Tomorrow, the DC Council will vote on an emergency bill that will begin phasing in evictions again in DC. Since March of 2020, an eviction moratorium has been in place that is tied to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Mayor Bowser has told the DC Council that she does not intend to extend the Public Health Emergency past July 25. The bill before the Council has some good parts, and some parts that could stand to be improved.

In 2021, there are reasons for hope. It is time to envision and pursue a path forward. We reject setting our goal posts at “back to normal” because too many people were suffering prior to the pandemic, and we know that the death toll and harm of the pandemic could have been lessened if a well-threaded safety net had been in place.

With a significant infusion of federal dollars, a new understanding of the importance of housing as healthcare, and a commitment by DC Department of Human Services to undergo an analysis of the racial equity impact of its programs, now is the time to take these lessons to heart and make substantial changes to the status quo.

Here is a compilation of the information you need to provide your input to the DC Council on key government agencies, whether by submitting written testimony, participating in a virtual hearing, or leaving a voicemail with your thoughts.

As DC Council takes up the Comprehensive Plan, it has an opportunity to engage boldly and courageously with land use policy and planning to address the affordable housing and homelessness crises.

It’s the time of year for ghosts and goblins, but the most frightening thing for DC residents is the looming crisis of homelessness and displacement