Forest Hills Connection || News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood
Covering Forest Hills, Van Ness, North Cleveland Park and Wakefield
Welcome Forest Hills high-risers! We are a vital and diverse community of 31 high-rises, consisting of 18 apartment buildings, 10 condominiums and 3 cooperatives. We even have one low-rise garden apartment community in our midst.
by Marlene Berlin There are some 300,000 renters in the District. A new coalition of tenant associations is seeking to amplify their voices. The District of Columbia Area Tenant Association Consortium, or DCATAC, is a group of 38 people representing 29 tenant associations from all eight wards. David Luria, the president of tenants association at […]
by Barbara Cline One of my favorite stories is David and Goliath – the tale of the epic battle between David, a shepherd boy who confronts Goliath, a terrifying giant. Against all odds the unthinkable happens – David defeats Goliath. The “giants” or powerful opponents in our world do have advantages. But these giants also […]
The law governing rent increases for residents of the District’s older apartment buildings is up for renewal in 2020. And rent control dominates the September 28th Tenant & Tenant Association Summit. The sessions this year: Rent Control in the District – A 100 Year Look Back We will take a look at the first rent […]
To the Editor: As a resident of Sedgwick Gardens, I was surprised to read Kimberly Macleod’s letter of July 23 defending her client (and our landlord) Daro Management’s screening policies for prospective tenants and implying that the landlord bears little responsibility for the security lapses we’ve experienced here over the past couple of years. Perhaps […]
by Marlene Berlin On July 11th, Council members Anita Bonds and Brianne Nadeau chaired a joint hearing of the Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization and Human Services committees. The topic: the “On-site Services Act of 2019.” This bill would require that landlords or management companies provide on-site support services to all residents of buildings with at […]
To the Editor: We represent Daro, the firm that manages Sedgwick Gardens. Since we began participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program and accepting vouchers, we have been subjected to criticism about our policy, most recently in a story that was published in your paper last week (“Council hearing Thursday on requiring on-site services for […]
by Marlene Berlin Two DC Council committees will hold a joint hearing this Thursday on a bill that would require housing providers to also provide on-site services to residents receiving housing assistance. The “On-Site Services Act of 2019” (B23-0180) would also provide for funding. Affected buildings would have at least 20 apartments, and at least […]
Some of our apartment building neighbors are here thanks to vouchers making their rents more affordable. And they are, as The DC Line puts it, “spawning debates over how best to provide housing for DC’s most vulnerable residents.” Tenant advocates at Sedgwick Gardens, the apartment building at 3726 Connecticut Avenue, told DC housing authorities, the […]
by Barbara Cline March is one of my favorite months. It’s the end of winter, the beginning of spring… and when I know how much my rent increase will be for my rent-controlled apartment. And the 2019 rent increase for rent-controlled buildings is… Our annual rent control increase is based on the lower of: the […]
by Barbara Cline It’s a common dispute between housing providers and renters: the refund of the renter’s security deposit. The security deposit is an additional one month of rent paid when the renter first moves into the rental unit. Generally, renters expect to collect the deposit plus interest when they move out, provided the provider […]
