D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 518
518.1 The housing needs of the District's most vulnerable populations vary among each group. Some require housing with specific physical attributes, such as wheelchair ramps or bathrooms with grab bars. Some require housing with on-site support services, such as meal service or job counseling. Most simply need housing that is safe, secure, and affordable. It is important to consider the racial composition of these groups and how historic or current racial barriers to housing opportunities may affect needs. Communities of color are disproportionately represented in the vulnerable populations discussed below; for example, 69 percent of DC residents living with HIV/AIDS are Black. Those who most commonly benefit from supportive services are the several groups profiled below.
518.2 In 2017, 118,275 District residents were age 60 years and over, including 12,133 residents 85 years and over. As the baby boom generation matures and as average lifespan increases, the population of residents aged 60 years and over in the District is expected to increase dramatically. By 2030, there will be 141,275 residents aged 60 years and over, of which 12,000 will be 85 years and older. In addition, first-time homelessness among older adults on fixed incomes continues to increase, as they face ever increasing affordability challenges. A broad range of environments will be needed for older adults, serving residents across the income spectrum.
518.3 The Age-Friendly DC initiative, launched in 2012, identified 75 strategies across 10 broad topics to allow residents of all ages to remain in community-based settings as they age. Additional programs will be needed to help older adults age in place through home retrofits. New forms of cooperative and shared housing may be explored, and additional facilities will be needed that offer on-site nursing and health care in a congregate environment. As already noted, higher levels of assistance will be required to help older adult homeowners on fixed incomes and to protect renters who are older adults from displacement. More intergenerational living facilities also may be needed; in approximately 2,881 households, grandparents are responsible for the care of their grandchildren; almost 89 percent of grandfamilies living in the District are Black.
518.4 A disproportionately large share of the region's population of persons with disabilities resides in Washington, DC. Approximately 94,400 District residents—or 13 percent of the total population—are persons with disabilities or live with a person with a disability. Nearly one-third of Washington, DC's population of persons with disabilities lives below the poverty level. Many of these adults are unable to work and need supportive services and accessible housing options.
518.5 Mobility limitations affect nearly 48,000 District residents. Thousands of
residents need basic modifications to so that they can live well in their own homes. New units should be visitable to residents who are living with disabilities and enable residents to age in community. Visitability refers to apartments and single-family housing that can be lived in or visited by persons who have trouble with steps or who use wheelchairs or walkers. Visibility improvements are also needed to remove physical barriers, even in homes that do not currently house persons with mobility challenges, so that persons with limitations can visit others. Persons with disabilities may also require medical and personal care assistance in daily living activities. The number of housing units specifically designed for persons with disabilities, particularly units in facilities with services to help cope with these disabilities, is far short of the actual need. Moreover, many persons with disabilities rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and face an enormous gap between their income and the cost of their housing.
518.6 Each year, the correctional facilities system in the District releases more than 5,000 people. Many return to the District, usually without the means to pay for market rate housing and, in some cases, without the skills or means to find a decent job. Many return to neighborhoods experiencing high crime and poverty, remain chronically unemployed, and find shelter in group homes or shared housing. Unstable housing and a lack of employment undermine returning citizens' success and can perpetuate the cycle of poverty and violence in the District's lowest-income neighborhoods. The Department of Corrections and the Mayor's Office on Returning Citizen Affairs have prioritized reentry programs to protect public safety and reduce recidivism, including housing strategies. In 2016, the District passed the Fair Criminal Record Screening for Housing Act, which bans landlords from asking about an applicant's criminal record until a conditional offer has been made.
518.7 In 2015, 15,200 persons with HIV/AIDS lived in the District, or about 2.2 percent of the population. This compares to a national rate of 0.3 percent and exceeds the World Health Organization's threshold (one percent), indicative of a continued HIV epidemic. Several research studies indicate that persons with HIV/AIDS experience elevated housing instability and homelessness relative to the general population. Stigma and discrimination may cause additional hurdles to obtain and retain appropriate housing. Data from the federal Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program indicates an unmet need for tenant-based rental assistance for 1,239 persons with HIV/AIDS.
