Candidates Like Robert White Want To Change How D.C. Develops Public Land. Could It Make a Difference to the Housing Crisis?
D.C. could soon replace the distinctly retro Reeves Center in the U Street corridor with hundreds of gleaming apartments, new office space, maybe even a hotel and a public plaza—but is that really enough? The city is weighing two pitches from developers vying to remake the old government building, and no matter which one wins,…
The L’Enfant Trust Is Nearing the End of a Controversial Anacostia Rehab Project. What Can D.C. Learn?
Nearly five years ago, four dilapidated, abandoned homes in Anacostia were stuck in a tug-of-war between Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council. But these days, the city-owned properties are housing families again for the first time in decades. It took years of bureaucratic battles, fundraising, and construction, but the nonprofit the L’Enfant Trust has…
D.C. Council Scrutinizes Encampment Clearing Strategy
Echoes of a notorious “clearing” incident resounded in testimony from councilmembers and housing advocates at a public roundtable yesterday. Most notably, witnesses recalled the screams of an unhoused man accidentally picked up by a Bobcat front-end loader at a NoMa encampment last month. At the time, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage…
Douglass Community Land Trust Wants to Lead the Way in SW
South Capitol Street creates a stark divide before you hit the Anacostia River. Navy Yard is on the east side, with towering apartments and condos, some of which rent studios for $2,000 a month. These high rises loom over the modest homes and apartments on the west side of Capitol Street. The area is a…
The Story Behind an Illegal Dumping Attempt to Keep Out Unhoused Residents Outside Ward 2 Safeway
Last Tuesday wooden planters appeared in front of the Safeway at Corcoran and 17th streets NW, just after a temporary homeless encampment eviction had taken place. Some Ward 2 residents expressed dismay over what they saw as an oppressive play to keep unhoused people from moving back after the scheduled “engagement.” An “engagement” is when…