Posts by Carolyn Gallaher — Contributor
-
Revoking El Salvador’s Temporary Protective Status is bad news for the region
Although some TPS holders will leave when their status is revoked on September 9, 2019, most will stay and go underground. That means trouble for their neighborhoods. Keep reading…
-
Passed in 2008, this affordable housing law has never been used. Now DC is finally getting ready for DOPA.
Here's our handy primer to help you understand the nuances of DOPA, or the District Opportunity to Purchase Act, and how it's different from TOPA, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. Keep reading…
-
Hundreds testify that DC needs to #fixTOPA, but does it need to be fixed? If so, how?
Debate is raging in DC over whether the city should alter the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). Does TOPA need to be fixed? Two GGWash contributors weigh in on the pros and cons of amending the law. Keep reading…
-
This region has one of the nation’s largest Salvadoran communities. A federal program puts that in jeopardy.
Immigrants from El Salvador are one of the DC area’s largest foreign-born populations. Many Salvadorans arrived here decades ago under a federal program that allowed them to flee a civil war and, later, two devastating earthquakes. But the program could soon end, which could have major impacts on our region’s neighborhoods. Keep reading…
-
Students from Belfast, Northern Ireland visited DC. Here’s what they thought.
It can be easy to focus on the problems like potholes, confusing parking signs, and bike lanes that end abruptly. It’s easy to forget about the little things that make your city loveable. I recently helped host a group of students from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and I really enjoyed seeing the District from their perspective. Keep reading…
-
What happens when people without cars move to places built for driving?
What happens when people without cars move to neighborhoods built for cars? In Langley Park in Prince George’s County, an increasing number of people want to walk to jobs and retail— even though doing so isn’t all that safe (yet). Keep reading…
-
DC’s TOPA law lets tenants buy their buildings before anyone else can, but it also helps renters stay put
DC has a law that lets tenants buy their building if their landlord wants to sell it. Under the law, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), tenants can work out a deal directly with their landlord, or more commonly, they can refuse a contracted sale the landlord arranges with a third party and purchase the building instead for the same price. Although TOPA is a right… Keep reading…
-
A new owner bought my apartment and wanted to tear it down. Here’s how I ended up owning the place.
In 2001 my landlord sold my apartment complex to the National Cathedral. It wanted to replace our apartments with a visitors’ center. I managed to stay put and buy my unit because of a DC law called the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). Keep reading…