Brittney Allen-Shaw and her daughter are all smiles after returning home from Disney.
I am a Special Education teacher at a middle school in Falls Church City and my husband is in the Navy, currently stationed in Japan. I am here alone with my daughter, though we do live close to my family in Alexandria, which is where I am from.
We want to live in Arlington, but it is currently out of our reach as either a renter or buyer. Arlington is appealing for a number of reasons: it has a small community feel while having all the amenities of a large city; the schools are great; as a military family being close to a base would be a bonus; I love taking my daughter to Arlington’s amazing parks—the parks and recreation department offers tons of programs for children and adults.
Price is a major barrier to renting or owning in Arlington. A condo is more aligned to our price range, but Arlington doesn’t have a lot of condos so finding one is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Last year I was vice president of the parent advisory board at the Cody Child Development Center at Ft. Meyer and heard about the struggles families are encountering related to the schools and living situation in Arlington. Many of the concerns I have heard are related to finding something they can afford. Because of the recent rezoning/busing issues, many military families are struggling with losing affordable before- and after-school care. The big issue is that many families are trying to move to Arlington to keep this benefit but are having challenges locating places they can afford.
“Home means having a place that I can raise my daughter that is all ours!” -Brittney Allen-Shaw
In fact, our family will be looking for other arrangements because we can’t afford to live in Arlington. The CDC offers before and after care, but the only buses that pick up on base are Arlington Public Schools. It was my hope that over that last three years that we would find something in Arlington that would allow us to continue to use the services offered to us as a military family but that did not work out.
To make housing more affordable Arlington could open up more housing options including condos or townhouses. I would also love if there were options available for the middle class. I make more than the max income requirements for reduced or affordable housing, but I also cannot afford the regular rent. I believe that those like me in the middle who are not quite “poor” but also can’t afford anything are often overlooked.
By Brittney Allen-Shaw