What's Hot: The 4 Projects in the Works Near DC's Starburst Intersection | A 153-Room Aloft Hotel Pitched For Mt. Vernon Triangle
The Forgotten Buildings of Anacostia
In a piece for Greater Greater Washington today, John Muller writes about the current state of forgotten, empty buildings in inner Anacostia, dubbed “Abandominiums,” where the formerly homeless find shelter and drug dealers and prostitutes conduct business. The most the local police force does, according to Muller’s investigation, is occasionally board up the doors and windows.
As you might imagine, Muller’s descriptions of living conditions are grim (“You don’t have to worry about rats, because there’s no food.”) but perhaps even worse is the neglect that led to these vacancies: several of the buildings Muller highlighted are part of HUD’s Home Investment Partnership Program, which funded half-started projects that the government has left to languish for decades. Muller references an expose published in The Washington Post last year regarding the program.
From the Post:
Nationwide, nearly 700 projects awarded $400 million have been idling for years. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees the nation’s housing fund, has largely looked the other way: It does not track the pace of construction and often fails to spot defunct deals, instead trusting local agencies to police projects.
Anacostia has been attracting a lot of attention recently when it comes to housing; the ribbon cutting of the HOPE VI-funded Sheridan Station was attended by some of DC’s biggest dignitaries, including Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mayor Vincent Gray and Councilmember Marion Barry. But Sheridan Station and other new developments east of the river have run into roadblocks caused by low appraisals and demand. The city and developers have a few problems to sort out before they can put their attention towards the Abandominiums.
According to GGW, Muller is currently working on a book called “The Lion of Anacostia.”
See other articles related to: abandominiums, anacostia, greater greater washington, vacancy rates
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the_forgotten_buildings_of_anacostia/5314.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever
In this article, UrbanTurf looks at the estimated annual maintenance costs associated... read »
Another concept has been unveiled for one of DC's most contentious development sites,... read »
The residential development in the works along Florida Avenue NE is looking to increa... read »
Renter demand has continued to push Class A apartment rents in the DC region up this ... read »
The big news in the development pipeline east of DC's H Street Corridor is the resur... read »
- What Are the Annual Maintenance Costs When You Own a Home?
- A First Look At The New Plans For Adams Morgan's SunTrust Plaza
- 46 to 48: The Biggest Project In Trinidad Looks To Get Bigger
- How Much Did DC-Area Rents Rise At The Beginning of 2024?
- The 4 Projects In The Works Near DC's Starburst Intersection
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro