What comes to mind when you think of Anacostia? Many people hear the name Anacostia and think of a region east of the river, an under-resourced community that has been increasingly experiencing the speculation and market-rate development that is not affordable to its low-income, long-standing African-America residents. Others know it as the neighborhood they grew up in, a haven of affordable housing, a place full of cultural importance where you can visit the Anacostia Community Museum or the house of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. In reality, Anacostia is a little mix of both, but it’s now poised to pick a new identity for itself as it stands at the crossroads of being one of the last neighborhoods in DC that offers affordable housing or being the next neighborhood to undergo rapid development, driving up its market value and pushing out its long-term residents. At this intersection also lies the issue of gentrification and how it plays into racial equity.
Anacostia in History
To fully understand the significance of this decision, it is important to look at the history of this iconic neighborhood. Anacostia, located east of its namesake river was originally a Nacotchtank settlement full of Native American villages and bustling trade. Over a short period of time, the native peoples died of diseases or were forced out by wars. In 1854, the area now known as the Anacostia historic district was incorporated as Uniontown and was designed to be an affordable neighborhood for working-class Washingtonians. This affordable housing, however, was restricted to whites, as restrictive covenants prohibited the property to be sold, leased, or rented to anyone of African descent. From the 1930s through the 1960s, Black people throughout DC lost their housing to eminent domain and urban renewal projects and were relocated to public housing in the adjacent neighborhood Barry Farms, the first settlement of freed African Americans after the civil war. As these neighborhoods experienced neglect by the government and desegregation was signed into law, the middle class moved out of Anacostia and the neighborhood became predominantly lower income and African American.
Present-day Anacostia
Anacostia today still lacks essential retail and services such as grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and shopping centers. Retail development lags behind the city over all, although some new businesses like Busboys and Poets are opening their doors at an increasing rate in downtown Anacostia. There are numerous historic houses and buildings that have fallen into deep disrepair throughout the neighborhood, yet there are a few wealthier residents starting to move in.
Our Resident-focused Development Projects in Anacostia
New opportunities to develop environmentally friendly public spaces and redevelop old and blighted houses are now abundant in Anacostia. However, if we are to preserve Anacostia as the cultural gem that it is, development must take place in a very strategic manner, and therein lies the crossroads. Anacostia now has the chance to reimagine itself as a better version of what it was designed to be, an inclusive community of affordable housing, and a place that honors the culture and the wishes of existing and long-term residents. Preserving and expanding affordable housing is an integral part of furthering racial equity. People of color are disproportionately burdened by housing costs, representing nine out of ten households that pay more than half their income on rent (DC Fiscal Policy Institute, 2019; Urban Institute, 2016). Investing in affordable housing, therefore, is an investment in long-term stability within the District. We at Mi Casa Inc have worked for decades to combat displacement and gentrification and are happy to support the growth of affordable housing by serving as the lead development consultant for expanding investment in affordable housing in Anacostia. Check out our progress below.
