Author: Mari

FAKE LETTER TO DC NIGHTLIFE

Logan Circle and Adams Morgan need more 40s. Right on with attacking volunteer agreements, they present a burden on to the small store owner who wants to boost profits by selling fine malt liquors and value priced wines, like MD 20/20. Who are these people who are in these so called “neighborhood groups” telling us how we should run our business. If we want to sell single beers, that’s our business, not theirs. They don’t have to buy 40s if they don’t want to. We are just saying we should be able to sell to those who appreciate kickin’ back on the corner, or walking down 14th St. with a 40 in their hand and a buzz in their head.

New Deal in Housing

I glad for the folks featured in the Post’s Housing Program Chalks Up Win (washingtonpost.com) but this is still shiny and new. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the maintenance and keep it a desirable place for both the public assistance and the market rate renters.

What does this have to do with Shaw? Nothing directly. Indirectly it is a housing issue, and Shaw has housing issues. There are a few public housing projects around and about Shaw and housing projects tend to be the targets of these new ideas.

The question I have about these type of mixed income projects that never show up as an answer is what’s the long term view? They don’t give too many examples of previous mixed income projects that have been around for a long period of time. I wonder will the market rate people stick around after the newness rubs off, as market rate people have more choices and opportunities. I think of Boston’s Harbor Point/Columbia Point, not far from the JFK Presidential Library where I interned one summer. Of course, this was a nice waterfront housing project, stuck in a somewhat questionable (according to some Bostonian friends) neighborhood. That is usually pointed to as a success.

Another thing about the Post article was a brief mention of programs for tenants. There was another Post article a week or so back about apartments in Eckington/Brookland area where it no longer looks like a projects building, that also had programs for tenants. This, I believe, is very important. People need real jobs, the training to get and keep those jobs, and programs to keep them from falling. Change the decor all you want, but without jobs you’re not doing a thing to combat poverty and poor conditions that helped the environment to go down. Also in the creation of mixed income housing, those low income folks who can possibly move into mid-income (easier said than done, I know) levels, may have a greater chance of staying in the new development. If Harbor Point is a model, then 2/3 of the tenants must be mid-income. If it is one-for-one replacement or less, with those ratios the low income residents will lose spots in the new project.

Gentrification & me, issue 5

Posted a lecture (I won’t be able to get to because of a conflict in my schedule) titled “Housing Needs for the City and Region: Does the superheated housing market in Logan Circle contribute to concentrated poverty in Ivy City?” Wish I could go because it sounds silly (not to belittle anyone’s research) to me. This is a metro area, so the poor are not limited to Ivy City. There are perfectly good neighborhoods in PG County. What I gather she may mean is there are fewer neighborhoods for low income folks to relocate to so there is greater concentration in neighborhoods they can afford.

Yet I looked at some of her earlier research and there seems to be a lot of focus on neighborhoods that are predominately white and adjacent to predominately white neighborhoods. Another problem as mentioned in the report was high mobility rates of 62 percent for the District.

I’m wonder if the cure is as bad as the disease. On one hand you have low investment in areas, the housing stock is allowed to deteriorate (to the point of no return) and a negative growth rate for the District. When an area looks attractive profit-wise and investors invest, and people find it worthwhile to restore the housing stock, it becomes unaffordable to lower income families. Another problem I have is the income level. It treats a single mom making $30K the same way as a family of four. A household could be 1,2, 3, 4 persons. Income of $30,000 and one person, you could live in a Dupont studio apartment. The same amount for that single mom, doesn’t go as far, maybe a 1 bedroom in Brookline or the apartments at Mt. Vernon Sq. Same income for a family of four… I have no clue what you can do with that. Also the 25% of your income going to housing does not apply. For me it never applied, it was more like 40%-50% of my income going to housing.

Housing Needs for the City and Region:

Does the superheated housing market in Logan Circle contribute to

concentrated poverty in Ivy City?

