HOUSING
With the surge of redevelopment in ANC6D, affordable housing and displacement are real concerns for almost 20% of our residents. In line with its mission, CBCC has developed several principles for redevelopment that it will use to guide its advocacy in the area of housing, retail, and mixed development as follows:
1. Housing mix. The number, size, purchase/rental ratio, and price of units should maintain demographic diversity. This will reflect varying household size and composition, income, age, racial and ethnic diversity. In addition, there should be a diversity and mix of size and style of structures, including townhouses, low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise structures, in addition to parking spaces (and restrictions).
2. Affordability. A proportion of new housing should be within reach of low and moderate income households who would otherwise be priced out through redevelopment and natural gentrification. Income and eligibility rules for “affordable units” should demonstrate how the number and characteristics of current households are likely to be accommodated in proposed units. Rules for duration of affordable units through continued subsidy or resale restrictions should be explicit.
3. Retail mix. The profile and pricing of retail space (e.g., rent/sq. foot or other parameters for selected retail spaces) should serve diverse segments of the residential community and focus on residential versus visitor needs (e.g., hours of operation, parking, restrictions on private rights-of-way). There should be explicit controls over rental pricing to maintain the desired retail mix over time and access, and mechanisms to ensure continued service for local residents.
4. Open Space and Other Common Spaces. Increased density and new building designs should maintain public green and open space that has characterized Southwest, to the maximum extent feasible, including considerations of height, shadowing, setbacks, traffic and access controls. Other strategies to maintain or recreate open space, including maintenance and improvement of public parks and other green spaces that impact quality of life for community residents should be considered. As new designs replace open space with private interior spaces, such designs should ensure access for community residents to the maximum extent feasible in order to nurture the mix of diverse segments of the community and facilitate public oversight of use.
5. Quality of Life. Redevelopment should at least do no harm and at best improve quality of life for current residents. Quality of life may be improved by new retail, services and entertainment, and new community members. But effects on health, transportation, noise, congestion, access, and other measures of quality of life for current and new residents should all be considered.
6. Historic legacy. Preservation or renovation of key structures that represent the history and distinction of Southwest over the last two centuries should be considered explicitly, and undertaken where appropriate and feasible.
1. Housing mix. The number, size, purchase/rental ratio, and price of units should maintain demographic diversity. This will reflect varying household size and composition, income, age, racial and ethnic diversity. In addition, there should be a diversity and mix of size and style of structures, including townhouses, low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise structures, in addition to parking spaces (and restrictions).
2. Affordability. A proportion of new housing should be within reach of low and moderate income households who would otherwise be priced out through redevelopment and natural gentrification. Income and eligibility rules for “affordable units” should demonstrate how the number and characteristics of current households are likely to be accommodated in proposed units. Rules for duration of affordable units through continued subsidy or resale restrictions should be explicit.
3. Retail mix. The profile and pricing of retail space (e.g., rent/sq. foot or other parameters for selected retail spaces) should serve diverse segments of the residential community and focus on residential versus visitor needs (e.g., hours of operation, parking, restrictions on private rights-of-way). There should be explicit controls over rental pricing to maintain the desired retail mix over time and access, and mechanisms to ensure continued service for local residents.
4. Open Space and Other Common Spaces. Increased density and new building designs should maintain public green and open space that has characterized Southwest, to the maximum extent feasible, including considerations of height, shadowing, setbacks, traffic and access controls. Other strategies to maintain or recreate open space, including maintenance and improvement of public parks and other green spaces that impact quality of life for community residents should be considered. As new designs replace open space with private interior spaces, such designs should ensure access for community residents to the maximum extent feasible in order to nurture the mix of diverse segments of the community and facilitate public oversight of use.
5. Quality of Life. Redevelopment should at least do no harm and at best improve quality of life for current residents. Quality of life may be improved by new retail, services and entertainment, and new community members. But effects on health, transportation, noise, congestion, access, and other measures of quality of life for current and new residents should all be considered.
6. Historic legacy. Preservation or renovation of key structures that represent the history and distinction of Southwest over the last two centuries should be considered explicitly, and undertaken where appropriate and feasible.
