is now the site of several large new homes.
IN DESCRIBING the purpose of this year's tour, the Rev. Keary Kincannon, pastor, Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church, said, "The purpose of this tour is to remember how Christ was crucified by a well-meaning society, and how we still crucify Christ today. We will make several stops at places a well-meaning society allows pain, suffering, and injustice to continue ....
"And we will ask the question if $600,000 to $700,000 homes are what our community really needs when there are so many homeless and so many doubled up, and so many that work in Fairfax County but can't afford to live here."
Kincannon was joined in conducting the tour for members of the Coalition by the Reverends Robert Criswell and Jeri Fields, both of Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church. At each of the two first stops, Groveton Baptist Church on Route 1 and the mobile home park, participants heard from those dealing with the cases of motel occupants and home displacement due to pending development.
Joyce Hearst, a full-time teacher in Fairfax County's public school system, also serves as a volunteer at Groveton Baptist Church's "Clothes Closet Ministry" which provides clothes to the homeless and needy. She was joined at the first stop by Diana Tracey, a Fairfax County social worker who assists families that reside in motels due to a lack of financial resources.
"There is one family in particular that is representative of the plight of many," Tracey said. "In a one room motel unit there is a mother and three children. The company she worked for was bought out. She was offered to keep her job at the same salary but would have had to move to New York City."
SHE DECIDED that she could not afford to live on that wage in New York City so she went on unemployment and moved into the Route 1 motel, according to Tracey. "She is paying $40 a day. Her unemployment ran out in December and she finally got another job in February," Tracy said.
"Although the new job is paying her enough to afford an apartment, she does not have enough saved for the security deposit. Therefore, she is still in the motel. If there were more affordable housing in the area she would not have to live in the motel," Tracy said.
"People are in those motels for a variety of reasons. It is also amazing how many people sleep in the woods around this area," said Hearst. In speaking about the Clothes Closet, Hearst said they receive clothes donated from a myriad sources and distribute them worldwide.
"Our Clothes Closet Ministry started in one room here at Groveton Baptist Church. It now consumes four rooms. And, we deal with all sorts of people," Hearst said.
She also made a pitch for affordable housing stating, "We need to get efficient low income housing in this area." Hearst distributed a newspaper article highlighting a program underway in Baltimore, Md., where "city and state officials are putting together a plan to eradicate homelessness within the next decade."
Kincannon said, "We are doing a study now to figure out how to get more low income housing in this area." The tour next visited the Penn Daw Mobile Home Park site that could be consumed by the Kings Crossing mixed use development.
THERE THE GROUP was joined by Jerry Ireland, president, United Voice of Kings Crossing, a newly formed home owners association comprised of a majority of the approximate 100 mobile home residents of the Penn Daw site. Kincannon had described this "Way of the Cross Station" as "a trailer park where nearly 100 low-income families will be forced to move because more expensive housing will be built."
Estimated value of the seven and one half acre site was placed at approximately $1.4 million, according to Ireland. "Its purchase price by the developer, JPI Development, is about $20 million," Ireland said.
"We are trying to prevent here what happened at Wal Mart when they displaced that mobile home park. They were left with only what they took with them, and were paid no more than $500 to $1,000 each for their homes. There is no way that's going to happen to our people," he said.
"We are going to stand together in this development. It is made up primarily of single and married seniors. Some have lived here for as long as 20 or 25 years. They have invested their lives in Fairfax County," Ireland said.
He introduced James Pennington an elderly resident of the Park who has lived there for 14 years. His wife works as a waitress at a nearby restaurant that is within walking distance of their home.
"I'd like to stay right here rather than have to move elsewhere. But, that doesn't look like its going to happen," Pennington said.
"Jim is a prime example of our residents. Seventy five percent of them own their own homes. But, they will not be able to move those homes because of the age of the unit and restrictions by VDOT on moving mobile homes of a certain age on the highways," Ireland said.
IRELAND ALSO NOTED that although there is some affordable housing being discussed for the Kings Crossing project, "It is not affordable for our residents. It will be in the $200,000 plus category. These people can just not afford that."
The association is attempting to get JPI to give residents "fair value" for their homes. Ireland also pointed out that Fairfax County needs to "redefine" its low income definition.
"Most of our community makes more than $20,000 but less than $49,000 annually which puts them in a non eligible area. We would like to see a housing project geared to people making less than $49,000 with home prices in the $50,000 to $90,000 range," Ireland said.
"Our community is made up of a lot of proud homeowners. They should be allowed to live as they are accustomed," he said.
In addition to the visits, the mobile Good Friday service included sharing scripture and singing to the guitar playing of Kincannon. This year's bus and driver was donated to the coalition by Betsy Tours and Travel, Inc., located in Engleside Office Park on Route 1, according to Kincannon.