Image by David Whitehead used with permission.

Whether you’re a new arrival or a DC veteran, the ways in which the District works (or doesn’t work) can be a mystery. Unravel the enigma with GGWash’s DC 101, a lively workshop that will give you the knowledge, tools, and encouragement to be an advocate for safer streets, expanded housing, and more. Yes, DC can be greater — and you can help make it happen!

Join us on May 20 at 1440 G Street NW (GGWash's WeWork) to start taking the first step in local advocacy. This event is free (donations appreciated) and is open to all. If you are not already a member of the GGWash Neighborhood, we hope you’ll use this as a reason to join.

Other events from around the region:

Monday, May 6

Find community around fair housing: DC's Department of Housing and Community Development wants to “understand and find solutions for fair housing issues, including but not limited to discrimination, segregation, equal access to affordable and safe homes, access to transit, good schools, and healthy neighborhoods, and issues faced by voucher holders and public housing residents.” To that end, they are “working on a fair housing analysis of the District… along with the Poverty & Race Research Action Council and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights” and they now want “all residents to come out and voice [their] views and experiences” about what fair housing means to them.

You have several options to help them out by joining any one of their upcoming community meetings:

  • Monday, May 6, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Cleveland Park Library (3310 Connecticut Ave NW)
  • Tuesday, May 7, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library (3935 Benning Rd NE)
  • Thursday, May 9, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Anacostia Neighborhood Library (1800 Good Hope Rd SE)

Wednesday, May 8

Learn about the economics of inclusionary housing: Join Grounded Solutions Network for a free webinar that will debunk the myths and explain the facts of inclusionary housing (IH), presenting the latest IH industry research and discussing how real estate economics are affected by IH policies. Presenters include Art Rodgers, from the District of Columbia Office of Planning and Aakash Thakkar, EYA Senior Vice President of Land Acquisition and Development.

Party for a good cause. Join After-School All-Stars, a charity that provides free after-school programs to low-income middle schools in DC, for a night of recognition and celebration. Funds raised from the Rising Stars benefit will go toward providing complimentary programming. A cocktail reception will be followed by the formal program which will include musical and artistic performances, as well as speeches from Ward 8 students.

Saturday, May 11

Stop and smell the flowers: The Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting the the first-ever Rosslyn Blooms! Flower Festival, a premier spring flower market. Holley Simmons, the creative mind behind the stunning floral arrangements She Loves Me will bring her beautiful and unique flower creations to Central Place Plaza in Rosslyn for a day filled with fun and activities for all ages.

Get housing resources and learn how to take action: MANNA, a nonprofit that helps low and moderate income persons acquire housing, and their Housing Advocacy Team for a Housing Fair and Town Hall. The two-part program includes resource tables and workshops that provide education, and a set of speakers that will help attendees gear up for action.

Tuesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 16

Say no to wider highways: There are a few more opportunities to weigh in on Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's toll lane widening plan. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has held some public meetings to discuss the project; this online interactive map shows its scope. The meeting materials are available online, and there is an opportunity provide feedback online as well.

If you'd rather weigh in in person, there are two more public meetings:

  • Tuesday, May 14, 2019, 6:30 - 8:30pm at Oxon Hill High School (6701 Leyte Drive in Oxon Hill, MD 20745)
  • Thursday, May 16, 2019, 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Seneca Valley High School (19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown, MD 20874)

Check out more urbanist events at ggwash.org/calendar. Do you have an event you'd like to see featured in the weekly events post? Submit it here.