Ten years ago, on this date, I published a post, Know your public housing. Basically, what is affordable housing isn’t public housing. People might be using ‘public housing’ as shorthand, but it is incorrect.
Local governments are moving away from the public housing model and towards vouchers, aka Section 8. It’s easier to boss around landlords than to deal with property management yourself.
There are plenty of places within the historic boundaries of Shaw that are mistaken for public housing that is not public housing or no longer public housing. What is public housing? That’s housing “owned and managed by the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA).” And what is currently owned by the city in Shaw and other neighborhoods, compared to the number of privately owned apartments is minuscule.
I’ve gone down the list of DC public housing and only the James Apartments at 1425 N St NW, and possibly Claridge Towers at 1221 M St NW (it’s on the boundary) and Horizon House are the only public housing apartments in & on the border with Shaw.
The Northwest Co-Ops 1 and 2, not public housing.
Asbury Dwellings on Rhode Island, not public housing.
1330 at 1330 7th St NW, formerly Immaculate Conception Apartments, not public housing.
The McCollough Terrace Apartments, strangely some of the few non-Suzane Reatig designed UHOP buildings in Shaw, obviously not public housing.
The Washington Apartments, not public housing. I’m not even sure it’s still taking voucher tenants in 2026.
Foster House, formerly affordable housing associated with New Bethel Church, and there was a settlement, not public housing.
The Gibson Apartments, not public housing.
So lesson learned. When there is talk of affordable or workforce housing at your community meetings, it’s the examples I’ve provided above, the “not public housing.” Also affordable housing isn’t forever. The thing with vouchers, is that a company or property management group can choose to pivot towards market rate housing.
And besides owning and running public housing, DCHA also owns decaying vacant properties. I need to figure out how to do an inventory of everything they own and see how many blighted properties they own. One of them is at 1527 6th Street NW. It’s a shell that they made a half hearted attempt to sell for $1 million a while back. Because DCHA is not part of the DC Government, I was interested to learn, the levers of accountability are hard to find.
Not a part of the DC Government? DCHA I think began as the Alley Dwelling Authority then became the National Capitol Housing Authority (off the top of my head… I have too many tabs open as it is to check) and then became part of the DC government with Home Rule. Yes, accountability being hard to find? Color me shocked. Shocked I say.