News and Special Events

CFH Silent Auction

Catholics for Housing is planning a unique Silent Auction that will benefit CFH housing programs.  Proceeds from the auction that will assist “hometown heroes” to become homeowners.  The police officers, fire and rescue techs, the public and parochial school teachers are people who serve our families every day.  To help each one purchase a home close to their employment costs about $20,000.  This is an opportunity to replicate the success of Southbridge and Linton Hall Manor.

The Virginia Ely Senior Rental Assistance Program allows seniors to continue to live independently and to enjoy this part of their lives.  The average monthly cost of a rental subsidy is $300.  The annual cost of $3,600 is less than the cost of one month at an assisted living facility.  With your help, the seniors in Fairfax County-owned retirement facilities can live in dignity.

Your support has provided security deposit assistance to 48 recipients during FY 2008.  The Edie Streett program has been providing assistance for 20 years to move individuals and families from homeless situations to permanent rental homes.  Two hundred dollars helps one recipient move out of a homeless situation.

The Silent Auction will be held on line via this website and at the Linton Hall Closing Celebration. You may view a list of the items for auction, which will be updated continuously. You may make your bid via this website, by emailing your bid to us, or you can print out the donation bid form and mail or fax it to us.

The Silent Auction items up for bid will also be displayed at the closing celebration to be held at Linton Hall Manor: date to be announced.

Further details will be announced in the August Newsletter.

Links to the Silent Auction Items List and Bid Sheet are located to the left in the directory listings.

If your bid sheet will not send/return to us please print and mail to CFH.

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Three Decades Exhibits Growing Dynamics in Housing

Housing Costs, 1973 - 2005

·     Housing costs for renters increased. In 1973, 23 percent of renters paid 35 percent or more of their income for housing costs; by 2005. 41 percent of renters did so.

·     Housing costs for owners increased. In 1974, 8 percent of owners paid 35 percent or more of their income for housing costs; by 2005, 22 percent of owners did so.

·      The ratio of home value to income increased in two phases. From 1973 to 1979, the ratio increased from 2.1 to 2.5. It reached a plateau at 2.3 from 1985 to 1999. Then, by 2005, the ratio rose sharply to 3.1.  

Characteristics of American Householders, 1973 - 2005

·     - More Americans became homeowners. The home­ownership rate rose from 64.4 to 68.8 percent.

·     - The composition of households changed. In 1973, approximately 2 out of 3 were married-couple families; by 2005, this ratio fell to lout of 2.

·     - The median household size dropped from 2.5 persons to 2.2 persons. Large households decreased. Households with 5 or more members represented 18 percent of all households in 1973, but only 10 percent by 2005.         

·     - Households with children decreased. From 1973 to 2005, the percentage dropped from 43 percent to 35 percent of all households.

·     - Elderly householders aged 65 and over accounted for 20 percent of those occupying the nation's housing stock in 1973, and that percentage remained constant in 2005. - -There was, however, a slight increase in the proportion of those over 75.

·     - Householders traveled slightly longer and further to get to work. The median commuting time increased from 19 minutes in 1974 to 22 minutes in 2005; the median commuting distance increased from 8 to 11 miles.

A direct link to 32 Years of Housing Data can be found at www.huduser.org/datasets/ahs/AHS_taskC.pdf, The report can be downloaded at no cost. Public use files to obtain information and analyses of the relationship between household characteristics and housing can be found at www.huduser.org/datasets/ahs.htm.