The Community Advisory Team hosted a public meeting Thursday to solicit input from Foggy Bottom community members on a tenant-neighbor agreement for an unhoused shelter slated to open next month, which devolved into local residents posing questions about the incoming tenants.
The meeting, led by co-chair Jim Malec and interim co-chair Sakina Thompson, was held at the West End Public Library and invited community members to weigh in on the Good Neighbor Agreement, a document that outlines the shared goals and responsibilities of the people moving into The Aston — a former GW residence hall — and nearby residents. But most community members instead used the time to voice concerns to CAT members about Aston residents using public community spaces, their anticipated cleanliness and security at the shelter.
Susan Haight — the president of the The West End Library Friends, a group that helps people access and learn about the West End Public Library — said she is concerned about Aston residents “overrunning amenities” in the neighborhood, like the public library. She asked whether Aston residents would use the same public spaces as other community members during the day or whether they would have special programming.
“I just want to have this committee know that I don’t want to have one client use a facility at the expense of another,” Haight said.
D.C. Department of Human Services Deputy Administrator Anthony Newman said Friendship Place, the District-based housing provider for people experiencing homelessness that will supervise The Aston, curates a schedule for a “robust” program within the facility throughout the day. He said an advantage of bridge housing — a form of short-term housing meant to help people transition to permanent residences — is residents have the ability to leave the shelter and will be free to visit spaces like the public library, go to grocery stores and use other public resources.
A member of the public who did not share his name asked where Aston residents would relocate to when Friendship Place staff clean the shelter daily. He said people are “pretty trashy,” and he is concerned about the cleanliness both inside and outside of the building.
Newman said the Good Neighbor Agreement includes commitments to “preserve the aesthetic” of the outside of the building, which tenants are expected to follow. He said if trash accumulates outside, community members should relay the concern to Friendship Place.
Newman also outlined the parameters of the Good Neighbor Agreement, which include timely communication from officials about The Aston’s impact on the community, maintaining a clean environment and working collaboratively to solve issues that arise.
“The program rules are not necessarily thought of, from our perspective, as a disciplinary policy, it’s a whole host of things to talk about and every client must sign,” Newman said. “It’s an agreement between them and us, or in this case, Friendship Place, about how they’re going to interact and what the expectations are.”
Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto said she empathizes with neighbors’ concerns about the rise in unhoused people living in Foggy Bottom changing the culture of the neighborhood. She said while she knows neighbors are “alarmed” by the idea of the neighborhood changing, they should recognize the presence of unhoused people choosing to live in Ward 2 as a testament to the community’s resources and safe environment.
“One of the most common things that I hear from people is ‘we feel most comfortable coming to Ward 2 to live outside because we feel safe,’” Pinto said. “That is just a stark reality that I want to share with you all.”
Pinto reminded neighbors that officials will staff the Aston with guards both in and outside of the building at all times. She said Friendship Place is also implementing a phased move-in system — beginning with 50 residents during the week of Oct. 1 — to ensure staff can monitor the residents and address any concerns from community members.
Pinto said after 50 residents have moved into The Aston, officials will evaluate how residents are adjusting to the shelter and potentially raise capacity to about 100.
“We want to make sure everyone living in the facility and around is safe and not leading to other problems,” Pinto said.
Jean-Michel Giraud — the president and chief executive officer of Friendship Place — said Jeremy Jones will serve as The Aston’s director and work closely with residents to ensure they follow the agreement and ensure D.C.’s first bridge-housing shelter is successful.
“The fact that these facilities are service enriched by very qualified, engaging staff makes the whole difference in this system,” Giraud said. “It helps people rebuild in dignity with a lot of confidence in a site that’s actually appropriate.”
Newman said The Aston is still expected to open in October and Friendship Place will move into the building on Sept. 15. He said the timeline will give Friendship Place staff enough time to train staff and check the space before it opens in the coming weeks.
John Stokes, the D.C. Department of General Services’ associate director of external affairs, said Capital Construction completed the plumbing work, replacing sewer drain lines for sinks, dishwashers and bathtubs. He said officials are searching for a contractor to complete a full roof replacement this winter, which he initially announced at the August CAT meeting.
DGS assessed the condition of The Aston in July 2023 and determined the roof required “immediate replacement.” Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission passed three resolutions in April and May requesting that the D.C. Council provide funding for a new roof in fiscal year 2025.
Stokes also said The Aston’s HVAC system — which ANC Chair Trupti Patel raised a concern about at the August CAT meeting — is fully operational.
“Everything is on track,” Stokes said.
