I’m not going to get my hopes up. I’ll get my hopes up when the charter school starts bringing in students. But anyway, the Armstrong School has been seeing some activity lately. I saw workmen Saturday morning doing something with the windows and on the top level you can see that there is plastic covering the window cavity. Hopefully the work on the school will continue through the Fall and have the school ready for occupation in 2008. But as I said, not, getting, my, hopes, up.
Month: October 2007
Well, that went well
Well today after getting my hair done, I went to the Shiloh Baptist Church Family Life Center’s Forum on Gentrification. It was a good step on the part of the Family Life Center to have something of a dialog, which despite nearly falling into chaos*, where different opinions voiced themselves. Hopefully, some Shiloh groups and community members can come together again to improve communication, find out what we can agree on, and work together on that.
I really did not take any decent notes. Except a notation about something Alex Padro, one of the panel members said about who gentrification really hurt were the people in boarding houses and people in single family townhomes. Shaw has the highest concentration of subsidized housing in Ward 2, with Lincoln Westmoreland, Foster House, Asbury Dwellings and some other places. And, if I remember right, the tenant groups have long covenants that keep the housing affordable to them. So whatever happens in the real estate market, their fine. However, found out that the United House of Prayer, which had/has a fair amount of affordable housing is going market/ luxury rate.
Also it was good to meet/see people I mainly know from the online experience, Ray and the man behind OnSeventh. The great thing about neighborhood blogging is at some point you are going to run into people off-line. Oh, and I stand behind what I said about libel. If there is anything that I have typed that is untrue (outside of an opinion) bring it to my attention, and if it is false, I will retract it or adjust it, basically try to make it right. I am not hiding behind a blog, believe me, you can find me if you put some effort in it, like emailing me, or wandering over to a BACA meeting. At some community gatherings, some people (Scott Roberts) are more than happy to point me out.
After the forum I did talk to some folks who were members and volunteers for Shiloh. There are a few ideas that I hope some who can act on these ideas can work with. One is getting new Baptists in the area to join. Second is doing a better job of advertising different missions that can help people in need in the immediate area take care of immediate needs, like a food pantry and a benevolence fund, and if a person needs to tap into it right this minute, how they would get connected. Third, have a church presence on one of the civic association committees, like Ebeneezer Baptist is with BACA.
*****
I’ve been typing this up between dinner and had a nice long conversation with a fellow with a Shiloh justice ministry spin-off, the Urban Housing Alliance, who was at the forum. Long and short of it, because I really want to get back to dinner, what’s going on with Shiloh and the properties and the official justice ministry to address issues is complicated. This is the part where I don’t want to be bothered with the infighting because I have to side with my family members who are Shiloh members and supportive of current leadership. But the fellow made a good point of some failings with current leadership and some of the problems we are seeing.
Anyway, due to issues related to the infighting & parking, the Urban Housing Alliance will be meeting at a friendly location for them, 4311 R St, Capitol Heights, MD October 20th from 10:30AM to noon. ‘Cause I asked, why out in Maryland? It seems they also meet in DC as well and their goal is to provide services, free of charge, to DC citizens (I gather from the discussion) to cut property taxes, lower rents, and hold on to homes.
Okay, din-din.
***************
UPDATE: Off Seventh has more here and here.
*I say the same thing about my church’s screamy baby service with kids squirming and not providing the expected answers when the priest does the kiddie focused sermon.
Gentrification and housing
Because of this blog, I get asked about gentrification. I’m not a public policy wonk, or a student of urban planning, or an activist, but I am a citizen with an opinion on the topic. One question is if affordable housing will disappear because of gentrification? Um, short of Mothra coming in a flattening 3/4ths of the hood, no.
The reason why is just off the top of my head there are a couple of public housing units (see here), the co-ops and other apartment buildings that are not market rate on 7th, 6th, 5th, and 1st Streets, that have sizable footprints and surface parking lots (see the DC Real Property Map). Some are owned by churches, which doesn’t really mean anything, because a church owns (in full or part, not sure) Kelsey Gardens. But as long as the churches see it as part of their mission to provide affordable housing (with the help of being tax exempt) those housing units should be fine. So the cry that there is no affordable housing or that affordable or low income housing will disappear in Shaw, doesn’t ring true in my ears.
I do acknowledge that among privately rented townhouses and small 4-6 unit apartment buildings there is a danger. However if a landlord decides to sell his townhouse to someone who will more than likely want to live in the unit and be a resident homeowner, I think the neighborhood is better off because it stabilizes the community.
Anyway I started writing this to point out a function going on this weekend. Shiloh Baptist Church this weekend is putting on a Gentrification meeting/ forum whathave you reported here and here, and probably a few other spots. It’s this Saturday between 1-4pm at 1510 9th St. And to touch on OneDC’s rally for their favorite bidder for Parcel 42, but I’ll get to that later.
