To the Editor:
Are we good enough to work in Alexandria, but not good enough to live here?
My wife and I clean homes in Alexandria. My neighbor Berhanu drives a taxi. Carlos cooks meals and Alejandro washes dishes in Old Town. My friend Margaret cares for seniors in a retirement home, while Ameena serves children in our school cafeteria.
We pay taxes. We help make Alexandria a great city.
We’re raising our families in Alexandria’s Beauregard neighborhood. It’s one of the only places we can afford to make a home.
Now we’re being forced out of Alexandria.
Mayor Euille and council members Chapman, Lovain, Pepper, Smedberg, and Wilson voted to allow JBG and other developers to demolish our homes and the homes of 2,500 other families.
Will they ask developers to save homes for more than one-third of our families? Will they invest in making sure those homes are all available sooner than 21 years?
We hope Mr. Euille and his colleagues will join Vice Mayor Silberberg in working to ensure that all families in our community can enjoy the benefits of the Beauregard redevelopment.
Hector Pineda
Alexandria