Income Limit Could Force Tenants From Housing Complex in Fairfax

As many as 100 families living in a Fairfax County-owned housing complex for low-income residents could be evicted this fall for failing to prove that they are eligible to live there.

County officials said the residents of Wedgewood West, Wedgewood East and Wedgewood Manor, a cluster of brick apartments and townhouses in Annandale, have been asked repeatedly to provide pay stubs and tax returns to show that they do not exceed the income limit of $99,000 for a family of four.

Most of the 672 households have complied, and a handful have been asked to leave because their incomes exceed the limit. County officials said they are particularly concerned about the 100 families that have not responded to the management company's inquiries. Those residents received notice last week that they must contact their building manager by Aug. 15 or move out within 120 days.

"It's important that we step up our efforts to try to identify these people who are not responding," said Supervisor Sharon S. Bulova (D-Braddock), whose district includes Wedgewood. "It would be a shame for people not to be able to stay simply because they were confused."

Fairfax acquired the complex in November through a fund to buy affordable housing that might otherwise be lost to upscale developments. The county uses 1 cent of every dollar collected in real estate tax to fund the program.

Eligible families pay rent to the county based on a formula that includes the family's size and household income. Fairfax owns about 1,000 apartments and townhouses.

Wedgewood is the most recent large complex that the county has bought with the fund. Since the purchase, Fairfax has been systematically trying to verify the residents' income status through the management company, which has called families and dropped off letters at their doors.

County officials say they do not know why the residents are not responding, but some supervisors speculated that some lease-holders may not be in the United States legally, which would disqualify them from staying at the complex.

Some residents said yesterday that they had not replied because they knew they would not qualify and planned to move. Others said they had heard neighbors say they were reluctant to reveal private information for fear of identity theft or were unhappy that the county had bought the property.

Kim Bucina, 44, who is unemployed, said she had not gotten around to responding to the request. She received a certified letter Friday that said she could be forced to leave her home.

"I was planning to make the appointment this week," she said. "I'm not just ignoring it.

County officials said they are making every effort to contact the residents who have not complied. Staff members for the county and the management company plan to make home visits. The county planned to send out notices today in Spanish in case a language barrier prevented some from responding.

"At some point, we just have to stop what we're doing" and put the onus on the residents, said Paula Sampson, director of the department of Housing and Community Development. "We hope we will get a response now and that they realize they do need to come in and talk to us."