A discussion with Margery Turner, Urban Institute

October 21, 2003

John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Room 412

6:30 pm, Refreshments; 7 pm, Program

A new study led by Margery Turner shows a troubling trend in the rise in

concentrated poverty in certain D.C. neighborhoods. Evidence suggests that

displacement of poor families from strong housing markets in neighborhoods

like Logan Circle might contribute to the concentration of poverty in

neighborhoods like Ivy City. What are the implications of these trends for

housing policy in the City and region? Join us for a discussion with

Margery Turner as she presents her findings and considers strategies to

address current challenges. See Housing in the Nation’s Capital 2003,

prepared by the Urban Institute for the Fannie Mae Foundation at:

http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/publications/reports/hnc/2003/hnc2003.sht

ml

This effort builds on Ms. Turner’s earlier analysis on gentrification, and

how its negative consequences can be avoided if affordable housing is

preserved in areas facing high demand for homeownership. See: Leading

Indicators of Gentrification in D.C. Neighborhoods,

http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=900461

RSVP (attendance only): WRN, 202/667-5445, or e-mail:

staff@washingtonregion.net. This event is free of charge. For more about

WRN, see: www.washingtonregion.net

__________________________________________________

This event is second in a series of four on Housing for the City presented

by the Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities (WRN). The Fall

2003 WRN Forum Series: Housing for the City focuses on the critical issue of

affordable housing in the District of Columbia. The Washington Regional

Network for Livable Communities’ Forum program engages activists,

decision-makers, and business leaders in discussions of state-of-the-art

practices for accommodating regional growth and creating diverse, livable

communities.

This series is sponsored by the Enterprise Foundation and the Fannie Mae

Foundation

Ghetto Marts

Yes, it is confirmed that the new little mom & pop is a ghetto mart. This is how the definitions go:

Quickie Mart- 7-11 or something like that. Prices high, selection low. Must have aisles, must have essentials like TP, milk, eggs, coffee or other hot food item, and mac & cheese.

Ghetto Mart- similar to the quickie mart, except it has one or several of the following traits: a fine varied selection of 40s; cashier in a plastic box to prevent any human contact; dark store with bad lighting.

The new store has the people in the plastic box. But they have eggs and milk so I will likely wander over despite the insulting people in a box set up.

Yes, I have a problem with the plastic box. I understand the plastic box, but I hate the plastic box. What I hate even more is plastic box with lazy susan feature, to take out all human contact. Such features run against my image of the neighborhood. The plastic box, along with the selection of 40s screams GHETTO. The plastic box say, I don’t trust none of you and this is a bad neighborhood. The 40s, say you just want to get drunk real quick, bunch of alcoholics.

October 20, 2003 — Garden Resources of Washington announces —

SPRING-BLOOMING BULBS ARE AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY & YOUTH GARDENING PROJECTS IN WASHINGTON, DC

What kind of bulbs? A mix of daffodils, tulips, crocuses, etc.

How many can we have? Depends upon the area you plan to plant.

When should they be planted? As soon as possible.

When will they bloom? At different bloom times, ranging from early March to late May.

Who can get bulbs? Groups engaging neighbors, youth, adults, club members, etc. in community & youth garden projects at diverse locations such as: parks, schools, community facilities, nursing homes, public housing, etc. These can be located in any part of the city, but priority will be given to projects located on Capitol Hill and projects benefitting low-income city residents.

How do we get the bulbs? Contact GROW (see details below) to place a request and to set up an appointment for bulb pickup.

How do we plant bulbs? GROW will provide easy to follow soil preparation and planting instructions.

What if we don’t have funds for soil preparation or tools? GROW may be able to provide these materials. Contact GROW (see details below) for simple application information on getting this extra help.

How to contact GROW: E-mail grow19@aol.com or call 202-234-0591 (don’t stop by the office; the bulbs are not there!)

Cancelled Party

Cancelled Party

I was planning a pretty good party. For All Saints Day, Nov 2, a few friends, a few copies of historical documents, some readings, & food.

But my contractor wants to start early. Party cancelled.

I got to clean out the dining room to make a staging area for the kitchen redo. Toss out some things, box alot of things, toss out the non-functioning CD player, and figure out how I’m going to live without a kitchen for nearly a month…. 2 words. Hot plate.