Pictorial 1/2 – Healthy DC & Me

December 2020 (Our organization received the 1st phone call in Feb. 2021.)

This is proof that Ward 8 Council Member Trayon White’s office was aware of problems at Woodberry Village long before we arrived. He has yet to step on the property.

February 2021 The tenant complaints began to come in.

Feb 2021 Mold around the window IMG_16711

May 2021 Fallen Stairwell We received photos from distraught tenants going through construction during a pandemic and the reality of an entire stairwell falling. The other photo depicts the nature of deterioration that these families were living with when we arrived in Feb. 2021.

June 2021 These tenants were moved back to their properties during construction and the ground continues to be opened throughout the property with rodents running rampant inside and outside of their units. Many tenants still report unidentified “foul” smelling odors emitting from their units present day. The other photo represents what the tenant called suspicious “recurring” black mold the management called “grime”. Either way the tenant had a one month old baby and they were disputing the validity of her mold claim while the OAG’s office sat by and allowed the management to negligently handle the situation. The 3rd picture is a tenant’s window seal who had been complaining of lead, mold, & asbestos concerns for her, her husband, and her 3 children. This family also had a special needs animal assigned for mental health documented diagnosis in the home. The 4th photograph is another unit with the “suspicious” mold and black spots that ownership say is not mold but mildew. We have continually pushed the city to implement a property wide mold inspection and have been unsuccessful to date.

July 2021 As the tenants were rotated back to their “renovated” units the calls kept coming in regarding the subpar workmanship and the questionable renovations.

Ownership/Management’s response to our repeated questioning of what they called “renovations”.

“As you know, more than $12 million is being spent on renovations and improvements to Woodberry Village. Capital Realty is spending approximately $56,000 per unit on upgrades and repairs. Within the past year alone they have completely rehabilitated 10 of the 17 buildings in the complex. Renovations include: new roofs, windows, an HVAC system (including a central air-conditioning component that previously did not exist), kitchens and appliances, paint, flooring and more. Capital Realty has also installed a security system that includes CCTV public safety monitoring, a new key-card entry system and enhanced outdoors lighting. As well, 10 apartments are being completely rebuilt for ADA/504 accessibility.”

Capital Realty Group, Samson Rosner

September/October 2021: The calls from Woodberry Village tenants kept coming in even after they were moved to the “renovated” units. Everything from the suspicious black spots returning, to rusted, leaking pipes, ceilings falling in, electrical hazards, reports of no heat as well as rodent infestation. The Healthy DC & Me Leadership Coalition Advocates continued to meet with the Woodberry tenants to keep them empowered, organized, and speaking out regarding their ongoing management concerns. Healthy DC Advocates and tenants from Woodberry Village took their community’s complaints to Congress and delivered their written accounts and demands to Congresswoman Maloney’s Aide’s. (Chairperson of the Ethics & Reform Committee)