One of the most pivotal changes to our community began ten years ago. Our area was booming. We were building houses “on spec.” That means builders and investors were raising houses with no assurance of profit. They were building without buyers, but reasonably confident some new or “move up” homeowner would want to snatch the property when construction was complete.

Some of the most dramatic changes were wrought by the influx of population to Prince William County. In the 2000 census, we had 280,813 residents and in just ten years, our population exploded. The census in 2010 reflected a tally of 402,000, an enormous increase of nearly 123,000 people.

Our county did an admirable job of keeping pace with the growth, but it’s nearly impossible to budget, build, house, school, provide fire and police service and transportation for that many people in that short period of time. To further complicate the issue, many of the new PWC residents were foreign born, so in addition to the previously mentioned issues there was a language barrier.

In older neighborhoods, primarily in the Woodbridge, Dale City and Manassas areas, the problems were further exacerbated by the absence of HOAs to help guide property owners to grasp the concepts of community maintenance. Long time residents of 20 years or more suddenly found themselves in the midst of strangers who appeared to have no regard for our way of life.

I entered active community service somewhere midstream. Around 2005, I looked around and saw my once neat, tidy neighborhood was under siege. Everyplace I looked, there were vehicles parked on the grass, junk piled in the driveway, construction material stacked by the house, overgrown bushes, and tall grass…the list was endless and the change in appearance was startling. Gangs and graffiti suddenly became an issue. Circumstances further deteriorated in a downward   spiral with the foreclosure crisis. The property values, while diminished in other sections of the county, plummeted in the 22191, 22193 and 20112 zip codes.

When the economy of the nation sank during the foreclosure crisis, conditions worsened in the older neighborhoods. We’re faced with more problems to overcome than the rest of the county. We don’t have any shiny new stores or restaurants in our communities. We don’t have any swimming pools just for our neighborhood, no clubhouses, and no elegantly landscaped entrances.

Our neighborhoods are aging and our homes need maintenance. Our elderly residents are going to be the most severely impacted. What happens to a senior, living alone, who can no longer drive? He or she certainly cannot walk to the corner store for groceries. That senior can’t go get a cup of coffee or a beer and have a little social interaction with neighbors.

What happens when the roof starts to leak or the grass needs mowed and the older resident cannot physically do the labor? Organizations like Project Mend a House and Habitat for Humanity’s “A Brush with Kindness” can certainly help, but there will just be too many people in this older demographic to service.

We need to address the problems of at risk youth. We need parks and places for our children to play and socialize and a way to get them out of the house and into life as a future community leader.

I’m looking for people willing to invest their time and energy in addressing these issues. I’m looking for innovative thinkers willing to take a chance on the future. I’m tired of hearing, “Here’s what you need to do.” from people who aren’t living in the middle of our neighborhoods.  We can get help, we can get guidance, but ultimately, the real solutions come from the people who live here. I know you’re out there.