Money talks and increasingly renters are forced to walk, and are being forced out of the nations’ capitol city. The only winners are Donald Trump and the top 1%. The latest attack on affordible housing in DC will be voted on in the City Council on Tuesday, March 6. Bill 22-315 will exempt one and some two unit apartments and condos from TOPA — the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. The bill upsets the balance of rights and responsibilities in favor of landlords. It is the top priority of the DC Association of Realtors and it could have been written by the Trump organization. Essentially it removes protections for DC renters (in single family homes and many 2 unit buildings) when thier landlord wants to kick them out and sell or convert the building.
The realtors have perfected the art of pay to play politics, influencing so-called “progressives” who now constitute a majority of the Council. As usual, poorly organized, low-income renters have to play catch-up. We can’t afford professional lobbyists.
The average rent for a one bedroom aprtment in DC is now well over $2,000 per month. Rents in one new Ward 6 development average $6,700 per month for a 2 bedroom apartment. The Council has also taken no action about the easy eviction loophole under which tenants can be evicted even if they aren’t late with rent or any other just cause. All the landlord needs to do is claim that he/she wants the unit for “personal” use and there is no limit to the number of apartments they can take over. There are no protections for long term renters. Nobody polices or regulates the process. Displaced tenants can only sue landlords and wait years after they are evicted without cause Latinos are especially targeted
The DC Council is very good at passing out subsidies and tax breaks to developers who set aside small amounts of “affordable” housing units. However, they are very bad at actually preserving affordable housing units that people have lived in for years. Bill 22-315 has no “carve out” for long term tenants. DC has a promising new generation of progressives on the Council including Charles Allen, Robert White, Brianne Nadeau, Mary Cheh, David Grosso, Elissa Silverman, Kenyon McDuffie, Brandon Todd and TreyKenon White, Sr., as well as longtime liberals like Anita Bonds, Vincent Gray and Council Chair Phil Mendleson. Bill 22-315 is a litmus test to determine if anyone will speak up for renters or if they will just shut up and take the money from the realtors.
If you are a renter in DC or just someone who cares about the furure of the city, please contact the Council. Do some research on Bill 22-315, the only home you save may be your own. This is a stealth attack on renters — no affected tenant testified on the little publicized public hearing on the bill. So far, DC Councilmembers have only heard from realtors, lawyers and landlords. They need to further study this bill and consider other stakeholders. The vote on March 6 may well determine if “pay to play” becomes enshrined in DC. In any case, low income folks, renters and tenants are being forced out. Will the DC Council go along?
Organizations opposing Bill 22-315 include:
D.C. Tenants’ Rights Center
D.C. Tenants’ Advocacy Coalition (TENAC)
Housing Counseling Services
Latino Economic Development Center
Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
Legal Counsel for the Elderly
Contact info for DC Council:
Phil Mendelson* // Chair // 202-724-8032 // pmendelson@dccouncil.us
Brianne Nadeau* // Ward 1 // 202-724-8181 // bnadeau@dccouncil.us
Jack Evans // Ward 2 // 202-724-8058 // jevans@dccouncil.us
* up for reelection this year.