Ward 5 Weekly Newsletter
April 7, 2023

If you had the power to prevent thousands of District residents from eviction and displacement, what would you do? 

Let me tell you what happened over the last few weeks as I sought to cap rent increases on the District's nearly 90,000 rent-controlled properties. 

In early March, letters went out to renters in rent-controlled properties saying that they could see rent hikes as high as 8.9% starting May 1—the highest increase in 40 years. My team went to work drafting emergency legislation that would cap rent increases at 5%. But there's one catch: the Council's rules state that emergency legislation can't have a cost. When we contacted the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to see if the legislation would have a fiscal impact, and if so, would they absorb it, we learned that they were unwilling to make the adjustments needed to allow the emergency legislation through. 

DHCD's refusal to work with the Council on this to prevent catastrophic rent increases is a choice. It's also a choice to cut the ERAP (Emergency Rental Assistance Program) funding and legal support for tenants. All together, this is a recipe for mass displacement. My team and I are continuing to work to exhaust every opportunity we have before May 1. If you agree with me, call the Mayor's office at 202-724-2643, asking her to join the Council in taking action to prevent these catastrophic rent increases on rent-controlled properties.

As you read on, you'll find a recap of a busy week of meetings and budget oversight hearings in the Week in Review section, an exciting announcement about curbside composting, highlights from Tuesday's Legislative Meeting on the Council, and several scholarship opportunities and upcoming hiring fairs. Have feedback for us? Reply to this email! We'd love to hear from you.

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and DC Department of General Services (DGS) would like to update the community that Noyes Playground will close Monday, April 10 due to surfacing repairs. The park will remain closed, and we will update the community once repairs are done. Thank you for your understanding and patience during this closure.

This week, my team attended the Bates Area Civic Association, Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association, Stronghold Civic Association, Woodridge Citizens Association, and Browne Education Campus Modernization meetings. Here's a brief recap: 

• Bates Area Civic Association (April 3 at 7:00 p.m.): We heard about the upcoming Flower Power neighborhood cleanup on May 20 and the need for volunteers. The Association is looking for more board members. We also heard from MPD on the focus around a daycare and tobacco store next door to each other. Commissioner Lewis shared about her SMD meeting on April 11 at 7:00 p.m. and rat abatement initiatives from DOH, and updates on Uncaged Mimosa’s ABRA license. My office discussed the issue of trauma-informed violence reduction and constructive consequences for kids who get in trouble. 
   
• Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (April 3 at 7:00 p.m.): I joined residents to share updates on Ward 5 wins in the Mayor’s Proposed FY 24 Budget. I also highlighted the Ward 5 Public Safety Plan.
   
• Stronghold Civic Association (April 3 at 7:00 p.m.): Cleanup day will be May 6 from 8:00 a.m. to Noon, flyer forthcoming. I shared the Ward 5 Public Safety Plan, updates on School Safety legislation, and the budget process. We discussed the ongoing process for holding the developers of McMillan accountable for damage to surrounding homes and how to file claims, and Sam Bonar (Constituent Services Coordinator) will be distributing the surveys that failed to be distributed last year to houses that got pre-construction surveys done. 
   
• Woodridge Citizens Association (April 4 at 7:00 p.m.): My office shared information regarding the Ward 5 Public Safety Plan along with highlighting Ward 5 budget wins in the Mayor's FY24 Proposed Budget. We highlighted the extended hours at Recreation Centers and the announcement of the beginning of renovations of the Langdon Park Community Center. 
   
• Browne SIT - Concept Presentation (April 6 at 4:30 p.m.): The design team gave a layout of proposed design options for the Browne Modernization project. The design team explained existing conditions and the new renovation options. This session was the first of a feedback driven approach where the team presented options for the community to evaluate and to later engage on with questions and suggestions in the next meeting. The next meeting for engagement will be Tuesday April 11 at 4:30 p.m. 

Read below for this week's upcoming ANC and Civic Association Meetings (review this ANC Locator Map to see which meetings apply to you and email us if you'd like more information on how to attend):

• Monday, April 10—
  • 7:00 p.m.
    • ANC 5D
    • Eckington Civic Association
• Tuesday, April 11—
  • 7:00 p.m.
    • Arboretum Neighborhood Association
• Wednesday, April 12—
  • 6:30 p.m.
    • North Woodridge Citizens Association

• 5A & 5C: Carlos McKnight, cmcknight@dccouncil.gov
• 5B & 5D: Oliver Stoute, ostoute@dccouncil.gov
• 5E & 5F: Sam Bonar, sbonar@dccouncil.gov

"I reached out to your office needing help, and Constituent Services Coordinator Oliver Stoute is doing a great job assisting me with my issue!"
- Ward 5 resident

On Tuesday, April 4, the Council held a Committee of the Whole and  Legislative Meeting. You can watch this quick 2 minute video where Councilmember Parker gives a recap of some of the happenings. A few highlights from the Legislative Meeting are: 

• The Council had their second and final vote approving the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act of 2023.
• The Council voted in favor of the Migrant Services Eligibility Emergency Amendment Act of 2023.
• Councilmember R. White withdrew a bill to cap rent increases (Councilmember Parker had previously withdrawn his bill prior to the meeting).
• The Council voted in favor of allowing grant-making for the African American Civil War Museum and Ben's Chili Bowl.
• The Council voted in favor of many contracts for DC Housing Authority, and on one for DC Central Kitchen (because of lack of payment from DCPS). Notably, DCPS continues to, technically illegally, retroactively ask the Council for approval on contracts. The Chairman plans to convene a hearing on this soon.

