rent

I intend to address the root causes of housing instability to assure that DC tax payers and the federal government dollars are not continuously exposed to failed social programming structures surrounding housing displacement, which dominoes into failed public safety, and increased healthcare costs.

Are you kidding me? #DefendDC! #BowserMustGo! #RobertWhiteMustGo! #WeWantAnAudit! #PasstheH.E.A.R.T.Act! D.C. Landlords Owe More Than $40 Million in Unpaid Housing Violations

DC's affordable housing failures stem from lack of proper oversights & policy enforcements for slumlords & putting developer agendas over DC citizens' well-being! #DefendDC! #BowserMustGo!

Families come in many configurations with different numbers and combinations of adults and children. We know that many families live in 1BR apartments but generally when I say “family-sized” I mean 3BR or more. Of course, many apartments are marketed as 2BR+Den for regulatory purposes but often end up functionally similar to 3BR and I’d include those as well. Family-sized housing does not just mean a single-family residence. I see the District as a place where people can raise a family and thrive in many types of housing, whether that’s a 90-unit rental apartment building or a four-unit co-op.

For years, tenants at 1355 Peabody and 6000 13th Street have organized, spoken out, and demanded the safe, dignified housing they deserve. No family should have to endure prolonged outages, infestations, unsafe conditions, or retaliation simply for advocating for basic repairs.

Affordability is relative to every person’s circumstances. It’s important to define the terms precisely so the discussions are more fruitful but at the end of the day, what matters to current and future residents is the ability to find housing that is affordable to *them*, whether that’s supported by public subsidy or provided by the private sector. My vision for the city is that people can find homes they can afford in communities they want to live in. We need more options so fewer Washingtonians are rent burdened (meaning they pay 30% or more of their incomes to housing costs).

My record: I've blocked extreme rent increases, banned utility shutoffs after Pepco overcharged us, and expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit.

My priority is creating as much deeply affordable family housing as we can. Let’s meet the current 30% target.

I introduced the Housing with Integrity Act after seeing neighbors dealing with housing issues consistently and unsafe conditions going unresolved by landlords.
 
Yet the same companies who own these buildings and allow these violations to persist are expanding their footprint.

GGWash is a diverse group of advocates who imagine how our city could work better using best practices from around the world to help us reach our potential via improved housing policy, transportation policy, and city planning. The community has housing advocates, transportation experts, and many enthusiasts who love learning more and helping our community do better. I and my team have been learning from y’all for more than a decade and some of our teammates have even written for the blog. So I don’t see GGW as a distinct entity from my staff and supporters. We are allies and our communities overlap in important ways. GGWash has been instrumental in advancing a worldview that being pro-growth and being progressive are not at odds–that, for example, supporting higher density and supporting expanded rent stabilization is ideologically consistent. GGWash has done a great job helping share perspectives of longtimes residents, new residents, and future residents and helps us think forward to what DC will be in 50 years instead of using tired thinking from the prior 50 years. Let’s keep working through bold ideas to increase equity and thriving—I need your support, your ideas, and your help to make DC everything it can be. It didn’t come up in the questions yet but I wanted to add an idea that is directly related. I hope you’ll share my excitement for moving quickly to pilot year-round, car-free spaces in DC. For instance, we should explore making sections of 18th street in Adams Morgan, the 800-block of Upshur in Petworth, and the area near the Holiday Market free from cars. This would allow community gathering, increased activity, thriving businesses, and safe spaces. If we do it well, we could eventually have spaces that are our own spin on the plazas of some of the most beautiful cities in the world but we don’t need to look all the way to Europe to see examples, they do this right in Silver Spring. It will take some work to update the relevant regulations for implementation but I know we can do it and I’d love to take Kyle and Pierce (our one-year old) to enjoy those new spaces as a family.

Today was a big day! 🎉🏠

We celebrated the reopening of 301 Delafield Pl and 25 units of affordable housing through TOPA—one of the strongest tools we have to preserve affordable housing, prevent displacement, and keep residents in the communities they love and helped build.

