Ward 3 Housing Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2021
Contact: Gail Sonnemann, 202-286-0845, gsonnemann@gmail.com
Ward 3 affordable housing advocates will press Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio on the city’s plans for more affordable/workforce housing in Ward 3, including the future of the Wardman Hotel, at a meeting on Friday, Sept. 17. The advocates, members of the Ward 3 Housing Justice (W3HJ), Wardman Hotel Strategy Team (WHST), and the newly formed NW Opportunity Partners Community Development Corporation -- three complementary groups working for a more diverse housing stock in Ward 3, will be represented at the meeting. Regarding the Wardman Hotel, recently purchased at a bankruptcy auction, Mr. Falcicchio will be asked about any conversations he’s had with the new owners. He stated in an email in May that the city’s “... approach will be to set the conditions and express our desire to maximize the residential potential of the site with an emphasis on affordable housing and attainable, middle income housing.”
More broadly, the members are keen to learn about his plans to bring the full range of affordable housing— mixed income buildings with family-sized units—to the ward. With the city’s emphasis on private development, what projects and locations is the city considering? For instance, what are the next steps for the Lord & Taylor, Mazza Gallerie and WMATA garage sites in Friendship Heights? And what level of public investment is the city willing to make to achieve more
affordable housing in built-out Ward 3? “We look forward to a stimulating conversation about affordable housing and the future of Ward 3 in the city,” said Meg Maguire, Chair of the NW Opportunity Partners CDC.
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