Empower DC’s Housing Justice Organizing: Fighting Displacement, Building Power 

Empower DC works to prevent the displacement of DC residents—especially low- and moderate-income Black and Brown native Washingtonians—by: 

• Supporting tenants to take collective action to improve housing conditions and preserve affordability. 

• Organizing tenants to know their rights, hold landlords accountable, and build power through tenant associations and leadership development 

• Educating and supporting residents to prevent eviction by asserting their rights and accessing available resources 

• Empowering impacted residents to advocate for improve housing policy and secure local funding for housing programs 

✊ Get Involved 

Check our events page to see what’s coming up 

Our Housing Justice Work & Impact  

Empower DC organizes DC renters through three campaigns:  

• Tenant Power: We build tenant power to stop unjust evictions and improve housing conditions through education, organizing, and leadership development. Join us to make change for yourself and your community.  

📅 Join our monthly Know Your Rights workshops and Tenant Power campaign meetings. Register for the next meeting.   

• Public Housing Power: We build the power of DC’s public housing residents to improve public housing conditions, prevent displacement and influence redevelopment, and demand accountability from the DC Housing Authority. Campaigns wins’ include securing $50 million in annual local funding for public housing repairs in multiple years.  

Do you live in public housing?  Join Public Housing Power. 

• Housing Choice Voucher Power: We organize voucher holders to understand and assert their rights; navigate complex voucher processes; and advocate for improved policies and processes.  

Are you a voucher holder in DC? Join Housing Choice Voucher Power.   

We also host regular information sessions that are open to everyone through our Anti-Displacement Network trainings. Sign up here.  

Housing Resources   

Eviction Prevention  

• Empower DC’s Know Your Rights Pocket Guide for Tenants: Leases, Eviction, and Poor Housing Conditions  

• Landlord Tenant Legal Assistance Network: Free legal assistance for low-income DC residents facing eviction. Call: 202-780-2575 (leave a message with your contact information and upcoming court date) or fill out an intake form online. 

• Empower DC’s Youtube Channel has short resources videos to prepare you for Landlord Tenant Court.  

• DC Tenant Guide to the Eviction Process: Use these resources to find legal information based on where you are in the eviction process.  These resources are especially helpful if you’re going to represent yourself in Landlord-Tenant court.  

• Case look-up: To see your case information, including upcoming hearings.  

Poor Housing Conditions  

• Empower DC’s Know Your Rights Pocket Guide for Tenants: Leases, Eviction, and Poor Housing Conditions  

• Request a housing code inspection: Department of Buildings, 202-671-3500. 

• Preparing for a Housing Code inspection: Our tips on how to schedule, prep, and follow-up on a housing code inspection.  

• Legal Aid DC’s Tenant's Guide to Housing Conditions Cases: If you are experiencing unsafe housing conditions, the resources on this page can help you get started on suing your landlord in D.C. Superior Court.   

Public Housing  

Watch Empower DC’s public housing leaders share their goals for improved public housing. 

Watch our 2022 public housing panel on public housing resident issues and demands for improvements