As Mayor, I will expect board members and other appointees to prioritize the need for additional housing, especially affordable housing. I will submit a zoning text amendment specifying public-input requirements for zoning changes, giving my appointees clarity as to what they can expect from an applicant. So many of our existing neighbors are being pushed out and it’s a crisis. We have to focus on adding housing, stabilizing rents, and more. We also want to welcome new residents to our thriving, inclusive, connected communities. DC had a population of slightly more than 800,000 in 1950 and we can again. We have space for that many more people but not that many more cars. We need leaders in our zoning and planning system (and on the boards) who understand the urgent need for more housing and consider that seriously as they work through the specific questions about historic preservation, parking, and building forms.

We can build more housing. This moment calls for us to have an aggressive plan because so many people are facing displacement. We must cut red tape and overhaul our building codes. We can leverage our pension funds to build more affordable housing & leverage federal dollars.

As Mayor, I want to build as much income-restricted, subsidized housing as possible, across all affordability levels. But my top priority will be deeply affordable housing, for families with the most need. I don’t expect the private market to produce and maintain, on its own, homes for our residents with the lowest-incomes, but I realize that allowing developers to build more market-rate units will make it easier to deliver more deeply affordable homes overall. The greatest obstacle to ensuring housing for this income range is built is the financing: cross-subsidies from profitable units and government subsidies (and various tax credit programs) can help resolve this challenge. Even with subsidy, a developer will need ongoing voucher subsidies in order to properly operate a building. A person making 20% of AMI cannot afford a 30% unit, but will still be a good renter who is badly in need of housing. And, as rents go up every year, incomes don’t necessarily rise at the same rate so a voucher subsidy is key to paying for ongoing operations. For that reason, development subsidies must be paired with housing voucher subsidies if there is any hope of getting a significant number of 30% AMI units. The financial challenges aren’t the only factor. There is also a dearth of buildable land/locations, zoning limitations are a frequent hindrance, and legal challenges slow building significantly. Much construction relies on profit-driven motivations. We should also be creating housing that isn’t profit-oriented, expanding successful models like government-funded multi-family housing solutions that are permanently affordable like limited equity cooperatives.

We are facing an affordability crisis. I will focus on building more housing to lower costs, expand access to childcare so no one pays more than 7% of their income, and we are going to lower utility costs by expanding community solar and right-sizing Pepco guaranteed profits

Most neighborhoods are displacing neighbors and would benefit from more housing (including more options), especially those that that have historically not contributed to adding new housing, which has placed significant pressure on communities at greater risk of displacement. In 1950, DC had more than 100,000 more residents than it does today. And that was before all the density we’ve added near metro stations in the past 30 years. We know we can achieve at least that population again. Doing so would make the District more economically and racially diverse, welcome new residents, and enable younger generations to afford homes in the neighborhoods they grew up in (or chose) and want to raise families of their own in. Every Ward must do its part and will benefit from the vibrancy. We need to encourage growth and development along all our major corridors and around Metro stations. For instance, upzoning Georgia Ave and Wisconsin Ave and building or expanding bus lanes for the length of these avenues would connect downtown with new developments like Walter Reed and City Ridge. There are way too many single and 2-story buildings on major thoroughfares, and way too few neighborhood corner stores and affordably-sized homes in wealthy residential neighborhoods. Increasing density would improve the case for transit, make local businesses more sustainable, and actually start lowering housing costs and reverse displacement.

The future of DC calls for safe streets, fast and frequent public transit, and far more housing than we have now. Making DC affordable for working families requires unlocking barriers to housing and a transportation system that works for everyone. Let's get it done together! ✅

We desperately need more housing and especially affordable housing. That’s why I have been a champion for adding housing across Ward 4, like my work in support of the additional housing units at Dance Loft. For far too long, affordable housing has been shoehorned into certain corners of the city. We especially need to build more housing west of the park, where supply has been deliberately restricted as a legacy of segregation and perpetuated by anti-growth activism in wealthy neighborhoods and a system that lets this type of activism veto badly needed housing, including (and especially) affordable housing. Our zoning laws/affordable housing programs often reflect poor urban planning practices and values from the 50s (and before). Many parts of the city need to be upzoned to increase density, especially near areas well served by transit. But additional density can’t be limited to those areas. Legalizing missing middle-style homes in AU Park, Chevy Chase DC, RFK, and Cathedral Heights will help them become increasingly vibrant, mixed-income, inclusive neighborhoods. We need apartments everywhere: for people who want to stay in the neighborhoods they grew up in, for seniors downsizing, and so teachers, nurses, retail workers, and other can afford to live in the communities where they work. We don’t need to become Manhattan to improve density, achieving Paris’s density levels would be a big step.

