Washington, D.C. — Ahead of today’s legislative meeting, Robert White is calling for passage of the River East at Grandview Homeownership Relief & Restoration Act (B26-0545), legislation designed to restore homeownership opportunities for families displaced by unsafe housing conditions in Ward 8. The legislation offers a targeted correction using existing housing tools.  

The bill is structured to deliver immediate, tangible relief to impacted families: 

Reclassifies Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) support as grants for eligible displaced residents,  

Converts outstanding HPAP loans into grants for those who have already repurchased homes, and 

Restores original affordability timelines for Inclusionary Zoning units. 

The bill requires no new programmatic infrastructure and operates within existing HPAP resources, making it budget neutral. “This is not a new program. It is a necessary correction,” White said. “We are using the tools already available to deliver relief that should have been in place years ago.’ For years, River East at Grandview residents have organized, testified, and demanded action. Their advocacy, supported by organizations including Empower DC, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, and the Washington Interfaith Network has brought sustained attention to the issue, but relief has yet to match the scale of harm. 

“The delay in action has already cost these families years of stability and wealth-building opportunity,” White continued. Councilmember White is urging Councilmembers to move the legislation forward without amendment or delay. 

“We have the facts. “Further delay is a choice and it is the wrong one.” We have the policy. We have the mechanism to act,” said White. “What remains is the will to do it. I am calling on my colleagues to pass this bill and restore what was lost.”                                                                             

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