By 1938, however, a large number of one- and two-story single-family detached houses and small apartment buildings had been constructed in the area.

The character of the Capitol View neighborhood radically changed with the construction of large public housing complexes.

[6] But the East Capitol Dwellings were shoddily constructed,[7] and problems with plumbing, HVAC, and poor maintenance plagued the 40-acre (0.16 km2) city-within-a-city until its demolition in 2003.

This complex consisted of 92 three-story townhouses and a 228-unit, 12-story high-rise apartment building located at 5901 East Capitol Street SE.

This 300-unit, 12-story apartment building was open only to senior citizens, and suffered from extensive structural and design problems that caused the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems to fail.

[11] Realizing that it had over-concentrated the poor in a small area, the city moved to support the construction of affordable townhouses in the Capitol View neighborhood.

Under the city's agreement with Southern Homes and Gardens, the units must be managed as low-income public housing for 40 years.

The ground floor of the property will include 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of retail space, and as part of the development package.

[15] However, amid closing 269 stores globally, Walmart announced it would not open its planned two stores- at Skyland Town Center and Capital Gateway.

[17] Many people believe that Walmart's decision not to build was due to the District's plans to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and establishment of a paid-leave program.

[14] As early as 1980, hundreds of dealers selling heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, PCP lined the streets of Capitol View.

The region's hilly nature allowed them to see police approaching, giving them a chance to escape across the border into Maryland, into local forested areas, or down alleys.

[19] By the late 1990s, violence was rampant in the neighborhood, and the Metropolitan Police Department called the East Capitol Dwellings one of the most violent public housing projects in the District of Columbia.

The District of Columbia later unsuccessfully sued gun manufacturers and distributors for millions of dollars in damages on behalf of Foster-el and others in the city killed with handguns.

An anonymous text messaging site was created to allow residents to report drug dealing, gunfire, or other crimes.

[16] Local residents, however, credit the rapid drop in crime throughout Capitol View to the demolition of the large public housing projects.

Almost 25 percent of the neighborhood's residents are under the age of 18, and half of these children belong to families whose incomes fall below the poverty line.

The charter school primarily enrolls students who are doing poorly academically, including those who have been held back a grade, are emotionally troubled, or have been incarcerated by the D.C. juvenile justice system.

The 2021 East Capitol Street Safety and Mobility Project includes plans to upgrade walking, cycling and transit conditions.