Natasha Bennett, managing attorney focused on housing law with Bread for the City, an organization that provides legal support for low-income D.C. residents, said she was hopeful to see funding going towards remedying housing conditions. But, she emphasized, residents need to be at the forefront of the plan so the most important stakeholders are included in the process.
“Bringing people in, involving the residents at every stage of the process, getting their voices, having good tenant meetings with the residents, learning from them what their interests and what their needs [are] are going to be very critical,” Bennett said.
Without a roadmap for residents of what to expect, Bennett said, tenants could become lost in the process and have a difficult time trusting DCHA.
“If you don’t listen, you can’t really act on behalf of people,” Bennett warned.