Jim McGrath stands at the front of the sanctuary of Foundry United Methodist Church at 16th and P streets NW. Dressed in a summer suit, yellow shirt and tie, he has brought together portions of his TENAC flock many times before. This August evening, about 100 members of the D.C. Tenants Advocacy Coalition have convened to hear political candidates confess their love and devotion.
Pssst. Here’s one of the best-kept secret in the nation’s capital: More than 60 percent of District residents are renters — mostly apartment dwellers. In Ward 2 alone, where Foundry is located and which, for more than a decade, has been quite ably represented by Councilman Jack Evans, at least 70 percent of the folks rent. They are a fairly organized bunch.
“We believe not to be able to lobby or take political positions makes you powerless,” says McGrath, explaining why the group opted for “501(c)(4)” nonprofit status. “If you can’t do those things, you might as well fold up your tent.”
The sheer number of tenants and their willingness to flex their political muscle may be why so many candidates — D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, U.S. (Shadow) Sen. Paul Strauss, at-large D.C. Councilman Kwame Brown, Ward 4’s Muriel Bowser, Baruti Jahi, Cary Silverman, Evans and others — wait a few feet from McGrath to take their turn at the microphone. Even those vying to serve on the local Democratic State Committee, like Dan Wedderburn, have come to present their credentials.
The District, unlike its neighbors in surrounding jurisdictions, has had a fairly low rate of foreclosures during this current housing crisis.
That’s one benefit of a community of renters. The downside, according to some housing experts and community activists, is that apartment dwellers often are seen as transient. But in this city, tenants are pretty stable. Still, McGrath sees trouble on the horizon.
“This is a tough time. You see it everywhere,” says McGrath, noting hardships confronting tenants including evictions and violations by landlords of the city’s rental law. He recalls a recent trip to Santa Monica, which, he says, “has a terrific rent control [law].
“It was based on the D.C. law, which, when it was passed, was a model,” continues McGrath. “It’s not a model anymore.”
TENAC wants a moratorium on condominium conversions, which it believes is one of the most effective methods for reducing the benefits of rent control. On this night, however, there is a loud demand for the reinstatement of rent administrator Grayce Wiggins. She was fired last week.
“She issued a landmark ruling in favor of tenants and against B.F. Saul and the Chevy Chase Bank crowd that said the conversion they tried to do at the Kennedy-Warren [apartments on Connecticut Ave.] was illegal,” explains McGrath. “And their reaction was ‘We are going to get you.’
“Now the question is, who is running the city: B.F. Saul or the mayor?”
Jonetta Rose Barras, an author and political analyst, can be reached at [email protected].
