Petition against proposed 300-bed halfway house on Ward 7 business corridor
“Stand with Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7F and other community stakeholders to say, “NO” to CORE DC and the US Bureau of Prisons’ plans to build a 300-bed halfway house at 3701 Benning Road. While we fully support returning citizens and believe they should have a place to finish their sentences in the city they call home, we believe that our community is not prepared to support the successful reentry of returning citizens. For example, unemployment remains high and crime and drug use is increasing. Additionally, we believe that the placement of this halfway house in a developing commercial corridors will reduce the disposal income, drive down the Area Median Income (AMI) and thwart potential development opportunities.
While we understand the need for a safe place that fully rehabilitates our returning citizens; Ward 7 is inundated with group homes, shelters and short-term housing projects. Enough is enough! Ward 7 will not be a “dumping grounds” for projects that are not welcomed in other areas of city—even though these areas are rich with resources and opportunities. We want to see economic development along the Minnesota Ave/Benning Rd corridor that will create opportunities for our community and eventually serve as a safe, welcoming environment for returning citizens and other vulnerable populations to grow and thrive.
Let’s tell the City Council, CORE DC and the Bureau of Prisons, “NO, Not in Ward 7!”
In related news, an application has been submitted to the DC Historic Preservation Review Board to have this site designated as a Historic Landmark. You can review the application here.