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Marshall Heights' home-owners

Washington DC

Def Jam Records, HUD Help Put Life Back into Ward 7

Washington, DC’s Ward 7 sits across the Anacostia River from the monuments and federal buildings, and it has its own rich history. For the first half of the 20th century, it was home to an emerging African American middle class with a thriving cultural life. But after the 1969 riots and passage of the Fair Housing Act, many headed for the suburbs.

Marshall Heights was one of the neighborhoods that suffered the greatest losses. Once a community of homeowners and small shops, it became overrun by drug dealers and other criminals. For many years, Marshall Heights was considered a lost cause and largely ignored by city planners. But community leaders, many with memories of the old neighborhood to inspire them, decided to take matters into their own hands.

In 1979, four residents of Marshall Heights formed the non-profit Marshall Heights Community Development Organization (MHCDO). Its small staff had a bold agenda: a holistic approach that would leverage funding for housing, retail, education, and health services. Lloyd Smith, the founder and president for 18 years, summed up the mission: “We are not going to be prisoners in our own homes and neighborhoods.”

The message caught on, and within two decades, MHCDO had a staff of 42, with a budget of $8 million. Over that period, it built and sold more than 150 single-family homes and 500 apartment units and leveraged venture capital to create 220,000 square feet of commercial and office space. A once-deserted mall on Minnesota Avenue NE is now anchored by a successful supermarket.

Realizing that Marshall Heights needed far more, MHCDO sought private developers. It also convinced the District of Columbia to pursue HUD, which awarded a $20 million HOPE VI grant to renovate Eastgate Gardens. Fannie Mae and other investors joined in, including the founder of Def Jam Records, Russell Simmons, and they pushed the total above $73 million.

Marshall Heights is on the verge of a renaissance, and the comprehensive work of the CDC is largely responsible. MHCDO is a long-term partner with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which provides support of many kinds and directs the application of Living Cities loan and grant resources.