This year’s budget season is one of the toughest we’ve seen in a long time. We’re facing a major deficit, and I know the choices we make now will shape who can afford to live in DC tomorrow. That’s why my housing budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2026 are focused on one thing: putting people first.

I’m not interested in flashy headlines or political games. I’m interested in protecting families, preserving neighborhoods, and creating pathways to homeownership, especially for the residents who’ve held this city down for decades.

What I’m Fighting For in the FY26 Housing Budget
• $100 million for the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF)
I support the Mayor’s investment—but I go a step further. I’m requiring that at least 30% be used to preserve the housing we already have. That means we’re not just building new units—we’re keeping longtime residents in place and stopping displacement before it starts.
• $15 million for rent stabilization
We can’t ignore the housing crisis. Small landlords are struggling, and so are renters. This stabilization funding will help both sides breathe and stay afloat.
• $1 million for the Small Buildings Program
Some of our most affordable homes are in small buildings—many of which need repairs. This funding helps landlords fix properties and keep people housed safely.
• $2 million boost to the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP)
Homeownership is still out of reach for too many DC residents. By increasing HPAP funding and changing the program rules, I’m making it easier for first-time homebuyers to purchase a home and stay in DC.
• $200,000 increase for Emergency Housing Assistance
We need fast help for people on the edge of eviction or impacted by building closures. This extra funding gives us more tools to intervene before someone loses their home.
• Redirecting Office of the Tenant Advocate funds to pay tenant court filing fees
No one should be blocked from justice because they can’t afford a court fee. This shift removes that barrier and makes legal protections more real for more people.

Here’s what my Committee on Housing is recommending in FY26:
• Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF)
• FY25 Approved: $79,997,224
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $100,000,000
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: $100,000,000
(With 30% reserved for preservation)
• Housing Preservation – Acquisition & Critical Repairs
• FY25 Approved: $4,584,000
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $0
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: $1,000,000
• Small Buildings Program
• FY25 Approved: $853,000
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $763,000
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: $1,263,000
• Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP)
• FY25 Approved: $31,222,822
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $27,427,036
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: $29,255,054
• Emergency Housing Assistance Program
• FY25 Approved: $570,000
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $570,000
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: $770,000
• Office of the Tenant Advocate – Court Filing Fees
• FY25 Approved: N/A
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $10,000 (for equipment)
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: Redirect full $10,000 to court filing fees
• Housing Finance Agency
• FY25 Approved: $16,943,792
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $18,355,000
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: $18,355,000
• Rental Housing Commission
• FY25 Approved: $1,363,293
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $1,288,079
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: $1,288,079
• Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (OANC)
• FY25 Approved: $2,532,071
• FY26 Mayor’s Budget: $2,532,071
• FY26 Committee Recommendation: $2,532,071

Since 2000, DC has lost more than 36,000 low-cost rental units. Most of our rental stock was built before 1978, meaning these homes are at risk and the people who live in them are too.

At the same time, it now costs more than $530,000 to build a single affordable unit through HPTF. We don’t have time or money to waste. Preservation is faster, cheaper, and keeps communities intact.

We’re in a deficit, and I understand the pressure. But I won’t balance this budget on the backs of residents who’ve already been squeezed too hard, too long. I lived through the last housing crisis in DC. My family was displaced. I won’t let that happen again, not without a fight.

Budgets are values in action. This one is about protecting what matters: people, homes, and the communities that make DC more than just a city. If you support this vision, I encourage you to speak up. Contact your councilmembers. Talk to your neighbors. This budget is about all of us and it only works if we fight for it together.