October 2024 Edition
Dear Customers,
This month has been a busy one as we head into the thick of FY25. Here are a couple things I want to highlight from this month’s newsletter:
DOB’s goal is to have property owners abate their housing code violations—that’s a win-win for the owners and their tenants. However, we can take legal action against very unresponsive owners. For example, our recent advisory shared how the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) reached a legal settlement with the Foster House that will preserve affordable housing and pay tenants and the District over $1.5 million. This represents a huge win for our agency as we work tirelessly with our partners at OAG to hold housing providers accountable to District law.
Secondly, I am excited to announce our Concept Review program has launched. This program is geared toward owners and developers of large projects and will be a gamechanger in helping them better understand regulatory requirements for their projects ahead of time. It will also contribute to the District's continued economic development by helping to speed up projects!
Please continue to reach out to us when you need our assistance, and tell your friends about DOB if they need our help when it comes to housing violations, illegal construction, or vacant properties in their neighborhood; as well as learning how to navigate our permitting and zoning processes to make projects successful. We want to do our best to support the District's built environment, but we need your help! I thank you for your trust in us, and we will continue to work hard every day to deliver DOB's services to you.
Onward,
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 Brian J. Hanlon, AIA LEED AP®
Director
Thanks to efforts from DOB, a property owner reached a settlement with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) that will preserve the affordability of nearly 80 units and pay $1.65 million to tenants and the District.
The owners of Foster House, at 801 Rhode Island Avenue NW, recently reached the settlement after a lengthy legal battle with the owners, New Bethel Baptist Church Housing Corporation, Inc. to address dangerous living conditions.
This action is another example of DOB working to ensure District tenants have safe and habitable housing conditions. While DOB is focused on collaboration with housing providers to resolve housing violations, the agency will work to ensure uncooperative providers are held accountable.
To learn more about the settlement, please visit our website.
 DOB is at the center of the District's economic development and wants to offer owners of large and complex projects the guidance they need to ensure a smooth permitting process.
That's why we came up with the Concept Review (CR) program.
Program Overview
- Informal meeting with DOB staff on items such as preliminary design, building code, inspections, or zoning.
- Ideal for projects in the early stages of design, to identify significant concerns and prevent delays.
- Does not provide formal plan review or approval, but offers guidance.
Projects Best Suited for a Concept Review
Large projects that may require multi-agency coordination:
- New construction that exceeds 10,000 square feet in gross floor area
- Downtown office conversions
- Multifamily construction or renovation
- Townhome development of more than 10 units
- Large-scale commercial, industrial, or institutional projects
- Residential buildings in non-residential zoned areas
- Net-zero green development
To learn more and see if your project might be a fit for concept review, visit our website at dob.dc.gov/concept-review.
Fall is here and winter is on the way, which means it’s time to remind District landlords and tenants of heating requirements. District regulations require that heating equipment maintain a temperature of at least 68° F in all habitable rooms and bathrooms between October 1 and May 1. One exception is for buildings with two-pipe systems, or other systems that need more than more than 15 days to transition from air-conditioning to heat—their heating start date was October 15.
Tenants, if you feel your apartment or building does not comply with the standards, you should follow the steps outlined here and can fill out an inspection request here if you have reported the problem to the landlord but it remains unresolved.
 DOB's Account Management Team
DOB has been hard at work with both internal and external intiatives as part of our mission. Part of our work is tied to being visible and getting out in the community; here's some of our outreach from this month:
- DOB's Account Management Team attended World Pride Community Workshops presented by the Mayor's Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Affairs to connect government agencies, local businesses, and community leaders with DOB services to lay the groundwork for World Pride 2025.
- DOB Director Brian Hanlon shared DC's goals in expanding carbon neutrality in the built environment during closing remarks at the Sweden-US Green Transition Initiative's Green Transition Summit: US-Sweden Collaboration for Green, Equitable, and Livable Cities. He also explained what the District is doing to create an atmosphere where those goals can be achieved, and potential learning opportunities between Sweden and the United States.
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 Housing in Downtown is an innovative initiative designed to catalyze new residential development in Downtown DC and add thousands of new residents downtown through a 20-year tax abatement for commercial-to-residential conversions.
DOB plays a key role in the HID initiative by approving building permit applications. Please review our HID Permitting Guidance flyer for more instructions.
For more information, please visit the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development's (DMPED) Housing in Downtown webpage.
 DOB has a lot going on—more that can fit into a monthly newsletter! So the best way to quickly learn about our work, new initiatives, job postings, and general news is to follow DOB on social media! Don’t delay—sign up today!
Twitter/X: x.com/DC_DOB
Instagram: instagram.com/deptofbuildings
Facebook: facebook.com/deptofbuildings
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/departmentofbuildings
- Contact DOB via email at dob@dc.gov, through our online inquiry form or during normal business hours using the live chat available on dob.dc.gov or at 202.671.3500, and we will get back to you in three business days or less.
- DOB's updated Customer Service hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 am-4:30 pm and Thursday 9:30 am-4:30 pm.
- If you want to report illegal construction, vacant property concerns, or property maintenance issues after hours, you can always report them via DC311. You can call 311 at any time day or night. You also can visit the online portal at 311.dc.gov.
- If you live in a residential zone and plan on doing work on your home, please reach out to DOB to ensure your proposed work is properly permitted under District law. This especially goes for those larger projects that you are considering. DOB wants to ensure that all involved parties are on the same page regarding District regulations to ensure safety for all.
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