About H Street CDC

Who We Are

The H Street Community Development Corporation (H Street CDC) is a private, non-governmental non-profit service organization devoted to strengthening small-business enterprises, expanding affordable housing opportunities, developing commercial centers, and providing training to empower people to achieve prosperity for themselves and their families.

When the H Street CDC was founded in 1984, our principal mission was the revitalization of the H Street N.E. corridor of Washington, D.C. In those early years, we focused on developing housing and commercial projects and facilitating bank loans for new and existing businesses in the H Street area.

H Street CDC today has matured into a more comprehensive development organization, serving a broader geographic area. While we continue to engage in property development and improvement projects along the H Street N.E. corridor, we have broadened our services to reach beyond H Street and serve underdeveloped neighborhoods throughout Washington, D.C. Our work has touched thousands and helped many to become homeowners and successful entrepreneurs.

Our History

In 1984, H Street business and neighborhood leaders determined to reclaim the once-thriving area from decades of deterioration. As their development vehicle, they formed the CDC - a non-profit corporation blending the energies of community activists with the financial resources of government and private lenders.

H Street CDC created a unique model tailored to the needs of our community. While most CDCs concentrated on housing, H Street CDC was the pioneer for a different approach. Through commercial development, we worked to create jobs, generate business prosperity, and achieve visible improvements at blighted properties in our community.

The story of H Street and the Near Northeast community is told in A Historical Study of Near Northeast Washington, published by the H Street CDC in 2002. Click here to download our PDF.

Copyright 2009 H Street Community Development Corporation