News-Press Editorial

Too bad it's August and a lot of people are out of town, because the groundbreaking series being run in the News-Press this month about the demographic shifts in the region and their impact on present and future social policies and programs of local and regional government is something that everyone should know about, and in depth. But the series will remain archived on the News-Press web site, and might be compiled into a single reference document this fall.

The challenges that this study reveals are daunting. The demographic shifts in terms of ethnicity, New Americans, aging and economic and educational levels are dramatic and will only escalate in the future. Some jurisdictions appear more determined to get ahead of the curve than others. There are some indicators that the City of Falls Church, because of its small size and outsourcing of critical social services to Fairfax County, may not be as adequately prepared for creative or effective responses as it should be. Certainly the City needs to work closely with its surrounding jurisdictions, the way it is being done more effectively with transportation and homeland security issues, to anticipate and strategize to meet the daunting challenges of profound demographic change.

The simple fact is that the real Falls Church is different than the image of Falls Church government leaders may get from those who normally attend City Council or other public meetings to issue grievances or seek changes in policy. Did anyone really know until reading the News-Press last week that the highest percentage of foreign borns in the City come from El Salvador, India, the Philippines, Bolivia and Vietnam, in that order, with significant representations from many others as well? Those working in the English as a Second Language program in the schools probably know, but we wonder what's being planned at City Hall to overcome language or social barriers either with written materials or with the ability of public officials, including public safety officials, to interact with this growing population.

Issues of affordable housing and senior services also cry out for attention as the shifting demographic data becomes known. This week's installment in the series focuses on senior issues. In Falls Church, where the average single family home has escalated in value from $399,000 to $527,000, seniors desiring to stay in their homes are confronted with enormous cost burdens that could be alleviated in part by a combination of affordable options for relocation within their own community or by the permission to construct auxiliary dwellings on their properties, the so-called "granny flats." These are not merely academic or social do-gooder issues. They cut right to the core of essential government policy making, requiring urgent and creative responses to meet the basic needs of the community's shifting population base.