Jim Malec, the co-chair to a local advisory team overseeing The Aston unhoused shelter, stepped down from his post on the committee Tuesday.
Malec served as co-chair to the Community Advisory Team while District officials converted the former GW residence hall on New Hampshire Avenue into a short term, apartment-style shelter — the first of its kind in the city. His departure as co-chair to the CAT is effective immediately, but he will remain on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission as the representative to single-member district 2A08.
Malec served on the CAT since its inaugural meeting in March 2024 and oversaw The Aston’s opening in November 2024. Throughout his tenure, he and members of the CAT heard updates from the District and its partners about The Aston’s progress, while fielding public questions and concerns. The CAT also passed an agreement between neighbors and tenants at The Aston outlining shared expectations for each other during Malec’s tenure.
“I am very proud of the way we were able to build a rapport between members that allowed people to speak candidly and respectfully and work through these differences of opinion,” Malec said. “My hope is that whoever operates in the role of co-chair will continue that tradition.”
Malec said he is departing the role on the CAT both because he heard rumblings about the 2A03 Commissioner and Commission Chair Trupti Patel seeking to replace him as co-chair of the CAT and his disagreement with the ANC’s passing of a resolution to nearly double The Aston’s capacity.
Malec said he heard through third parties that Patel was “exploring the option” of replacing him as co-chair of the CAT. To confirm the rumblings, he looked to Patel for assurance that she was “still supporting me in the role.”
“I think for any appointed official, when you start hearing rumors that you’re going to be replaced, maybe it’s time for you to exit stage left,” Malec said.
The CAT is co-chaired by the ANC chair or their designee. When Malec began his tenure as co-chair to the CAT, he was also the ANC chair.
Patel did not immediately return a request to comment for this story.
Malec said he hopes to continue working with his colleagues on the ANC to “continue fighting” to make Foggy Bottom and West End the “best place” in the city to live.
“I am always willing to work with anyone on this commission, regardless of any conversations that have happened in the past on areas where we agree and where we can make things better for our constituents,” Malec said. “I’ll keep looking for opportunities to do that.”
Malec added that the ANC passing a resolution urging District officials to nearly double the capacity of The Aston also pushed him to step down as co-chair to the CAT. He said he did not want to renege on his word to constituents about The Aston’s capacity, and more community engagement would be needed before upping the maximum threshold of the shelter.
“The commission deserves to have a representative that aligns with their expressed views on matters like that,” Malec said.
2A09 Commissioner Sean Youngstone at the June ANC meeting introduced a resolution calling on Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto to “communicate her support” to the D.C. mayor’s office for increasing The Aston’s capacity from its current cap at 100 tenants to the building’s full potential of about 190 tenants.
In its first phase of opening, District officials agreed that the shelter could welcome its inaugural cohort of up to 50 tenants. A couple of months after The Aston opened in November 2024, D.C. officials evaluated how residents were adjusting to the bridge housing facility and raised the maximum occupancy to 100 in January 2025 — the cap negotiated by Pinto and District officials.
While Malec said he agrees with the “overall goal” of the resolution — to offer housing to as many people as possible — he believes additional constituent engagement would be necessary before boosting the shelter’s capacity.
“I believe very strongly, actually, that when you make a promise to the community, you have an obligation to keep that promise,” Malec said.
As chair of the ANC, it will be up to Patel to fill the role of co-chair to the CAT or appoint a designee in her stead. Patel did not return request for comment about filling the role as co-chair.
