Baldwin House is an affordable housing cooperative and mutual aid hub for working class Washingtonians in DC
Rooted in collective liberation
Imagine a DC where our homes belong to us – not to big banks or extremely wealthy developers. At Baldwin House, we aren't just dreaming of that future; we are building it right now in the heart of Shaw and U Street Corridor. We believe that housing is a right, not a way for companies to get rich.
Baldwin House is a community-led affordable housing cooperative, intentional community, and mutual aid hub created by and for working-class people.
This project is a unique opportunity to build collective power and equip ourselves to push back against threats from the Trump Administration, ICE, and widespread disinvestment that threatens our most vulnerable neighbors in DC and widens the gap between critical services and the needs of our community. The future isn’t something we wait for—it is something we build with our own hands, right now.
Baldwin House’s vision of communal solidarity
From 2021 to 2023, neighbors united to reclaim an apartment building in Ward 1, using the Tenants Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and reimagining its process! Baldwin House is transforming this space into a site of resistance and care – a home where neighbors don’t just live next to each other, but truly take care of one another. We are dedicated to building a liberated future, ensuring Baldwin House serves the community for generations.The tenants of Baldwin House, a mix of long-time DC residents and organizers deeply rooted in our local community, will live in the building's 8 units and will never pay more than 1/3 of their income on rent. The basement will serve as a community space and mutual aid operations home.The mutual aid hub will offer:
a free store, pantry, and fridge
a community garden and kitchen
a space for political education and art
a makerspace and tool library
regular neighborhood celebrations
…and so much more!
Baldwin House is a place where we practice solidarity, not charity. Everyone has something they need and something they can give. Our building serves as a home for 8 families and a mutual aid hub for the whole neighborhood.
Community investment is critical to reclaim and transform this space
We are at a turning point in our journey. While our all-volunteer team successfully raised $2.3 million since 2023, there is still a $300,000 gap to help pay off our current short-term loan.The purpose of this fundraising campaign is to transition us to a more stable, long-term financing structure. By clearing this debt, we can keep monthly costs low for generations and ensure that a neighbor's ability to live here is based on their commitment to collective care and solidarity rather than their individual wealth.
The goal
Raise $300,000 by May 2026
The stakes
If we don’t fill this gap, Baldwin House faces foreclosure. This would mean losing a site of resistance that provides stable, affordable housing and serves as a lifeline for our neighborhood.
Help Baldwin House bloom and grow! Your support will transform Baldwin House into a guiding light for housing justice in DC for generations.
Transforming the neighborhood together
When you donate to Baldwin House, you aren't just supporting bricks and mortar. You are watering a garden of community care rooted in ancestral Black and brown legacies of solidarity. Your support keeps mutual aid alive.In practice, this care looks like:
Providing food and resources to migrants and other neighbors experiencing State violence
Offering space for trainings like ICE watch and mutual aid workshops
Teaching folks how to grow their own food
Ensuring organizers have stable and thriving housing
Serving as a connection point between different organizing groups
Whether you are a neighbor seeking a meal, an organizer looking for a home, or a supporter ready to help us grow, there is a place for you in the Baldwin House story.
Will you join us in building this future? No gift is too small, and every dollar is a seed planted for a future where we all have a place to call home. Let's bridge the gap between what is and what's possible!
If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution of more than $1,000, please contact us at [email protected] for information about donating through an ACH/wire transfer, with a DAF, or giving shares of stock.
Want to explore more about our awesome initiative?
Get involved with Baldwin House
Baldwin House was made possible by community action and solidarity. Your support and involvement directly impacts our success! We are eager for people to:
Join our outreach team to share this project with neighbors
Offer financial support, individually or through a foundation
Host or join fundraisers to help continue to make this project sustainable
Help manage our social media channels
Build more relationships with local Funders and apply for grants
Provide something else we haven’t thought of!
“Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.”
James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son
Our collaborators
| A Bookkeeping Cooperative & Moreen Taylor | Bookkeeping teams |
| Beloved Community Incubator | Technical assistance provider |
| BHI Construction & Real Estate Development | Project contractors |
| Big Tent Design Studio | Project design team |
| Capital Construction Group | Project contractor |
| Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Coop | Mentors and inspirers |
| Embolden Real Estate | Development consultant |
| EMOTIVE Architecture | Project design team |
| EnviroCollab | Project design team |
| Hawai'i Community Bail Fund | BHCA fiscal sponsor |
| Home Answers | Project contractors |
| Jeffrey Charles & Associates, Inc. | Property management |
| Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) | Lender |
| Nature Sacred | Project design team |
| Pacyinz Lyfoung, Esq. - The Inclusive Economies Law Practice | Legal advisor |
With gratitude for collaboration in the past:Goulston & Storrs
Housing Counseling Services
Howard Fair Housing Clinic
Mi Casa
Page Southerland Page
UDC Community Development Law Clinic
YouthBuild DC PCS
And so many more!
Our mission:
Center communities that have been historically excluded from generational property ownership.Model intentional collective living and collective spaces that allows communities to safely grow, create, and thrive and provides an alternative to the cycle of displacement and gentrification.
Our Vision:
Learn and practice how to build concrete alternatives to commodified, displacement-driven housing by transforming a building that if sold would contribute to gentrification, cause significant harms to resident wellbeing, and create a cultural loss for the community.
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