A new homeless shelter has opened in Foggy Bottom in Washington, D.C., and it is facing backlash from property owners and residents in the area.
The Aston is the first shelter in the district to take in couples and adult families regardless of their gender. All other shelters in the city would separate families according to their gender rather than accept them at one single location, but Aston keeps them together with a goal of allowing them better opportunities to rebuild.
It can house 50 residents but is expected to expand to a 100-resident capacity. A typical stay at the Aston is estimated to last one to three months before residents need to find permanent housing.
The Aston was once a George Washington University college dorm but the city bought the building in August 2023 for $27.5 million. The building is not close to GWU’s campus and is located in Foggy Bottom-West End, which is home to upscale restaurants and hotels.
Quality of life concerns, as well as zoning issues, have been at the heart of the backlash the shelter has received. The West End D.C. Community Association went to court to try and block the shelter and also filed an appeal to the zoning board.
An attorney for the association said that the Aston violates zoning regulations and that the District never sought out alternative locations.
“Under the applicable regulations, the District must first obtain a ‘special exception’ from the BZA, which requires a public hearing,” the attorney said in a statement to News4. “The District seeks to evade this process given the overwhelming public opposition-both from hundreds of residents and numerous local businesses-to this location. The location of the Aston also violates the prohibitions in the GW PUD and would require Zoning Commission approval, which the District has not sought and cannot obtain.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Petro Bemah, one of the shelter’s first residents, told the outlet that he feels safer in one of Aston’s private rooms rather than in a traditional shelter’s grouping of multiple men in one room.
“I wasn’t comfortable in staying, and a lot of us out there not comfortable. That’s why you see a lot more on the street,” Bemah said. “This setting is very pleasant. I met some good people here and gave me, you know, some encouragement and this is this is a new beginning.”