518.8 Over 15,000 District adults have been diagnosed as having a serious behavioral health issue by the Department of Behavioral Health based on treatment services delivered in 2016. Behavioral health issues can seriously limit one's ability to find employment, earn a living wage, and lead an independent life. Stable, permanent housing can increase independence and help those with behavioral health issues achieve other life goals. Such housing is often paired with case management and
appropriate supportive services, such as crisis intervention, ongoing counseling, and health assessments.
518.9 The DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) receives over 30,000 calls for service each year for domestic violence-related incidents. Some of these calls result in the need for safe housing for the victim. The inventory of such housing is very limited. Domestic violence also creates unique challenges for the victim, including the potential for personal harm if using the traditional shelter system. Many victims also may experience trauma, and some have children who also need to be accommodated. DHCD has designated a Housing Navigator on its staff to leverage housing contacts and find safe housing for victims of crime and domestic violence. By calling the DC Victim Hotline, victims can be directed to resources.
Ensure that adequate short-term housing options, including emergency shelter and transitional housing, exists for persons with disabilities, including people living with HIV/AIDS, harm-reduction units for substance abusers, detoxification beds and residential treatment facilities, safe housing for victims of domestic violence, halfway houses, and group homes for returning citizens, and assisted-living and end-of-life care for older adults.
Provide a wide variety of affordable housing choices for the District’s older adults that enable them to age in their neighborhoods either by supporting their ability to remain in their homes or by providing new opportunities within multi-unit buildings that include Universal Design and intergenerational options. Take into account the income range and health care needs of this population. Recognize the coming growth in the older adult population so that the production and rehabilitation of affordable housing for older adults meets Universal Design standards and becomes a major District priority. Acknowledge and support the establishment of senior villages and wellness centers throughout Washington, DC that allow older adults to remain in their homes and/or communities and age in place.
A new strategy and a key component of the Age-Friendly DC Housing Domain is homesharing. This strategy assists older adults to age in their current homes by sharing their housing costs with another and has been gaining steam among several age-friendly jurisdictions across the country. Homesharing has multiple benefits, including reducing housing costs and isolation and providing peer support and safety.
Encourage the production of multi-family housing for older adults in those
neighborhoods characterized by large numbers of older adults living alone in single-family homes. This will enable older adults to remain in their neighborhoods, maintain connections with fellow residents and neighbors, and reduce their home maintenance costs and obligations.
Work toward a target of designing 12 percent of the new housing units added to the District’s stock over the next 20 years specifically to meet the accessibility needs of persons with disabilities through Universal Design. These units should be spread evenly across affordability brackets. Facilitate and promote broader visibility standards in new construction and major renovations that enable people who have trouble with steps or who use wheelchairs or walkers to participate socially and reduce their isolation.
Create adequate housing plans for people exiting the correctional system so that they do not experience homelessness, including the removal of barriers to returning citizens living in affordable housing. Returning citizens should not be concentrated in assisted housing projects, but allowed to find housing throughout Washington, DC. Rental housing providers should not be allowed to discriminate against returning citizens.
Support the production of housing for people with behavioral health issues through capital and operating subsidies. Improve the availability and coordination of such housing with wraparound behavioral health and other human services. Steps should be taken to prevent the eviction of persons experiencing behavioral health issues from publicly financed housing, so long as they are following the rules of tenancy, and to maintain each individual’s housing if they need to be hospitalized.
Create financial incentives or provide appropriate flexibility in zoning rules and public space regulations for homeowners and landlords to retrofit units to make them accessible to older adults and persons with disabilities. Encourage the production of units that are visitable, ADA-accessible, or universally designed in new housing construction.
Remove barriers and explore incentives, such as density bonuses, tax credits, and special financing, to stimulate the development of assisted living and care facilities for older adults that serve a mix of incomes, particularly in areas of high need and on sites well served by public transportation.
518.18 Action H-4.3.C: University Partnerships and Older Adults Explore partnerships with local universities to develop intergenerational student living arrangements with older adults living near campus.
518.19 Action H-4.3.D: Aging in Community Establish programs to facilitate low-income older renters aging in place. Examples include tenant-based vouchers or other rental assistance to older adults on fixed incomes or funds for renovation of multi-unit buildings, individual apartments, and single-family homes to create appropriate housing options for older adults to age in community.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).