Connecticut House, at 4500 Connecticut Avenue (Google Street View image)
DC apartment residents: If you have something to say to elected leaders about security in your building, now is a good time to do so.
The DC Council Committee of the Whole, and the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, are holding a joint hearing on December 10th on legislation drafted and presented to the Council by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
The Secure Apartments for Everyone (SAFE) Act would expand the existing law governing so-called nuisance properties to include any building where dangerous or violent crimes have been committed. While many apartment buildings would meet that criteria, they are excluded under the current law, because as the OAG explained in May, “lawsuits must also show that the properties are having an ‘adverse effect’ on the neighborhood as a result.” Bill 25-918 lays out a process for court-ordered security upgrades and inspections by the Department of Buildings. Fines could be levied if landlords do not address security issues within a certain period of time.
For residents and others who’ve been affected by criminal activity in apartment buildings, the hearing will be their first chance to tell their stories formally to the Council and for the record. To testify at the hearing, sign up here by 5 p.m. on December 6th. You can also submit written testimony here by 5 p.m. on December 20th. That, too, will become part of the public record.
The OAG’s Damon King gave a presentation on the SAFE Act at ANC 3F’s November meeting:
ANCs 3F, 3C and 3/4G previously called on the Council Committees on Housing, Health, and Facilities and Family Services to hold a joint hearing on apartment building safety issues, following the deaths of two young children connected to the Sedgwick and Connecticut House apartments.
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Green Eyeshades says
Readers may be undecided whether the District’s housing voucher programs are a maze or a Rubik’s Cube, and they would have gotten almost no help from the DHS presentation at Councilmember Frumin’s “Public Safety Forum” last week.
That DHS presentation is on pages 15-26 of the PDF at the bottom of this page:
https://mattfruminward3.com/public-safety-forum-november-20-2024/
Turns out, “Rapid Rehousing” is actually FOUR different programs (see page 23 of PDF).
Page 24 of the PDF defines “Permanent Supportive Housing” as including “Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP) voucher” OR “PSHP Local Subsidy and supportive services for an unrestricted period ….” Worse, there are THREE “tiered levels of support” under PSHP!
A reader is forced to assume that Rapid Rehousing does not include either LRSP vouchers or PSHP Local Subsidies. If so, why not? Why are there separate vouchers? What is the difference between a “voucher” and “Local Subsidies”?
Worst of all, PSH Supportive Services include SEVEN different functions or services. See page 26.
I did not attend the November 20 meeting or watch the YouTube recording of that meeting.
The YouTube recording of last week’s “Public Safety Forum” is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFH8y6dyNSg
I would be surprised if DHS employees and managers even know how the seven different PSH services differ under the three tiered levels of support or whether the four Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) programs interact with any of the seven different services or three tiered levels of support under PSH.
In my opinion, it’s a Rubik’s Cube inside of a maze swirled into an obscure mystery. I would be shocked if any building manager in our neighborhood knew how to ask for help from DHS.
Green Eyeshades says
Part of the main blogpost above covers DC Council’s bill to improve safety for tenants: “The Secure Apartments for Everyone (SAFE) Act would expand the existing law governing so-called nuisance properties to include any building where dangerous or violent crimes have been committed.”
Readers who are traveling or out of town for the holidays may miss this stunning news from WTOP which was just posted today, five days before Christmas:
“Violent crime in DC plummets to lowest level in 30 years.”
[by] Alan Etter | [email protected]
December 20, 2024, 4:06 PM
“A year-end analysis of violent crime in the District shows the rate of violent incidents is at a 30-year low.
“According to a presentation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, violent crime overall has dropped 35% over last year, from 5,215 incidents in 2023 to 3,388 so far in 2024. Homicide is down 30%. Sex abuse crime is down 22%. Assault with a dangerous weapon is down 27%. Robbery is down 39%. And burglary is down 8%.
“This [sic] statistics, which will be finalized after the year is over, have been compiled on the Metropolitan Police website.
“U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves is crediting the reduction to his office working with Metropolitan Police to target known individuals who have historically driven violent crime in the area….” [snip]
https://wtop.com/crime/2024/12/violent-crime-in-dc-is-lowest-level-in-30-years/