DC Attorney General Karl Racine sues city housing authority, again

Past tumble, Neil Albert, the chair of the DCHA’s governing board, stepped down amid thoughts in excess of conflicts of desire, which includes his vote for a resolution that provided his partner’s enterprise among architectural corporations certified to acquire hundreds of thousands of pounds in contracts. A several times later, the D.C. Council’s housing committee called for an investigation by the Office environment of the Inspector Typical into “a troubling pattern” of unethical and “potentially criminal” conduct at the company. That investigation is ongoing.

DCHA board chair measures down amid questions about conflicts of desire

In 2020, Racine’s place of work sued the authority over allegations it experienced unsuccessful to handle drug- and firearm-linked nuisances at 10 properties, an action that compelled the company to make security upgrades to all those houses.

In Thursday’s suit, which seeks unspecified damages, Racine’s office alleges that the authority compelled more than 250 disabled tenants to hold out a long time for realistic accommodations immediately after they proved it was required.

In 1 circumstance, a tenant who had requested a wheelchair-available unit in 2017 experienced to depend on many others to carry her to and from her fourth-ground condominium so she could make her health-related appointments, the go well with alleges. The woman died past yr, however waiting around for her new device, the complaint claims.

In one more circumstance, a tenant who was bedridden and motionless requested a two-bed room unit so her daughter could serve as an right away caretaker. Even though that ask for was approved a year back, it has nevertheless to be fulfilled, the match states, forcing the woman’s daughter to set up a camera in the property to keep track of her mom when she sleeps.

D.C. advancement has soared underneath Bowser. So have housing charges.

“This criticism can make crystal clear that DCHA has consistently unsuccessful to satisfy its authorized obligation to accommodate District inhabitants who have actual physical disabilities with housing units that are safe and sound and obtainable,” Racine stated in a statement.

DCHA spokeswoman Sheila Lewis declined to comment Thursday, declaring the authority had not however reviewed the grievance.

“After seeking to persuade DCHA to tackle these security and high-quality of lifetime issues, we had no choice but to file this circumstance to assure that the disabled tenants receive the accommodations that the regulation calls for,” Racine’s statement said.