Washington’s historic Metropolitan AME Church is considering an ambitious plan to help unhoused military veterans in D.C. by constructing a multilevel building with up to 27 “micro-unit” apartments behind the landmark sanctuary on M Street NW.
In addition to creating studio apartment units, the proposed site would offer wraparound services, such as mental health care, to aid veterans in need, church leaders say.
“We want those who have served to be able to live with dignity in the city,” said Pastor William H. Lamar IV. “This is where our faith is both incarnate and operationalized. It’s our turn to repay in this kind of commitment.”
Church officials acknowledge that the plan is still very much a concept and is likely three to five years from completion. Questions of costs, funding streams and even feasibility remain unanswered at this moment.
But Lamar and church leaders said they will persist because the project aligns with their church’s foundational principles to put their faith into action. The focus on veterans also follows the traditions of their forebears from past generations at the church.
From the mid-19th century, the congregation served as a beacon for Black worshipers and those in need, including harboring the formerly enslaved as a stop along the Underground Railroad. Just after the Civil War and through two World Wars, those coming home from military often found fellowship in the church’s Methodist mandate toward acts of service.
Lamar said the project could be a lifeline for unhoused veterans, and help the issue of homelessness downtown, where there is a sizable veteran population.
Gladys Vaughn, who heads the church’s nonprofit development corporation, said she hopes the project could become a new model for how churches in urban settings can make an impact in their neighborhoods.
“Churches can actually attend to the issues that are literally right around them,” Vaughn said. “The veterans are literally right around Metropolitan. You can’t perpetually go into the church, enjoy your service and leave the issues for someone else to do.”
Charles Breece, vice chair and treasurer of the church’s nonprofit development corporation and project lead for the proposal, said the church still needs to answer several questions to determine the project’s feasibility. The building would need to fit a narrow 17 x 88 foot parcel of land behind the church. They also need to identify a developer and navigate zoning and historic preservation requirements.
“Is it feasible? Is it constructable? Can it be constructed without damaging the church? Is it financially and economically viable?” Breece said.
Lamar acknowledges that the project likely will need a blend of fundraising, grants and investment by government and the commercial sectors at a time when budgets are being slashed, but said they will be committed to finding a way.
“We are undaunted,” Lamar said. “Now is the time to overinvest in these population, particularly for those who serve.”
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