WINNER OF SIX SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS FOR 2022
Celebrating 58 Years - Vol. 58, No. 27 • April 20-26, 2023
Capture the Moment
Page 43
Tenants and Landlords Clash on Impending Rent Hike D.C. Councilmember Robert White Seeking Alternatives to Tabled Emergency Legislation By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
5 Tenants protested on April 1 in front of their rent-controlled apartment building on Longfellow Street in Northwest. (Courtesy Photo)
RENT HIKE Page 48
Seniors to Age in Place with New Community Health Center
D.C. Grapples with Rampant Rodents By James Wright WI Staff Writer The proliferation of rodents in the District has residents concerned but a city official and expert says the problem is manageable with proper maintenance techniques and practices. “As a four-term advisory neighborhood commissioner, I have to deal with a lot of issues and rat abatement is definitely one of them,” said Gordon Fletcher, the advisory neighborhood commissioner for single-member district 5A08 and the chairman of commission 5A in Ward 5. “There’s a lot of devel-
With a significant rent increase on the horizon, tenants living in rent-controlled units continue to organize for a cap on their monthly obligations in the aftermath of At-Large D.C. Councilmember Robert White’s (D) failed attempt to pass emergency legislation. Since February, Northeast resident Lomax Hughes has attended mass rallies, cajoled neighbors and contacted District officials in an attempt to prevent what he called the further marginalization of people attempting to overcome tough economic times.
Hughes, a contractor who specializes in demolition and excavation, said he and his girlfriend have navigated annual rent hikes of a couple hundred dollars over the last few years. Even though they’ve been able to weather the storm throughout their decade of living in their apartment, Hughes told the Informer that he questions whether they’ll be able to stay in their one-bedroom apartment once the rent reaches $1,700. “Before this increase, we capped our monthly expenses at $1,400 and now that has to be adjusted. We pay our rent on time and make sure everything’s in or-
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
opment going on in the city and that tends to make the ground’s foundation unstable. That is where rats live. They leave where they are and they go into homes, cars, the streets, and the alleys. I am familiar with the problem of
After four years and three spinal surgeries, Stephen Montgomery says he feels much closer to meeting his goal of someday walking again and jogging on the National Mall. He credits the physical and occupational therapy he receives at Edenbridge Program of All-Inclusive Care (PACE) at Skyland Town Center in Southeast as a determining factor in his progress. In March, Montgomery, a wheelchair rider, became the third elderly person to enroll in Edenbridge PACE. This center, the first PACE program in the District, serves those who are seeking individualized, hands-on medical and socio-emotional support that doesn’t require traveling long distances or moving
RODENTS Page 52
SENIORS Page 48
5 Rats have emerged as a major problem for District residents. (Courtesy Photo)
5Stephen Montgomery is the third elderly person to enroll in Edenbridge PACE at Skyland Town Center in Southeast, the first center of its kind serving those seeking individualized, hands-on medical and socio-emotional support that doesn’t require traveling long distances or moving into a nursing home. (Courtesy Photo/ Lock & Company)
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