Tenant Council Information
President, NGSCA Banned from Gum Springs Glen by Fairfax County Housing & Community Development
The New Gum Springs Civic Association (Civic Association) is no longer allowed to provide informational health meetings for seniors at Gum Springs Glen. The President, NGSCA has been banned from the property as a trespasser by Fairfax County Housing & Community Development.
During 2021, the seniors reactivated its Gum Springs Glen Tenant Council (Tenant Council) to include bylaws and selected the Civic Association as its representative. After coordinating its meeting date with Edgewood's calendar, the Tenant Council had been meeting on a regular basis the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 12:00 p.m. since January 2022 except for its October 2022 meeting. The October 2022 meeting was held at Harvest Assembly Baptist Church because Fairfax County Housing & Community Development (HCD) and Edgewood Management (Edgewood) prohibited the attendance of the Gum Springs Community Center Seniors at Gum Springs Glen.
During the November 9, 2022 monthly Tenant Council meeting, HCD and Edgewood, summoned for Fairfax County Police to remove the President, NGSCA as a trespasser, who is now banned from the property. HCD and Edgewood did not provide any notification to the Civic Association prior to November 9th that the President, NGSCA had been barred from the premises.
HCD and Edgewood's heavy handed action to prevent the tenants from organizing without management interference or involvement is a clear signal to tenants that it can determine who can be a guest or friend to a tenant.
According to HCD and Edgewood, Gum Springs Glen is a private residential community. As such, the Tenant Council is not a protected activity for tenant rights. Both HCD and Edgewood does not acknowledge the fact that Gum Springs Glen is in Gum Springs but rather located in the heart of Alexandria, Virginia nestled between the coveted Hybla Valley and Mount Vernon neighborhoods.
Unbeknownst to the Civic Association that Gum Springs Glen is a private residential community, the Civic Association filed a complaint with the Department of Housing & Urban Development under 24 CFR 245 that protects tenants rights and allows tenants to organize without interference from management. It was then that the Civic Association learned that Gum Springs Glen is not funded through the Department of Housing & Urban Development. Gum Springs Glen funding source is through the Department of Treasury as a Low Income Tax Credit.
Therefore, the Tenant Council is not a protected activity for tenant rights to include the right to organize without management interference. The tenants voice through the Civic Association has now been silenced. HCD and Edgewood have sole authority over who can be on the property, how and when community information can be disseminated to the tenants. HCD and Edgewood is now the voice for the tenants and not a community-based organization that allows tenants to speak freely and without retaliation. This is now the second area of Gum Springs being separated from its core community, This time it's a Fairfax County agency--Housing & Community Development (HCD).
Finally, HCD and Edgewood's action solidifies why Fairfax County should not purchase or own any additional property in Gum Springs. Gum Springs had it right when it strongly opposed the purchase of the Kramer property by Fairfax County for the development of Gum Springs Glen ll.
During 2021, the seniors reactivated its Gum Springs Glen Tenant Council (Tenant Council) to include bylaws and selected the Civic Association as its representative. After coordinating its meeting date with Edgewood's calendar, the Tenant Council had been meeting on a regular basis the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 12:00 p.m. since January 2022 except for its October 2022 meeting. The October 2022 meeting was held at Harvest Assembly Baptist Church because Fairfax County Housing & Community Development (HCD) and Edgewood Management (Edgewood) prohibited the attendance of the Gum Springs Community Center Seniors at Gum Springs Glen.
During the November 9, 2022 monthly Tenant Council meeting, HCD and Edgewood, summoned for Fairfax County Police to remove the President, NGSCA as a trespasser, who is now banned from the property. HCD and Edgewood did not provide any notification to the Civic Association prior to November 9th that the President, NGSCA had been barred from the premises.
HCD and Edgewood's heavy handed action to prevent the tenants from organizing without management interference or involvement is a clear signal to tenants that it can determine who can be a guest or friend to a tenant.
According to HCD and Edgewood, Gum Springs Glen is a private residential community. As such, the Tenant Council is not a protected activity for tenant rights. Both HCD and Edgewood does not acknowledge the fact that Gum Springs Glen is in Gum Springs but rather located in the heart of Alexandria, Virginia nestled between the coveted Hybla Valley and Mount Vernon neighborhoods.
Unbeknownst to the Civic Association that Gum Springs Glen is a private residential community, the Civic Association filed a complaint with the Department of Housing & Urban Development under 24 CFR 245 that protects tenants rights and allows tenants to organize without interference from management. It was then that the Civic Association learned that Gum Springs Glen is not funded through the Department of Housing & Urban Development. Gum Springs Glen funding source is through the Department of Treasury as a Low Income Tax Credit.
Therefore, the Tenant Council is not a protected activity for tenant rights to include the right to organize without management interference. The tenants voice through the Civic Association has now been silenced. HCD and Edgewood have sole authority over who can be on the property, how and when community information can be disseminated to the tenants. HCD and Edgewood is now the voice for the tenants and not a community-based organization that allows tenants to speak freely and without retaliation. This is now the second area of Gum Springs being separated from its core community, This time it's a Fairfax County agency--Housing & Community Development (HCD).
Finally, HCD and Edgewood's action solidifies why Fairfax County should not purchase or own any additional property in Gum Springs. Gum Springs had it right when it strongly opposed the purchase of the Kramer property by Fairfax County for the development of Gum Springs Glen ll.
ICYMI
In Case You Missed It (ICYMI), the residents of Gum Springs Glen have officially designated the Civic Association as its Tenant Council instead of selecting internal residents.
The Civic Association worked with the tenants to develop a maintenance satisfaction form and a process to have tenant input into the performance evaluation of on-site management staff.
Click on the pdf below to view documents, forms and monthly meeting notes. Not all monthly meetings have notes.
The Civic Association worked with the tenants to develop a maintenance satisfaction form and a process to have tenant input into the performance evaluation of on-site management staff.
Click on the pdf below to view documents, forms and monthly meeting notes. Not all monthly meetings have notes.
| gum_springs_glen_tenant_association_bylaws.pdf |
| gum_springs_glen_employee_evaluation_form.pdf |
| gum_springs_glen_meeting_notes_for_october_2021.pdf |
| gum_springs_glen_meeting_notes_for_september_10_2021.pdf |
| gum_springs_glen_meeting-august_20^j_2021.pdf |