DC faces lawsuit for plan to buy GWU residence hall and convert it to a homeless shelter

WASHINGTON — A lawsuit has been filed against the District of Columbia for its plan to buy a building previously used by George Washington University as a dormitory and convert it into a homeless shelter.

The new downtown shelter, formally known as the Aston, would serve adults with acute medical conditions, and it would be the first of its kind in D.C. to allow adult couples and mixed-gendered families to stay together. 

Typically, officials claim single adults or mixed-gendered families with children older than 18 seeking shelter are split up by gender and directed to one of the District's “low-barrier” facilities.

The lawsuit alleges that the District violated several legal requirements including failing to provide adequate notice to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the public regarding the intended use of the Aston, failing to respond to inquiries, and failing to give great weight to the Commissions views, as required by law.

Those opposed to the new shelter worry that it will cause an escalation in security issues, an uptick in crime, increased traffic, and property devaluation. 

In May of 2022, GWU officials first announced their plan to sell the Aston, a 67,000-square-foot building at 1129 New Hampshire Avenue NW that primarily housed graduate students but sat vacant.

In January 2023, GWU advised the District that the Aston buyer the school had selected has withdrawn from the contract. This is when GWU offered to sell the Aston to the District.

Thereafter, the District agreed to purchase the Aston for a price of approximately $27,500,000.

The remodeled Aston is expected to house up to 190 residents at its peak capacity, with up to two people per room and a bathroom for each unit. 

In order to stay there, residents would need to meet admission criteria and also agree to ongoing, “intensive” case management.

In contrast, D.C.’s low-barrier shelters are open to anyone who shows up and, while case management services are offered, they are not required for a stay.