Henderson, a consultant, is a resident of Northeast D.C.’s Carver Terrace neighborhood, a former Ward 5 advisory neighborhood commissioner and a former candidate for the D.C. Council.
How long have you lived in Carver Terrace?
Since Feb. 6, 1998. I moved here from another home that I owned on 16th Street in Northwest. When I moved here, my love affair with the home was punctuated by the fact that I couldn’t get my trash picked up. I called my advisory neighborhood commissioner and he gave me this ridiculous explanation — this is how it’s done here and I need to get used to it. He needed to go, so I ran against him.
You’re fighting the construction of Hyacinth’s Place?
It’s going to be a 15-unit community-based residential treatment facility for women with substance abuse problems and mental health issues. If you’re recovering from substance abuse and battling mental health issues, you need to be in a therapeutic environment, not in an open-air drug market. Why would anybody want to put fragile women in the midst of an open-air drug market? It’s the most ridiculous thing. This is the one thing that all residents of Trinidad, Langston and Carver can agree on.
Where will it be built?
At 1058-1062 Bladensburg Road, right next to the proposed [Capital City] diner.
Do you have another plan?
We’re proposing [the Institute of Urban Living Inc.] move it to a vacant lot across from [the 5th District police station].
Aren’t these women worth helping?
There’s a methadone clinic about 540 feet from the proposed site. We have no problem in doing our part to support the city’s infrastructure, but why is our community disproportionately affected by housing, liquor stores, used car lots and eyesores that nobody else wants? We feel like we’re being dumped on and we vehemently oppose that.
Are you running for council again?
I am not a declared candidate.
