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NeighborWorks member Community Preservation and Development Corp. (CPDC) has long worked to transcend boundaries to improve the lives of Washington, DC, residents.
Edgewood Terrace was once a segregated community separated by physical barriers like fences and walls, and its residents were further disconnected by race, age, culture and language. This 792-unit, 11-building community located in northeast DC was once one of the largest open-air drug markets in the early 1990s. As a result, it suffered from years of economic and physical deterioration and crime.
The properties were first redeveloped more than 20 years ago when CPDC acquired the failed properties and created new programs, services and amenities campus-wide. Once hailed as the “Disneyland of Affordable Housing,” Edgewood was the first wired affordable housing community in DC that offered free Internet access to residents, an effort made possible through a substantial investment by Microsoft Corp. Edgewood also was widely publicized because of early investments by companies such as Citibank and Enterprise Foundation.
Today, to meet the challenge of improving the operating culture at Edgewood by enhancing residents’ quality of life and building a greater sense of community, Edgewood is now experiencing its next reinvestment of $50 million over the next five years. It is with this investment that the goals of rebranding the Edgewood property, creating an economically diverse community and remaining competitive will be accomplished. The resident-led cultural transformation is a partnership with Trusted Space.
The renovation is being done in a two-year process, focusing on the ONE Edgewood Network, an innovative community- strategy that connects residents to each other and the staff of CPDC and the property managers, with the ultimate goal of removing barriers, building trust and enhancing residents’ quality of life. The ONE Network includes intentional spaces and opportunities for supportive relationships and collaborative action.
Progress in this effort was measured closely by increased participation in and quality of interactions at Network Nights, a monthly community meeting where participants share skills and resources. Additional measures were increased resident-led initiatives and to improve the physical and social environment. As a result, 40 residents participated in Network Nights and 40 resident-led initiatives were launched between 2014 and 2015.
Resident leadership also was demonstrated at the NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute (CLI). The CLI is an invitation-only, three-day training event that aims to strengthen the voices and skills of resident leaders. Edgewood residents attended the CLI in Louisville, KY, in October 2015 and, later, six residents from Edgewood community led a workshop on “Network Building at Edgewood Commons: An Intense Effort to Increase Engagement and Connectedness in the Community.” The workshop was well received and attended by more than 20 people.
They call their succes "the Edgewood Way."
Edgewood Terrace was once a segregated community separated by physical barriers like fences and walls, and its residents were further disconnected by race, age, culture and language. This 792-unit, 11-building community located in northeast DC was once one of the largest open-air drug markets in the early 1990s. As a result, it suffered from years of economic and physical deterioration and crime.
The properties were first redeveloped more than 20 years ago when CPDC acquired the failed properties and created new programs, services and amenities campus-wide. Once hailed as the “Disneyland of Affordable Housing,” Edgewood was the first wired affordable housing community in DC that offered free Internet access to residents, an effort made possible through a substantial investment by Microsoft Corp. Edgewood also was widely publicized because of early investments by companies such as Citibank and Enterprise Foundation.
Today, to meet the challenge of improving the operating culture at Edgewood by enhancing residents’ quality of life and building a greater sense of community, Edgewood is now experiencing its next reinvestment of $50 million over the next five years. It is with this investment that the goals of rebranding the Edgewood property, creating an economically diverse community and remaining competitive will be accomplished. The resident-led cultural transformation is a partnership with Trusted Space.
The renovation is being done in a two-year process, focusing on the ONE Edgewood Network, an innovative community- strategy that connects residents to each other and the staff of CPDC and the property managers, with the ultimate goal of removing barriers, building trust and enhancing residents’ quality of life. The ONE Network includes intentional spaces and opportunities for supportive relationships and collaborative action.
Progress in this effort was measured closely by increased participation in and quality of interactions at Network Nights, a monthly community meeting where participants share skills and resources. Additional measures were increased resident-led initiatives and to improve the physical and social environment. As a result, 40 residents participated in Network Nights and 40 resident-led initiatives were launched between 2014 and 2015.
Resident leadership also was demonstrated at the NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute (CLI). The CLI is an invitation-only, three-day training event that aims to strengthen the voices and skills of resident leaders. Edgewood residents attended the CLI in Louisville, KY, in October 2015 and, later, six residents from Edgewood community led a workshop on “Network Building at Edgewood Commons: An Intense Effort to Increase Engagement and Connectedness in the Community.” The workshop was well received and attended by more than 20 people.
They call their succes "the Edgewood Way."
