Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the issuance of Mayor’s Order 2020-129 to establish the “Saving DC’s Rental Housing Market Strike Force,” a new advisory group that will examine the District’s preparedness to anticipate changes to the city’s affordable and market-rate rental housing market.
“The pandemic has had lasting effects on our rental housing market, and it is critical we understand these changes and their impacts on our District renters, particularly our low-income renters who rely on affordable housing options. As we continue our recovery, we will prioritize programs and strategies that support the housing needs of residents.”
The Strike Force, which is holding its kickoff today, January 29, will serve as an advisory group to address actions by or with the District government to address the current challenges and the post-pandemic future of DC’s rental housing market- affordable, market-rate, and naturally occurring affordable units. The Strike Force’s work will culminate in the issuance of a report of recommendations by mid-March. Interested residents and stakeholders can follow the work of the Strike Force on the DHCD website.
The Strike Force, chaired by Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Director Polly Donaldson, and administered by the agency, will be comprised of Members of the District of Columbia Council and District Government agencies. Additional members will serve on the strike force and were selected from housing and economic development membership organizations, housing providers and tenants, housing counseling organizations, financial services industries, housing policy research organizations, and philanthropy.
The Strike Force announcement compliments the work of the District’s Economic Recovery Team (DERT) to proactively plan, strategize, and coordinate the economic recovery from the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Further, it follows efforts already underway to support rental housing with programs to provide rent assistance to both tenants and housing providers as well as protections to prevent evictions.
In 2015, Mayor Bowser created the DC Housing Preservation Strike Force to create an action plan to preserve the District’s affordable housing covenants that were set to expire in 2020. In November 2016, the 18-member team released a 28-page report that included six key recommendations to preserve affordable housing in the District; all of which were adopted and are being implemented. During the public health emergency, the District launched and enhanced several programs to support renters. These programs include, the COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program (CHAP), the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program (TBRA) and the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP); funded with a combination of both federal and local resources, before and after the pandemic began. For more information on these programs, visit coronavirus.dc.gov/rent.
Members of the Council of the District of Columbia
Housing and Economic Development Membership Organization Representatives
Housing Policy Research Organizations Representatives
Housing Provider Representatives
Housing Counseling Organization, Tenant Advocates, and Tenant Representatives
Financial Services Industry Representative
Philanthropy Representative
Administration Representatives
and join the fight for a District where all residents can live in thriving communities that are racially, economically and socially just!
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