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Resident urges resident ownership, warns against 'demolition by neglect' at DCHA hearing
Summary
William Jordan told the Committee on Housing that redevelopment plans at Park Morton and similar projects should include resident equity and avoid a strategy he called 'demolition by neglect'; he cited a Park Morton Equity Plan and HUD funding that were not realized.
William Jordan, a resident of Columbia Heights and a former Park Morton resident-council leader, used his four minutes of public testimony to press the committee and DCHA to prioritize resident ownership and meaningful participation in redevelopment.
Jordan recounted a years-long resident-led effort called the Park Morton Equity Plan, which he said proposed resident ownership and equity stakes for residents. He criticized what he called "demolition by neglect," arguing that letting older units deteriorate to justify redevelopment has deprived residents of agency and benefit. "The demolition by neglect," he said, "...the production of new housing will fix any, everything."
Jordan described an earlier phase of funding he said started as $15,000,000 and urged the committee and the incoming board to design redevelopment models that preserve rental units while adding homeownership opportunities and cooperative ownership options. He framed resident partnership as both feasible and necessary to prevent displacement and to provide long-term economic opportunities.
The committee did not take immediate action on Jordan's recommendations; nominees emphasized resident engagement practices and committed to more listening sessions and community meetings.
