ward 8 summit final preliminary report

8/6/2019 Ward 8 Summit Final Preliminary Report

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Who Attended the Ward 8 Community Summit?Town meeting demographics are compared with the demographics of Ward 8.

Final Preliminary ReportMonday, July 11, 2011

Ward 8 Community SummitWashington, DC - July 9, 2011

On Saturday, July 9, 2011, throughout the day, nearly 600 Ward 8 residents,community leaders, District officials, and guests joined Mayor Vincent C.Gray, Councilmember Marion Barry, other Councilmembers, and AgencyDirectors at the Savoy and Thurgood Marshall Academy Sports and LearningCenter. At this Ward 8 Community Summit, participants worked together tohelp shape the future of Ward 8. Mayor Gray welcomed all community members. He stressed that there are many exciting developments taking place in the ward, andthe community must play a role in shaping those developments. Councilmember Marion Barry also extended a warm welcome andemphasized the need for residents to work together during the summit to help the transformation of the ward.

The Ward 8 Community Summit had three main goals:

Show the community the big picture of potential development and investment in Ward 8 and clarify connections across projects; Listen to the communitys guidance on key policy issues in housing, retail, transportation, and jobs; and Support actions the community can take to shape the future of Ward 8 and connect with opportunities in and outside of the

ward.

Throughout the meeting, participants used keypad polling to register their views and engaged in facilitated group discussions aboutthe future of Ward 8 communities. The Ward 8 Community Summit utilized methodology from America Speaks , a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that engages citizens in public decision-making.

This Preliminary Report is a summary of the priorities and preferences expressed by Ward 8 community members at the July 9meeting. Following the summit, Mayor Vincent C. Gray and his administration will review feedback from the summit and report back tothe community at a town hall meeting in mid September. Additional quarterly town meetings will be scheduled for the following yearto ensure ongoing dialogue with citizens and the community. Everyone who registered for the summit will be notified once themeeting is scheduled.

Gender July 9 CensusFemale 54% 55%Male 46% 45%

Age15 - 19 5% 14%20 - 24 4% 11%25 - 34 14% 19%35 - 44 14% 18%45 - 54 21% 17%55 - 64 22% 13%65 and better 20% 9%

Household Income July 9 CensusUnder $25,000 18% 41%$25,000 to $50,000 22% 30%$50,000 to $75,000 21% 14%Over $75,000 31% 14%Not sure 8%

Race/Ethnicity July 9 CensusBlack or African American 86% 94%White or Caucasian 6% 4%Latino 0% 1.7%

Asian American 0% 0.3%More than one race 6% 0.9%

Other 2% 0%

Which statements apply to you? July 9I live in Ward 8 67%I shop in Ward 8 40%I work in Ward 8 33%I worship in Ward 8 22%I own a business in Ward 8 18%None apply 6%


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Who Attended the Ward 8 Community Summit? (Continued)

Concerns in Ward 8

Participants discussed what they are most concerned about in Ward 8. Responses included: Lack of jobsnot enough hiring of Ward 8 residents - 47% Lack of services for youth (education, recreation, and job

training) - 40% Dont feel safe in Ward (high crime rate, not enough

lighting) - 37% Limited retail opportunities for consumers - 28% Gentrification might displace residents - 24% Poor perception of Ward in rest of the city and region - 23% Too much unrealized potential of residents - 21% Need more live, work, play opportunities - 19% Not enough opportunity for small businesses - 14% Improve quality of life issues (like loitering, litter) - 13%

What People Love Most about Ward 8

Community members talked about what they most love about Ward 8. Top responses included:

New and Potential Growth and Development Opportunities -65%

Location in the Cityclose to the river, close to downtown, suburbs in the city - 61% The Spirit of the People and sense of community - 47% Historic and Unique Jewel in the Rough - 41% Green space views and parks (Anacostia Park, lots of trees) -

34% Friendly people Folks ready for change - 27%

What is your housing situation? July 9Rent an apartment or home 30%Own a single family attached home 33%Own a single family detached home 21%

Own a condo or apartment 11%Homeless / Live in a shelter 2%Live in a group home 0%Other 4%

I have lived in Ward 8 for July 9Less than 5 years 21%Between 5 and 10 years 14%Between 10 and 20 years 10%

Between 20 and 30 years 10%More than 30 years 21%I dont currently live in Ward 8 24%

Where do you go for household needs? July 9Ward 8 20%Wards 7 & 8 12%Other areas of DC 23%Prince Georges County, MD 26%Northern Virginia 16%Other areas of Maryland 4%


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BUILDING: Managing Growth

Given constrained resources and long lead times for large projects, what is highest priority near term (2-5 yrs)development opportunity that we should focus on to achieve the most benefits for existing Ward residents?

