Meet the Candidates: Lily Roberts ANC 6E04

We have offered to post brief statements from all of the ANC candidates running for seats on Capitol Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods that we cover here on The Hill is Home.  These statements are not endorsements and have been posted exactly as submitted by the candidates. 

Hello, neighbors! My name is Lily Roberts, and I’m asking for your vote for our Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E04 this November. I’m a social worker who researches income inequality, housing, and the ways cities can improve life for families and kids. I love our neighborhood, and I moved here four years ago from Capitol Hill because it’s a diverse community convenient to places to work, eat, and enjoy arts and culture. I want to make sure that our neighborhood continues to set the standard for attracting new residents and improving quality of life for those who are already here.

I’m that friend of yours who always knows the pros and cons of candidates for mayor, why one restaurant can have live music on a Saturday night and not another, what that building under construction is going to be, and how to navigate DC’s bureaucracy. I’ve worked with clients to find housing and employment at the Perry School on New York Ave., and my ten-minute walk to work takes me through Sursum Corda and Northwest One.

There’s been a lot of change in our neighborhood already, and there’s much more coming: Sursum Corda will soon be redeveloped, and the Northwest One development RFP was released just a few weeks ago. Those parcels are adjacent to my SMD, and 6E04 residents need to participate actively in the RFP and development process to ensure that our priorities are met in keeping our neighborhood a diverse and vibrant place to live. Destination ground-floor retail; welcoming spaces for kids, pets, walkers, and bikers; and an influx of residents (and the return of current and former residents) will promote safety in our own SMD and make this area an even better-connected place to live in.

I love to learn about the new restaurants headed our way by participating in meetings on zoning and development, but the most important thing I’ve learned is that residents must use our voices to push the DC government to respond to the needs of our community. I’ve learned to advocate for clients in the DC bureaucracy, and I would advocate for constituents with the same enthusiasm.

I’m passionate about promoting affordable and mixed-income housing, ensuring that the neighborhood is safe and easy to navigate, and strengthening the diversity of our community. My background in social work and policy research means that I am just as comfortable speaking with and advocating for a neighbor facing a challenge as I am discussing the nuances of affordability levels to make mixed-income housing successful and the ins and outs of urban design and city policy.

Have a question or see a broken streetlight that you want me to doggedly pursue with 311? Find me on Twitter at @lilyroberts12 or on Facebook at “Lily Roberts for ANC 6E04.”