Residence can thank three women for their affordable apartments. A community came together after baring witness to the courage and unwavering commitment of Anabel Martinez and Eva Aurora, and their mother, Eva Martinez, who refused to vacate the Mount Pleasant apartment they call home.
They were the sole residents of the building for more than two years. Their landlord forced bought out residents, and sold the building to convert it into market-priced condominiums. Opposing the force of gentrification in their neighborhood, the women remained in their home—a building with boarded windows and a crumbling facade.
“Our fight has been for affordable housing for low-income people,” Aurora told the Washington Post in 2008. “What we hope is the government and a developer will be on our side and help us.”
Their hopes were realized with the support of the local government in Washington. Martinez and Aurora—both in their 30s—and their mother, formed the 1636 Keyon St. Tentant Association and were legally represented pro-bono by attorney Blake Biles of Arnold & Porter. Their mother died in 2009, before seeing their success.
The association filed lawsuits against Eric Kretschman with NWJ Cos., and David Tolson with DBT Development Group.
NWJ Cos. sold the apartments to DBT Development and paid residents to vacate the building without first giving them the option to purchase the building—in compliance with the district’s tenant purchase law.
“Typically the way that it works is that they give [residents] a notice. Owners must notify the residents and give the tenants the opportunity to buy the building,” Biles said in phone interview.
“The district has the strongest laws [in the country] with respect to tenants, in terms of property transfers or conversions. It’s not the questions of whether they have the right, its their ability to exercise it,” Biles said.
According to reports, after winning their legal battle in 2008, the 1636 Keyon St. Tenant Association secured a settlement that included the option to purchase the property at market value.
The association then worked with the National Housing Trust-Enterprise Preservation Corporation (NHT/Enterprise) to get the money needed to restore the property, which needed to be completed gutted.
Despite challenges in securing funding, NHT/Enterprise put together a $9.7 million redevelopment budget for the St. Dennis that utilized multiple funding sources. Four million dollars was spent on renovations including significant energy efficiency upgrades and improvements including a new roof, windows, reconfiguration of units, new individual HVAC systems, new wiring, new domestic water system, new kitchens, and new baths. Some historic features were still kept.
Wiencek & Associates—experienced with housing revitalization and historic and adaptive reuse projects—worked with the Hamel Builders to break ground on the renovation project in November 2010. The ceremony was attended by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, community members, developers, and D.C. councilman Jim Graham, who continually supported the Martinez family.
At the recent reopening ceremony for the St. Dennis, Graham presented a formal ceremonial resolution recognizing the successful efforts of the Martinez family. It states they “serve as models for others who want to avoid displacement from their homes and retain the character of their communities” and declares Oct. 6 as “St. Dennis Victory Day in Washington, D.C.”
Ten residents have already moved into the St. Dennis, and they are excited and pleased with their newly renovated apartments, according to Amiee McHale, assistant vice president of NHT/Enterprise.
Eight of the apartment units were reserved for those who must apply, qualify, and be approved for Section 8 housing through the D.C. Housing Authority. But the majority of units will be filled by the end of the month, according to McHale.
Michael Bodaken, president of the National Housing Trust (NHT) states on the company’s website, “Saving housing like St. Dennis is essential for maintaining diverse, vibrant, and mixed-income communities that include easy access to public transportation, jobs and other needed resources for low-income families.”
