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By working together, the tiny ants can carry an elephant... Vietnamese Proverb
Tenant Organizing Approach
ONE DC (formerly Manna CDC) believes that healthy, democratically led tenant associations, with members who share the same values and leadership skills are vital to the changing demographics in the Shaw community. As the neighborhood includes tenants from different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, age groups, and levels of physical ability, everyone has a voice that must be heard. ONE DC further believes that healthy leadership among tenants contributes to healthy leadership in the Shaw community at-large. To this end, ONE DC’s Tenant Organizing staff offers its Tenant Leadership Development Workshop Series to residents in multifamily buildings in Shaw. Presented in conjunction with the Building by Building manual, the workshop series employs popular education techniques and participatory activities to cover such areas as:
ONE DC offers trainings, workshops and technical assistance in English and Spanish. Translation to Cantonese, Mandarin or Amharic is provided by trusted translators, or ONE DC partners.
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Current Tenant Organizing Projects ONE DC works with residents of local Section 8 and other apartment complexes to strengthen the capacity of Tenant Associations to respond to issues ranging from potential tenant purchase to negotiation with management about needed improvements. ONE DC staff provides training and helps to facilitate meetings and planning processes in conjunction with tenant leaders. To date, ONE DC has provided training and technical assistance to over 300 tenants in Shaw. Currently ONE DC is intensively working with five Tenant Associations in the Shaw neighborhood, though it continues to support Tenant Associations in Section 8 buildings.
1330 7th Street is a 137-unit building located two blocks from the convention center. Since it was first listed for sale in the spring of 2002, ONE DC has been assisting tenants in exercising their fist right of purchase by providing training and technical advice to both residents and board members of the Tenant Association. Asbury Dwellings, a 147-unit building located in the middle of Shaw serves as home to lower income seniors and disabled residents. ONE DC continues to provide ongoing assistance to the newly formed Tenant Association. Kelsey Gardens, a 53-unit apartment complex on 7th and Q Streets, NW has an uncertain future as affordable housing because of the owner’s interest in selling the building. Lincoln Westmoreland I, located across the street from ONE DC, is a project-based Section 8 building with 108 units. ONE DC is providing leadership training and is working with the tenant association for positive change in this building. The Plymouth, is a 74 unit, non-subsidized building located at 1236-11th St., NW, at the southwestern tip of Shaw. It is populated mostly by Central Americans from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. ONE DC provides organizing and technical assistance to the newly formed Tenant Association as the building in now for sale.
Additional buildings we are currently working with... Washington Apartments Gibson Plaza 1107 11th Street
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Project Based Sect 8 Buildings in Shaw
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The Plymouth 2005 Tenant Association/Asociación de Inquilinos del Plymouth 2005 The Plymouth is a 74 unit, non-subsidized building located at 1236-11th St., NW, at the southwestern tip of Shaw. It is populated mostly by non-English speaking Latinos from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico.
The Tenant Association is, at the same time, trying to deal with twice-yearly rent increases in the midst of severe housing code violations and a serious security problem. Because the building is currently exempt from rent control, rents have skyrocketed to as much as $1500 per month. ONE DC began working with the Plymouth in April 2005, as part of our ongoing commitment to create racial and economic equity in the Shaw community. We are developing the in-house capacity and external relationships to truly bring together the various communities of color within Shaw to work together for changes that will benefit all of us.
UPDATE!
Plymouth Tenants Purchase Their
Building The Plymouth 2005 Tenant Association, National Housing Trust and ONE DC formed a rental partnership to purchase the 74-unit apartment building at 1236 11th Street NW and maintain its affordability. With the city funding support from the DC Dept. of Housing, the partnership and resident committees worked hard to meet the purchase deadline. On Thursday, May 31 the partnership signed the final purchase contract! The Tenant Association voted to legally change the building's name to the Martin Luther King Latino Coop, and continue to work hard to ensure the safety and upkeep of their home. Congratulations Martin Luther King Jr. Coop Tenants!!!
Kelsey Gardens
Kelsey Gardens Tenants Go Back to Court for the Final Time
The Kelsey Gardens Tenant Association will return to superior court on Thursday, June 8th at 2 PM to hear Judge Michael Rankin's final ruling on the legality of the Tenant Association's claim to exercise its first right to purchase the building.
For over two years Kelsey Gardens tenants have been fighting hard to maintain their human right to housing, despite tremendous pressure brought by the company wanting to purchase the property. The upcoming ruling has the potential to affect not just Kelsey residents, but future tenant purchases throughout the District. Call the ONE DC office to find out how you can support the tenants on the 8th. For more information contact Gloria Robinson at grobinson@onedconline.org
ONE DC Begins Assessing & Planning In-Depth Latino Tenant Organizing in Shaw The Plymouth was ONE DC's first tenant organizing project in a building with 97% Latino, Spanish speaking residents. We are now assessing the current needs and issues faced by other primarily Latino buildings in the Shaw area, and taking concrete steps to engage in cross-cultural alliance building and organizing to ensure that all current residents continue to call Shaw and DC their home. ONE DC has also begun the process of developing, translating and popularizing trainings, workshops, brochures and resources for Spanish speaking tenants. For more information on this new project, please contact Gloria Robinson at grobinson@onedconline.org
Lincoln Westmoreland I
Lincoln Westmoreland I owners recently announced to the tenant association members that they are dropping their plans to sell the property. Tenant association members are investigating to determine if there will be any changes in the ownership structure and what that might mean for them and their future at Lincoln Westmoreland.
Meanwhile, the tenant association leadership will continue to hone their leadership and recruitment skills while addressing other issues of concern at the building. Stay tuned! For more information contact Gloria Robinson at grobinson@onedconline.org
Asbury Dwellings
Senior Tenants Vow to Hold Management Accountable This Time!! The tenants at this 147-unit, senior and disabled building learned in March that they had failed their last two annual HUD inspections under their former property management company. Tenants met with a representative from the new management company, Edgewood Property Managers, to discuss the issues that resulted in the failure. The building's old gymnasium was cited as being structurally unsound and will be imploded. Tenants also identified additional maintenance and security issues at Asbury Dwellings and management has agreed to address all of them; the tenant leadership and general tenant body will monitor the progress closely to make sure Asbury Dwellings passes its next inspection. For more information on Asbury Dwellings contact Gloria Robinson at grobinson@onedconline.org
Click here to browse our Tenant Organizing page.
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The
Plymouth 2005 Tenant Association was formed in late April, when the landlord
officially notified the tenants of his intent to sell the building. With
ONE DC (formerly Manna CDC)
organizing assistance, the tenants quickly responded with their
intent to purchase the building, getting 68 of the 69 occupied units to join
the tenant association!!. They are currently in the process of evaluating
the feasibility of a tenant-sponsored purchase. 
