Read the full stored bill text
1
1
March 27, 2026
Nyasha Howard, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Dear Secretary Howard:
Today, I am introducing the “Closing of Portions of a Public Alley in Square 571, S.O. 25-01939, Act of 2026”.
Please find enclosed a signed copy of the legislation.
The Community for Creative Non -Violence (“CCNV”) is a non -profit organization started by activist Mitch
Snyder in the 1970s to serve the needs of people experiencing homelessness in the District. As a result of his
activism, in 1986, the federal government included in community block grant legislation language granting
the land and building at 425 2nd Street, NW to the District for use as a shelter. CCNV has operated the shelter
since then, and has over the years worked to include the services of other providers such as Clean and Sober
Streets, Unity Health Care, D.C. Central Kitchen, and New Hope Ministries on the site.
In 2014, the Council passed legislation to convene a task force focused on the future of the shelter. The
legislation laid out a plan for the replacement of the existing shelter utilizing a “build-first” strategy to prevent
displacement. For the past decade, CCNV has been working with the District government to move forward on
the plans to build a replacement shelter on the parcels that CCNV currently owns. In the Fiscal Year 2026
budget, $57.5 million is allocated for this capital project.
To facilitate the construction of a new, modernized shelter operated by CCNV , this legislation would close
portions of a public alley in Square 571 . The alley closures are necessary to establish a single record lot to
enable a unified redevelopment across the full site, which is currently subject to alley lot limitations. The single
record lot could be built to a height and density that are consisten t with the area’s zoning. I’ll note that ANC
6E voted in support of the proposed alley modifications at its April 30, 2025 meeting.
Please feel free to reach out to me or my Legislative Director, Antonio Nunes, with any questions or for
additional information.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6
Chair, Committee on Transportation & the Environment
1
______________________________1
Councilmember Charles Allen 2
3
4
5
A BILL 6
7
________ 8
9
10
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 11
12
_________________ 13
14
15
To order the closing of portions of the public alley system in Square 571 in Ward 6. 16
17
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 18
act may be cited as the “Closing of Portions of a Public Alley in Square 571, S.O. 25-01939, Act 19
of 2026”. 20
Sec. 2(a) Pursuant to section 404 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 21
December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 787; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.04), and consistent with the Street 22
and Alley Closing and Acquisition Procedures Act of 1982, effective March 10, 1983 (D.C. Law 23
4-201; D.C. Official Code § 9-201.01 et seq.), the Council finds that the portions of the public 24
alley system in Square 571, as shown on the Surveyor’s plat filed under S.O. 25-01939, are 25
unnecessary for alley purposes and orders them closed, with title to the land to vest as shown on 26
the Surveyor’s plat. 27
(b) The ordering of the alley closure in subsection (a) of this section is contingent upon 28
the satisfaction of all the conditions set forth in the official file for S.O. 25-01939. 29
Sec. 3. Transmittal. 30
The Council shall transmit a copy of this act, upon its effective date, to the Surveyor of 31
the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds. 32
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 33
2
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 34
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 35
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 36
Sec. 5. Effective date. 37
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 38
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 39
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 40
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 41
Columbia Register. 42