From the the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty:
“The Law Center is disappointed at the common misconceptions in NoMa BID’s open letter. We understand that people are worried about their ability to safely walk through public spaces and would also like to point out that we should be equally concerned about the safety of solutions for the underrepresented NoMa residents – those living with homelessness.
The request to place “pedestrian safe-passage zones” in NoMa can quickly become a way to exclude vulnerable NoMa residents. It is an act of dividing human beings into groups of people who are considered “illegally encamped” and those who are not, those deemed worthy of safety and those who are not. We are falling into an “us versus them” narrative, which sees the “other” as a threat that must be strategically removed. Read More
“Dear PoPville,
This is an open letter the NoMa BID just released on the homeless encampments under the passway. TLDR it is pretty much a call to action on public to contact DC Gov for help on this issue after attempts by NoMA BID.
In light of the discussion on the Columbia Heights Plaza I’d be curious on PoPulace feedback to NoMa situation. Unlike Columbia Heights, NoMa has a BID that has tried for years to address the issue of the homeless encampment with their resources and funds. As a NoMa office worker I see the NoMa BID street team cleaning the underpass between the scheduled cleanings that DC DPW (?) handles on top of their daily work to keep the NoMA streets and public spaces clean.
If an organization like NoMA BID that has the manpower, resources, funds, and presumably connections with DC Govt can’t grapple this issue what hope do we have for Columbia Heights that doesn’t have help in the form of BID and what will it take to address & at least alleviate/improve this issue in the short term.”
Full letter from the Noma BID: Read More
If anyone attends the press conference fill us in on the details. I just received this in an email: “At 2pm today in the 3500 block of Georgia Ave., Councilmember Graham
will be holding a press conference to announce that Central Union
Mission IS NOT coming to Georgia Avenue. They are staying downtown. I
do not know the details but this is good news!”
UPDATED: Email from Council member Jim Graham:
“Good news!!! Central Union Mission is not moving to Georgia Avenue in Ward One. It is moving downtown.
We have re-defined the project to include real progress for lower Georgia Avenue. Instead of a 170-bed men’s shelter on the 3500 block of Georgia Avenue, there will now be mixed-income housing.
This is a solid victory for grassroots activism. I worked with the neighborhood, who came together to send a very effective message that a homeless shelter was not the kind of improvement we wanted.
I joined Mayor Fenty this afternoon for a press conference to announce that the Mission had signed an agreement to move to 65 Mass. Ave.
Congratulations to everyone involved, especially the Georgia Avenue residents, local ANC, Georgia Avenue Redevelopment Defense Squad and the Pleasant Plains Civic Association! And a special thanks to Mayor Fenty and his fine team.”
Wow, big developement on this front.
An exerpt from the article “Now the leader of the Central Union Mission said he is talking to District officials about finding an alternative location downtown. At the mission’s request, a zoning hearing, called to consider the organization’s application for a special permit to build its shelter at the edge of Columbia Heights and Petworth, was postponed from last week until fall. “
Read the full article here.
The following message was forwarded by Councilman Graham:
“Dear Georgia Avenue constituents,
In response to issues raised by the community, Central Union Mission has requested a delay of its special exception hearing with BZA, scheduled for next Tuesday 2/19, in order to consider “significant changes to the scope and use” of the 170-bed men’s homeless shelter it had planned for the 3500 block of Georgia Avenue. While the community was fully-prepared for the hearing with countless letters, petitions, testimony and research, it agrees that the Mission needs to re-think its plan, which was neither neighborhood-compatible nor effective for transitioning people out of homelessness. The residents and businesses of Georgia Avenue also extend a special ‘thank you’ to Councilmember Jim Graham for his efforts on this matter. Residents should not attend the hearing on 2/19 as it will be rescheduled for sometime in the fall of 2008.
Sincerely,
Georgia Avenue Redevelopment Defense Squad (GARDS)”
So is this good news or bad news?
So is it still coming or not? This is the homeless shelter that proposed moving to Georgia Ave. south of the metro in the Park View neighborhood. For a while I saw yellow lawn signs protesting the move. Then I heard there was a proper protest. Most of the candidates for Ward 4 were against the move as is Councilman Graham. So has anyone heard anything. Is the shelter on its way?
