How Do You Feel About A Homeless Shelter On Mainstreet Anacostia?

1217-1219 Good Hope Rd SE (photo courtesy of Housing Complex)

The Advoc8te heard about this for the very first time this afternoon. I guess I should consider myself lucky,   Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8A where this homeless shelter would be located first heard about this last Tuesday.

Super duper mega side-eye.

I'm going to try (I said try) and keep my thoughts to myself and let my readers and fellow Ward 8 residents comment if and how they see fit.

From today's Housing Complex:

Excerpt:

It's as predictable as the sunrise, from Petworth to Congress Heights to Truxton Circle to Hill East: A social services organization tries to locate a facility in a neighborhood, the neighbors feel blindsided, and the battle is joined. This time, the drama is about to play out again in the heart of Anacostia's business district, where Calvary Women's Services is redeveloping a 14,000-square-foot building as a women's shelter.

The 28-year-old organization bought the property, in a former Elks Lodge right across from the Department of Housing and Community Development on Good Hope Road SE, for $950,000 in December. It's a $3 million project, and after landing a $175,000 gift from the Cafritz Foundation, organizers are hoping to raise another $750,000 by the end of the year to make the numbers work. When it's operational, the facility will house 50 women at night and serve meals to 100 per day, along with providing other supportive services.

Despite the fact that it's been in the works for seven months now, lots of people in the area found out about it just last week, in an email blast from Council Chairman Kwame Brown.

UPDATE: I had to include this video (which I've posted before) on the prospects, hope, and faith the East of the River community has for the revitailization of Anacostia. So many good people and organizations working hard to uplift the community one hope, one project, one business at a time. We can't take one step forward only to go three steps back. That is not progress. We are trying to build something good and significant here. We are working hard to turn the tide on the years of neglect, poor planning, and disregard for this great community. We are taking a stand and we expect and demand more.