Bowser Spreads the Wealth opens homeless shelters in each DC ward

[Anonymous]

Keying off the last few posters, can the mayor launch this program w/o council approval?

[Anonymous]

The Council needs to approve the leases.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By choosing to put the housing in expensive areas, she is choosing to pay twice what she would be paying in less expensive neighborhoods, therefore helping less people. It doesn't make sense at all.

The Wisconsin Ave. location which I assume is in the area with the most expensive real estate does not appear to be the most expensive on a per unit basis. Here are some monthly rents I gathered from the leases. I guess there could be differences between units that account for some of the differences, so consider these to be pretty rough numbers:

Wisconsin Ave. NW: $3,500
25th Place NE: $3,404
Delaware Ave. SW: $3,750
808-810 5th St. NW: $37.00 per gross square foot
5505 5th St. NW: $2,240
10th St. NW: $2,212

Bowser-DC could rent new units on Wisconsin Ave for less than what she is paying per unit for site rental, construction, etc. 2225 Wisconsin and the new Bozzuto building above the Giant are glaring examples. 2 bedroom at Bozzuto. The wealth is being spread to whomever gets that lease money and construction contracts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Council needs to approve the leases.

Well, then perhaps they can demand some transparency of the kind clearly avoided so far?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By choosing to put the housing in expensive areas, she is choosing to pay twice what she would be paying in less expensive neighborhoods, therefore helping less people. It doesn't make sense at all.

The Wisconsin Ave. location which I assume is in the area with the most expensive real estate does not appear to be the most expensive on a per unit basis. Here are some monthly rents I gathered from the leases. I guess there could be differences between units that account for some of the differences, so consider these to be pretty rough numbers:

Wisconsin Ave. NW: $3,500
25th Place NE: $3,404
Delaware Ave. SW: $3,750
808-810 5th St. NW: $37.00 per gross square foot
5505 5th St. NW: $2,240
10th St. NW: $2,212

Bowser-DC could rent new units on Wisconsin Ave for less than what she is paying per unit for site rental, construction, etc. 2225 Wisconsin and the new Bozzuto building above the Giant are glaring examples. 2 bedroom at Bozzuto. The wealth is being spread to whomever gets that lease money and construction contracts.

Yep. It's a money transfer from DC taxpayers to the developers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By choosing to put the housing in expensive areas, she is choosing to pay twice what she would be paying in less expensive neighborhoods, therefore helping less people. It doesn't make sense at all.

The Wisconsin Ave. location which I assume is in the area with the most expensive real estate does not appear to be the most expensive on a per unit basis. Here are some monthly rents I gathered from the leases. I guess there could be differences between units that account for some of the differences, so consider these to be pretty rough numbers:

Wisconsin Ave. NW: $3,500
25th Place NE: $3,404
Delaware Ave. SW: $3,750
808-810 5th St. NW: $37.00 per gross square foot
5505 5th St. NW: $2,240
10th St. NW: $2,212

Bowser-DC could rent new units on Wisconsin Ave for less than what she is paying per unit for site rental, construction, etc. 2225 Wisconsin and the new Bozzuto building above the Giant are glaring examples. 2 bedroom at Bozzuto. The wealth is being spread to whomever gets that lease money and construction contracts.

Yep. It's a money transfer from DC taxpayers to the developers.

Don't worry, some of that money made by the developers often finds its way back to our duly elected representatives

[Anonymous]

Perhaps an investigation is called for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By choosing to put the housing in expensive areas, she is choosing to pay twice what she would be paying in less expensive neighborhoods, therefore helping less people. It doesn't make sense at all.

It does make sense. Access to better job opportunities, retail and schools found in more expensive areas is worth the extra cost. Warehousing poor people in isolated neighborhoods has never worked and will never work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps an investigation is called for?

Too early for that, but the council needs to closely monitor this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By choosing to put the housing in expensive areas, she is choosing to pay twice what she would be paying in less expensive neighborhoods, therefore helping less people. It doesn't make sense at all.

It does make sense. Access to better job opportunities, retail and schools found in more expensive areas is worth the extra cost. Warehousing poor people in isolated neighborhoods has never worked and will never work.

At $3300 a month plus the cost of renovation/construction, plus maintenance cost, et cetera, that's still grossly overinflated even for the neighborhoods that they want to locate those units in. In many parts of the city you can rent 2 bedroom 1 bath apartments for $1000 less than what the city will be paying, for example the Lex just opened in Ward 6 a few blocks from the proposed shelter location and they have 2 bedroom 1 bath units for lease for $2400. And that's with the landlords running it as a for-profit operation, full retail cost. The city should be getting a deal for something akin to wholesale cost, a fractional percentage.

It is a boondoggle, pure and simple. Council needs to put the brakes on this and investigate.

[Anonymous]

The Lex is a great building and is the $1000 less just the lease excluding the construction costs?
http://www.lexatwaterfrontstation.com/lex-at-waterfront-station-washington-dc/floorplans

wifi lounge, party room, near metro, dog-washing boutique, infinity edge pool on roof, new kitchens V DC paying $1000 more just in the lease?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Lex is a great building and is the $1000 less just the lease excluding the construction costs?
http://www.lexatwaterfrontstation.com/lex-at-waterfront-station-washington-dc/floorplans

wifi lounge, party room, near metro, dog-washing boutique, infinity edge pool on roof, new kitchens V DC paying $1000 more just in the lease?

You don't get it. Bowser is interested in building her empire and her budget and her ability to opaquely move money around.

Why on earth would she "lose her money" by giving it to the Lex?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Lex is a great building and is the $1000 less just the lease excluding the construction costs?
http://www.lexatwaterfrontstation.com/lex-at-waterfront-station-washington-dc/floorplans

wifi lounge, party room, near metro, dog-washing boutique, infinity edge pool on roof, new kitchens V DC paying $1000 more just in the lease?

You don't get it. Bowser is interested in building her empire and her budget and her ability to opaquely move money around.

Why on earth would she "lose her money" by giving it to the Lex?

That's why council needs to put the brakes on, investigate, and get full transparency on who the players are and who's gaining from this.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/18/deborah-simmons-the-mayors-clique-and-our-homeless/

[Anonymous]

Has anyone heard from their Council Members on this? I think it's all supposed to go to a vote next month. How is Council dealing with the issues of excessive cost and lack of transparency?

[Anonymous]

Who are the council members immediately affected? Mary Cheh and?