Enforce Housing Laws and Strengthen Tenant Rights
We call on the Mayor of Washington, DC to hold DC Government agencies accountable in prosecuting housing code violations cited by the DCRA (Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs), and the DC Department of the Environment.
We also call on the Mayor to strengthen the D.C. Tenants Right to Organize Act to include strict enforcement provisions. The act protects tenants from intimidation and harassment by landlords. Currently there are no enforcement provisions in the act, and landlords regularly violate the act with no regard to tenants rights to meet for the purposes of mutual aid and protection.
I support the Norwood (1417 N Street NW) tenants in the fight to save their homes. Mayor Fenty you can help tenants across the city by doing the following:
1. Allocate more resources to the DCRA (Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs), and the DC Department of the Environment to inspect deteriorating buildings and mandate enforcement of code violations so that landlords aren't allowed to force tenants out (a practice documented in the recent Washington Post article:
The Profit in Decay, 3-9-08)
2. Strengthen the 2006
Tenants Right to Organize Act by April 15, 2008 before the DC Council adjures. We call on you to include strict enforcement provisions so that landlords cannot infringe on tenants' rights.
Thank you for your commitment to help working families in the District to save their affordable housing.
