Barry Farm Study Circle, Barry Farm Tenants and Allies Association, Empower DC, and ONE DC continue to fight to preserve the history of Barry Farm and stop displacement of public housing residents. Barry Farm organizers presented their demands to DC City Council Chairperson Phil Mendelson and City Administrator Rashad Young.
HERE ARE OUR DEMANDS:
1. Appeal the approval to demolish Barry Farms (From Zoning Commission, DC City Council, and National Capital Planning Commission) as there are no funds to complete these plans they approved.
2. Halt and suspend moving forward with ANY redevelopment/demolition plans for Barry Farms.
3. Audit of the Barry Farms Redevelopment Process. Audit will consist of:
- ALL Documents signed by ANY resident council member regarding the redevelopment process.
- A Funding report to include:
- Funding necessary to complete the proposed project.
- Funding necessary to provide for relocation and relocation wrap around services.
4. Analysis of how New Communities works here compared to similar programs in other areas, and how to improve:
5. Answers to the following questions:
a. Why are people relocated en masse long before construction will be complete?
b. Why are replacement units no longer public housing? Why are the leases held by the property's private management company (with hard to meet criterion)?
c. Why are units not replaced? (See Arthur Capper/Carrolsburg, Temple Courts, Lincoln Heights)
6. Immediate repairs made to units in Barry Farms. Fill ALL outstanding maintenance work orders. DCHA is purposefully neglecting this property in regards to maintenance! This is unacceptable!
7. Feasibility study on redeveloping in place to prevent displacement. (This was stipulated in the Small Area Plan approved in 2006 by the Council)
8. Immediate Moratorium on the demolition of Barry Farms. (We are in a serious HOMELESS CRISIS! It is irresponsible and very poor planning for the city to continue with the demolition now!)
9. Meaningful exploration of Converting Barry Farms to cooperative or limited equity cooperative.
Barry Farm organizers also "educated" DC City Council Chairperson Mendelsen on the "myths" of deconcentration of poverty. Check out a few articles for yourself.
http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol16num2/ch10.pd
http://herbertgans.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Concentrated-Poverty.pdf
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/05/the-problem-with-mixed-income-housing/
http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2003/0703williams.html