Go HERE to read the full Washington Post article by Chris Jenkins.

Excerpt:

Thursday’s rally in front of the shelter’s future home on Good Hope Road was organized by neighborhood activists convinced that their fledgling commercial district doesn’t need another carryout or social services facility. Instead, the upwardly mobile residents — some new to the area — are desperate for amenities including a bakery, art studios, sit-down restaurants and an upscale supermarket. 

What has particularly rankled shelter opponents is that  Calvary Women’s Services, which owns the facility, has refused to meet with them. 

Calvary does not need community permission to open the shelter near what residents fondly call the Anacostia Gateway. But some wondered whether the ground floor of the facility could be used for retail or whether they could help find another place for the shelter. 

“Where was the good neighbor’s policy?” asked Anthony Muhammad, an ANC chairman who collected hundreds of signatures opposing the shelter’s placement. Messages left for Calvary’s executive director were not returned.