Affordable Housing Projects Demolished But Never Replaced

"The former Marlaine apartment building on North Pierce Street in North Arlington is an unsightly dirt lot surrounded by a chain-link fence. It's one of at least six Washington area buildings seemingly marooned by housing economics and changing times, representing more than 700 low-cost apartment units that have gone missing from the market during the recent real estate slump."

"Former tenants, neighbors and housing activists say it is a shame that these places were destroyed or left vacant when the need for affordable housing is so acute."

"Real estate industry executives say the market slowdown, coming after several years of an intense boom, is to blame for properties left dangling in limbo. More than two dozen proposed condominium projects have been canceled in the past year, according to Alexandria-based real estate information firm Delta Associates, because the market for high-end units has fizzled and investor-purchasers have vanished."