Sunday, April 26, 2009
Nuclear Power: How it Affects Us?
American University's Eco-Sense President Meg Imholt and enviornmental science
expert Christopher Tudge talk about the dangerous aspects of nuclear power that is related to the Millstone power station leak and some of the alternative energy solutions to nuclear power.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
DC Tenants Coalition Meeting
DC Tenants Coalition Meeting
By Steven Rosenberg
A major protective body for the 70 percent of Washington, D.C., residents who are renters could disappear through budget cuts, members of the Tenants Coalition said last night in gathering potential testimony to fight the cuts.
Some seven members began preparation for the City Council hearing on April 8 that will determine whether or not the RHC will be abolished. The RHC is comprised of three people who represent landlords and renters, and acts as an appeal committee for renters and building owners who are in dispute.
If the RHC is removed from the budget, an appeals process will be unknowingly taken away from the renters of the community, said Michael Colonna, a former vice president of the Tenants Association.
“Most people don’t know what their rights are, and they don’t know how to defend them,” he said.
When a tenant and landlord have a dispute, their case automatically goes to the Office of Administrative Hearings. After a decision is reached, either party can take his or her case to the RHC and then finally to a Superior Court of law. While the cases are before the RHC, the tenants can represent themselves, but once they get to the Superior Court, a lawyer will most likely be needed. The removal of the RHC, a proposal before the City Council, could hurt some renters who do not have the money to spend on a lawyer, according to Colonna and others.
“Tenants who get an unfavorable position will have to go to court,” Colonna said.
Colonna said he is contemplating whether to give any testimony at the City Council meeting. He said he would only be repeating the arguments of thousands of other tenants who face the same problems of constant rent increases, lack of services, and lack of cooperation from the landlords.
“I’m having trouble coming up with fresh things to say,” Colonna said.
Tom Gregory, a tenant at 4000 Massachusetts Ave. NW, said that his building is the target for the largest rent increases in D.C history, at an extra $14 million over an eight-year span. Gregory said he is also upset about surcharges for renovations that should be paid for by the landlord.
“To have real capital improvements, there needs to be real improvements,” he said.
The coalition is also concerned that the superior court system is not equipped to handle renter disputes because it has no prior experience in cases in tenant law. Campbell Johnson, chair of the Urban Housing Alliance, said that most rent control laws are complex and judges tend to defer to attorneys who are experts on such
laws.
“If you don’t have an attorney, it’s your loss,” he said.
Karen Williamson, chair of the D.C. Tenant’s Coalition, says there needs to be more involvement from renters to ensure that this ordinance does not pass.
“Renter apathy is one of the worst problems that you can have,” she said.
Over 70 percent of D.C. residents are tenants. Still, Colonna said renters are looked down upon as second class citizens. He said landowners are not willing to make concessions because they want new tenants, so they can raise rent.
“Model for renting in D.C. is becoming a dorm mode, “he said. “They encourage rapid turnover.”
Kenneth Rothschild, who is considering giving council testimony, applauded the work of activist tenants.
“There has been a core group of tenants that have stuck with the tenant issue and made sure that the legislative and the agency issues that are critical to good housing law, and the enforcement of that law, that we have been able to at least do a lot to keep it as strong as it is,” he said. “ It could be better, but it could be a lot worse.”
Still, according to Colonna, more renters need to take a stand against constant rent increases, the mismanagement of rental payments, and the overall mistreatment of renters by their landlords
“Most people in the building don’t think an extra $100 a month is a lot. I do,” he said.
-30-
The Importance of Tenant Advocacy in D.C.
By Steven Rosenberg
A major protective body for the 70 percent of Washington, D.C., residents who are renters could disappear through budget cuts, members of the Tenants Coalition said last night in gathering potential testimony to fight the cuts.
Some seven members began preparation for the City Council hearing on April 8 that will determine whether or not the RHC will be abolished. The RHC is comprised of three people who represent landlords and renters, and acts as an appeal committee for renters and building owners who are in dispute.
If the RHC is removed from the budget, an appeals process will be unknowingly taken away from the renters of the community, said Michael Colonna, a former vice president of the Tenants Association.
“Most people don’t know what their rights are, and they don’t know how to defend them,” he said.
When a tenant and landlord have a dispute, their case automatically goes to the Office of Administrative Hearings. After a decision is reached, either party can take his or her case to the RHC and then finally to a Superior Court of law. While the cases are before the RHC, the tenants can represent themselves, but once they get to the Superior Court, a lawyer will most likely be needed. The removal of the RHC, a proposal before the City Council, could hurt some renters who do not have the money to spend on a lawyer, according to Colonna and others.
“Tenants who get an unfavorable position will have to go to court,” Colonna said.
Colonna said he is contemplating whether to give any testimony at the City Council meeting. He said he would only be repeating the arguments of thousands of other tenants who face the same problems of constant rent increases, lack of services, and lack of cooperation from the landlords.
“I’m having trouble coming up with fresh things to say,” Colonna said.
Tom Gregory, a tenant at 4000 Massachusetts Ave. NW, said that his building is the target for the largest rent increases in D.C history, at an extra $14 million over an eight-year span. Gregory said he is also upset about surcharges for renovations that should be paid for by the landlord.
“To have real capital improvements, there needs to be real improvements,” he said.
The coalition is also concerned that the superior court system is not equipped to handle renter disputes because it has no prior experience in cases in tenant law. Campbell Johnson, chair of the Urban Housing Alliance, said that most rent control laws are complex and judges tend to defer to attorneys who are experts on such
laws.
“If you don’t have an attorney, it’s your loss,” he said.
Karen Williamson, chair of the D.C. Tenant’s Coalition, says there needs to be more involvement from renters to ensure that this ordinance does not pass.
“Renter apathy is one of the worst problems that you can have,” she said.
Over 70 percent of D.C. residents are tenants. Still, Colonna said renters are looked down upon as second class citizens. He said landowners are not willing to make concessions because they want new tenants, so they can raise rent.
“Model for renting in D.C. is becoming a dorm mode, “he said. “They encourage rapid turnover.”
Kenneth Rothschild, who is considering giving council testimony, applauded the work of activist tenants.
“There has been a core group of tenants that have stuck with the tenant issue and made sure that the legislative and the agency issues that are critical to good housing law, and the enforcement of that law, that we have been able to at least do a lot to keep it as strong as it is,” he said. “ It could be better, but it could be a lot worse.”
Still, according to Colonna, more renters need to take a stand against constant rent increases, the mismanagement of rental payments, and the overall mistreatment of renters by their landlords
“Most people in the building don’t think an extra $100 a month is a lot. I do,” he said.
-30-
The Importance of Tenant Advocacy in D.C.
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