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DCA Newsletters from 2014
The Deanwood Citizens Association is re-publishing two newsletters from 2013 and 2014. The newsletters highlights the continuing history of civic activism and community building in Deanwood, but also foreshadows the risks of not including local residents in the real estate development process.
In the January 2014 newsletter, then president David Smith warns that without thoughtful and careful implementation, efforts like the New Communities Initiative (NCI) will fail to achieve what city leaders then called "one city."
As he wrote then, "More often than not, investors/developers receiving taxpayer dollars and subsidies agree to provide jobs, low-income housing, and other benefits for DC residents. These promises are often broken or just plain never realized."
As the unemployment rate east of the river in DC remains high amid the coronavirus impact in September 2020, the construction underway in the greater Deanwood area does not feature enough sub-contractors and laborers from the community and further contributing to the lack of local economic development. To make matters worse, violence is spiking across the city as people lose hope. It's not too late but we need to see more efforts from developers and our elected officials alike.
Have a look at the newsletters here: