Acquire the Wardman Hotel for Affordable Housing!

MAYOR BOWSER & DC COUNCIL

Impending sale of the Marriott Wardman hotel property presents a unique opportunity for DC to acquire it to meet a significant portion of Mayor Bowser’s goal of 1,990 new affordable housing units in Ward 3 Rock Creek West by 2025. Conversion of the existing building can:
  • Create at least 500 affordable units ranging in size from studio to 4 bedroom for low and moderate income DC residents with 0%-80% median family income (MFI), with many at 0%-30% MFI.
  • Convert the vast 290,000 square feet of lower level event space to uses such as job training and other supportive services, fitness and sports, child care, meeting rooms, and community activities.
  • Provide needed classroom and activity space for nearby Oyster School which is already oversubscribed.
  • Preserve the green space along Woodley Road for community enjoyment.
  • Showcase environmental sustainability through adaptive reuse of an existing structure.

Rationale: With more than 40,000 DC residents on waiting lists for quality housing they can afford, DC needs a bold vision to provide housing for low income residents including families and seniors. DC’s government’s reliance on for-profit Inclusionary Zoning rules cannot achieve the Mayor’s goal. With $2 billion in new money for housing coming from the federal government, now is the time to plan for DC government to adopt creative solutions such as conversion of the Wardman hotel property.

Who has organized this petition? Ward 3 Housing Justice and the Wardman Hotel Strategy Team have met with developers, DC agencies, Councilmembers and staff, nonprofit organizations, and Woodley Park neighbors to explore this undertaking. With our consulting architects, we have developed preliminary conceptual studies demonstrating the feasibility of this proposal.

Sign the petition to urge the DC officials to acquire the Wardman hotel property and work with the Wardman Hotel Strategy Team, Ward 3 Housing Justice, Woodley Park neighbors, and future potential Wardman residents, to convert the hotel building to a 100% affordable housing community for extremely low to moderate income residents and families, with incomes below 80% of the MFI, within a campus rich with amenities for residents and the Woodley Park community.

Sponsored by
W3hjp
Ward 3 Housing Justice
Washington, DC

To: MAYOR BOWSER & DC COUNCIL
From: [Your Name]

We urge Mayor Bowser and the DC Council to acquire the Wardman Hotel for affordable housing.

Impending sale of the Marriott Wardman hotel property presents a unique opportunity for DC to acquire it to meet a significant portion of Mayor Bowser’s goal of 1,990 new affordable housing units in Ward 3 Rock Creek West by 2025. Conversion of the existing building can:

- Create at least 500 affordable units ranging in size from studio to 4 bedroom for low and moderate income DC residents with 0%-80% median family income (MFI), with many at 0%-30% MFI.​
- Convert the vast 290,000 square feet of lower level event space to uses such as job training and other supportive services, fitness and sports, child care, meeting rooms, and other community activities.
- Provide needed classroom and activity space for nearby Oyster School which is already oversubscribed.
- Preserve the green space along Woodley Road for community enjoyment.
- Showcase environmental sustainability through adaptive reuse of an existing structure.

With more than 40,000 DC residents on waiting lists for quality housing they can afford, DC needs a bold vision to provide housing for low income residents including families and seniors. DC’s government’s reliance on for-profit ​Inclusionary Zoning rules cannot achieve the Mayor’s goal. With $2 billion in​ new money for housing coming from the federal government, now is the time to plan for DC government to adopt creative solutions such as conversion of the Wardman hotel property.

Ward 3 Housing Justice and the Wardman Hotel Strategy Team have met with developers, DC agencies, Councilmembers and staff, nonprofit organizations, and Woodley Park neighbors to explore this undertaking. With their consulting architects, they have developed preliminary conceptual studies demonstrating the feasibility of this proposal.

In this budget season, we urge DC officials to acquire the Wardman hotel property and work with the Wardman Hotel Strategy Team, Ward 3 Housing Justice, Woodley Park neighbors, and future potential Wardman residents, to convert the hotel building to a 100% affordable housing community for extremely low to moderate income residents and families, with incomes below ​80% of the MFI, within a campus rich with amenities for residents and the Woodley Park community.