A Partner Organization's Work with Local Residents to Enhance Their Community
Here is an excerpt of a success story submitted by one of DHCD's partner organizations, Housing Counseling Services:
The Spirit of W. Street Cooperative has been a community presence in the U Street corridor since 1989. Located in an area that has seen massive gentrification and substantial construction in recent years, the cooperative still continues to bring affordable housing to all of its residents. While many of the occupants have come and gone, there are several members of the cooperative who have been in the building since its inception. One of those is the current Spirit of W Street board president, Lawrence Reid.
He and the current board, as well as the entire building, have been integral recently in bringing the Spirit of W. Street up to higher standards of both security and appearance. Housing Counseling Services has been working closely with the cooperative in these efforts. With the assistance of a local non-for-profit organization, the hallways and the entranceway of the building were repainted. There has also been a positive and palpable difference in the attitudes of the residents in the appearance of their home, and they have been working as a group to ensure that there is a continued effort to better the conditions in and around the building. Additionally, the cooperative has been working with the Metropolitan Police Department and their new management company to make efforts to improve security measures.
Many of these measures are important not only for the confidence, safety, and aesthetic pleasure of the residents, but also improvements necessary in keeping with the rising condos and apartments that surround the Spirit of W. Street. The many recent improvements demonstrate that the cooperative will continue to be a community staple.
