D.C. Council proposes emergency legislation to address $100M affordable housing crisis due to pandemic-related unpaid rent.

The D.C. Council is proposing emergency legislation to tackle a financial crisis for affordable housing providers, exacerbated by unpaid rent during the pandemic, which has surged from $11 million in 2020 to $100 million this year. The bill would remove pandemic-era self-attestation for rental assistance eligibility and give judges discretion over eviction stays. While advocates welcome the proposal, they warn it may lead to large-scale evictions and inadequate protections for tenants.