D.C.’s next men’s shelter, Green Court, is moving forward, with the city planning to open it in 2026. The new shelter is a key part of the city’s plan to add 500 new shelter beds by the end of 2028, and would add 100 low-barrier beds for men.
Representatives from D.C.’s Department of Human Services (DHS) met with community leaders at a town hall on Nov. 12 to discuss the impact the Green Court Shelter will have on the surrounding neighborhood. The shelter will be located near Thomas Circle in the territory of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2C (ANC 2C). Due to several questions from neighborhood residents during the last ANC meeting, DHS Chief of Staff David Ross came to answer lingering questions about the new Green Court Shelter, and give an update on its progress.
Although the Green Court site has been selected, Ross said the shelter is not a done deal. By December, DHS will release a design solicitation. This will determine the feasibility of the project, including whether the city will be able to renovate the building, which used to be a gym or will have to tear down the building or rebuild it. There’s also still a chance the city doesn’t move forward with the site, Ross said, due to potential issues of accessibility, among other things.
Ross said the search for a new shelter site between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet started in March 2020. After reviewing 15 proposals for this site, the city narrowed the list down to eight potential sites. The Green Court location was chosen after several tours. Ross said the team was looking for a space that was already built and had the capacity DHS was looking for.
Once the design solicitation is released, in the next month or so, it will take another month to review. DHS will confirm the site location in February or March.
It remains to be seen if the shelter will receive as much community opposition as the latest new shelter, The Aston, received from community members in Foggy Bottom.
Community members raised several questions at the meeting, ranging from safety concerns for both people experiencing homelessness and neighborhood residents to concerns about the location of the new shelter. One resident said he thought it was “careless” that the shelter would be situated near a liquor store. This comment received pushback from Ross and another resident attending the meeting who is currently experiencing homelessness, with Ross saying it was a “gross assumption” to think all people experiencing homelessness have a problem with alcohol.
Ross said throughout the process he and his staff will come back to ANC meetings and keep everyone updated on the latest developments.
“It is our responsibility as a District to work with our sister agencies to understand how we are showing up as a community partner and how we are not showing up,” Ross said at the meeting. “[We need] to ensure our unhoused residents have the same dignity and rights as our housed residents.”
