Hello,

This is a bit of a long-winded post, but hopefully trying to see if any news reporter who visits this sub is interested in getting further details and/or getting documents backing up my post for a news story via PM. I'm willing to go on camera as long as my face is not shown.

(I've already reached to my Council Member and Office Of Tenant Advocate.)

I'm part of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, commonly referred to as Section 8. My lease was up with my apartment building (AB) at the beginning of November 2022, but have been unable to sign a lease as the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) has not cleared the building for safe habitation. This has caused my AB to say I owe over $10,000 so far in back rent and has said they have not been paid by the DCHA starting in January 2023.

The DCHA called me in October 2022 to know if I was scheduled for a virtual inspection that day, which was the first I was hearing about it as I had not received any mail, phone calls, texts, or emails prior to that day about the inspection. Part of the process required was watching a lead assessment video produced by the HUD department beforehand and the certificate that is generated at the end of the video is supposed to be emailed to the inspector. They said they would get back to me about rescheduling the inspection as I had not been duly notified. It took me calling several times to finally get an inspection date, which occurred on December 7th. The inspector said that I had passed my part of my inspection and I then emailed the inspector the HUD lead video certificate within minutes after the inspection was finished. DCHA was supposed to get in contact with my AB to do their part of the inspection, but haven't as of today.

In the email that was sent to me with the new inspection date, the email subject line listed my address being 55 M STREET *SE* instead of 55 M STREET *NE*. The PDF included in that same email listed the correct quadrant. It still leaves me wondering if they are somehow sending some info to the wrong quadrant and it doesn't make its way back to me in the postal system as there is no apartment building at 55 M STREET SE. Either that or maybe prior addresses that I've had in DC (all with DCHA).

Due to my lease expiring on November 1st 2022 and my apartment not being fully inspected by that date - let alone fully inspected as of January 25th, 2023 - my leasing rate changed to the monthly rate of almost $3,400 instead of the rate if I had signed a year-long lease of around $2,300. Housing is supposed to pay $1,946 of the monthly amount. My building says they have not been paid by housing starting this month (January) and they posted a notice on my door over this past weekend that was dated December 26th, 2022 with a "Notice Of Past Due Rent". I have not received any information from DCHA regarding the inspection (the initial or or the one that took place on December 7th, 2022) nor any other information from DCHA since shortly after initially moving into my AB in November 2021.

Now I'm concerned that I will be evicted because the DCHA is not doing their job in any respect towards this issue. It's basically been impossible to get in touch with DCHA. I've tried getting in touch with my case worker via voicemail, but haven't heard back. I tried calling the DCHA call center to see if they get in touch with her and to make an appointment (as DCHA is open by appointment only) to help resolve this issue, but the call center just left a message with her and wouldn't make an appointment for me. DCHA has just about completely left me in the dark and I don't know what I don't know.

To the best of my recollection, aside from a postcard that was sent to all DCHA customers notifying them of the new service centers, I've not received any mail from DCHA since shortly after my initial move-in back in November 2021. No annual recertification packet has arrived for me to fill out nor follow-up phone calls wondering why it was not filled out, if it was indeed mailed to me. No mailings sent to me about possible termination due to me not doing something or actual termination. I subscribe to the USPS 'Informed Daily Digest' in large part to see if I'm supposed to be getting any government forms to fill out, from DCHA or elsewhere (I'm legally disabled and receive SSDI).

As of earlier this week, my AB took off most of the outstanding balance. However, they still say I owe almost $800 which is not the case. I pay a fixed amount ($314) + $50 pet rent + water/sewer fee that changes monthly, but is usually around $65-$80/month. For me, that means a bill of around $429 - $444. I showed my AB that I paid the correct amount each month, which was in line with the amounts I paid prior to my lease expiring and was not much of an issue. Though, there was times that they had charged me late fees before my lease expired due to them not applying Housing's portion before late fees start getting charged and they would take off that late fee.

I've never been late on a bill and keep a spreadsheet on my computer, so I know to the penny how much I owe every month and what bills I paid.

Edit: spelling