DC Council Passes Legislation to Restore Homeownership for River East at Grandview Families 

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Tuesday May 5th, 2026                                                                                                 Whitney Sweetwine, 202-600-1866 

DC Council Passes Legislation to Restore Homeownership for River East at Grandview Families 

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Council of the District of Columbia passed the River East at Grandview Homeownership Relief & Restoration Act (B26-0545), delivering long-overdue relief to families displaced from unsafe homes and restoring a pathway back to homeownership. Introduced by Councilmember Robert White, the legislation directly addresses the impacts faced by 46 families in Ward 8 who purchased condominiums at River East at Grandview between 2017 and 2019. Within a short period, severe structural failures—including foundation instability, water intrusion, and extensive cracking—rendered the buildings unsafe. By 2021, residents were forced to evacuate. These families lost their homes, their equity, and critical years of opportunity to build generational wealth. 

“Today’s vote is about accountability and restoration,” said Councilmember White. “These families did everything right. They invested in their future and trusted a system that did not protect them. With this legislation, we are taking a clear step to restore what was lost.” While the District provided temporary rental assistance following the evacuation, long-term recovery remained out of reach for many. Rising home prices and higher interest rates have made it significantly more difficult for displaced residents to return to homeownership. More than half of the impacted families have not been able to reenter the housing market. White added, “I want to thank my Council colleagues for standing with me and with these families to get this done.” 

“This is a direct solution that meets the scale of the harm,” White said. “We are using the tools already available to remove barriers and ensure these families have a real path back to homeownership.” The passage of this legislation at first reading, the first of two votes for the bill to clear the Council and go to the Mayor’s desk, follows years of sustained advocacy by River East at Grandview residents, who organized, testified, and pushed for action. Their efforts were supported by organizations including Empower DC, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, and the Washington Interfaith Network. “This outcome reflects the strength and persistence of the residents,” White continued. “They stayed engaged, they demanded action, and today that work resulted in meaningful change.”  

The legislation now moves forward to second vote at the next legislative meeting currently scheduled for June 2nd. 

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