Recordatorio importante para los inquilinos de bajos recursos en DC:

Las solicitudes para el programa de asistencia de emergencia para el alquiler (ERAP) se abrirán mañana, jueves 20 de noviembre, a las 9:00 a.m.

Este año, todas las solicitudes se harán únicamente con cita.

The SOUL Act provides a new option for youth aging out of foster care by empowering them to choose a circle of caring adults to support them long after they exit the system.

This is a bill written by youth for youth.

And it has the potential to help our most vulnerable youth reclaim their futures.

In our advocacy for youth through our Family Services Division, we see firsthand the devastating effects of youth not having stability as they exist the foster system.

It is clear that traditional options provided to foster youth are no longer working for all young people in DC's foster system.

That means that DC youth regularly exit foster care at age 21 without the family or social supports they need to transition to adulthood.

This leaves young people in our city extremely vulnerable to housing instability, joblessness, and other serious difficulties.

And if you need a warm place to stay, DC has low-barrier shelters for adults, young adults, and families — as well as hypothermia sites and day centers during cold weather emergencies.

🗺️ Find shelter: cold.dc.gov
📞 Shelter Hotline for rides: 202-399-7093 or 311

Learn more about this historic judgment:

Marbury Plaza is now under new ownership and has been renamed Langston Views.

Congratulations to the Marbury tenants who fought back against dangerous, unlawful housing conditions for years with the strong support of their community.

Every DC resident deserves a safe and healthy home.

OAG will now work to collect the full restitution and penalties.

Both Marbury LLC and Pilavas are liable for the amounts awarded.

OAG has already collected $1.1 million from our separate settlement with the former property manager, and we will distribute all of those funds to impacted tenants.

The Court concluded:

"The award in this case... serve[s] as a reminder to landlords that legal intervention is best prevented by timely, ongoing investments that ensure their properties offer the habitable conditions to which all tenants in the District of Columbia have a legal right."

Now, in its decision granting relief, the Court has ordered Marbury LLC and Pilavas to pay:

✅ $29.8 million in restitution to tenants — 75% of the rent they paid from 2017 to 2024

✅ $11.1 million in civil penalties and attorneys' fees

This is the largest housing conditions judgment in DC history.

In 2023, the Court found Marbury's owners in contempt and ordered rent refunds returning over $5 million to tenants.

Then, OAG successfully defended the contempt order and rent refunds on appeal.

And in late 2024, we won summary judgment establishing Marbury's owners' liability for the violations.

As Marbury deteriorated, tenants were exposed to conditions that threatened their health and safety.

This included mold in 96% of units and all 98 common areas, pervasive water leaks, failing plumbing and electrical systems, insect and rodent infestations, broken elevators and AC systems, and more.

Marbury Plaza is a 674-unit apartment building in Ward 8.

In 2021, we sued its now-former owners — Marbury LLC and Dr Anthony Pilavas — for severely neglecting the building and endangering its many residents.

The owners then repeatedly ignored a consent order requiring them to make needed repairs.