Mayor Justin Gaskins opened a lengthy public discussion on a proposed Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) plan to acquire the Elite senior housing property and to relocate residents from the Ladray high‑rise while preserving affordability. Dozens of residents of both buildings and advocacy groups addressed the council during public comment.

Speakers described surprise and distress at limited notice about the proposed sale of the Elite and at living conditions at Ladray. Rosetta Horn, who said she previously served as a city clerk in Aurora, Colorado, told the council residents had been “blindsided” by news about a sale and asked whether a full marketing plan and resident notification had been done. Tenants and tenant advocates voiced similar concerns about communication and about potential uprooting of older adults.

Several Ladray residents described building deterioration and safety problems during public comment. Steven Hines, president of the Ladray High‑Rise, said residents face recurring water and gas leaks, cracked walls and other issues that he said made the building unsafe. Maudie Hines and Carolee Brown described leaking ceilings, recurring plumbing failures and calls to fire and code enforcement. Tenants urged the city to move residents to safer housing promptly.

ARHA representative Lester Simpson told council he was present to answer questions about ARHA’s proposed acquisition. Simpson said ARHA would not require renovations to be completed before allowing residents to remain in place, that ARHA did not plan to change staff or the property name, and that the acquisition included underwriting protections: a $3.4 million debt‑service reserve and a $6 million letter of credit. He said ARHA was not planning to rely on elevated payment standards. Simpson said ARHA views the purchase as a way to preserve affordability, reduce landlord rejection of voucher holders and keep seniors in place near transit and services.

Speakers raised unresolved factual questions the council asked staff to resolve. Council members requested an accurate current occupancy count (members referenced figures ranging from 40 named current residents up to 131 units, and a cited ARHA relocation estimate of 110 tenants) and asked that ARHA and the current owner (named in testimony as Bonaventure) document outreach to tenants, relocation plans and resident protections. Resident speakers requested more time to meet with ARHA and other parties.

Councilman Al Newby moved to close the public hearing after the public comment period finished. Rather than vote on the proposal at the session, Mayor Gaskins announced the council would not decide the item that day; she said the council will consider the matter at its scheduled meeting on June 24 (the transcript records the council saying they would vote on “the 20 fourth”). The mayor then called a 10‑minute recess and asked ARHA staff, city staff and the parties present to meet in Room 2000 to answer residents’ questions. Deputy City Manager Emily Baker and other staff were assigned to coordinate the meeting and produce follow‑up information for council.

Ending: Council did not take a final vote on the ARHA transaction at the public hearing. The council directed staff to assemble accurate occupancy/relocation numbers and to facilitate face‑to‑face meetings among ARHA, the owner, code enforcement and tenants; a formal council decision was scheduled for a later meeting.