Housing/urban Issues/Gentrification

The residents of Museum Square, one of the last Section 8 rentals in Chinatown are facing mass eviction followed by demolition and condo construction. Bush Companies (of Williamsburg, Va.), the landlord, offers only an option to buy the building for nearly ten times what the DC government assessed it as being worth for property taxes. On the 23ed of June, the tenants staged a mass protest against the planned evictions. They were backed by the National Alliance of HUD Tenants.

Video highlights of the rally (2 min)

On the last day of March, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser held her "state of the district" address. Outside were scores of DC residents excluded from the event-and apparently excluded from the Mayor's promises about affordable housing. There was even talk of housing that someone with a $75,000 a year income can afford being defined as "affordable." The "Real State of the District" protesters beseiged the Lincoln Theater where the Mayor was speaking and at one point took to the streets to blockade 13th and U sts. A key slogan was "Black Homes Matter!"

Video of the "Real State of the District" protest

On the 18th of December, DC homeless folks and their allies gathered at Mitch Snyder's gravesite, then marched to Freedom Plaza to an all-night vigil for those who have died on the streets while homeless. Many carried signs bearing the names of people who died on the street. At the vigil a casket is set up in a tent representing those who have died, it will be marched up to Mitch Snyder's grave site on Dec 19.

Video-The march plus interview(begins 1:42) with vigil participant who discusses Mayor-Elect Bowser's choice to support DC's Olympic bid instead of helping homeless people

Prior to the closing of La Casa Shelter, and as part of an ongoing pattern of displacement, the District closed Franklin Shelter, another low barrier shelter in Northwest, Washington, D.C.[vi] Between the two closures, the District removed all available shelter space in District operated facilities in the Northwest quadrant of the city and reduced its available shelter space for men by over thirty percent (30%).

The pattern of targeting and removal of the largely minority homeless population exhibited by the District defendants and of record includes: i) a clear and undisputed pattern of closing all low barrier public shelter services in largely Caucasian Wards 1 and 2 and relegating the remaining public shelters to Wards 5, 7 and 8, with highest minority populations....