As a homeowner and a former tenant, I’ve been on both sides of the housing debate. Before I bought my home in Columbia Heights, I was displaced more than once by landlords looking to make a profit, and I know firsthand what housing insecurity does to you. We can do right by homeowners and tenants without pitting them against each other. We need more housing, and tenants need stable rents.

As commissioner, I will:

• Support zoning changes that allow more homes near Metro and along our commercial corridors, and back new housing when it comes before the ANC.
• Help tenants use their rights under TOPA, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, by connecting tenant associations with the Office of the Tenant Advocate and legal help, and back targeted rent stabilization and stronger tenant protections.
• Support Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) that add housing, and use the ANC’s seat at the table with the Zoning Commission to win more affordable units and real benefits for the neighborhood.