Support for “Build First” Model at Greenleaf Gaining Steam
By William Rich, CBCC PUD Task Force
The CBCC, along with other neighborhood groups have been working for months on how to implement a “Build First” strategy for Greenleaf, so existing residents are not displaced from Southwest while the public housing complex is redeveloped over the next several years. In previous cases across the city where public housing complexes were redeveloped, current residents were given vouchers or moved to other areas of the city while redevelopment occurred. Once the new housing was built, some of the residents who met eligibility standards were allowed to return. In the case of Capper Carrollsburg in Navy Yard, which was redeveloped through HUD’s Hope VI program, it’s been about a decade since the old buildings were demolished and many former residents remain displaced, due to extended construction timelines of replacement housing and eligibility limitations. In contrast, a “Build First” model allows development of vacant areas of a public housing complex or other parcels in the vicinity to be redeveloped first so residents can stay in the community during the redevelopment process. Many believe “Build First” is the only way to avoid permanent displacement, but it is typically difficult to implement since there usually isn’t enough land available or the political will to do it. “Build First” can be implemented at Greenleaf since there is sufficient land available and due to community activism, this is the first time public officials have put themselves on record in support of seeing it realized.
There’s Plenty of Land in Southwest
Greenleaf stretches 15 acres across several city blocks on either side of M Street and includes 493 public housing units in 23 buildings. The majority of the units are 2BR apartments, a minority of units in new housing developed recently in Southwest, and the mix ranges from 1BR up to 6BR units. One of the components of Greenleaf is a seniors building on Delaware Avenue and M Street, and displacement would be more of a hardship to this population, so the focus of CBCC has been on finding one of more sites for a mixed-income seniors building. Unity’s Southwest Health Center at Delaware Avenue and I Street has been identified as a potential location for such a complex, combining health services and mixed-income seniors housing. While the three-story building is a historic landmark, there is the potential to build residential above and on land adjacent to the clinic.
Unity leases the building from the District government and does not have the funds to maintain the building. The elevator no longer works and the cost to repair it is too expensive for Unity, so they have decided to do a minor renovation of the facility by moving all services to the first floor. As a result, the Unity Southwest Health Center will lose dental services once renovations are complete in 2016. If the Unity site is redeveloped as a health center/mixed-income seniors housing complex as a part of Greenleaf’s redevelopment, funds would be available to fully renovate the building, and allow dental services to return to the clinic, as well as the potential for additional services. This is a proposal that has been introduced and supported by the CBCC in order to avoid displacement of Greenleaf residents, including the seniors as a result of redevelopment. As CBCC Vice Chair Fredrica Kramer said, “Having easy access—health services by elevator, to a greatly expanded clientele would be a mutual win for the Housing Authority, the community’s larger-than-city-average senior population and the current primary health care provider.”
Political Support
The ANC voted unanimously in October on a resolution, sponsored by 6D-03 Commissioner Rachel Reilly Carroll, called “Resolution in Support of Avoiding the Displacement of Public Housing Residents During the Redevelopment of Public Housing Buildings in the Southwest Neighborhood,” which supports a “Build First” model for Greenleaf’s eventual redevelopment. The resolution urges DCHA, the DC City Council, and the Office of the Mayor to form an Interagency Working Group within the next 30 days to evaluate the feasibility of executing a “Build First” strategy utilizing one or more of the 21 publicly-owned parcels in Southwest identified during OP’s recent Southwest Neighborhood Plan process. In addition, the ANC would like at least one commissioner to serve on the Interagency Working Group and to report on its progress and findings at least once a month to the Greenleaf Neighborhood Advisory Group until redevelopment commences.
Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen has also expressed strong support. Allen introduced a Sense of the Council Resolution in October supporting a “Build First” model for Greenleaf. The resolution states in part:
“The Greenleaf and surrounding Southwest community share significant concerns regarding potential displacement of current Greenleaf public housing residents as part of the DCHA future redevelopment. The Office of Planning, as part of its extensive small area plan process, recognized these concerns and included recommendations in its Southwest Neighborhood Plan, which was approved by the Council of the District of Columbia on July 14, 2015.”
Greenleaf Redevelopment Plan
A public meeting was held on October 24 by DCHA, master planner Perkins Eastman, and consultant HR&A Advisors to discuss the redevelopment of Greenleaf. Over 100 people attended the meeting at Westminster Presbyterian Church, including a large number of Greenleaf residents, other residents of the Southwest community, and public officials. Many of the attendees expressed their desire for DCHA to implement a “Build First” model for Greenleaf. At the meeting, there were five design principles discussed which will be used in the redevelopment of Greenleaf:
A Model for the District
The redevelopment of Greenleaf as a mixed income community should be possible without displacing current residents. Implementing a “Build First” model, starting with a health center/mixed-income seniors housing complex at the Unity site would be a win-win for the community – expanded health services in a modern facility and seniors of all income levels can “age in place” with easy access to medical care. This can serve as a model for the District, and perhaps the nation, as aging public housing complexes are razed in favor of mixed-income communities.
