Testifying Resources
- Talking Points
- Need Testimony Preparing Assistance? Click Here!
- Rent Stabilization Program reform and Expansion Amendment Act of 2020 Training
Thanks for your advocacy to push forward our Omnibus bill. We look forward to seeing you testify.
Our Omnibus bill (Rent Stabilization Program Reform and Expansion Amendment Act of 2020) has a hearing on Nov. 9
Now, That Is How You Reclaim Rent Control!
Have you heard the good news? Yes, it’s true! Councilmember Bonds is holding a hearing on our Omnibus bill (Rent Stabilization Program Reform and Expansion Amendment Act of 2020). The hearing will take place virtually on November 9th, 2020 at 9am. Individuals who wish to testify must register with the DC Council (details below).
It’s time for us to reclaim rent control and lift our voices in solidarity. We need the council’s full vote on our Omnibus bill this year. After a year of fighting for comprehensive rent control reform to expand and strengthen rent control, we are at the front line of the battle. In the famous words of Babe Ruth, “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.” Thanks for the unique skills and experiences that each one of you has to offer our campaign.
Get Ready for the November 9th Hearing
Our goal is to have 200 people testify at the Housing Committee hearing. Here’s what you can do to get ready and show our power
- Register to testify with the DC Council today!-How To Register
- Registering to testify with the DC Council- Email Template
- Let us know you are planning to testify–Click Here
- We are seeking volunteers to help spread the word-Sign-up to Volunteer
- Send this email to your friends and ask them to testify
Commissioner Salim Adofo-ANC 8C07
“Many of the residents that I talk to are experiencing difficult times and at a loss … We are looking for solutions that are long term.”
Committee on Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization Hearing- DC Rent Control Reforms
Hearing Recap
On September 24, 2020 Councilmember Bonds held a hearing to discuss her proposed rent control reforms. Only two of the reforms reflected Reclaim Rent Control’s demands. Over 100 DC residents come out to tell Bonds these reforms are not enough and do not speak to all the needs of DC tenants. Residents urged her to adopt the full Reclaim Rent Control Platform.
The hearing began shortly after 12:00 pm, with government witness testimony until 2:00 pm, forcing tenants to wait. Although the hearing was scheduled to end at 6:00 pm, the public witness testimony continued until 9:00 pm. Despite the waits and confusion, a diverse group of tenants and allies came together to voice the need for comprehensive rent control reform. Thanks to everyone who testified!
And there’s more! Thanks to your advocacy, Bonds announced a hearing for our Omnibus legislation (Rent Stabilization Program Reform and Expansion Amendment Act of 2020) on November 9, 2020 at 9am. Our demands for comprehensive rent control reform to expand and strengthen rent control did not go unheard. We must continue to prepare and fight to win the full vote of the council.
THANK YOU, BRIANNE NADEAU!
The Ward 1 Councilmember pledged to introduce our omnibus bill
On February 29, at a rally at 3435 Holmead Place NW, Councilmember Brianne Nadeau vowed to introduce our omnibus bill to strengthen and expand rent control. We are so excited about this promise and are eager to push the rest of the Council to take a strong line against the failing status quo.
“It’s been obvious to me from the beginning that we need to fix rent control,” Nadeau said in an interview at the event. “I’m really pleased that the rent control coalition has put forth a comprehensive idea of what needs to be done, so I decided to support that.”
SIGN THE PETITION
And tell the DC Council we want stronger rent control, now.
The Reclaim Rent Control campaign is calling for the DC Council to use the upcoming reauthorization of the rent control laws as an opportunity to expand and strengthen rent control in order to protect the affordable housing we already have as well as drastically increase the number of units protected by rent control. We can’t afford to pass the same old bill again—we need new legislation, now.
Help us win better, faster, stronger rent control in 2020!
Winning campaigns need to pay organizers, hold events, and engage the public. all donations are tax deductible.
THANK YOU FOR TESTIFYING!
before the DC Council on Wednesday 11/13/19
Over 100 tenants, advocates, organizers, legal services providers, and everyday Washingtonians testified not just for extending rent control—but for strengthening and expanding it under our platform. Our platform is not a menu of options for the Council to choose from, it is an ecosystem: we need ALL of them.
A CITY IN CRISIS
The Reclaim Rent Control campaign is calling for the DC Council to use the upcoming reauthorization of our rent control laws as an opportunity to strengthen rent control. We must protect the affordable housing we already have and drastically increase the number of tenants protected by rent control—two things the current law doesn’t do nearly well enough.
You’ve heard it a million times: DC is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. As of September 2019, Washington, DC was the 6th most expensive city to be a renter in the U.S. There are over 40,000 people on the wait list for subsidized housing and over 6,000 people are sleeping on DC streets or in shelters each night. Almost half of DC residents pay more than 30% of their income in rent, and one in five spend more than 50% of their income on rent.
With every rent increase, DC residents are forced to move further and further away from their communities, families, schools, hospitals, public transportation, and other vital resources. Low-income residents—often people of color, seniors, people with disabilities, and immigrants— are the most affected by skyrocketing rents and uninhabitable conditions. When rents increase and people are forced out of their homes, communities fall apart and everyone suffers.
It’s been clear for a long time now that our nation’s capital is in the middle of a housing emergency. We can’t afford to maintain the status quo any longer. It’s time for action.
THE IMMEDIATE SOLUTION?
STRONGER RENT CONTROL.
expand rent control to protect more tenants
close loopholes in the existing law TO STOP THE LOSS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING
keep rent-controlled housing affordable for current tenants
20,000
black residents
pushed out of DC in the past 20 years
38%
units
removed from rent control since 1975
$1500
avg rent increase
under current “voluntary” agreements
pushed out of DC in the past 20 years
removed from rent control since 1975
under current “voluntary” agreements
DC RENT CONTROL 101
Rent control (or “rent stabilization”) is not a fixed ceiling, but it puts a limit on how much rent can go up each year. In DC, rent control is tied to the unit, not the tenant. Under rent control, a landlord can only raise the rent once a year, and the rent can only increase 2% plus the inflation rate. This year the inflation rate is 2.3%, so most tenants living in rent-controlled apartments should see an increase no greater than 4.3%. Seniors and people with disabilities can apply for an exemption that qualifies them for a lesser increase—this year that increase is 2.3%.
Generally, apartments in buildings built before 1976 and which meet one of the following criteria are protected by rent control in DC:
The building has 5 or more apartments
The landlord is a natural person (i.e. not a corporation) who rents out 5 or more apartments
The building is owned by a corporation (e.g. an LLC)
There are some exceptions to these rules. If you have questions about whether or not your unit is covered by rent control, please see our FAQ page to find contact information for local tenant organizers.