Housing around
Affordable housing, workforce housing, low-income housing, subsidized housing, senior housing, market rate housing and the various aspects of those need to be illustrated in an easy to understand booklet because some of the subtlies and differences are getting lost on me. As a voter in Shaw, the differences matter because it is the politicos that can approve or tweak the various developments going up or around. I have an interest in the type of big buildings that go up with people with various needs and wants, that impact the kind of public and commerical ventures that come to the hood.
My current question regarding the differences is how and from where do the people who fill the different rental housing options come from? I wonder this because I’m trying to figure out where do people, who may not be invovled with any social service agency that may act as a clearinghouse, find out about housing that isn’t market rate.
I also think back to my first Shaw apartment. It was on the corner of 12th and Rhode Island NW, in the basement, no AC (w/ window bars that wouldn’t make a window unit possible), window near the dumpster, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, $525 ($633 in 2007 dollars). I found it in the Washington Post. Because of the location I thought it was a typo, but checked it out anyway. Nasty carpet and dead roaches littering the kitchen, I applied quickly. I think I had to state my income as part of the credit check, but I had just gotten a ‘real’ job a few weeks before so all I could show was my meager GS-6($26K) salary from the job before. I don’t know if that was a qualification, I don’t remember anyone mentioning it. I may have been technically, low or low-moderate income at that point. Also I didn’t know if the building or unit was rent controlled or what the deal was, I decided not to look cheap centrally located housing in the mouth.
So I wonder is, will, affordable housing be advertised widely and in various mediums to attract various renters?
Torn but supportive
Down in Penn Quarter Douglas Jemal’s comany is asking residents for their support to attract a Whole Foods on 7th between E and D Street NW. So if you want to sign their petition click here.
I’m torn about support because Douglas Development, also the cause of nasty commerical tax increases in Shaw.
We are the TC ’cause DC sez so
IMGoph reported on the Bloomingdale (for now) blog a new service that one can see what houses are private, tax exempt, etc on a nice little map. Well I went to look at the DC Citizen Atlas, saw a tax exempt (I think, as I can’t tell brown from red) property in that hood, and clicked on it I saw listed as the city neighborhood, TRUXTON CIRCLE.
Hopefully, that settles it. But then again it might have been settled prior to this, as I haven’t heard much against the name since Spring.
Tonight, in like about an hour.
Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr.
Ward 5 Constituent Meeting
Meet and Talk with
The New Commander of the 5th District
Lamar Greene
Attend this meeting and share your thoughts
On crime and safety concerns
In Ward 5
Where: Noyes Elementary School 2725 10th Street. , N.E.
When: Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Time: 6: 30 p.m. until 8: 30 p.m.
Sponsored by
Ward 5 Councilmember
Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr.
For additional Information contact the Ward 5 Council Office (202) 724-8028.
* Reception will begin @ 6:30 p.m. *
Construction and Renovation Safety pt2
Picking up from Part 1 we’ve had some problems, not a lot, but some in the area where there have been some construction related crimes. Not too long ago someone reported a break in on the TC discussion board at a house under construction.
Well here’s my experience and what I’ve heard from others.
Tell your contractor to protect his stuff
Before construction started on the house I told David, the contractor, that there had been some incidences of tools being stolen in the area from job sites. So David got these huge metal box lockers with big fat nasty looking chains that sat in the middle of the house for most of the renovation. The only thing that I know of that got stolen was a saw from another job they were doing on the block.
Be aware what permits do
A friend over in Bloomingdale who was having a major renovation in his basement and some minor-ish work in the main house woke to the sound of someone trying to beat down his door. It seems those permits you have to keep up attract some criminals. You can’t take them down so you just have to be aware that they advertise that the house is under construction.
Just because its heavy doesn’t mean it won’t get stolen
I’d been offered a replacement part for a broiler, but when the person offering went to retrieve said item it was gone. Nathan & BL had a nice fat radiator sitting on their back porch for the longest, but one day, it up and grew legs. Those radiator things are heavy, get 2-4 guys to lift it heavy. I’ve also been told of air conditioner whateverthingies (big heavy things that go on the roof) that was placed there by a crane, being stolen.
and lastly….
Beware of ladders
This endangers the safety of your house when it is not under construction. Tall ladders left around by construction guys and not locked or chained up can be used to break into other peoples houses. This will make you unpopular.
Construction and Renovation Safety pt 1
Below is a citizen reporting an incident that appeared on the 5D Listserv Oct 2nd via the Brookland Listserv. There are some issues that I’ll address in another posting, but there are practical bits of advice that seem to go against what we are told about giving people the benefit of the doubt, not relying on stereotypes, yadda, yadda, yadda. Read it, tell me what you think. Also be safe out there:
Today at 4:50pm the construction workers renovating the owned but unoccupied house opposite mine were robbed at gunpoint (15th/jackson) .
