07-17-2023: Testimony of Meg Maguire, Chair, NWOP CDC

Response to CORE REIA, Bill 25-0149, Friendship Hts. Business Improvement District Amendment Act of 2023

07-17-2023

Testimony of Meg Maguire, NW Opportunity Partners Community Development Corporation

TO: Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, Chair, Committee on Business and Economic Development

Councilmember Matt Frumin, Ward 3

CC: Chairman Phil Mendelson, Council of the District of Columbia

Rich Bradley, Friendship Heights Alliance

Namita Mody, Director, Council Office of Racial Equity

The June 30, 2023, Council Office of Racial Equity (CORE) report on legislation to create the Friendship Hts. Business Improvement District (FH BID) criticizes both the structure of BIDs in general and the proposed structure of the FH BID specifically.  But it also opens the door to create an entirely new governance model for community economic development in Ward 3 and beyond.

CORE concludes, among other things, that the proposed legislation “…will likely exacerbate racial inequity in the District of Columbia” since it “…fails to include Black residents and other residents of color in equal opportunities to represent their interests.”  The report is clear that representatives should be voting members of the governing board: “Changes to BID board representation requirements could create a more racially equitable structure.”  Further, the report recommends granting these representatives “…meaningful voting power.”

This structural problem can, and should be, addressed in the redevelopment of Friendship Heights to ensure that racial equity is not just an aspiration but a reality.  Tokenism will not work.  Inclusion must be robust so that those who bring different backgrounds and insights can consistently offer their expertise and perspectives as the BID board makes decisions.

Toward that end, we recommend expanding the governing board with six permanent voting slots for Black and Brown DC resident members representing both citywide and Ward 3 housing and economic development organizations such as:

• Coalition for Non-Profit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED)  https://cnhed.org  The convening place for housing and economic development organizations, CNHED advances equitable community economic development solutions in DC through community-informed budget and policy advocacy, data-driven thought leadership, and needs-based programmatic initiatives in the areas of housing and homelessness, workforce development, and small and minority-owned business ecosystem building.

• EmpowerDC – https://www.empowerdc.org/our_history  The mission of Empower DC is to enhance, improve and promote the self-advocacy of low and moderate income DC residents in order to bring about sustained improvements in their quality of life through grassroots organizing and trainings, leadership development, and community education. Empower DC is a citywide, multi-issue, membership-based community organizing project. 

• DC Black Business Task Force –  https://blackbusinesstaskforce.org/ The mission of the DC Black Business Task Force is to spearhead the advancement of equal economic opportunity and revenue for black-owned businesses in the District of Columbia.   The group advocated for and supported the Disparity Study conducted by DMPED that looked at how government contracts and procurements are awarded to women and minority owned businesses; is working to inform black owned businesses about the results of the results; and is encouraging DMPED to improve the contracting processes based on its findings.

• Douglass Community Land Trust – (DCLT) https://douglassclt.org  Douglass CLT aims to make DC an equitable place where everyone can stay and thrive – specifically low-income, Black and Brown residents who have contributed to making DC the thriving community it has become but have not reaped the economic prosperity in nearly the same proportion as their white counterparts. Douglass CLT drives toward this equity by securing lasting affordability of rental and ownership housing, as well as local small business, through community ownership of land and collective stewardship.

• A union such as: United Food and Commercial Workers – https://www.ufcw.org/about/ UFCW represents workers in groceries, retail, pharmacies, and health care — occupations of many people who work in Ward 3 but cannot afford to live here. 

• A community development financial institution (CDFI) such as:  Latino Economic Development Corp., LISC, Enterprise, Wacif or other local lending institutions to small businesses with proven track records in DC.

• Ward 3 Washington Interfaith Network – (WIN) https://www.windc.org WIN envisions using public and private lands for mixed-income affordable housing, and low and middle-income homeownership opportunities that help create and build generational wealth.

·      NW Opportunity Partners CDC (NWOP CDC) – https://nwopcdc.org/mission-goals/ NWOP CDC would be represented by Deirdre Brown, Vice Chair; a Black resident of Ward 3 and owner of Lexicon Title Services LLC located on Wisconsin Ave., NW.  Our organization’s goal is to reverse the historic racial inequities of removal and exclusion of Black residents in Ward 3 by expanding affordable housing and economic opportunities; creating new choices and opportunities for families living on low incomes to both rent and own affordable homes in welcoming neighborhoods, and promoting small businesses owned by Black and Brown entrepreneurs to take root and flourish in Ward 3. 

From the outset, NWOP CDC has offered innovative approaches to affordable housing to address Ward 3’s history of segregation and exclusion:

• Proposed architectural concepts to convert the Wardman Hotel and the annex into affordable housing and community services.
• Originated and advocated for a new Affordable Housing Property Acquisition Fund.
• Testified at public hearings on various aspects of affordable housing and the need for publicly funded land acquisition.In partnership with Ward 3 Housing Justice, we engage community members through door-to-door canvassing and participate in community events throughout Ward 3. 
• Currently we are working with a prominent architect on 2 Sites/1 Plan, site studies for WMATA redevelopment.

We look forward to continuing our engagement with the Council and the Friendship Hts. Alliance as together we create a new and equitable Friendship Hts. Business Improvement District.

Meg Maguire, Chair, NWOP CDC

(202-546-4536; megmaguireconsultant@msn.com )