Government can deliver! ✅Today, Council voted to pass my bill, and now Pepco cannot shut off your electricity if you owe under $1K. ✅ We also moved legislation allowing single-stair apartment buildings up to six stories. That means building more family-sized units in DC!

Under my administration, we will build housing that is truly affordable, reform permitting and construction timelines, and protect legacy residents and small businesses from displacement.A city where people live and work must be a city where people can stay.

Housing stability requires real reform. The District Housing Utilization and Family Stability Act modernizes vouchers, supports families, and connects housing policy to the fight for D.C. Statehood.

Washingtonians deserve affordable housing, safe housing, and stable housing. They deserve commercial corridors where local businesses thrive, where storefronts are filled, and where opportunity is rooted in community, not pushed out by speculation.

Here at the groundbreaking for the KEB Project. This is the first re-entry housing project that the District has funded. We know that finding a stable place to live is a huge barrier for our returning citizens and we are happy to support organizations like @jubileehousing

Rent control loopholes, such as voluntary agreements and vacancy increases, continue to undermine tenant protections, while cuts to ERAP push families toward eviction and homelessness. Weak housing code enforcement, utility shutoffs, predatory cash buyouts, and erosion of TOPA protections accelerate displacement, particularly in long-standing Black neighborhoods, while new construction too often prioritizes the wealthiest residents over everyone else.

The greatest obstacle to producing housing for residents at 50–80 percent MFI is the gap between what moderate-income households can afford and the high cost of building in the District. Land prices, construction costs, interest rates, and regulatory delays increase total project costs. Even without ongoing operating subsidies, most moderate-income housing requires gap financing through the Housing Production Trust Fund, tax credits, bonds, or cross-subsidy from market-rate units. Unpredictable timelines or reductions in density late in the approval process can eliminate that financial balance. Preservation is equally critical. Many residents in this income band rely on naturally occurring affordable housing, including rent-stabilized units. It is far more cost-effective to preserve that affordability than to replace it after displacement.

It’s non-market, publicly owned or nonprofit-managed residential units designed for low-to-moderate-income tenants, offering long-term, stable housing. Typically brings the housing cost down between 30 - 50%

Renters deserve meaningful protections, including a real Tenant Bill of Rights and an Office of the Tenant Advocate empowered to stand up to predatory landlords, especially in communities that have long faced disinvestment. Every worker in the District deserves a fair shot at homeownership or, at minimum, the ability to save, build stability, and avoid being rent-burdened in the city they helped build. Stopping displacement of long-time Black and brown residents must be a core priority of District housing policy.

The greatest obstacle to producing housing for residents at 0–30 percent MFI is sustained operating subsidy. At these income levels, rents cannot cover debt service, maintenance, or services. Capital funding alone is insufficient. Deeply affordable housing requires pairing development financing — including the Housing Production Trust Fund, tax credits, and bonds — with ongoing voucher support such as the Local Rent Supplement Program. Without project-based vouchers, even well-financed buildings cannot operate sustainably at 30 percent MFI. These recurring subsidies compete annually in the budget and are too often treated as discretionary rather than essential infrastructure. Additionally, fragmented coordination between housing, health, and human services agencies makes long-term service funding less predictable. If we are serious about equity, we must fully fund and expand LRSP, create predictable multi-year operating commitments, and align capital and service funding from the outset.

