ARHA Residents Urged to Attend Citywide Meeting Thursday Night

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority residents are being urged to attend a citywide meeting Thursday night, September 24, where they can speak directly with ARHA leadership, raise concerns about their homes and learn the proper way to report maintenance problems.

The mandatory ARHA resident meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St.

Flyers were placed on the doors of households throughout ARHA’s housing programs, and the meeting was also announced on the agency’s website. Interim CEO Roy O. Priest, other members of ARHA’s leadership team, longtime staff and representatives of the Alexandria Resident Association will attend.

ARHA usually holds meetings separately within its different resident associations. This time, officials decided to bring everyone together so residents throughout the city receive the same information and have an opportunity to be heard.

“The purpose is so residents know how to report maintenance issues and know the correct protocol for everything,” Gaynelle Diaz, ARHA’s senior director of Resident and Community Services, told The Zebra Press.

“We want to make sure that everybody is in a safe and sanitary unit and that they are living in the homes they deserve,” Diaz said.

A citywide meeting for ARHA residents

The meeting is intended to reach residents throughout ARHA’s portfolio, including people living in its older brick townhouse communities, residents of mixed-income and market-rate properties and families participating in voucher programs.

Diaz estimated that attendance could approach 900 people if everyone invited to the meeting participated.

The gathering will explain how residents should report repairs, whom they should contact and what steps they can take if an issue is not resolved. It will also give residents a chance to share concerns directly with the people responsible for ARHA’s housing and resident services.

ARHA leaders and longtime staff will attend

Diaz also addressed a perception that ARHA is currently operating without leadership.

“There is a misconception that we don’t have leadership right now, but that’s not true,” Diaz said.

She said ARHA has an interim CEO, a deputy CEO and a chief financial officer, along with experienced employees who have served the agency and its residents for many years. Diaz herself has worked in ARHA resident services for 17 years.

Thursday’s meeting will introduce residents to some of those leaders and employees and remind them that people are available to listen, answer questions and help address problems in their homes.

Residents who have hesitated to report a repair—or who are unsure whether they followed the correct procedure—are encouraged to attend, ask questions and learn how to create a clear record of their maintenance requests.

How residents can prepare

Residents who want to raise a housing or maintenance concern may find it helpful to bring:

• The address and exact location of the problem;
• Dates when the issue was reported and any work-order numbers;
• Photos or notes showing the condition; and
• Questions about whom to contact if the problem is not resolved.

How to report a maintenance problem

ARHA operates a 24-hour maintenance line at 703-823-ARHA (2742). Residents may also email [email protected] or use the maintenance information on ARHA’s website.

Related Zebra coverage: Alexandria breaks ground on the Samuel Madden redevelopment.