Scattered site vacant property redevelopment (depending on location new housing or mixed use housing/retail) 52% St Elizabeths East (regional center with office, housing, retail and community facilities) 21% Poplar Point - (regional center with housing, retail, parks, and some office) 11% Barry Farm (housing site repositioned to improve quality of units, add retail, and serve a mix of incomes) 11%

Highland Addition (housing site repositioned to improve quality of units and serve a mix of incomes) 6%

Participants brainstormed about key benefits that will come to Ward 8 as a result of developments in the coming years.Popular responses included:

More JOBS! Better housing: more affordable, rise in home ownership Retail opportunities: easy to access, more diverse services (grocery,

restaurants, drug stores, etc) Lower crime Decrease in abandoned and vacant properties Opportunities for small and local business ownersthey employ the most

people Property values will rise. Demographics will change, and this is both a good

and a bad thing.

Improved educational opportunities for youth and adults. Better schools, More services. Improved quality of life: People take pride in the ward.

Participants also offered their thoughts on how to ensure that benefits in Ward 8 will be linked to residents. The topresponses were:

Improve job access and job readiness 47% Better coordination among government, ANCs, nonprofits, community organizations, private sector, & residents 36 Involve more residents in planning and development 33% Enforce the lawmake sure employers comply with First Source and Community Benefits Agreement - 30% Provide incentives for employers to hire Ward 8 residents 30%

PRESERVING: Housing and Retail

If all these principles are followed, will development in Ward 8 be what we want? Why or why not?

Community members discussed the Mayors keyprinciples that can be used to guide new physicaldevelopment and growth in the years to come.

These principles are: 1. Preserve and enhance existing neighborhoods2. Target new development to vacant sites3. Develop regional centers for employment and business4. Increase density at key sites5. Link investments in places to investments in people

What is your level of agreement with theseprinciples as an effective way to guidefuture growth in Ward 8?

Very high 33% High 32% Medium 24% Low 6% Very low 5 %

Why: Well feel safer with crime reduced Vacant sites will be utilized, eyesores removed Improved neighborhood aesthetics future designs uplift

the face of the community Workforce training is better: more job hires Preserve the historic character of the community. Preserving and enhancing needs a lot of thought andeffort. New is not always better

Changing the landscape may assist in changing attitudes Will only work if we address gentrification - not displacing

people and culture of Ward 8

Why not: The people most affected are not at the table Only the loud voices will be heard Development might lead to:

o Less affordability and displacemento Too much traffic and densityo Loss of original neighborhood identity and feel


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Participants discussed what should be done in Ward 8 to achieve the right balance of residential development that includesa diverse range of housing choices for existing and new residents. Popular ideas that emerged were:

Homeownership is critical to stable neighborhoods. We need education on home buying and maintaining homes, because people just assume they cannot afford it and do not qualify. Vacant & blighted properties need to be taken care of. Clean it or lien it; maintain what we have here. Affordability for renters and homeowners is important. Define affordable housing and make sure options are available for all income

ranges. Focus on people and housing: development & preservation of affordable housing should include preservation of existing residents. Recognize shared concerns and create strong relationships within the community, across all income groups. Provide tax relief for people who need it most like families and seniors. Increase enforcement of codes for vacant properties / absentee landlords. Increase education and outreach to residents about opportunities and existing housing programs.

Community members proposed and prioritized strategies that could beused to achieve balanced residential development that includes adiverse range of housing choices for existing and new residents.

Acquire and redevelop vacant properties 37% Develop and preserve affordable housing units 31% Increase education and outreach to residents about opportunities and

existing housing programs 29% Increase enforcement of codes for vacant properties and absentee

landlords 28% Assist renters, prospective homebuyers, and homebuyers 18% Prevent foreclosures whenever possible 17% Provide tax relief for people who need it most, like families and seniors

15% Expand outreach and use of DCHousingSeach.org, a tool to match

residents with affordable housing 6%

Community members developed strategies to ensure that existing commercial areas and businesses thrive going forward.The popular strategies were:

Support locally based businesses, both start-ups and existing 36% Make physical improvements to streets and storefronts (lighting, sidewalks, trees, murals, etc) 35% Provide funding and tax incentives to new businesses, both federal and local 23% Curb loitering by creating opportunities for young people and services for the homeless 22%

Limit the number of liquor stores in Anacostia/MLK 21% Need to diversify existing mix of businesses 19% Improve transportationbetter connections to get people to and from retail centers 15% Provide more parking spaces 8%

CONNECTING: TransportationMore and more, Ward 8 residents are getting around and traveling in different ways. At the Community Summit,participants discussed the types of connections that will have a positive impact on the community.

