What could a greener federal framework for affordable housing look like? Apartments at Druid Hill Avenue in Baltimore by Elvert Barnes licensed under Creative Commons.

Come see GGWash’s own Housing Program Organizer, Alex Baca, as she explores how to “use frameworks like the Green New Deal to remake housing in the United States and build a sustainable, just life for everyone.” Tonight (Monday June 24) from 7 to 9 pm at St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church (1525 Newton St NW), “join Metro DC DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] and Greater Greater Washington for a panel discussion on housing and the Green New Deal, moderated by Jeremiah Lowery of DC For Democracy. Panel members include: [GGWash’s] Alex Baca; Patrick Houston, Climate & Inequality Organizer, New York Communities for Change; [and] Daniel Aldana Cohen, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania.

As the organizers note, “Cities are more expensive than ever, with an urgent need for affordable housing hitting DC and communities all over the country. At the same time, the climate crisis is forcing us to rethink how we build and order our lives.” Inform the discussion by registering to attend or watch the livestream here!

Other events from around the region:

Tuesday, June 25

What the deck’s up in Dupont?: Last time the public heard from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) was back in April 2018 when it kicked off its initial design phase of the Connecticut Avenue Streetscape and Deck-Over project. The purpose of that meeting (materials available here) was to provide an overview of the project, share design concepts, and gather community feedback.

Now’s your chance to get an update on this project, from 6 to 8 pm at The Dupont Circle Hotel’s Glover Park Ballroom (1500 New Hampshire Avenue NW). The project entails “improvements to the streetscape and pedestrian infrastructure [to] create a new public space and improve multi-modal access along Connecticut Avenue from Dupont Circle to California Street NW [including] a new deck-over plaza… to provide a public space for everyday activities, as a well as a space for special events such as a farmer’s market, movies, music, plays, and art and cultural events.” Find more information here.

When tenants band together to become owners: From 6:30 to 8 pm at the Mount Pleasant Library (3160 16th Street NW), join UDC professor Amanda Huron (author of Carving out the Commons: Tenant Organizing and Housing Cooperatives in Washington, D.C.) for a “seminar and discussion on the history of tenant organizing and housing co-operative formation… provoked by mass evictions and the onset of gentrification in the 1970s [when] tenants in Washington, DC, began forming cooperative organizations to collectively purchase and manage their apartment buildings.” Sign up to attend here.

Thursday, June 27

Revamping Pennsylvania Avenue West: As DDOT notes, “Penn Ave West [Pennsylvania Avenue NW and its intersections between 17th and 22nd streets] is a vital connection for residents, commuters and tourists to neighborhoods including Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, Golden Triangle and Downtown DC.” The agency is working on “this streetscape project… to improve safety and travel for pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic along this iconic corridor in the western portion of downtown DC.”

Between 6 and 8 pm, swing by the West End Neighborhood Library (2301 L Street NW) when “DDOT will introduce the preferred alternative concept design refinements, share data collection, and provide opportunities for participants to share existing concerns.” Find more information here.

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!