MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY 19 November 2020
For more information contact:
Sidra Siddiqui, sidrasiddiqui@uchicago.edu, 804-393-0088
Amy Vruno vrunoiaf@gmail.com, 202-744-2302
Washington Interfaith Network (WIN)
Celebrates Breaking Ground on Redeveloped Temple Courts
Visuals/ Sound: WIN will open at 12 with a livestream of the District’s broadcast where WIN, several former residents and the Mayor will gather together in front of the Temple Courts construction site. The on-site groundbreaking will conclude at 12:20 and will be continued with additional speakers on until 1pm.
WHO: Washington Interfaith Network Clergy, Community Leaders, and former residents who hope to exercise their right to return will be joined by Mayor Bowser, MRP, and DMPED.
WHAT: Groundbreaking at the Temple Courts site
WHEN: Thursday, November 19th, 12pm – 1:30pm on zoom, 12:00pm – 12:20pm in person.
WHERE: Temple Courts Construction Site, North Capitol and K St.
After twelve years of organizing, Washington Interfaith Network leaders and former Temple Courts residents will gather in person and over zoom to witness the groundbreaking of a new mixed income housing development. Residents will share their experiences working on this deeply personal campaign over the years. They had a dream to bring their community back from a parking lot into housing and made this dream a reality by making their voices heard through countless testimonies, meetings, and actions. For the past decade, WIN’s community leaders have stood for maximized affordability and will reflect on the magnitude of this moment. WIN leaders will stand with Mayor Bowser on the 3.5 acre plot of land that will soon become 750 units of housing, 252 of which will be 60% Area Median Income (AMI) and another 252 of which will be 30% AMI. WIN leaders will also look forward to the Temple Courts development becoming a model for mixed income development, with market, middle income and hundreds of units of deeply affordable housing. WIN will celebrate this accomplishment while and continue envisioning a future where every Temple Courts resident who was displaced is able to return to the land they call home.
HISTORY: In December of 2008, Temple Courts, a 211 unit public housing building, was knocked down by the city, scattering over 200 families across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with a promise to rebuild. The District’s then plan was to redevelop several Northwest One properties as part of the New Communities Initiative (NCI). However, for over a decade, the vacant lot served as a parking lot rather than the promised and much needed affordable housing. This is no longer the case thanks to the persistence of WIN’s leaders and former Temple Courts tenants who pushed countless District officials and developers to understand why affordability should be maximized on the site.
In 2017, developer MRP was selected with a plan to build 518 units of affordable housing, including 211 replacement units. WIN leaders worked alongside former residents on this project through zoning and ensuring that it was fully funded, leading us to this moment 12 years later where a shovel is finally being put in the ground. We will celebrate this joyous occasion while continuing to work towards the day all former Temple Courts residents can move back into their neighborhood.
Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), founded in 1996, is a broad-based, multi-racial, multi-faith, strictly nonpartisan, District-wide citizens’ power organization, rooted in local congregations and associations. WIN encourages leaders across the divides of race, culture, income, faith, and neighborhood to initiate public action on critical issues (e.g. affordable housing, public safety, jobs youth, etc.) and to partner with and hold the government and corporate sectors accountable for addressing these issues.Attachments area