Issue
Housing & Evictions
Median rent is $2,500. FY25 evictions hit a 7-year high. The eviction-notice window just shrank from 30 days to 10.
Quick takeWhat you need to know
What you need to know
- Median rent in April 2026 was $2,500 — about 28% above the national average.
- The RENTAL Act cut tenant eviction-notice from 30 days to 10, effective Jan 1, 2026.
- FY25 saw 1,933 completed evictions — a 7-year high.
DC's median rent in April 2026 was $2,500 — about 28% above the national average. FY25 saw 1,933 completed evictions, the highest since 2018. The RENTAL Act, signed by Mayor Bowser on Nov 13, 2025 and effective Jan 1, 2026, cut tenant eviction-notice from 30 to 10 days, exempted new multifamily buildings from TOPA for 15 years, and capped relocation assistance. Downtown office-to-residential conversions have produced 1,904 units since 2024 with 1,803 more under construction — but only roughly 10% of units in the launched projects are affordable. The Housing Choice Voucher waitlist remains closed; DCHA continues operating under a HUD-mandated three-year recovery plan.
What's at stake
Eviction notice slashed
RENTAL Act dropped tenant notice from 30 to 10 days. Combined with the FY25 eviction count, this is the steepest tilt toward landlords since the pandemic-era moratorium ended.
Downtown subsidies, but mostly market-rate
The Housing in Downtown program offers a 20-year tax abatement (capped at $2.5M/yr per project, 2024–26). Of 1,745 launched units, 1,569 are market-rate and only 176 are affordable.
DCHA still under federal recovery plan
After HUD's 2022 assessment, the DC Housing Authority is operating under a Three-Year Recovery Plan. HUD found ADA violations in March 2025 and ordered file-review verification by March 2, 2026.
PowerWho decides
Who decides
- DC Council Housing CommitteeAuthors RENTAL Act, IZ rules, TOPA reforms, and the FY budget for DCHD/DCHA. Chair: Robert White (D, At-Large).
- Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)Runs Inclusionary Zoning, the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), and Housing Production Trust Fund grants.
- DC Housing Authority (DCHA)Administers federal Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and the Local Rent Supplement Program. Currently under HUD-supervised recovery.
- DC Zoning CommissionApproves Comp Plan map amendments and IZ-relevant zoning text changes. The 'DC 2050' rewrite is in progress.
Who decides
- DC Council Housing CommitteeAuthors RENTAL Act, IZ rules, TOPA reforms, and the FY budget for DCHD/DCHA. Chair: Robert White (D, At-Large).
- Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)Runs Inclusionary Zoning, the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), and Housing Production Trust Fund grants.
- DC Housing Authority (DCHA)Administers federal Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and the Local Rent Supplement Program. Currently under HUD-supervised recovery.
- DC Zoning CommissionApproves Comp Plan map amendments and IZ-relevant zoning text changes. The 'DC 2050' rewrite is in progress.
Recent moves
- FY25 eviction crisis: 9,701 filings June 2025–Feb 2026 — highest rate since 2018, raising long-term housing affordability risksNew America ↗
- DCBOE rules rent-freeze Initiative 88 a proper subject matter; petition drive begins June 3More Affordable DC ↗
- FY26 eviction filings tracking near 7-year high through FebruaryNew America ↗
- RENTAL Act takes effect: eviction notice cut from 30 to 10 daysBallard Spahr ↗
- HUD orders DCHA to verify federal-housing file reviews by Mar 2, 2026DCHA compliance page ↗
- Mayor Bowser signs RENTAL Act after Council passage in SeptemberArnold & Porter ↗
- 2025 Point-in-Time count: DC homelessness down 9% to 5,138; family homelessness −18.1%DHS ↗
- HUD letter finds ADA violations at DCHAWashington Post ↗
- OTR reports TY2026 commercial property values fall sharply (~$464M projected loss)OTR / MyTaxDC ↗
AskQuestions to put to candidates
Questions to put to candidates
- Would you sign or veto a bill restoring the 30-day eviction notice?
- What share of HID-program units should be affordable, and how would you enforce it?
- When will the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist reopen, and at what funded size?
Questions to put to candidates
- Would you sign or veto a bill restoring the 30-day eviction notice?
- What share of HID-program units should be affordable, and how would you enforce it?
- When will the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist reopen, and at what funded size?