The Alexandria (Va.) Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) is observing its 75th anniversary by adding a resident’s Wall of Fame to a list of celebratory activities that include property tours and its annual Winter Wonderland Black Tie Gala in December.
“What we were doing was just really kind of pointing out theimpact that this authority has for the city of Alexandria,” Roy Priest, CEO of the agency told the AFRO July 3.
The housing authority is celebrating the transformation of the physical landscape of the city through the development and redevelopment of affordable housing units, including Quaker Hill, Old Town Commons, and Glebe Park, he said, as well as recognizing the contributions of both housing residents and supporters in the Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C.
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you end up,” Priest said.
According to a press release, members of the Wall of Fame will be grouped in three categories. The first category –“Residents on the Move”–will focus on current residents who are working hard to change their lives and the lives of others. The second category – “Icons of ARHA” –will highlight former residents who have excelled in their career fields and give back to their communities. The third category – “Community Champions of ARHA”–will recognize those who have spent many years supporting the agency and its communities.
The housing authority announced it will also present a Housing Humanitarian Award to a person who has been dedicated to the betterment of the agency and who has been a consistent agent of meaningful and positive change in its communities.
Applications for the Wall of Fame and humanitarian award will be accepted in September. Those persons chosen for the wall and award will be announced at the housing authority’s black tie gala, an annual fundraising ball for ARHA, the release said.
In addition to announcing its new initiatives, Tay Quan Patten, a 2014 graduate of TC Williams High School on King Street, appeared at the news conference to talk about living on the agency’s properties.
He received a Housing Authority Insurance Scholarship, which is given to public and HUD Section 8 residents.
City leaders including Mayor Bill Euille, Councilman John Taylor Chapman and Alexandria Police Chief Earl L. Cook also testified to the agency’s significance and sense of community.
According to its mission statement, the housing authority provides adequate and affordable housing, economic opportunities and a suitable living environment, free from discrimination, for the citizens of Alexandria.
To learn more about the agency visit http://www.arha.us/.
