“Stadium or Shelter Will D.C. Trade 30,000 Residents for Profit?”

Brother James Shabazz is sounding the alarm on what may become one of the most devastating acts of displacement in D.C. history.

As a longtime advocate for justice and community empowerment, he raises urgent questions about the city’s proposed multi-billion-dollar stadium deal—a plan that could force nearly 30,000 public housing residents from their homes in Ward 7.

Will the D.C. Government Sacrifice Public Housing for a Stadium?

Story By Brother James Shabazz.

Is Southeast D.C. on the auction block to make room for billion-dollar profits?

That is the question echoing throughout Ward 7 and beyond, as local leaders and residents confront a development plan that could reshape—if not erase—some of the last strongholds of Black community life in the District.

At the heart of the controversy is a proposal to bring the Washington Commanders football team back to D.C., through the construction of a massive new stadium and commercial development project in Southeast.

According to community advocates, this plan risks displacing nearly 30,000 public housing residents, many of whom already live under the stress of deteriorating infrastructure, gentrification, and broken promises of revitalization without removal.

Last evening, I stood shoulder to shoulder with Councilmember Wendell Felder of Ward 7 during a Town Hall meeting focused on this proposed development. I’ve known Mr. Felder for nearly a decade. I expressed directly to him—and to the audience—that I stand in firm opposition to the current stadium development plan.

This is not a stand against progress. This is a stand against Negro Removal—a term used to describe the forced displacement of Black communities under the guise of economic opportunity. What they call “revitalization” has too often meant eviction, cultural erasure, and the replacement of Black working-class families with luxury condos and corporate chains.

Alongside a dedicated colleague, I presented an alternative economic development proposal that places the people—not profit—at the center of progress. Our plan would bring jobs, services, and infrastructure to Ward 7 without pushing longtime residents out.

Investigating the Real Impact

In preparation for the Ward 7 Community Town Hall scheduled for May 12, 2025, I will accompany a research team to the D.C. Office of Planning and the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. Our goal is clear:

• To analyze voter data across all 8 wards to gauge where public housing residents stand—and how they can be mobilized.

• To obtain critical documents known as the D.C. Land Use “War Maps”—official zoning and development blueprints tied to the D.C. Comprehensive Plan. These maps will help us determine if Muhammad’s Temple No. 4 and surrounding historic Black neighborhoods are in the path of displacement.

With these documents in hand, we aim to formulate targeted “probe questions” for next week’s Town Hall—questions that will challenge city planners, hold elected officials accountable, and expose the real cost of this development to the community.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

• According to the D.C. Housing Authority, as of 2023, over 29,000 residents rely on public housing.

• Nearly 70% of them live in Wards 7 and 8, areas long underserved by city investment but rich in Black history and cultural strength.

• Past projects like Nationals Park and the Capital One Arena displaced thousands with minimal reinvestment in affordable housing or small businesses.

Can we afford to let this happen again?

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, Mayor Muriel Bowser will release the District’s new annual budget—crafted with the input of Congress and D.C.’s appointed Chief Financial Officer, Glenn Lee. Insiders suggest that this budget may include mechanisms such as tax increment financing (TIF), land swaps, and zoning changes that would favor the stadium’s construction—potentially at the expense of public housing land.

This isn’t just a D.C. issue. It’s a national test of whether Black communities can demand inclusion in the decision-making processes that shape their futures.

I respectfully urge all media personnel, mosque leadership, faith leaders, and concerned residents to attend the May 12 Town Hall meeting. Your voice matters. Your presence matters. Our future depends on it.

-Brother James Shabazz-

Sources & References:

• D.C. Housing Authority Annual Report, 2023: www.dchousing.org

• D.C. Office of Planning: www.planning.dc.gov

• D.C. Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Maps: compplan.dc.gov

• Georgetown Law Review, “Development Without Displacement” (2022)

• U.S. Government Accountability Office: Gentrification and Displacement in Urban Redevelopment (GAO-21-34)