It is disgusting how these people crowd into a house. I've got a Bolivian woman who owns the house across the street from me, and I could almost forgive all the so-called relatives, if it were not for the noisy, drunken, all-night parties, the thump-a-thump of the Mexi-Polka music blaring from their lousy rusted out cars, the crap lawn ornaments all over the front yard, tenants urinating off the back porch, and the way they chop down every bush and tree for God knows what reason - maybe they think that the shubbery is home to evil spirits. When we call the cops, they cry that they're being discriminated against and say they can't speak English. Five minutes after the cops leave they are joking and laughing with one another no doubt at how stupid the police are. Contrast this to another Latino family a block away that keeps their house in pristine condition. The kids are polite and well groomed, and there are only two cars in the driveway. Those neighbors I welcome. In the meantime I lie awake at night wondering who in their right mind would purchase my house under these circumstance.

I was a strong supporter of the rights of immigrants to come to this country and work until such a house sprang up on my parents block. Amongst houses selling for $1 million and more with mercedes and subarus in the driveways a diplomatic family from Spain moved about 10 years ago. Family divorced. The wife got a new boyfriend from Central America. He moved three flatbed trucks in front of the house plus a pick up truck and a car. He blocked parking in front of neighbor's houses. Then came the worst- he started hiring landscapers in front of his house for his business! I drove by once to see people sitting on my parents lawn eating McDonalds, then when I asked them in Spanish why they were there, they jumped into their car and sped away, leaving trash for four people ON MY INNOCENT PARENTS LAWN! Then came the guys celebrating after work with beers and chips in the middle of the street oggling jr high girls walking home from school (something I saw with my own eyes). My parents called me every day let alone the police. Once I burst out laughing as my mother, on the phone with me, screamed "LIMPIA TU BASURA" over and over again (she speaks Spanish poorly). The police issued citations and a few fines, but otherwise couldn't stop this guy from running a business out of his girlfriend's house. Right now there's an uneasy truce. None of his employees appear to be staying there anymore and he "only" has one flatbed truck, and 4 "normal" vehicles. What I can't understand is his lack of feeling of shame. It's the ugliest house on the block with the junkiest cars and trash on the lawn. When my parents asked him, finally, if he'd be their landscaper he said he'd do it for $200 per week because of the work involved- a scam- they hired another guy for $30 per week. That neighbor has no decency nor no shame. I'm hoping the average Joe immigrant doesn't impose like that on his neighbors.

It seems that everyone has a story about how latinos take advantage of every neighborhood they can. The stories are all the same -- trashy behavior mirroring ignorant minds and then crocodile tears cried to police, who are afraid of being sued by the supporters of these hoods. That's all they are, a bunch of hoodlums. It's sickening.

What's disgusting are these racist comments. How is that the above commenters are capable of saying such stereotyped and generalized insults about an entire ethnicity? Aren't we beyond this being acceptable in a public forum?
The real issue is that Fairfax County does not provide enough housing choices for all workers at all income levels. Can we not assume that everyone would like sufficient space for their families, but may need to make the choice to crowd houses if they can't afford it? I am saddened and appalled by the poisonous and ignorant responses in the above comments.

It is sad that we remain blind to the pressing issue at hand. We must stray away from issues regarding race, and focus on what is reality. The focus should be on implementing the best amount of mixed-income housing. Honestly, we have to be more sensible.

I hope no one thought my comments were racist or based on the ethnicity of the tenants. My shock was only in their behavior related to expensive housing, not that they spoke Spanish (!pero yo hablo espanol tambien!). Indeed the family from Spain were quite high class as were the Salvadorans I knew in the 1970s.

The issue is not affordable housing as much as it's behavior. Any income-based renting would be reserved for people who can prove income via IRS forms- not helping migrant workers. I hope no one thought my anecdote hinged on the race or ethnicity of the landscaper on my mother's block- I assure you it was pure class snobbery and would apply to white people with a car up on blocks. yuk yuk yuk. The article talked about what a lot of people have seen- the illegal rooming house-ification of quiet, wealthy suburban neighborhoods and what I witnessed surprised me more than any kind of land use I've ever seen. My parents know that by paying the guy $30 per week to mow their lawn he probably isn't earning enough to rent his own apartment, but it's up to him to ask for $50 if that's what he needs to pay for his own place.

A couple observations:

1) Housing in Fairfax County has gotten way out of reach for many folks who work in Fairfax County. The affordable housing that does get built seems a bit skewed toward people who are on the cusp of the high end of "affordability," while really ignoring folks who are truly struggling. I would rather see the County do more with groups like Habitat for Humanity and enter groups like them into partnership with developers than what we get now, which seems very piecemeal. Most people don't want to live in an overcrowded house, but they are faced more directly with the how do I pay for housing and food/ how do I get to work/ how do my kids get to school/ every day problems that we wealthier people can work out much easier. I do not believe in handouts, but I do believe in freeing folks up to have more choices in housing.

2) Usually rules about how many people you can have in a house, what can be used as a bedroom, etc. are based in safety first. So these rules should be enforced. They are not based upon picking on any ethnic group or anything like that. You don't want people living in a basement with no exit in the event of a fire, nor do you want an overcrowded cluttered house with unrelated people using all different lock systems to maintain their privacy and then leaving themselves in a lurch should someone forget the pot on the stove. It is a hazard to the people and to the firefighters who have to come rescue them. The County should enforce these rules.

Seems to me a summary of the comments is this:

I'm a bleeding heart, but

Not near me.