I saw the crimnals 1 minute before the actual robbery took place, as I was pulling away from the curb they were walking up the front steps. Fortunately, no one was physically harmed as all three had guns; unfortunately, I did not get a good look to give a better description: 3 young adult males approx 17-early 20s, medium black complexion, average height, lanky build, one in a gray sweatshirt and jeans, the other two dressed in black sweatshirts/ black pants.
What I learned from those robbed — one guy came by earlier and walked in the open door as they were working. When questioned why he was there he said he was looking to buy a house. They told him that it was owned and was not selling. They regret not calling the police at this first round because the age, dress, and line and method of inquiry (walking in and looking around, no standard questions in line with home buying) of the person clearly demonstrated ‘kid’ more than ‘potential home owner,’ and thus after the fact realize this was the stakeout for the later return in the day, when his friends were available to assist.
What I learned FROM THE POLICE — 1.) construction workers are an easy target for robberies of their property (tools, $) and your household property, because since they don’t know every one of your relatives, friends and neighbors, they allow themselves to be approached by strangers visiting. [SNIPPED by InShaw] 3.) the pre-visit is a common robbery set up pattern, on a type of people commonly marked – contrators.
So my take away from this experience is this:
1. If someone shows up on your property that doesn’t quite ‘fit the bill,’ better to be suspect and guarded, as you are only protecting yourself and your property. If the person is innocent, well the questioning by the cops ultimately does him/her a service to wake up and realize that in today’s time you just don’t walk up on someone’s property and into an open door uninvited. They should know they were lucky to encounter you, a nice person who only called the cops to check them out — another person may not be so nice and may try to physically protect their property…
2. If you are not in your property yet, make it a point to visit often, even if it is an inconvenience since you have so many other things to do … Meet your neighbors now, not the week you move in. Let them know point blank that they are free to question anyone on your property. The neighboring young new couple had expensive things stolen from their house (whole central air/heating system) because they were
never ever there in a one years time of construction. ..
3. Same for your contractors — let them know that a) you demand they work behind locked door, no matter how much of an inefficent hassle it is; b) no friendliness to strangers you have not specficially pointed out to them are on the ok to fraternize with list, not even the elderly woman in the floral apron with a plate of home-baked cookies who claims to be your mother, and c) they must call the cops immediately.
Historic Preservation
Richard Layman of Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space, has a posting where the comments exchange got me to thinking about what Historic Preservationist people could do to improve. The topic was attracting younger volunteers but something in the comments about the problem with leadership, made me wonder if what would make the groups appeal to younger volunteers would also make them more attractive to the general public. First, need to state that I’m a bit distrustful of historic preservation groups and historic districting. Not for the sake of being contrarian, but because I see some HP and HD efforts counter to certain values I hold.
So here are some suggestions:
1. Get leadership that inspires and engages the general public. Not just wealthy donors, but the volunteers, all generations, homeowners, renters, regular Joes and such with a vision that speaks to them and their values.
2. Discernment and at least do a better job at publicizing it. Historic preservation groups come off to me like the girls who can’t say no. But I do realize that you don’t approve everything, and you don’t find every old building to be ‘historic’. If you publicized what isn’t historic a bit better that would calm my fears a bit. Not completely, but it builds confidence that you might be able to determine what is historic and what isn’t.
3. More honey and less vinegar. Take a cue from the environmental/ green movement. Knowing that some people will do wrong, trust that most people want to do right and encourage them and their efforts big and small.
4. Show more sensitivity to different income levels, abilities, and aspirations. Some people are DIY people, some people are on fixed incomes, some people need to age in place and some are really into being green and saving the environment. Tax breaks and low interest/subsidized loans are not the same as a grant (learned that in college I did). What options exist for green homeowners who want solar panels, green roofs, compact florescent bulbs in exterior light fixtures and maybe some other early adapter type green tech that isn’t really pretty?
5. Be positively proactive. In a neighborhood with townhouses where the average square footage ranges below 1,000 to 1,500, it is possible that families intent on remaining in the District might want to add space. If you’ve got architects and artists, maybe they can draw up a pattern book of acceptable additions for the various District building styles, for various needs (growing family, aging in place, etc) at various price points. Same for wheelchair ramps, not-so-steep stairs, and wider door entrances. And though it is something that can get dated quickly, provide local locations where items to purchase are and price ranges. Telling me not to use regular cement from Home Depot to patch up a brick wall is useless information. Telling me that I need type 3 cement and I can get it at Fragers on Capitol Hill for around X dollars, helpful. Maybe HP and HD groups do this, if they do publicize it more. Realize what peoples’ needs are and address them before the construction/ repairing begins.
These are just suggestions, dismiss at will.