DCOA E*News At-A-Glance
 Today,
the D.C. Office on Aging hosted the 29th Annual Salute to District of
Columbia Centenarians. Mayor Muriel Bowser
honored the 26 residents age 100 or older that attended the luncheon to honor the life-long contributions
each Centenarian has made to our great city. During the ceremony, Mayor
Bowser had the privilege to pay tribute to the oldest centenarian present,
Ms. Betsy Stanford, at 111 years old.
"In
order for you to live well, our Government will support you with advancing
senior and Age-Friendly programs to ensure the city continues to grow,"
stated Mayor Bowser.
For
more information on the 29th Annual Salute to District of Columbia
Centenarians, visit www.dcoa.dc.gov.
The
Committee on Housing & Community Development will conduct a Budget
Oversight Hearing on Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in Room
120, the following agencies will testify on:
- Advisory Neighborhood Commission
- Interfaith Council
- Office of Religious Affairs
- Office of Veterans Affairs
- Commission on Aging
- Office on Aging
Persons
wishing to testify about the performance of any of the foregoing agencies may
contact: Irene Kang, ikang@dccouncil.us or by calling 202-724-8198.
 Barbara Cline is a housing advocate for IONA Senior
Services’ Citizens Advisory Group.
In her High-Rise Life article, Cline describes rent control -
and how rent control has kept her DC apartment affordable. Senior renters (62 or older) living in rent-controlled
apartments are eligible to receive a reduced annual rent increase rate.
Disabled renters (any age) are also eligible to receive this
reduced rate.
Both senior and disabled renters must file a FREE one-time application
to receive these reduced rates. There
are no income requirements for either group.
All DC renters-
whether renting an apartment, condo, co-op or house- are recommended to secure
a copy of the 2013 DC Tenants Survival Guide, including sections on leases,
repairs, housing code violations, security deposits and evictions.
Read the full article here.
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Committee on Housing and
Community Development Chair Anita Bonds introduced today the “Elderly and
Tenants with Disabilities Protection Amendment Act of 2015”, a bill that
eliminates rent increases for low-income seniors and tenants with disabilities
that reside in rent controlled housing.
While some important protections
already exist for low-income seniors and tenants with disabilities, under many
petitions filled by landlords for rent adjustments, vulnerable residents can
see their rents skyrocket, leading to significant financial hardship and in
many cases displacement. The bill would protect seniors and tenants with
disabilities from sharp rent increases resulting from the following housing
petitions: hardship, services and facilities, substantial rehabilitation and
voluntary agreements.
The District of Columbia’s rent
controlled housing, estimated to total 80,000 units, or 25% of all District
housing, serves a large share of the District’s more vulnerable residents.
Further, many low-income seniors and tenants with disabilities rely on rent
controlled housing to be able to afford to live in the District.
This bill would cap the amount
that landlords can raise rent on low-income elderly and tenants with
disabilities living in rent controlled housing to whichever is smaller: the
Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment, the Consumer Price Index or 5% of
the current rent.
The bill also makes it easier for
a tenant to establish elderly or disability status and prohibits landlords from
instituting rent increases when proper notice is not given, or a registered
agent in the District is not appointed and/or maintained.
“Government at its best cares for the least among us” explained
Councilmember Bonds. “This bill will keep housing affordable for many of the
District’s most vulnerable residents.”
This week, the DC Department of
Parks and Recreation (DPR) was named one of 80 nationwide recipients for the
National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and Walmart Foundation partnership
grant to support out-of-school time healthy food access and nutrition literacy.
Through the $2.3 million shared grant from the Walmart Foundation, recipient
park and recreation agencies received funds to
supplement out-of-school time feeding programs.
This grant ties into DPR’s annual participation with the Office of the State
Superintendent for Education (OSSE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
(USDA) Free Summer Meals Program. From June 22 through August 21, 2015, kids
and teens eat free at select DPR Camp Sites and non-DPR Summer Meals Program
sites.
For
more information, click here.
On April 20th, AARP
Chief Public Policy Officer, Debra Whitman, Ph.D., unveils the new AARP
Livability Index as she addresses the American Planning Association in
Seattle. The Livability Index, developed by the AARP Public Policy Institute, will
help people of all ages better understand their communities and make decisions
about future needs. The Index measures quality of life in several areas: housing, transportation, neighborhood characteristics,
environment, health, opportunity, and civic and social engagement. An
interactive, easily navigated website, the Livability Index allows users to
compare communities, adjust scores based on personal preferences, and learn how
to take action to make their communities more livable.
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