DC landlords have lost more than $1 billion in unpaid rent due to emergency rules during the pandemic, which has caused tenants to ignore their monthly obligations over the past four years, telling city lawmakers before a critical vote.
Members of the small multifamily host association representing the city’s multifamily housing rental units Report That number was at a town hall rally Tuesday.
They warned DC Council The failure to back off emergency renters’ protections after the federal eviction moratorium ended in September 2021 has put them on the brink of collapse.
“The council doesn’t want to bother the tenant activists because the Council doesn’t want to disturb the tenant activists, so the protections that could have been temporarily kept in place,” Dean Hunter, CEO of the multifamily group and representative of the city’s affordable housing provider, told The Washington Times. “Now, landlords are trapped in the house for months or even years, with no rent, and the case crawls in court.”
City councillors plan to hold their last vote on the Lease Act on Wednesday. Democratic mayor Muriel Bowser introduced this in February as part of a push to evictions to speed up crime renters’ return to the pre-pandemic timeline.
Not yet clear whether Council This intention will be respected in the final version of the legislation it votes for.
DC Council General Democratic Chairman Phil Mendelson estimated in media on Tuesday briefing One in five rental units in the area are “economicly vacant,” meaning no tenants or tenants are not paying.
He promised to propose an amendment to the bill that would allow the court to “adjust” the amount these tenants owed in outstanding rents, making it easier for them to stay in the unit and start repayment.
“The rent will be paid to the court, so the landlord is not going to pay, but we avoid these debts,” Mendelson said. “And I think this atmosphere of economic vacancy is very important now.”
The Washington Times contacted the mayor’s office and city councillors to comment on the landlord’s report.
Council member Brooke Pinto, a 2-ward Democrat, called the $1 billion figure “a clear call to adjust our system” and said she plans to support the Lease Act for that reason.
“Housing is a basic need for our residents and when tenants don’t pay rent for months, it doesn’t allow housing providers to repair, pay employees and operate their units,” Ms. Pinto said in an email. “This is unfair to residents who pay rent and have the impact of housing providers, including affordable housing providers, which only adds to higher cost of living.”
In another statement, Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development, Nina Albert, called for Council Pass the bill without any changes.
“We urge DC Council “To make sure the area remains an attractive place for investment in affordable housing because it ensures that the area remains an attractive place,” Ms Albert said. “It is well known that the affordable housing community in the area is facing a crisis and is necessary to protect our existing affordable housing and renew our housing so we can build more housing in the future.”
According to Mr Hunter, under extended pandemic policy, evictions take 18 months to two years to complete.
He said Council His association’s concerns about the deceased have largely been ignored in the past five years.
“this Council Mr Hunter added that there was no empathy for the damage they were causing. This means fewer homes per DC resident and higher rents. ”
Some landlords working with the Bowser government have threatened to leave the city on affordable housing projects.
Business Journal reported in July that Corporate Community Development, a nonprofit in Maryland and one of the largest affordable housing providers in the city under the Bowser administration, announced plans to sell five DC real estate, totaling more than 1,000 units.
The nonprofit reported $7 million in 2024 due to unpaid rent, up from $1.3 million in 2021.
Affordable housing advocates have called for DC Council Modify or refuse the lease law. They say legislation allows tenants to resist evictions faster than wages when rents and living costs rise.
“Mayor Bowser said she wanted to “rebalance” and “simplify” affordable housing through a lease bill proposal,” Amanda Korber, supervisory attorney for Legal Aid DC, wrote in May analyze. “But, the bill did not solve the problem, but made things worse by taking away the important rights of renters and making it easier for landlords to kick people out of their homes.”
In another report Tuesday, headquartered in South Carolina Bluefield Realty Group It is estimated that tenants will need to earn at least $48.92 per hour to pay $2,544 per month for the average monthly rent for two-bedroom apartments in the area.
The calculation will give a family with a spouse a minimum wage of $17.95 per hour, or an average of two-bedroom apartments per month, even before other living expenses are calculated.
“This gap is unlikely to close anytime soon as supply restrictions, inflation and demand continue to push upwards in rents,” Bluefield spokesman Michael Smith said in a statement. “We expect these costs to continue to rise, which is even more critical for renters, policy makers and employers.”
