Tenants, DC Officials to Chart Future Steps Toward Preserving Affordable Housing at 3rd Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2010

Contact: Farah Fosse, Affordable Housing Program Director
Ash Kosiewicz, Communications Manager
(202) 590-4369; (202) 425-1303
ffosse@ledcmetro.org; akosiewicz@ledcmetro.org

Celebrating newly acquired right to sue irresponsible landlords in court and nascent proactive housing code inspections program, tenants will demand clear accountability plan from key agency heads, councilmembers

WASHINGTON – The Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), community groups, and tenant associations are sponsoring the 3rd Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall to hold public officials accountable regarding their pledge to preserve affordable housing in the District of Columbia. In April, after a two-year campaign, tenants secured the right to sue landlords in Superior Court for refusing to fix housing code violations. Also, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) created a proactive housing code inspections program to improve housing conditions and prevent tenant displacement. Tenants working with LEDC’s Affordable Housing Preservation Program will make specific requests of officials in attendance, including the commitment of the DC Council to oversee and review DCRA’s inspections work and the Superior Court’s processing of tenant lawsuits against landlords; the creation of quarterly stakeholder meetings between tenants and DCRA on how to improve the inspections program; and a commitment to adequate funding for affordable housing, in particular the Housing Production Trust Fund to help tenants purchase buildings under DC’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act.

WHAT: 3rd Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall
WHERE: First Trinity Church, 309 E St NW, Washington, DC 20001
WHEN: Saturday, July 31st, 2010; 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM
WHO (confirmed): Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham; Department of Housing and Community Development Director Leila Edmonds; Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Director Linda Argo; Office of the Tenant Advocate Director Johanna Shreve; Housing Authority Interim Director Adrianne Todman; Office of Human Rights Director Gustavo Velasquez; Housing Finance Agency Associate Executive Director Allison Ladd; staff from office of At-Large Councilmember Michael Brown; DC Superior Court Associate Judge Melvin Wright;  Department of Health representative Gerard Brown; LEDC; ONE DC; Empower DC; Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless; Legal Aid Society of DC; Bread for the City; Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center; AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly; and more. ****Pending invitations to other councilmembers****

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