Jacinta Greene
This spring, Alexandria Living Magazine sent the following questions to every person running for City Council as of May 2024. The answers from Jacinta Greene are below. See links to all other candidate questionnaires here.
Greene currently serves on the school board for Alexandria City Public Schools. His campaign website is at jacintagreene.com.
Have the current efforts to improve affordable housing been sufficient? Why or why not?
Though I support the work that has been done already, it is simply not enough. A study by the Urban Institute showed that we need 20,000 additional homes by 2030 to meet our housing needs and the city has noted that there was a 62% decrease in affordable rental units in Alexandria from 2000 - 2021. While we have made progress, we have not overcome our losses nor have we reached the numbers we need. Beyond the raw numbers, affordability is never going to be an effort where we reach enough. It is going to have to be something that we continually work on and it will be a top priority for me if I am elected.
What can be done to make sure the increasing population density in Alexandria doesn’t hurt quality of life?
I think that ensuring that we are smart and tactical with our development can go a long way. In the short-term, we need to ensure that increased density goes where the infrastructure, especially transportation, can handle it. In the long term, it means our infrastructure citywide can handle the increase in population. Additionally, I think engaging with the community along the way is also crucial. While we will not be able to get everyone on board with every decision, we have to make sure everyone feels heard and that we address concerns when possible.
How can the city make public transportation a more viable and attractive option for residents?
Reliability is the key. If people cannot count on public transportation to get them where they want to go efficiently and consistently, they are not going to use it. That is the area where I think we need to focus our efforts first and foremost. I believe exploring discounted and free routes in tactical locations is worthwhile as well. Cities across the country have had success using this tactic and we need to, at least, explore its viability in Alexandria.
Beyond these tried and true tactics, I think it will be key to solicit input from the community and find out what is keeping them off of public transportation. We can theorize all we want on what might work, but if we go directly to the source, we are going to gain valuable insights on how to promote public transit.
What do you think is the most important factor in making the roads safer and more efficient for everyone?
I think that as noted above, promoting public transportation is the most important factor. If we have more people utilizing public transit it will decrease the number of cars on the road, which will decrease the likelihood of accidents and increase efficiency. I believe we need to move ourselves away from a car-first vision of transportation and more evenly balance it with other modes.
What are the biggest challenges facing Alexandria’s smallest businesses and how can the city better support them?
The retention of a qualified workforce is the biggest challenge facing small businesses in Alexandria. As costs continue to rise, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to live in Alexandria. As a member of the city council I will make sure that we focus on a dedicated workforce housing program so that workers can live and work in our city. This will cut down on retention and quality of life issues.
Do you think Alexandria should return to ward representation? Why or why not?
I do not believe ward representation is right for Alexandria. I do believe there's a great need for residents from every part of Alexandria to feel they are being heard on important issues that face our city.
What is something you don’t like about Alexandria that you want to change?
The number of residents of color that have had to leave Alexandria over the past 20 years due to affordability issues is disturbing to me. I strongly believe that everyone that wants to live in Alexandria should have the opportunity to do so. We must protect young professionals, single income households, Seniors, etc from being priced or taxed out of the market. With smart economic development and diversification of our tax revenue this can be accomplished.
How do you feel about the fate of the Potomac Yard Arena development proposal and how do you think the city should go about developing that location?
I did see the great opportunity in the Potomac Yard Arena project. It presented to diversify our tax base and improve the city’s fiscal situation. But, there were far too many unanswered questions prior to the death of the project. As a resident of the Potomac Yard area, I was particularly concerned with the lack of details on housing. Also on issues of transportation and the environment, there was not enough assurances and support coming from the developer and the state to ease my concerns.
I think that we need more robust redevelopment for that area than was initially approved. We need to use it as an opportunity to diversify our tax base. I would like to see something similar to what has been done in areas across the region like, Shirlington, Mosaic District, the DC Wharf, and other developments in our region. That said, I think housing of various types needs to be a part of the equation.
Beyond housing and entertainment, I think we also need to try to make use of the proximity to the forthcoming Virginia Tech Innovation Campus. I think the campus, as well as the proximity to the Amazon HQ2, provides a unique opportunity to have a business support hub and other business resources integrated into the redevelopment.
Do you think the current city staff is able to effectively serve all the development that is happening or do you think the city needs to hire more people?
I do feel the current city staff is able to effectively serve all of the development that is happening. However, I am a strong believer in evaluation of staffing levels should we continue to increase workload on our staff. We must always be mindful of work/life balance and retention of our employees.
What would you tell a resident who doesn’t feel safe living in Alexandria?
I would tell them that it is clear that we have faced some challenges with increasing crime and I support the effort that has been made thus far to address it. Going forward, I think we need to ensure that our public safety officials have the resources and training they need to do their job and do it well. But, also I think we need to make sure we are tackling the root causes of crime: economic instability and the shortage of services in our community. People who are having their needs met and believe they have a chance to build the life they want to live do not turn to crime. If we under-invest in our communities on the front end, we will pay for it on the back end. Lastly, I would say to them that public safety will always be a top priority for me if I am elected to the City Council.
If you had to convince someone to vote for you in one sentence, what would that sentence be?
My experience in government and business as well as my decades of community involvement in Alexandria will allow me to hit the ground running on day one and fight for the things that matter to Alexandria and deliver.
