In her commentary in the current edition of the Falls Church News-Press, Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross recounts her response to the situation in Vista Gardens Apartments. She describes how the tenants, many of whom are Saint Anthony of Padua parishioners, brought the issue to her attention; the rapid response from the Fire Marshal and Zoning Enforcement; and how the Vista Gardens management company was given 60 days to "abate the violations." (The 60 days is up on June 2nd!)

However, in much more detail, Supervisor Gross describes what she saw when she visited the apartments on Mother's Day along with Fr. Grinnell, parishioners, and members of V.O.I.C.E. She describes how a brand new tenant paying $1,000 a month found an apartment with a moldy and bowed living room and two kitchen drawers without bottoms among other problems. In another apartment she found a stove that was "perhaps the oldest gas appliance I have ever seen" and "needs to be replaced." The third apartment had a bathroom that had no ceiling -- the result of repairs that had been started, but never finished.


As Supervisor Gross sums up, "the focus [of these efforts] is on providing clean, decent, affordable housing for the tenants of Vista Gardens, who have been living in deplorable conditions for far too long." The effort by Fr. Grinnell, the tenants, parish volunteers, and V.O.I.C.E. shows how ordinary people can organize and speak out for justice, and Supervisor Gross' actions shows how government can respond to the needs of the community.

For the full commentary by Supervisor Gross from the Falls Church News-Press click on the web link below:
http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/local/4461-a-penny-for-your-thoughts-news-of-greater-falls-church.html