Affordable housing is not a luxury, it’s a human right. DC families are facing record rents, unsafe living conditions, and a system that too often puts profit over people. Public housing has been left vacant or unlivable, tenant protections are being weakened, and long-standing Black communities are being pushed out. As your Council At-Large member, I’m fighting for a DC where housing is safe, stable, and truly affordable, where tenants are protected, public housing is restored, and residents can remain in the communities they helped build. This is the fight for the DC you deserve. And I’m ready to lead it. #FightForDC #AffordableHousing #HousingIsAHumanRight #OyeForCouncil #PeopleOverProfit

Housing is a human right and DC residents deserve safe, stable homes they can afford. Families should be able to remain in their neighborhoods when buildings are sold, not pushed out by displacement driven by speculation and rising costs. Seniors and long-time residents deserve the ability to age in place with dignity, supported by strong tools like the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), property tax relief, and housing assistance that reflects real costs.

I see GGWash’s constituency as deeply engaged, solutions-oriented residents who care about how land use, housing, and transportation policy actually shape daily life in the District. Your readers want data, policy, and implementation. They understand that zoning, transit design, and public land decisions are not abstract debates; they determine who gets to live here and who gets pushed out. That aligns closely with the coalition we are building. We have earned the endorsement of LiUNA, Unite Here! Local 25, and the Working Families Party because we share a commitment to equitable growth, strong labor standards, and housing that serves working families. Many of GGWash’s readers are union members, policy advocates, planners, or organizers who care about how to move from ideas to outcomes. That is my kind of constituency. GGWash readers understand that transportation is housing policy, that parking reform matters, that public land is finite, and that bad land-use decisions today will shape the District for generations. We have already seen large swaths of District land transferred under models that did not prioritize deep affordability or long-term community benefit. We cannot afford to repeat that mistake. Your constituency matters to me because it pushes beyond surface-level politics. It asks hard questions about feasibility, trade-offs, and implementation. It holds leaders accountable to evidence and best practices. I hope to partner with GGWash readers to set and implement a vision for equitable, sustainable, and affordable development in the District. We need people who are willing to engage in the details, challenge assumptions, and help build durable coalitions for change.

DC residents are facing record rents, unsafe living conditions, and long-standing public housing left vacant or distressed while corporate landlords and developers profit. The DC Housing Authority has allowed units to remain unlivable for years, failed to move people into safe housing, and repeatedly ignored disability rights.

As a former Ward 8 ANC Commissioner, I saw firsthand how development decisions are made, where projects move quickly, where they stall, and whose voices carry weight. For too long, some neighborhoods have absorbed the bulk of new housing and large-scale development, while others, particularly high-income, low-density neighborhoods west of the park, have added little new housing and maintained restrictive land-use patterns. That imbalance is not accidental. It reflects historic segregation and land-use policies that continue to shape who gets access to opportunity. We must build more housing east of the river, west of the park, along major corridors, near transit, and in low-density neighborhoods that have historically resisted new homes. Public land must prioritize housing over speculative or one-off uses, and every neighborhood must contribute to meeting our housing goals. Housing policy should not be about concentrating growth where land is politically easiest, it should be about shared responsibility and equitable access to opportunity.

Families deserve affordable veterinary care, pet-inclusive housing, protection from excessive pet fees, and strong humane law enforcement.

The greatest obstacle to producing housing for residents above 80 percent MFI is constrained land-use capacity. While financing, labor, and material costs fluctuate beyond the District’s control, what the District does control is what can be built and where. When zoning restricts apartments, limits density, or concentrates by-right development in only a handful of neighborhoods, supply cannot respond to demand. As a result, new construction is pushed into a small number of areas, while low-density, high-opportunity neighborhoods remain largely unchanged. This pattern contributes directly to displacement and price pressure across the District. If we want housing for households above 80 percent MFI to be built without heavy subsidy, we must legalize more housing types across all neighborhoods, allow greater density where appropriate, and streamline approvals so projects can proceed predictably. Housing production at this income level stabilizes the broader market. When moderate- and middle-income residents cannot find new housing, they compete for older, more affordable units, increasing displacement pressure on lower-income households.

Companion animals face their own barriers. Veterinary care is increasingly expensive. Excessive pet fees and restrictive housing policies force families into impossible choices. Humane law enforcement responds to cruelty cases, but prevention and coordination across agencies remain weak.

