Hundreds of DC Renters Organize for Affordable Housing at 5th Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             
June 22, 2012                 

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

WHAT: 5th Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall
WHERE: National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW
WHEN: Saturday, June 23rd, 2012; 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
WHO (confirmed): Ward 1 Councilmember  Jim Graham; Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh; Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser; At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange; Renters from across the city (250 attendees expected); Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Director Nicholas Majett; DC Housing Authority Director Adrianne Todman; DC Housing Finance Agency Director Harry Sewell; Department of Housing and Community Development Deputy Director Jessica Franklin; Office of the Tenant Advocate Director Johanna Shreve; Office on Latino Affairs Director Roxana Olivas; Office on African Affairs Director Ngozi Nmezi; Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs; AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly; CARECEN; Mi Casa; Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center; ONE DC; Legal Aid DC; Bread for the City; CNHED Housing for All Campaign; Empower DC; Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless; We Are Family; Many Languages, One Voice; Ethiopian Community Center; Latino Economic Development Center.

WASHINGTON – In the wake of successful efforts to restore $18 million to the Housing Production Trust Fund in the FY13 budget and the release of new data showing a dramatic loss of low-cost rental units since 2000, the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) is organizing the 5th Annual Tenant Town Hall with more than 250 renters and community-based organizations from across the city.

Having identified affordable housing as the #1 issue of concern at DC Mayor Vincent Gray’s One City Summit in February, residents will follow-up with Council members and directors of DC housing agencies by presenting their housing priorities and solutions on a range of critical issues. These include the pressing need to help more tenants buy their apartment buildings using the District’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and public funds from the Trust Fund to prevent their displacement from communities undergoing significant revitalization.

“DC residents have been very clear – affordable housing is their #1 issue,” said Farah Fosse, director of LEDC’s Affordable Housing Preservation Program. “Renters across the city are organized and ready for the Gray Administration and Council members to stop the dramatic loss of affordable housing by making funding for key programs a continuing priority.”

 

Hundreds of DC Residents to Organize for Affordable Housing at 5th Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall

MEDIA ADVISORY            
June 20, 2012                  

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

250 renters expected to follow-up with Council members, housing directors on #1 issue from Mayor’s One City Summit and present solutions to keep the District affordable amid trends showing dramatic loss of low-cost rental units in previous decade

WHAT: 5th Annual Citywide Tenant Town Hall
WHERE: National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW
WHEN: Saturday, June 23rd, 2012; 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
WHO (confirmed): Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham; Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh; Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser; At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange; Renters from across the city (250 attendees expected); Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Director Nicholas Majett; DC Housing Authority Director Adrianne Todman; DC Housing Finance Agency Director Harry Sewell; Office on Latino Affairs Director Roxana Olivas; Office of the Tenant Advocate Director Johanna Shreve; Department of Housing and Community Development staff; Office on African Affairs; Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs; AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly; CARECEN; Mi Casa; Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center; ONE DC; Legal Aid DC; Bread for the City; CNHED Housing for All Campaign; Empower DC; Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless; We Are Family; Many Languages, One Voice; Ethiopian Community Center; LEDC. ***Invitations to all councilmembers***

WASHINGTON – In the wake of successful efforts to restore $18 million to the Housing Production Trust Fund in the FY13 budget and the release of new data showing the number of low-cost rental units in the city has fallen by half since 2000, the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) is organizing the 5th Annual Tenant Town Hall with renters and community-based organizations from across the city. Residents will present their housing priorities and solutions, including the pressing need to help more renters buy their apartment buildings to prevent their displacement from communities undergoing significant revitalization. Tenants will also champion language access rights for immigrants and their role in the preservation of decent, affordable housing; continued improvements to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ (DCRA) proactive housing code inspections program; and the creation of a new policy to ensure that publicly subsidized apartment buildings slated for foreclosure do not lose their subsidy. The event will also feature the screening of four short bilingual films on tenant rights. In its 5th year, the Tenant Town Hall has served as a dynamic forum through which tenants have secured major victories for DC renters, including the right to sue landlords in court for refusing to fix housing code violations and the creation of the proactive inspections program. The town hall takes place just four months after DC residents identified the lack of affordable housing as the #1 issue facing the District at Mayor Vincent Gray’s One City Summit.

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Working families deserve to live in affordable homes and own successful small businesses, but too many are unable to turn these dreams into a reality. The Latino Economic Development Center equips Latinos and other DC-area residents with the skills and financial tools to buy and stay in their homes, take control of the decisions affecting their apartment buildings, and start or expand small businesses. Learn more at http://www.ledcmetro.org.