Posts tagged Landlords
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Breakfast links: DC Councilmember proposes bill to restrict business licenses of slumlords
DC Councilmember proposes bill to restrict new business licenses for landlords with dangerous housing code violations. One year post the Silver Line’s extension opening, ridership grows. Arlington County seeks more authority to install speed cameras. Keep reading…
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Virginians with criminal records are routinely denied housing. Advocates hope to change that.
In Virginia, non-violent petty offenses committed decades ago as well as more recently committed or violent crimes all increase the likelihood that someone will be denied housing and find themselves homeless. A handful of proposed reforms could change that status quo. Keep reading…
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Virginia bill would give localities more power to crack down on negligent landlords
A bill to expand localities’ power to go after slumlords could allow Virginia cities and counties to begin greater enforcement of dangerous and harmful living conditions. Keep reading…
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How a bill sealing some eviction records could help low-income DC residents
The DC Council passed a bill on March 1 that could mark the culmination of a three-year effort to boost tenant protections related to evictions. Keep reading…
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As the pandemic winds down, some tenants in Langley Park still struggle to stay in their homes
This past February I wrote about landlord disinvestment at Bedford and Victoria Station Apartments in Langley Park, Maryland. The complex’s tenants were then nearly a year into the pandemic and desperate for help—to pay back rent and hold their landlord accountable. Tenants are finally getting some rental relief, but their landlord still hasn’t fixed major housing code violations. So, tenants will fight to stay put and hold their landlord to account. Keep reading…
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How can DC fix its rental market post-pandemic? A strike force had some ideas.
A housing strike force released a report this month laying out its recommendations for helping DC’s rental housing market recover after more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Keep reading…
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Baltimore mayor vetoes “security deposit insurance” legislation, saying risks outweigh benefits
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott vetoed a controversial bill Monday afternoon that would have expanded the market for a “security deposit insurance” company tenant advocates have called “predatory.” Keep reading…
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How expanding vouchers could improve housing stability
With its recent discretionary funding request to Congress, the Biden administration is seeking to expand its housing voucher program. The proposal would add $5.4 billion to the program’s budget, bringing it to a total of $30.4 billion and creating vouchers for an additional 200,000 families, beyond the 2.3 million existing voucher holders. Keep reading…
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National links: Minnesota looks back at its 50 years of grocery activism
Minnesota’s grocery co-ops stem from and support local communities. Is infrastructure the best way to fight a coronavirus recession? The new executive director of Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department brings a global perspective to city-building, and more in this week’s National links. Keep reading…
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The DC Council will likely pass legislation to fight sharp price increases for tenants
On November 13, the DC Council gave preliminary approval to a bill that’s intended to help tenants in rent-controlled units avoid larger-than-expected price increases by curbing landlords’ use of concessions. Keep reading…