As a former Ward 8 ANC Commissioner and DC’s Shadow Representative, I have seen how discretionary processes can reduce housing supply in ways that are inconsistent with the District’s adopted Comprehensive Plan. When projects that comply with zoning and planning goals are scaled back through subjective interpretation, fewer homes are built and costs increase. As Councilmember, I will evaluate appointments to the Zoning Commission and the Historic Preservation Review Board based on a clear standard: respect for the Comprehensive Plan, commitment to equitable housing production, and an understanding that preservation and design review must not function as de facto veto points for needed housing. We need board members with professional expertise, labor and community representation, and lived experience from across the District, including historically underrepresented neighborhoods. Diverse representation should strengthen decision-making, not stall it. I also support clearer guardrails to limit discretionary downzoning, require written findings when units are reduced, and ensure alignment between planning goals and board decisions. Broad stakeholder coalitions, including housing advocates, labor, and community voices, can help ensure that decisions reflect districtwide human needs.

As a former Ward 8 ANC Commissioner, I saw firsthand how our housing definitions often fail real families. We would build senior housing without recognizing that many grandparents are the primary caregivers for grandchildren, or that returning citizens often move back in with family. Subsidy rules and program definitions frequently treat housing as serving an individual, not the extended family or community network that actually lives there. To me, family-sized housing means enough space for people to live with dignity, room for children to sleep, for multigenerational households to function, and for families to stay healthy. COVID made clear how overcrowded units increase illness and stress. Family-sized housing is not about limiting density to single-family homes. It means ensuring that new multifamily buildings include two- and three-bedroom units at a range of income levels so families of all types can remain in the District. If we want strong schools and stable neighborhoods, we must build homes that work for real family structures.

This is not @DCHA, it is privately managed by Faria and the tenants told me Dante's Partners. These groups benefit from our Housing Production Trust Fund, LIHTC tax credits through @DCHFA, and other taxpayer subsidies. We can't do biz with them if they keep properties like this.

When I went on a tour like this in my first term in office at a public housing community, it gave me the idea to use unused project based voucher $$ to create a maintenance and repair fund for public housing. Check the budget, but now we spend a fair amount of money on it.

Tough day. We met w/ tenants in Ward 8's Cascade Park complex Sunday a.m. We saw exposed wiring, unsecured doors, bullet-ridden/cracked windows, blaring fire alarms, evidence of rodents and mold. We've got a lot of work to do to make DC better for all. I’m ready! #ElissaforDC

Looks like my questions & those of then DC Housing Authority Commish Bill Slover were warranted….

But Dem city leaders need to deal w youth crime, homelessness & housing affordability. These tough problems need football stadium effort

NEW: Petra will pay $700,000 and overhaul its practices after we sued it for exploiting housing voucher programs in DC. We are dismantling Petra's illegal scheme to evade rent control laws, hike rents, and keep out tenants without vouchers. Fair housing is a promise we enforce.

JUST IN: A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the Razjooyans for appalling housing conditions. The Court ordered urgent repairs across multiple buildings. This is a critical step to protect at-risk tenants and rein in the Razjooyans' severe neglect and fraud.

This is the second and third settlement we secured in our lawsuit against RealPage and the corporate landlords that colluded to hike DC rents. We will keep fighting to hold every remaining defendant accountable and restore fairness and competition to DC’s housing market.

DC, we have some hot days ahead! ☀️🌡️ If you're a renter, and your AC is broken or your water is being disconnected — we are here to help. Please call our Consumer and Tenant Response team at 202-442-9828, and we will prioritize getting the cool air or cool water flowing again.

NEW: We are suing a DC landlord for charging illegal junk fees and hiding the true cost of rent. Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA) advertised deceptively low rents, then charged hundreds of tenants illegal and undisclosed fees. The rent you see should be the rent you pay.

NEW: We are filing an unprecedented civil RICO lawsuit to dismantle a fraudulent slumlord empire in DC. The Razjooyans spun a web of brazen fraud and severe housing neglect that exploits tenants, lenders, and the District — and worsens DC's housing crisis. We will shut it down.

As OAG, we focus on the apartment buildings with the most severe housing violations. Our new bill with @CMRobertWhiteDC will protect tenants in these dangerous conditions. The STRONG Homes Act will allow DC to act faster and more effectively to ensure critical repairs are made.