Ward 8 residents considered which of thefollowing transportation options should be the

Districts priorities:

A balance among physical connections within the Ward,between the Ward and the metro region, and betweenthe ward and the rest of the city 62%

Improve physical connections within the Ward 15% Improve physical connections to the region 15% Improve physical connections to the rest of the city

8%

Participants gave feedback to the District Departmentof Transportation (DDOT) about how to prioritize

funding in the next 2 to 5 years. Neighborhood quality of life and safety improvements 40% Expansion of transit services to connect the Ward to the rest of

the city and region 30% Streetscaping and public realm improvements 13% Expansion of transit services to connect destinations within the

Ward 9% Road improvements and traffic operations 8%


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EMPOWERING: JobsHow can key stakeholders help current unemployed and underemployed residents of Ward 8 effectively prepare for the

jobs in key growth areas over the next 1-2 years both those who are job-ready now and those who need support tobecome more job-ready?

Community members ranked the top 2 potential strategies that could be used to prepare residents andbusinesses for future opportunities related to the new DHS headquarters.

Build a community empowerment center on St Elizabeths East campus to be a one-stop center for connecting residents andbusinesses to employment and procurement opportunities 50%

Expand adult education and career pathway development in DHS fields (security, information technology) 48% Launch small business incubation program that would provide space and support for entrepreneurs to start up businesses 39% Promote mentoring and internship programs at DHS West Campus 24% Link residents to construction or near-term jobs 22%

COMMUNITY ACTION: Next StepsWhat is one thing YOU can do to ensure progress on the issues weve talked about today that are most important to you?

Stay committed and involved in the community Create a dedicated website w/ blogging for ideas; foster creativity Hold elected officials and staff accountable I will bug councilmember Barrys office so that he will keep the promises made today Take the information back to neighbors in my personal community

Help design and conduct the community navigators program Mentor people in my community (youth, seniors, those who need it)

What can people do together? Hold education sessions to dispel myths around the Ward Use social media, blogs to share ideas around Ward and inform public about community groups and events Hold ongoing, issue-oriented meetings similar to todays Summit Everyone needs to get connected: community orgs, faith-based groups, public & private sector, businesses, tenants/condo

associations, etc Break generations dependency on government foster independence and use government to enhance, not support Work where you live

How should the District proceed withcompleting the Anacostia Street Car line onMartin Luther King Jr. Ave, SE?

Complete planning and delay implementation to addresscommunity and financial concerns 42%

Complete planning and proceed with implementation 27%

Delay planning indefinitely 26% No opinion 6%

What is your level of support for requesting theDistrict consider whether to reuse the 11th StreetBridge to link both sides of river to a network of parksand recreation resources?

Very High 68% High 13% Medium 11% Low 1% Very low 7%

Those who are job-ready now: Provide incentives to business to train and hire individuals

from Ward 8 44% Better ways of communicating job opportunities and

placement including job fairs and DOES website and texting toreach younger people 36%

Improve training opportunities increase understanding of criteria, skills needed amongst unemployed 34%

Reintegration for returning citizens (ex-offenders) 19% More computer and internet facilities for improving job

readiness. Provide training and support for those who need it 18% Emphasize re-training, Help people see that the age of a job

for life is over 15% Individuals with jobs should mentor those without jobs in

resume building, customer service, etc 13%

Those who need support to become more job-ready:

Provide more widespread vocational training for youth & adults 41%

Businesses work with government to ensure job trainingmatches available and anticipated jobs 37%

Make job training programs more accountable in terms of spending and effectiveness 32%

Changing the mindset of the chronically unemployed has tobe based in the community 27%

Government to invest in adult basic education and GEDtraining 19%

Private sector and government should provide careermentoring 18%


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This word cloud is composed of the Ward 8 neighborhoods represented at the Ward 8 Community Summit.

All summit materials, including the presentations, participant packages, and maps will be posted on thefollowing DC government web sites:

www.dcbiz.dc.govwww.planning.dc.gov

To learn more about the results from the Ward 8 Community summit, please visitamericaspeaks.org/ward8communitysummit

Evaluation Polling

What is your level of satisfaction withthe Summit?

Very high 51% High 32% Medium 12% Low 1% Very low 3%

What is your level of satisfaction withthe use of technology at this summit?

Very high 77% High 14% Medium 8% Low 1% Very low 1%

To what degree have your opinionsor perspectives changed or shiftedtoday?

A lot 17% Quite a bit 32% A little bit 32% Not at all 20%

ward 8 summit final preliminary report

Documents