The changing physical and human landscape of DC’s neighborhoods is not unusual, but the story of Petworth exemplifies negative effects of gentrification like the involuntary displacement of residents. Bordered by Rock Creek Park on the West, Petworth has seen a massive population change in the last 30 years. While the population of Petworth rose by only about 500 from 1990 to 2016, the black population decreased from 88% to 53%. This shift is in part due to a transformational $643 million investment by WMATA in 1999, which created two new Metro stations better connecting Petworth with the rest of DC.
While this investment revitalized the community from a purely economic perspective, in the process, it subjected thousands of low-income residents to housing insecurity. This housing insecurity can force families to choose between paying for medical care or paying rent. Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center, has provided affordable medical care to uninsured and underinsured residents, along with educational and social services, since 1988.
Ninety percent of Mary’s Center patients are under the federal poverty level and approximately 30% have no medical insurance coverage at all. CityFirst provided $20 million in NMTC financing to Mary’s Center to construct a new, state-of-the-art medical clinic in Petworth. This capital allowed Mary’s Center to renovate its existing medical clinic at 2333 Ontario Road, NW, and construct a new 26,000 square foot facility at 3912 Georgia Avenue, NW.