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Tenant Advisory Council, Unemployment, Fair Housing, Comprehensive Housing Strategy, Bicycles, South Capitol Street Corridor, OPM Solicitations of Offers, Site Walk-Throughs, Nuisance Properties
1. DCRA Files Notice of Intent to Establish Tenant Advisory Council The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) gives notice of its intention to establish a Tenant Advisory Council (TAC). Pursuant to the FY 2006 Budget Support Act of 2005, a Tenant Advisory Council (TAC) shall be established to review the Office of the Tenant Advocate's (OTA) progress in fulfilling its mandate and to make recommendations for improving Office of the Tenant Advocate services. The TAC will be composed of tenant organizers, representatives of tenant associations, and other tenant advocates with no connections to commercial real estate interests. The TAC will monitor and report on the progress of the Office of Tenant Advocate. Nominations for membership on the TAC should be submitted in writing and addressed to the following: Timothy
R. Handy, Esq. Acting Chief Tenant Advocate The deadline for submitting nominations is 4 pm, April 14, 2006. View en Español. Visit DCRA.
2. The District's February Unemployment Rate Dips to 5.3 Percent The Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced today that the District of Columbia's seasonally adjusted February 2006 unemployment rate continues to drop, down to 5.3 percent (down 0.1 percent) since January. The February 2006 rate was 1.7 percent lower than the rate in February 2005. "The steady decrease in the local unemployment rate is good news for District residents. We are now experiencing the lowest unemployment level in 16 years-since February 1990. Compared to a year earlier, there were 5,500 fewer unemployed residents," said DOES Director Gregory Irish. The seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate in February 2006 was 4.8 percent; up 0.1 percent from the January 2006 rate and 0.6 percent lower than the February 2005, seasonally adjusted, national unemployment rate. To read the rest of the report, visit DOES.
3. DHCD Presents Fifth Annual DC Fair Housing Symposium In celebration of Fair Housing Month, the DC Department of Housing and Community Development has partnered with the DC Housing Finance Agency and DC Housing Authority to present the fifth annual Fair Housing Symposium. This free event will be held on April 20 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at the DC Housing Finance Agency, located at 815 Florida Avenue, NW. This year's theme is "Know Your Rights…In Case They Don't!" Attendees will be informed on their rights when renting or purchasing a home, as well as how to identify discrimination based on race, color or national origin, familial status, sex, disability or religion. Our luncheon speaker, Okianer C. Dark, Professor of Law at Howard University, is a renowned legal scholar and a fair housing advocate. The symposium also features three panels: PANEL 1: Show Me the Money! Lending, Credit and Fair Housing The panel will discuss predatory tactics used by mortgage brokers, lenders and other financial institutions; good credit and its legacy on wealth building; 'truths and myths' of credit; and credit scores in at-risk communities. PANEL 2: Fact and Fiction: Family, Income and Sex Discrimination Panelists will explain the "Familial Status and Sex" protections under the law and draw links between these federal protections and the District's own "Source of Income" protection. PANEL 3: Is Access Really Accessible? Obstacles and Opportunities for People with Disabilities Panel guests will discuss affordability, terrain, architecture, biases and their effect on accessibility; "reasonable accommodations" for federal and privately financed multi-family buildings; and homeownership opportunities for persons with disabilities. You must register to attend. Registrations will close once maximum capacity is reached. For more information call (202) 777-1614 or visit DHCD. Space is limited. Register online for either individuals or organizations. Please state if you need any special accommodations. Visit DHCD.  
4. Office of Planning Reviews Supply of Land for Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force's Goals The Office of Planning reviewed the Task Force's goal of building 55,000 units of housing over the next 15 years. In a presentation given at the 2006 DC Housing Conference sponsored by the Fannie Mae Foundation on February 3, the Office of Planning reviewed the current development projects and the land supply necessary to reach the Task Force's Goal. View the Housing and Growth PowerPoint presentation.* Learn more about the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force's Report "Homes for an Inclusive City." For more information, visit the Office of Planning.
5. DDOT Offers Bicycle Classes to Promote Safety and Everyday Use The District Department of Transportation (DDOT), in partnership with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, announces a series of free, two-hour bike rodeos for children to teach safe bicycling skills. For adults, there will be three-hour classes to teach cyclists the skills they need to ride on city streets as part of their daily routines, whether for errands, commuting, or just plain fun. A full schedule of Bike Rodeos and Confident City Cycling Classes are available at the Washington Area Bicycling Association. The DC sessions are funded by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and are part of DDOT's program to improve bicycle access and safety. Other bike activities include installation of bicycle lanes and parking racks and construction of new and improved trails, such as the Metropolitan Branch Trail and the Anacostia River Trail. More information is available on the DDOT Bicycle Program and on bicycling classes and general bicycling information in the Washington area.
