Press Release: Residents Gather for Social Housing at 1617 U; Ward One Councilmember Brianne Nadeau Says Its ‘A Good Idea’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:  Debby Hanrahan, 202-462-2054, Save DC Public Land

Event date Feb 15, 2025, Reportback release Feb 24, 2025

Rain Doesn’t Dampen Community Spirit at 1617 U Street: Residents Gather to Push for Social Housing; Ward One Councilmember Brianne Nadeau Says Its ‘A Good Idea’

Washington, DC — Despite the cold rain, close to forty DC residents from around the city gathered on Saturday, February 15, to advocate for a safer, more affordable, and racially equitable future for the U Street corridor.

Feb 15 Social Housing event videos and reportback linked here.

The meeting, held at the 3D community room, focused on the fate of two acres of public land at 1617 U Street NW, currently occupied by essential emergency services but at risk of being handed over to private developers for luxury high-rise construction.

Key topics discussed
at the Social Housing Event

• The risk of privatizing two acres of public land and air rights at 1617 U Street NW, potentially leading to a 12-story luxury development that displaces existing emergency services and fails to meet affordable housing needs.
• The failure of DC’s Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) program, which has served as a guise for more high-density luxury development without truly addressing affordability.
• The promise of Social Housing (Universal Housing) as a publicly owned alternative to ensure permanent affordability and prevent displacement, without disrupting essential public services.

In the meanwhile, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration is suggesting that poor and working-class Black residents are responsible for DC’s housing affordability crisis—a statement coinciding with her recent proposed legislation (“Protect and Strengthen DC’s Housing Ecosystem”) that has outraged community members.

Those in attendance on Saturday want the Mayor and city decision makers to move away from more punitive action and instead point towards Social Housing as a potential real solution, among others, to DC’s worsening affordability crisis and massive displacement.

A Call to Preserve
Public Land for Public Good

“Social Housing offers a way to welcome residents and families of all incomes, drive down housing costs, limit displacement, and ensure communities remain rooted as the city grows. I like that and hope we can make it happen here,” said Gregory Adams, a nearby homeowner and founder of Black Neighbors of 1617 U Street.

A Proven Model for
Affordable Housing

Special guest Will Merrifield, Director of the Center for Social Housing and Public Investment, highlighted successful Social Housing projects around the world, including recent developments in Montgomery County, MD.

He explained how Social Housing can efficiently and economically provide truly affordable homes for people and families across all income levels, challenging the prevailing trickle-down housing model that has consistently failed DC residents.

Attendees discussed the feasibility of a Social Housing pilot on the public land at 1617 U Street NW, evaluating various redevelopment plans for the site that would keep the land publicly owned while addressing affordability and community needs.

Councilmember Support
and Public Frustration

Though Ward One Councilmember Brianne Nadeau was unable to attend the event on February 15, she expressed support via email saying the gathering was “a good idea.”

This Social Housing event follows a recent DC Council hearing chaired by Kenyan McDuffie, where residents voiced their frustration over the ongoing privatization of public land and air rights for luxury developments that fail to serve the community’s needs.

Rondell “Magic” Jordan, a longtime DC resident, criticized the city’s flagship affordable housing IZ program: “The district’s so-called affordability requirements are nothing more than modern-day redlining. Instead of red lines on a map, we now have policies rigged to exclude Black residents.”

Next Steps: Advocacy for Social Housing

Save DC Public Land: Working for a Safe, Truly Affordable, and Racially Equitable U Street will continue meeting with Councilmembers and community stakeholders to push for Social Housing at 1617 U Street NW, aiming to establish a new model that truly addresses DC’s housing crisis.

For more information, please contact:
Contact Information: Debby Hanrahan, 202-462-2054
Save DC Public Land

###