Oh, Chevy Chase (DC affordable housing)!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Dave Chapell, but what I like best about him is his refusal to allow a developer and politicians bring section 8 housing to his community. Why? He, as a black man, who came from poverty and section 8 neighborhoods, he said he worked hard to get away from that life and was not going back. He understands the culture and history better than most, how did he stop it? He purchased the land the developer was going to use and kept it for himself and his community. I don't care what you call me, and I do not live in Chevy Chase, but I would fight it with all my might. I with Chapelle on this, difference is I am not afraid to say it, as he was not.

You are afraid. You typed it anonymously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CCDC resident here. First off, most of DC was segregated in the early 1900s when CCDC was established. Yes, they wanted to keep other people out. This was the norm, however disgusting. I don't get the argument singling out CC.

Second, when I was in my early 20s, I was broke and made virtually nothing starting my career. Had I not had the option of low-priced housing I wouldn't have been able to live in a safe neighborhood within a reasonable distance from my job downtown, which was extremely demanding and required long hours.

Fast forward 15 years. I live in a $2 million house a few blocks from where they're proposing this building. I have no doubt developers couldn't care less about people like me, and wouldn't set aside low-priced units if not required to do so, but luckily it will be a requirement. They should be required to also build a new community center and library in that footprint (it can be done).

Hopefully another kid will get the lucky break I did, exactly when they need it.

Well, go figure: CCDC is still trying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is all this talk about green space? I have never seen any green space around the existing CCDC community center. Unless you count the crummy little playground with the boarded-up slide as green space.

It's a way to make people feel sympathetic.

Or it's just a pathetic effort to generate fake sympathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, the article is a hit job meant to make the neighborhood look bad. It should be fair to ask effected officials questions like:

How exactly will the community center and library be build out?

What amenities will be provided?

Will there be any green space left reserved?

Will there be a playground?

Will there still be a basketball/pickleball corurt?

Why can’t the city pay to develop these city owned resources which are available to and used by city-wide residents now?

Is this the best location to add housing when there are numerous other housing projects in flight nearby and many currently available units in the neighborhood?

But of course, when you ask questions like that you get slammed as racist and anti-affordable housing.

You do get to ask those questions. There’s a whole democratic system of government whereby you get to influence the answers.

This is exactly what ChCh residents are up in arms. The existence of some kind of process in no way ensures that we will like the outcomes. We feel like the city will end up doing whatever they want no matter the opposition. And on top of everything we’ll be vilified for being “racist”.

Once again, you are trying to speak for everyone who lives in CCDC, and are also suggesting that all are in agreement with *your* views. I don't know anyone in the neighborhood who is "up in arms" about the proposed development. In my opinion, there has been a lot of irrational fear-mongering coming from a small group of households opposed to the development. Why should a subset of residents have such great influence in the matter?

Fair enough, I should have said “some ChCh residents”: At least I can speak for myself and others who have been vocal on the listserve. We absolutely have no more rights than any other ChCh resident but this is not going to be decided in a democratic way where people will get a chance to vote and in the end majority will prevail. If that happened and I came out on the losing side I would absolutely accept the outcome but this process is totally opaque so what more can we do but write petitions and send emails to the listserve and show up at meetings? I don’t want more rights than others but I will defend mine to the best of my abilities. Based on the Post article, it’s clear the other side is campaigning hard.

AKA, I'm classist, but trying to hide it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would low income families WANT to live in CC, Bethesda or Potomac?

The public transit is pretty poor and they are quite sleepy.

Awesome reverse psychology!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a developer fox in a henhouse. They will promise affordable units, the city will mismanage that and the only people that will be happy in the end are the rich developers

More reverse psychology!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Dave Chapell, but what I like best about him is his refusal to allow a developer and politicians bring section 8 housing to his community. Why? He, as a black man, who came from poverty and section 8 neighborhoods, he said he worked hard to get away from that life and was not going back. He understands the culture and history better than most, how did he stop it? He purchased the land the developer was going to use and kept it for himself and his community. I don't care what you call me, and I do not live in Chevy Chase, but I would fight it with all my might. I with Chapelle on this, difference is I am not afraid to say it, as he was not.

AKA, "I got mine! So there!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Dave Chapell, but what I like best about him is his refusal to allow a developer and politicians bring section 8 housing to his community. Why? He, as a black man, who came from poverty and section 8 neighborhoods, he said he worked hard to get away from that life and was not going back. He understands the culture and history better than most, how did he stop it? He purchased the land the developer was going to use and kept it for himself and his community. I don't care what you call me, and I do not live in Chevy Chase, but I would fight it with all my might. I with Chapelle on this, difference is I am not afraid to say it, as he was not.

I don’t think he was actually going after affordable housing specifically. He and some other residents opposed a plan that included duplexes, townhomes, and some affordable housing. In the end, only single family homes got built. They just didn’t want any increased density.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would low income families WANT to live in CC, Bethesda or Potomac?

