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Joint Comment on President Trump’s “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” Executive Order
April 23, 2025 Honorable Muriel Bowser Mayor of the District of Columbia John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 Cc: D.C. Council RE: President Trump’s “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” Executive Order Dear Mayor Bowser, As organizations dedicated to justice, civil rights, housing security, and the autonomy of Washington, D.C., we strongly oppose President Trump’s executive order, which threatens the District’s Home Rule, public safety, immigrant communities, housing rights, and civil liberties. This order is a thinly veiled attempt to impose federal control over the District of Columbia, disregarding the will of its… Read more…
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Statement on D.C. Encampments: Destroying Communities Will Not Make D.C. Great
Hurting unhoused people with encampment clearings hurts our entire community and does nothing to end homelessness. Read more…
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| Advocacy
DC Council’s Proposed “Fix” Will Increase Rent Arrears and Evictions
We urge DC Council to vote no on the Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Emergency Act of 2024 to be voted on Tuesday, October 1. The bill is bad for tenants and landlords. If passed, it will increase evictions and housing insecurity and make it harder for tenants to pay, and landlords to collect, rent. The Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Emergency Act of 2024 does not: 1. Help tenants pay rent. 2. Help landlords pay their mortgages or operating costs. 3. Remedy, or even acknowledge, the rising cost of living in D.C.—most critically that rents have increased 10.7% since 2019. (Not… Read more…
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| Advocacy
Action Alert: Oppose Emergency Bill that Narrows Access to ERAP and Increases Evictions, Harming Both DC Tenants and Landlords
Chairman Mendelson circulated an emergency bill, to be voted on on Tuesday, October 1, that will do nothing to address the affordability crisis that both landlords and tenants are asking for assistance with. Instead, the bill will narrow eligibility for emergency rental assistance (ERAP), lengthen the amount of time it takes to process ERAP applications, and allow evictions to happen even when the landlord or the government agency is at fault for delays in ERAP payments. This bill will harm both landlords and tenants and increase evictions. Passing this bill on an emergency basis, with no hearing and no real… Read more…
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| AdvocacyOpen Letter to Mayor Bowser: Keep Families Housed Until They Transfer to Permanent Housing Programs
We are writing to ask you to halt the exits of families in rapid re-housing until the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA) can complete the housing voucher eligibility and lease-up process for the significant number of vouchers that are available now or by October 1. Read more…
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| AdvocacyRapid Rehousing: What Happened and What’s Next?
We want to take a moment to update you on what has happened with rapid re-housing over the last few months and what the families being terminated for reaching a time limit are facing in the next few months Read more…
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| AdvocacyThe FY25 Budget: Disappointments and Disinvestments
While there are a few noteworthy housing investments and D.C. Council made some progress in reducing the harm of the mayor’s original budget proposal, the final FY25 budget remains one of the most disappointing and regressive budgets for housing resources and housing justice in recent years. Read more…
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| Advocacy
There is a Better Way to Clear Encampments: Housing
The better—more humane and effective—way to respond to any concerns about encampments is to provide low barrier and accessible shelter and housing opportunities. Author: Joshua M. Drumming, Law Graduate, Policy and Advocacy Read more…
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| AdvocacyEnd the Cliff: We Must Prevent 2,200 Families from Losing Housing
Without significant investment in permanent housing resources and real reform to the broken rapid re-housing program, thousands of D.C. families will lose their housing support and likely face eviction or homelessness. Read more…
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| Advocacy2024 Funding and Reform Priorities
The Legal Clinic continues to advance advocacy that centers housing and racial justice for D.C. residents. Budget cuts and further underinvestment in human services cannot be D.C.’s response to increasing rates of homelessness, soaring housing instability, and plummeting housing affordability. Read more…
Category: Advocacy
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