A new philanthropic effort will support affordable housing for lower-income seniors and those with disabilities in Arlington.
County Board members on Sept. 19 authorized the creation of the new housing fund, spearheaded by the husband-and-wife duo of Ken Aughenbaugh and Melodee Melin.
Arlington residents for more than 50 years, each spent decades working on housing issues for the county government.
They have committed to making annual contributions to the fund during their lives and contributing most of their estates to it after their deaths.
At the Sept. 22 County Board meeting where they were recognized, Aughenbaugh explained the rationale behind their bequest:
“Mel and I married too late to have children. Our families are financially stable. We’ve lived fairly frugally, invested carefully and accumulated considerably more than we are ever going to need.”
“At some point, you have to ask yourself, what is this money ultimately for? For us, the answer became pretty clear — a safe, decent, affordable home is about as fundamental a human need as there is.”
Melin was hired by the county government in 1974, becoming its first staff member specializing in housing initiatives aimed at lower-income residents, and worked for the county for just under two decades. Aughenbaugh served as the county’s housing-development coordinator from 1983-2003, then as housing director until 2013.
Both Aughenbaugh and Melin have received past accolades for their efforts. Melin said the donated funds are the couple’s way of giving back to their community.
“Not many people fall in love with a county, but working here and living here has been heaven as far as I’m concerned,” she said. “It’s a wonderful community and it’s full of people and organizations that help the county be the best it can be.”
While contributions will come from the couple, the new fund will also accept donations from other sources, county officials said. The fund will be used to support “the development, preservation, financing, and long-term affordability of affordable senior housing and permanent supportive housing serving Arlington County residents,” staff said in a memo to Board members.
County Board member Takis Karantonis said that while the financial contribution will have an impact on housing efforts, so will the spirit of the initiative.
Karantonis expressed the Board’s “gratefulness not only about the dollars but about the amazing spirit” behind the idea.
“It’s just an immense, immense gift,” added County Manager Mark Schwartz, who compared it to the ever-expanding roots of a tree.
“Even after your money is long gone, that tree will continue to grow and bear fruit,” he said.
Aughenbaugh said both he and Melin grew up in separate parts of the Rust Belt.
“We came from blue-collar families,” he said. “Somehow we both wound up in Arlington, and that turned out to be one of the great pieces of good fortune in our lives.”
The couple has been thinking about leaving a lasting legacy for housing for some time.
“We’ve been working nearly 15 years refining this effort,” Aughenbaugh told Board members and a large number of county staff and housing advocates who had gathered for the presentation.