6. South Capitol Street Corridor Update & Economic Prosperity Study The District Department of Transportation invites you to a public meeting to discuss the South Capitol Street Corridor.
Please RSVP to Faisal Hameed, DDOT, at (202) 671-4607 or Justice & Sustainability Associates at (202) 610-0005. Additional is information available at: Visit DDOT.
7. Office of Property Management Announces Three Solicitations of Offers LSDBE Businesses of New Business Opportunities and Subcontracting Requirements The Office of Property Management (OPM) is responsible for the disposition of certain parcels of real property that are owned by the DC government. Solicitations of offers are issued when the government seeks to accomplish more than simply maximizing the dollar value that it obtains for the real estate. All three solicitations of offers are due on May 24, 2006. For further general information, please contact the Portfolio Management Division of OPM at (202) 724-4100. For specific information regarding a particular disposition, please contact the project manager listed in the solicitation.
Visit OPM.
8. District Government Will Open Old Congress Heights and Bruce Schools for One-Day Walk-Throughs The District welcomes potential respondents to Solicitations of Offers and members of the press only to the following walk-throughs: Bruce School-Wednesday, April 26, 1 pm to 3 pm Old Congress Heights School-Thursday, April 27, 1 pm to 3 pm Walk-throughs will be at the leisure of those allowed to enter and will end promptly at the designated times. Please be aware that electrical power will be limited or unavailable within the facilities. All those who would like to enter the buildings must qualify as potential respondents to the solicitations or members of the press. Please register by Monday, April 24, at 5 pm, by emailing Eric Scott. Please send name, organization, address, phone, fax, email and date of the walk-through for each team member attending. Important Note: Before entering, all permitted entrants will be required to sign and date a waiver that shields the District government from any and all liability for accidents or other incidents while on the premises. Valid identification will be required at entry, and members of the press will be required to show their official press badges. Attendees are advised to wear work boots and protection for their heads. Bring flashlights and dress warmly, as the temperature inside the facility is likely to be cooler than the exterior. OPM continues to pursue copies of scaled drawings previously prepared for the facilities and hopes to make these available as soon as possible. Visit OPM.
9. DC's Attorney General and Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Crack Down on Nuisance Properties Attorney General Robert J. Spagnoletti and Dr. Patrick Canavan, director of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), announced today the successful prosecution of the owners of two nuisance properties as a result of the partnership between the two District government agencies. The Public Safety Division, Nuisance Property Unit (Unit) of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and DCRA are working to ensure the safety of District residents by prosecuting owners of properties who have contributed to blight or criminal activity in District neighborhoods. Through an agreement between the two agencies, two prosecutors were hired solely to address nuisance properties. The prosecution team began in the fall of 2005, and two of the cases brought by the new Unit successfully resulted in guilty pleas this week. Both cases involved properties that were inspected by DCRA following complaints by area residents. "This is a prime example of the importance of District agencies working in concert to improve the quality of life for the residents of the District," said Spagnoletti. "Properties that attract illegal activity impact the lives of the residents living in those neighborhoods. Property owners need to know that we will enforce the law when they allow such activities to occur on their property." Curtis Russell Hughes, the owner of 710 Kennedy Street, NW, and 619 Kennedy Street, NW, was prosecuted on criminal charges for operating an illegal business, operating without certificates of occupancy and violating various housing codes. The charges were brought after a DCRA investigation found that Hughes was operating a trash hauling business on the first floor of 710 Kennedy Street, and was renting out the second floor as a rooming house. The property 619 Kennedy Street was being used exclusively as a rooming house. On March 14, 2006, Hughes pleaded guilty to four counts of housing code violations. Under the plea agreement, he must pay $1200 in fines and $200 to the Crime Victims Fund. He faces 80 days in jail if he does not pay the full amount within nine months. Harvey Lee Stewart was criminally charged with operating an illegal business and operating without a certificate of occupancy at 4300 Hunt Place, NE. Stewart failed to clear the property of junk vehicles, trash and debris, and admitted to operating a car dealership on the property. Stewart pleaded guilty on March 15, 2006, to two counts of operating an illegal business and use without a certificate of occupancy. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he must pay $400 in fines and pay $100 to the Crime Victims Fund. He faces 10 days in jail if he does not clear all of the automobiles off his lot within 12 months. He is on 15 months of probation. "As government agencies such as ours work together and combine our regulatory and enforcement authority, we're stronger, more efficient and more effective," said Canavan. "The success of our cooperative efforts in these cases should send a clear message to business and property owners who run afoul of the law-we won't tolerate activities and conditions that corrode neighborhood life." Visit DCRA
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