In the case of the rent control cap emergency bill, Council put in a request to find out how much it would cost. The agency told us that it would need additional resources to change the rent cap, and that they were unable, or more accurately unwilling to reallocate resources to effectuate this policy. The approved budget for DHCD for FY23 is $99.8 million, including approximately 84 staff. It is hard to believe they are unable to temporarily reassign a staff person to handle processing the paperwork in order to set this rent cap. If not implemented, nearly 90,000 rent-controlled units will suffer and be subjected to a 8.9% rent increase, further constraining housing affordability in our city. 

DC Council voting a bill into law is one of many steps in the legislative process. One of the major steps in a bill becoming law is knowing how much it costs and funding it. When a bill needs to be funded, that means it has a fiscal impact. After each bill has a hearing, the bill's fiscal impact statement (FIS) is attached to the Committee report, determining how much the city will have to spend to implement the legislation. It is broken down by years including the current fiscal year and the next 4 years and states costs for adding staff, IT, studies, creating or changing a program, benefits to DC residents, etc. It also calculates proposals to raise or reduce fees, fines, or taxes.

Since the 1980s, there has been a law in place for rent-controlled properties that do annual rent increases, that landlords cannot raise rent more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 2%. On May 1, 2023 rent-controlled housing rents are allowed to increase up to 8.9%. Councilmember Parker has been exploring ways to cap rent increases to 5% for all residents in rent-controlled buildings and drafted a bill for it. The CPI is produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and measures the change in prices over time for goods and services, and it tracks the rate of inflation. As we know, recent inflation has caused a lot of things to go up including groceries, rent, etc.  

Emergency legislation can be passed in a single Legislative Meeting instead of the normal two Legislative Meetings that are required for permanent legislation. For emergency legislation to pass, there can either be no fiscal impact, or, if there is a cost, it must be absorbed by the implementing agency/agencies. At this past Tuesday’s legislative meeting, Councilmember and Housing Committee Chair Robert White tried to introduce legislation to limit the upcoming rent increase to the CPI which is currently 6.04%, but it did not move because it was reported by the implementing agency that the emergency bill would have a cost that could not be absorbed.  

Celebrate National Poetry Month with DC Public Library! Residents ages 6 and up are invited to submit a haiku to the 2023 Haiku Contest from April 1 - 30.

Write a haiku about one of the following themes:
✎ a DC moment / observed in DC,
✎ something you're grateful for,
✎ seasons, or
✎ something small and wild.

Each participating library will select a winner in the following age categories, Children (6-12), Teen (13-19) and Adult (20+). Prize-winners will take home library swag and have their poem posted in the library and on the DC Public Library's website in May! There is a limit of two entries per person. Learn more about National Poetry Month at DC Public Libraries here.

The Bloomingdale Civic Association (BCA) is currently accepting applications for its 2023 Scholarship Award! Each spring, the BCA awards two scholarships in the amount of $1,500. Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to graduating high school seniors currently living in the Bloomingdale neighborhood, or who attend either Dunbar or McKinley Technology High Schools. Learn more and apply here. Applications are due by April 28.

If you meet the requirements listed above, then consider applying for this great scholarship opportunity! LRCA will award at least three (3) Academic Excellence Scholarships to eligible high school graduating seniors residing within the LRCA boundaries, who will attend an accredited* college or university. Scholarship awards will range from $500 to $1,000. Applications are due by May 5. Learn more and apply here.

*For a list of accredited colleges and universities, please visit ope.ed.gov.

This event is the Office of the People's Counsel's (OPC’s) second in a series of Community Conversations on Climate Change. The event will take place on Saturday, April 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Catholic University’s Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center. The target audience for “Our Planet, Our Future: An OPC Summit to Empower Youth & DC Communities,” will be Gen Z and millennials. However, DC residents of all ages are urged to attend. Learn more and register for the Youth Climate Summit here.

• Lawmakers Scramble to Limit Rent Hikes as Deadline Looms
• Bowser's Budget Games Allow Hikes at Rent-Controlled Apartments to Go Forward
• DC Has Been Giving Residents 'Mini-Grants' For Violence Prevention - Here's How They're Using Them
• DC's Housing Fund Falls Short of Requirement to Aid Lowest-Income Renters
• New Vending Machines to Provide Life Saving Products Like Naloxone
• Fixes Still Needed with OSSE Bus Delays
• Three Budget Fights Axios DC is Watching
• Here's Why You Might Be Seeing More Foxes in DC

• Ward 5 Public Safety Plan
• Councilmember Parker Asks Questions at DPW Budget Oversight Hearing 2023
• HELP Team Interest Form
• Behavioral Health and Violence Prevention Resources
• Notice of Intent: Traffic Signal Install at 3rd St and Rhode Island Ave NE

As always, we invite you to use this form to provide feedback on how we're doing. We'd love to hear from you anytime. 

Yours in service and community, 

Zachary

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