Mary Cheh's new suggested locations for the homeless shelter

[Anonymous]

Here is Bowser from 2010, blocking DC's DHS from using the site, and amazingly pushing to expand DC General as her alternative approach. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/13/AR2010101302484.html

At a hearing last week, DHS Director Clarence H. Carter said that the agency searched for an alternative location to shelter families and that the best facility was at 1125 Spring Rd. NW, a former Hebrew Home for the Aged and more recently a mental health center. ... But the Spring Road building has since been removed from consideration, Carter said during the hearing. Council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) said that her community has an "inordinate amount of group homes" and that Spring Road has two homeless shelters: a men's transitional shelter and an 88-room family shelter. ... She agreed that more shelter space is needed and suggested that other options, namely expanding D.C. General, be reevaluated. "This is a very tight, dense residential neighborhood," she said of the Spring Road community. In contrast, the D.C. General shelter is on "a wide-open campus, a campus that, given the resources could accommodate these people."

The plot grows murkier.

[Anonymous]

More scrutiny for Bowser's plan. This is pretty damning. A good read. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/real-estate-decisions-imperil-dc-mayors-ambitious-plan-for-homeless-families/2016/04/17/6bb6291c-00c4-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More scrutiny for Bowser's plan. This is pretty damning. A good read. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/real-estate-decisions-imperil-dc-mayors-ambitious-plan-for-homeless-families/2016/04/17/6bb6291c-00c4-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html

Seems half baked and generally irresponsible to even bring it to council for approval. Probably par for the course, however. Hopefully Mary Cheh et al will make Bowser take this back, rework and bring something better to the table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More scrutiny for Bowser's plan. This is pretty damning. A good read. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/real-estate-decisions-imperil-dc-mayors-ambitious-plan-for-homeless-families/2016/04/17/6bb6291c-00c4-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html

Seems half baked and generally irresponsible to even bring it to council for approval. Probably par for the course, however. Hopefully Mary Cheh et al will make Bowser take this back, rework and bring something better to the table.

"Costs then became a distant concern because the District does not count rent against its borrowing limit for big-ticket items like new schools and stadiums."

..Jesus H.

[Anonymous]

That is an incredibly damning article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More scrutiny for Bowser's plan. This is pretty damning. A good read. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/real-estate-decisions-imperil-dc-mayors-ambitious-plan-for-homeless-families/2016/04/17/6bb6291c-00c4-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html

Yes. Why should folks have to pay more than triple the price yet residents are in substandard facilities (2 bath tubs for 40 families)? $5K for durable surfaces? The granite 2 BR, 2 B luxury condos have durable granite surfaces but not that price tag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More scrutiny for Bowser's plan. This is pretty damning. A good read. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/real-estate-decisions-imperil-dc-mayors-ambitious-plan-for-homeless-families/2016/04/17/6bb6291c-00c4-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html

Yes. Why should folks have to pay more than triple the price yet residents are in substandard facilities (2 bath tubs for 40 families)? $5K for durable surfaces? The granite 2 BR, 2 B luxury condos have durable granite surfaces but not that price tag.

This is going to become a national joke.

Mea culpa...I didn't trust Catania's temperament, so voted for Bowser. Big mistake.

[Anonymous]

Bowser's crony, er, homeless shelter plan is DOA. Nothing is likely to resurrect it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More scrutiny for Bowser's plan. This is pretty damning. A good read. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/real-estate-decisions-imperil-dc-mayors-ambitious-plan-for-homeless-families/2016/04/17/6bb6291c-00c4-11e6-b823-707c79ce3504_story.html

Yes. Why should folks have to pay more than triple the price yet residents are in substandard facilities (2 bath tubs for 40 families)? $5K for durable surfaces? The granite 2 BR, 2 B luxury condos have durable granite surfaces but not that price tag.

This is going to become a national joke.

Mea culpa...I didn't trust Catania's temperament, so voted for Bowser. Big mistake.

Yes, I wish you had voted for Catania. Bowser was a known, and lame, element.

[Anonymous]

Better yet - perhaps Ward 3ers should not have thrown Gray under the bus. I voted for Gray in primary and wrote him in for general. Loathed Catania and believed that Bowser lacked the experience for the post. Her lack of chops is seen in these deals - she wants residents' unconditional support yet the developer-owners can flip these buildings from shelters to rehab clinics over the course of their leases then drop apartment buildings in SFH zoning @ end. How can she really face the voters or council members when she is asking them to pay more than 3X the cost for the construction?

[Anonymous]

I voted for Catania - and now I feel all the more vindicated in that choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better yet - perhaps Ward 3ers should not have thrown Gray under the bus. I voted for Gray in primary and wrote him in for general. Loathed Catania and believed that Bowser lacked the experience for the post. Her lack of chops is seen in these deals - she wants residents' unconditional support yet the developer-owners can flip these buildings from shelters to rehab clinics over the course of their leases then drop apartment buildings in SFH zoning @ end. How can she really face the voters or council members when she is asking them to pay more than 3X the cost for the construction?

Better yet -- Fenty will come back to run for a second term.

Is it too much to ask to have a clean and competent Democrat running for office? (in our city, no independent stands a chance)

[Anonymous]

Maybe Mary Cheh should put a homeless shelter across the street from her home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe Mary Cheh should put a homeless shelter across the street from her home.

To be fair, one of the proposed Ward 3 sites is only a couple blocks away from Cheh's home. I give Cheh credit for that, but still think Bowser's whole plan reeks of mismanagement, cronyism, and politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Better yet - perhaps Ward 3ers should not have thrown Gray under the bus. I voted for Gray in primary and wrote him in for general. Loathed Catania and believed that Bowser lacked the experience for the post. Her lack of chops is seen in these deals - she wants residents' unconditional support yet the developer-owners can flip these buildings from shelters to rehab clinics over the course of their leases then drop apartment buildings in SFH zoning @ end. How can she really face the voters or council members when she is asking them to pay more than 3X the cost for the construction?

Better yet -- Fenty will come back to run for a second term.

Is it too much to ask to have a clean and competent Democrat running for office? (in our city, no independent stands a chance)

well, Gray was competent. He had both council and exec experience. The city did well under him. I DK what to say - he didn't get charged and I think there was too much smoke and not enough fire. Perhaps he is complicit, but he never got charged.

I like McDuffie. My guess is that he will make a move in a few cycles. Ditto Racine. Bowser may have been viable after a few more terms, but she had little to no leg record and some of her most memorable acts were opposing campaign finance laws, the very ones allowing for these donors to line her pockets and influence policy positions more favorable for the few than the many.