WASHINGTON — The year 2014 saw an ugly battle over the streetcar project in Arlington County. In the end, the County Board killed it with one vote.
But the controversy lingers, in that it produced some bad blood among the board’s members.
The county panel, which met on New Year’s Day, vowed to come together however, to tackle the county’s biggest challenges. One of those major hurdles is affordable housing — especially in light of Arlington’s growing population, and a surge in school enrollment.
Mary Hynes, 2015 county board chair, said the student population could surpass 30,000 in five years, but affordable housing is becoming more difficult. Median home prices rose 140 percent in the past 13 years, she said, and they keep going up for both renters and buyers.
Vice Chairman Walter Tejada, said, “Between 2000 and 2013 the county lost 11,000 affordable units.“
They weren’t torn down, but rather lost because their rents skyrocketed and they were no longer affordable.
“In 2015 I will redouble my unwavering commitment to supporting affordable housing,” said Tejada.
In the past 13 years, he said, the median price for a home in the county went from about $220,000 to $590,000. He said rent and housing prices are rising faster in the county than anywhere else in the region.
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