DearFriend,

Mayor Bowser is trying to make changes to the housing landscape in the form of a massive, anti-renter bill called the RENTAL Act. And she wants to quietly push it through the budget process. This bill would strip TOPA rights from at least 77,097 households, encourage source of income discrimination in housing production, and make it easier for landlords to evict tenants. In sum, the RENTAL Act creates unequal protections for tenants across the District based on where they live and how much they earn.

It is imperative that residents demand of the DC Council to reject the anti-renter RENTAL Act and remove it from the budget process. The Council will have a hearing on the RENTAL Act next Wednesday, May 28th. We need everyone and anyone who supports tenants rights to testify! You can sign up to testify here.

Need help crafting your testimony? There are several opportunities to attend a workshop and do just that. DC Jobs With Justice will be hosting a testimony prep workshop TOMORROW, May 22nd at 6PM virtually. Sign up at bit.ly/TenantsTestify!

If you can't make our evening training, please join our partner, Fair Budget Coalition, at their testimony prep workshop tomorrow, May 22 at 10 AM. Click here to sign up!

I hope to see many of you tomorrow. Let's beat this bill!

In solidarity,

Damiana Dendy