The public transit is pretty poor and they are quite sleepy.

Some actually do use the opportunity to improve their lives -- get away from negative influences, better schools for their kids, better job opportunities, better retail, more outdoor recreation opportunities. But unfortunately, many others maintain their bad habits and bad friends and fail to understand that these areas are nice because people adhere to certain social and behavioral norms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Dave Chapell, but what I like best about him is his refusal to allow a developer and politicians bring section 8 housing to his community. Why? He, as a black man, who came from poverty and section 8 neighborhoods, he said he worked hard to get away from that life and was not going back. He understands the culture and history better than most, how did he stop it? He purchased the land the developer was going to use and kept it for himself and his community. I don't care what you call me, and I do not live in Chevy Chase, but I would fight it with all my might. I with Chapelle on this, difference is I am not afraid to say it, as he was not.

You are afraid. You typed it anonymously.

You responded anonymously. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Dave Chapell, but what I like best about him is his refusal to allow a developer and politicians bring section 8 housing to his community. Why? He, as a black man, who came from poverty and section 8 neighborhoods, he said he worked hard to get away from that life and was not going back. He understands the culture and history better than most, how did he stop it? He purchased the land the developer was going to use and kept it for himself and his community. I don't care what you call me, and I do not live in Chevy Chase, but I would fight it with all my might. I with Chapelle on this, difference is I am not afraid to say it, as he was not.

I don’t think he was actually going after affordable housing specifically. He and some other residents opposed a plan that included duplexes, townhomes, and some affordable housing. In the end, only single family homes got built. They just didn’t want any increased density.

Nope, he was going after affordable housing, specifically section 8. He was pretty adamant about not wanting that where he has set up shop and invested so much of his personal fortune to help rebuild a city that was in economic turmoil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Dave Chapell, but what I like best about him is his refusal to allow a developer and politicians bring section 8 housing to his community. Why? He, as a black man, who came from poverty and section 8 neighborhoods, he said he worked hard to get away from that life and was not going back. He understands the culture and history better than most, how did he stop it? He purchased the land the developer was going to use and kept it for himself and his community. I don't care what you call me, and I do not live in Chevy Chase, but I would fight it with all my might. I with Chapelle on this, difference is I am not afraid to say it, as he was not.

AKA, "I got mine! So there!"

So what, I'm sure you're typing your response from your Bethesda single family home in the comfort of your all white neighborhood. You are no different.

[Anonymous]

Jeez, Bowser started this garbage with her half way houses and homeless shelters everywhere. Look what Tenleytown has become, and it's not on the up swing. Could care less what houses are selling for, the question is would you let your teenage daughter walk at night by herself. The answer is no, unless you are a liar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Dave Chapell, but what I like best about him is his refusal to allow a developer and politicians bring section 8 housing to his community. Why? He, as a black man, who came from poverty and section 8 neighborhoods, he said he worked hard to get away from that life and was not going back. He understands the culture and history better than most, how did he stop it? He purchased the land the developer was going to use and kept it for himself and his community. I don't care what you call me, and I do not live in Chevy Chase, but I would fight it with all my might. I with Chapelle on this, difference is I am not afraid to say it, as he was not.

AKA, "I got mine! So there!"

So what, I'm sure you're typing your response from your Bethesda single family home in the comfort of your all white neighborhood. You are no different.

Nope, I grew up in a majority Black city in NC and currently I live in a quite diverse neighborhood.

But you keep being you; it helps us teach our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Dave Chapell, but what I like best about him is his refusal to allow a developer and politicians bring section 8 housing to his community. Why? He, as a black man, who came from poverty and section 8 neighborhoods, he said he worked hard to get away from that life and was not going back. He understands the culture and history better than most, how did he stop it? He purchased the land the developer was going to use and kept it for himself and his community. I don't care what you call me, and I do not live in Chevy Chase, but I would fight it with all my might. I with Chapelle on this, difference is I am not afraid to say it, as he was not.

There is no proposal for Section 8 housing, although one of your compatriots did propose building 100% income restricted housing upthread as a way to justify a smaller building. Maybe y'all should focus on one strategy or the other; throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks just reinforces the impression that it's nothing but good old racism underneath all your indignation and window dressing.

I really hate when these conversations devolve into “so basically you’re a racist” accusations. These are complicated issues and as someone upthread mentioned, many people are asking questions and asserting their rights, which another poster affirmed was the democratic process as work. At least these kinds of debates are on the substance of the issue, whatever your take on what the outcome should be.

It brings to mind the school reopening debates and how that became one side pushing to reopen schools and the other side saying such a request was simply racist, which effectively made a lot of guilty white liberals shut up. I think it’s a disingenuous ploy to immobilize some of the opposition without responding to the substance.

I don’t have a dog in this fight (I don’t even live in DC anymore) but maybe for once we could accept that people will have differing views on affordable housing proposals that may not be based on racist views?