| ONGOING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES | OUR RESPONSE |
| Lansburgh Park: vacant, abandoned, crime-ridden, inoperable facilities | SWNA organized a community visioning charrette, lobbied DC to build tennis courts, and sponsored groups who’ve worked with us to fund, build and operate a community garden and dog park. We also organize and support events such as movie nights, tree planting, seasonal cleanups, and SW Unity Forum’s Summer in Lansburgh. |
| Emerging community groups with similar community development goals but are not incorporated as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations | SWNA provides administrative, financial, and marketing support to the Amidon-Bowen PTA, Neighbors of the Southwest Duck Pond, SW PAWS Dog Park, SW Community Garden and other groups. Serves as fiscal sponsor to enable these organizations to solicit tax-deductible donations. |
| DC United Soccer Stadium in Buzzard Point | SWNA formed a coalition that organized community forums, testified before the DC Council, submitted articles and other policy pieces to ensure that the development is beneficial to the community. |
| A significant amount of residents with limited access to education, and other enrichment activities | SWNA provides college scholarships, computer training for youths and adults, and funding and volunteer support to dozens of youth programs including sports teams, Girls on the Rise and Girl Scouts. Also works with DC to ensure recreational facilities are fully staffed accessible, and in full working order. |
| DC’s Small Area Plan for SW that proposes hundreds of changes throughout Southwest | SWNA advocates for smart development that provides incentives for retail businesses and amenities while maintaining the neighborhood character that is critical to the quality of life in SW. We organized sign-on letter campaigns that for the first time expressed a unified community voice. We followed up with a template whereby the ANC and other community groups requested a delay of the plan pending resolution of a number of concerns. |
| Development proposals that raise functionality and compatibility concerns among residents | SWNA holds community forums, researches sites and development proposals, educates residential leadership and developers about opportunities and constraints in an effort to optimize opportunities for community input.
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| Celebrate the unique and compelling history of our community and reinforce our progressive and inclusive identity | SWNA researches and identifies ways to promote our community heritage, whether through public forums, commemorative events such as Titanic 100, publications, oral history projects, interpretive panels, Public Information Display Systems, or adding significant sites to the National Register of Historic Places. |
Our Mission: “To improve the quality of life for all residents; to open to every resident the wide cultural horizon of urban living; to help create rich and equal social, educational, and economic opportunities for residents of Southwest; to assist in providing the opportunity for gainful employment for all; and to promote development of the economic and aesthetic potential of Southwest; and preserve its diverse history. This mission shall be pursued without regard to the social, economic, and racial barriers that have divided cities in the past.”