After a fire broke out at St. Mary’s Court, a non-profit affordable housing facility, on Nov. 15, a local neighborhood commission set up a grant to help displaced residents.
St. Mary’s Court is a senior living community located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood near the Lincoln Memorial. It was incorporated in 1976 as a non-profit and has housed over 800 people.
After fires on the second floor, six residents were transported to hospitals, according to a tweet from DC Fire and EMS. Occupants were evacuated using ladders.
“Approximately 20 units and 100 personnel responded. A safety evaluation of [the] building will be conducted to determine when and which residents can return,” according to DC Fire and EMS.
D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto, the representative for Ward 2, said in a tweet that most people returned to their rooms that night, with some people who were affected staying in hotels while repairs take place.
There was fire damage in one unit and water damage in eight units, according to ANC 2A07 Commissioner Adam Friend. The damage displaced 10 people from those units as of Nov. 16.
During ANC 2A’s monthly meeting on Nov. 16. the commission voted to create a grant to help people affected by the fire.
“We have $14,000 just to spend on grants for an emergency,” Friend said during the meeting. “This is that emergency.”
The commission allocated $10,000 for the grant which will be awarded to an applicant on Nov. 30.
The Foggy Bottom West End Village, a community organization dedicated to assisting elderly residents, applied for the grant. Denise Snyder, the executive director for the village, attended the meeting and signaled that the village could act as a fiscal agent for the relief funds.
“My intention is to set up a small panel with folks from participating organizations to help figure out how the funds could be most equitably distributed with the most transparency,” Snyder said.
Correction 12.09.2022
This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Denise Snyder’s name.
