By Amy Gellatly

At Neighborhood Legal Services Program, we want to make sure that longtime Deanwood residents are able to preserve their homes and pass them down to future generations. That’s why we are launching a new Homeownership Preservation program out of our Deanwood office. With this program, we will advocate on behalf of homeowners and make sure that they have access to the District’s services for homeowners in distress.

Deanwood is a neighborhood with a long and vibrant history of homeownership. Many Deanwood residents live in homes that were built directly by the African-American families who established this neighborhood at the turn of the last century. Like many areas East of the River, Deanwood has not experienced the rapid growth and redevelopment that have reshaped many DC neighborhoods in recent years. It still maintains a strong sense of community with many families who have lived in the area for generations.

We’ll develop community-based solutions by working directly with our community partners in Deanwood and the surrounding neighborhoods. The solutions will address a range of issues facing homeowners, including older homes in need of repairs, unwieldy utility bills, property tax sales, disputes over inherited properties, refinancing scams, and unscrupulous construction contractors. Above all, we are committed to serving the greater Deanwood area as a legal resource and as a community resource to preserve the neighborhood’s strong tradition of homeownership.

I’ll be leading this new program. I’m a new staff attorney at NLSP, and I came by way of the Employment Justice Center, where I advocated for workers’ rights. You can direct any questions about the program or pro bono opportunities to me at (202) 849-8001. Intake for this program, like NLSP’s other programs, is held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10am to 3pm. DC residents seeking services can call (202) 832-6577 or visit our Deanwood office at 4609 Polk Street, NE, between the Deanwood Metro and Kennilworth Avenue. We look forward to seeing you.

Amy Gellatly is a staff attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services Program.