There’s Plenty of Land in Southwest
Greenleaf stretches 15 acres across several city blocks on either side of M Street and includes 493 public housing units in 23 buildings. The majority of the units are 2BR apartments, a minority of units in new housing developed recently in Southwest, and the mix ranges from 1BR up to 6BR units. One of the components of Greenleaf is a seniors building on Delaware Avenue and M Street, and displacement would be more of a hardship to this population, so the focus of CBCC has been on finding one of more sites for a mixed-income seniors building. Unity’s Southwest Health Center at Delaware Avenue and I Street has been identified as a potential location for such a complex, combining health services and mixed-income seniors housing. While the three-story building is a historic landmark, there is the potential to build residential above and on land adjacent to the clinic.
Unity leases the building from the District government and does not have the funds to maintain the building. The elevator no longer works and the cost to repair it is too expensive for Unity, so they have decided to do a minor renovation of the facility by moving all services to the first floor. As a result, the Unity Southwest Health Center will lose dental services once renovations are complete in 2016. If the Unity site is redeveloped as a health center/mixed-income seniors housing complex as a part of Greenleaf’s redevelopment, funds would be available to fully renovate the building, and allow dental services to return to the clinic, as well as the potential for additional services. This is a proposal that has been introduced and supported by the CBCC in order to avoid displacement of Greenleaf residents, including the seniors as a result of redevelopment. As CBCC Vice Chair Fredrica Kramer said, “Having easy access—health services by elevator, to a greatly expanded clientele would be a mutual win for the Housing Authority, the community’s larger-than-city-average senior population and the current primary health care provider.”
Political Support
The ANC voted unanimously in October on a resolution, sponsored by 6D-03 Commissioner Rachel Reilly Carroll, called “Resolution in Support of Avoiding the Displacement of Public Housing Residents During the Redevelopment of Public Housing Buildings in the Southwest Neighborhood,” which supports a “Build First” model for Greenleaf’s eventual redevelopment. The resolution urges DCHA, the DC City Council, and the Office of the Mayor to form an Interagency Working Group within the next 30 days to evaluate the feasibility of executing a “Build First” strategy utilizing one or more of the 21 publicly-owned parcels in Southwest identified during OP’s recent Southwest Neighborhood Plan process. In addition, the ANC would like at least one commissioner to serve on the Interagency Working Group and to report on its progress and findings at least once a month to the Greenleaf Neighborhood Advisory Group until redevelopment commences.
Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen has also expressed strong support. Allen introduced a Sense of the Council Resolution in October supporting a “Build First” model for Greenleaf. The resolution states in part:
“The Greenleaf and surrounding Southwest community share significant concerns regarding potential displacement of current Greenleaf public housing residents as part of the DCHA future redevelopment. The Office of Planning, as part of its extensive small area plan process, recognized these concerns and included recommendations in its Southwest Neighborhood Plan, which was approved by the Council of the District of Columbia on July 14, 2015.”
Greenleaf Redevelopment Plan
A public meeting was held on October 24 by DCHA, master planner Perkins Eastman, and consultant HR&A Advisors to discuss the redevelopment of Greenleaf. Over 100 people attended the meeting at Westminster Presbyterian Church, including a large number of Greenleaf residents, other residents of the Southwest community, and public officials. Many of the attendees expressed their desire for DCHA to implement a “Build First” model for Greenleaf. At the meeting, there were five design principles discussed which will be used in the redevelopment of Greenleaf:
- Utilize a mix of tall and low buildings.
- Create a well-defined public green space.
- Use trees to beautify, help make place, and create a healthier living environment.
- Connect the new Greenleaf to other areas of the city.
- All new construction must first and foremost be exemplary urban architecture.
A Model for the District
The redevelopment of Greenleaf as a mixed income community should be possible without displacing current residents. Implementing a “Build First” model, starting with a health center/mixed-income seniors housing complex at the Unity site would be a win-win for the community – expanded health services in a modern facility and seniors of all income levels can “age in place” with easy access to medical care. This can serve as a model for the District, and perhaps the nation, as aging public housing complexes are razed in favor of mixed-income communities.
