Posted on 01/06/2006 11:26:01 AM PST by JZelle
Several local officials -- facing overcrowding problems in their respective jurisdictions -- support the recent suspension of a ban on extended family members living under one roof in Manassas but said localities still must find a way to deter illegal aliens and others from cramming into single-family homes. "Overcrowding is a problem in a number of our neighborhoods and we have to find some way to address that problem [but] I don't believe the government can tell families which relatives can live with them," said Gerald E. Connolly, a Democrat who is chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. "Manassas made an earnest effort to come up with some sort of enforcement mechanism to limit overcrowding," said Sean T. Connaughton, a Republican who is at-large chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. "We're facing the same types of challenges in the county [because] the problem has arisen very quickly. ... For all of us in local government this has been a very difficult issue to get our arms around." Their comments come after Manassas officials decided to suspend -- and possibly repeal -- a zoning ordinance that states a household may consist of only immediate relatives plus an unrelated person, and that extended relatives, including aunts, uncles and cousins, do not factor into the "family" equation. Adopted last month, the ordinance drew criticism from civil rights and fair housing groups who called the city's definition of "family" an unconstitutional government probe into the personal matters of families. Manassas officials on Wednesday recanted their position after the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia threatened to sue the city, saying the ordinance targeted Hispanic immigrants who residents and lawmakers blame for overcrowding in neighborhoods throughout Northern Virginia.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Amazing... How many people live in your house is now a government issue too.
Only when all 15 people in a small 2 bedroom townhouse are illegal immigrants.
Those racists!
(In light of this statement, please ignore my tagline.)
Address illegal immigration directly, instead of its symptoms.
Then the housing issue is really a proxy for the illegal immigration issue. That's a bad idea.
It's like trying to eliminate houseflies by declaring open season on things with wings.
"Amazing... How many people live in your house is now a government issue too.
"
These ordinances are pretty common. Most cities have some sort of restriction on unrelated people living in single-family residences.
Oddly, they started out mostly as a way to keep whole crews of college kids renting a house and piling into it. You know, 8 old junkers on the street. Old couches on the lawn. Parties til dawn. That sorta thing
These days, it's immigrant families that are the concern. The college kids are all living in nice apartments these days, paid for by their long-suffering parents.
I agree now we have to find and impeach all the government officials that passed this law the first time around that thought it was the place of the government to tell families what relatives could live with them
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
Really, if it's a local zoning issue, that's within the local jurisdictions rights (or should be). Just like you cannot run commercial ventures in residential areas etc.
However, I do think they need to address the illegal alien issue directly, not just consequences that bother them.
susie
This is the only effective wayto end overcrowding in homes that i can think of :-)
easy: SEND. THE ILLEGALS. HOME.
Many homes are strictly zoned (by the local government) as a "single family dwelling". This ensures that the home will not be rented out, en masse, as a business and upset a residential neighborhood.
Live next to one of these "homes" and you may think different.
1. Ten cars in the driveway, street and LAWN.
2. 24-hour operations. One crew is getting ready for work and another crew is starting a post-work party at 2am.
2. HIGH CRIME. Usually, these homes are rented out to individuals (not groups of families) and resemble more of a college frat on crack(you don't want to live next to one of those, either). You can't even let your kids out into the yard.
We're not talking about The Waltons, with grandma and grandpa, here.
I understand..........a piss poor way to take care of a problem. Sad commentary on the way the illegal immigration issue has been handled.
Not just immigration. We had a couple that was bringing foreign students into the country. Looked like 8-10 at a time were living with them. First thing they did was get a car and try to learn how to drive. Almost hit the neighbor. Of course, they paid rent to the couple and received in state tuition based on the address. We HAD to stop them and got them to cease. They moved almost immediately. Good scam while it lasted.
I worked on a similar problem here. Finally, the police raided the crowded mobile homes bringing the fire department and INS. There must be safety and sanitation public health issues connected with overcrowding.
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