NEW: A DC landlord will pay $10,000, train staff, and overhaul policies that discriminated against housing voucher holders. Portico unlawfully set higher income requirements for potential tenants with housing subsidies. No one should face discrimination when looking for a home.

NEW: We secured settlements with two more DC landlords involved in RealPage's rent-fixing scheme. JBG Smith will pay $8.1 million and MAA will pay $1.2 million to impacted residents and the District. They will also be banned from using anticompetitive software to inflate rents.

Since 2023, our Consumer and Tenant Response unit has addressed more than 12,000 complaints from DC residents and recovered nearly $4 million for consumers and tenants. DC, we are here for you:

DC, no one should be without heat! ❄️❄️ If you're a renter and your heat is out, submit a maintenance request and call our free Consumer Protection hotline at 202-442-9828. We can also help if your utilities are disconnected, and the utilities are the landlord’s responsibility.

DC — chilly season is setting in! 🌡️🌬️🧣 If you’re a renter, the heat in your home is out, and your landlord is unresponsive, please call our Consumer Protection team for help: 202-442-9828 We also assist with water disconnections and other utility outages, so give us a call!

NEW: We're suing a landlord in Ward 4 for dangerous and illegal housing conditions. For years, tenants have been tormented by long heating outages, rodents and pests, fire hazards, and widespread disrepair. The landlord also retaliated against tenants who advocated for repairs.

NEW: We are suing Red Oak Capital Holdings for discrimination. Red Oak bankrolls developers like the Razjooyans to buy buildings for the explicit purpose of renting exclusively to voucher holders. The scheme is illegal, discriminatory, and wipes out affordable housing in DC.

The rezoning would triple the allowable onsite density directly next to a Metro station. The nonprofit developer intends to develop the site in the future with more than 200 all-affordable housing units, and 30% of the units would be three-bedroom apartments that can support families.

This court win affirms that DC can — through a fair public process — make the zoning changes necessary to build more homes, expand our housing supply, and drive down costs for everyone.

NEW: We defeated a lawsuit seeking to block new housing on upper Connecticut Avenue NW. The lawsuit challenged zoning changes to allow multifamily housing in the neighborhood with the fewest affordable units. We’re fighting for more homes to drive down costs for everyone in DC.

NEW: We secured improvements to housing conditions at two Ward 7 apartment complexes. After an OAG investigation, the owners and managers of Benning Courts and Azeeze Bates Apartments are making repairs and improving maintenance. All DC residents deserve safe and healthy homes.

If you experience or witness housing discrimination in DC, please contact our office: 📱202-727-3400 📧 [email protected] Our Civil Rights & Elder Justice Section has your back.

To date, much of our housing enforcement work has gone after bad actors one property at a time. This case is different. Instead, we’re targeting the very foundation of the Razjooyans' vast operation — a web of fraud and deception wreaking havoc on DC's affordable housing stock.

JUST IN: The Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order requiring urgent repairs at Delta Pearl. It orders defendants to: — Fix the AC system — Repair both elevators — Clear trash and debris — Remove graffiti — Address rodents and pests — Repair broken locks and enhance security

NEW: A developer will pay $400,000 to fix unsafe construction at a Ward 4 condo building. The construction was so faulty it left the building swaying in the wind — endangering residents and damaging their homes. After years of advocacy, residents will get badly needed repairs.

The Federal Marshalls removed 400 prisoners from the DC Jail because conditions were inhumane. If DC got statehood, the practices wouldn't get the the additional inspections. Congressional oversight is why DC had the emergency funds to continue to pay people during the COVID-10 lockdowns. DC's Housing Authority has been handled millions and has delivered very little.

Exclusionary zoning, regulatory obstacles to new housing or apartment construction, and techniques of price exclusion are the result of people fearing unknown neighbors. That is because crime is a realistic concern when poorer people move in. Young people tend not to have much money but criminals and crazy people also don't have much money. The solution to making it more affordable to young people is to make it harder for criminals to operate long-term. When people don't fear poor neighbors, they won't try to block the housing that young people need and would be more willing to hire.