"Field of Dreams?"(April 1, 2008)

This year, the Nationals opened the first game of the 2008 baseball season in a new D.C. stadium. It was the latest in a series of new projects being planned east of the river. City leaders and developers hope to add a hotel, a soccer stadium, upscale stores and thousands of market-rate condominiums. For some longtime residents east of the river, these are the first signs of the economic renewal they’ve dreamed about for decades.

But for others, they are an omen of looming displacement.

Anacostia residents who dream of strong neighborhoods that nurture families wonder how they will benefit from condominiums they can’t afford to live in and stores they can’t afford to shop in. More important to them is how new development will address problems that have plagued their communities for decades. Problems like:

• Limited Affordable Housing. Much of the neighborhoods’ existing affordable housing is targeted for demolition, like Barry Farm in Ward 8 and Lincoln Heights in Ward 7. The District’s New Communities Initiative promises displaced residents a chance to return to new housing in transformed neighborhoods, but history shows such promises sometimes go unfulfilled.
• High Poverty Rates. The percentage of single female heads of households with children (an indicator of potential poverty) is nearly 70 percent.
• Rising Crime. Property crimes, such as arson, burglary and auto theft increased 10 percent in Ward 7. In Ward 8, both violent crime and property crime increased by nearly 10 percent.
• Limited Access to Healthcare. Greater Southeast Community Hospital is the only major healthcare facility east of the river, and it is on shaky financial ground.
• Poor Public Education. Public schools continue in crisis, with several schools east of the river scheduled for possible closure.

Nonprofit Presence

How will new development benefit nonprofit organizations east of the river? More than 60 percent of nonprofits located east of the river primarily focus on wards 7 and 8, unlike other Washington-area nonprofits that have a citywide, national or even international focus. Of the almost 100 nonprofits located east of the river, most serve children and youth. Yet these nonprofits struggle with limited human and financial resources and little or no access to affordable space to operate their programs.

Grantmaker Response

Local grantmakers have been supporting nonprofits east of the river for years. Recently, their support has gotten a boost from new national and local foundations that are investing millions of dollars in east-of-the-river neighborhoods. Combined, they hope to raise academic performance, build affordable housing, promote youth leadership, provide work opportunities, and strengthen nonprofit infrastructures. This website will help grantmakers in the National Capital Region learn more about major funding initiatives east of the river.