WASHINGTON (July 15, 2026) – On June 28, 2026, the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) discovered a cybersecurity incident that impacted our technological systems. The same day, DCHA shut down those systems as a precaution. Since then, DCHA’s Information Technology (IT) team, cybersecurity experts and law enforcement authorities have been working together to fully restore operations quickly, safely and efficiently. During this same period, DCHA has provided regular updates to our public housing residents, voucher participants and landlords, and staff.

We understand how concerning these incidents can be. Cybersecurity experts are completing a forensic investigation, which may take several weeks, and DCHA will share information as it becomes available. Led by our mission to provide affordable housing to the roughly 30,000 families who we serve, DCHA focused on getting our systems up and running again to best serve our customers.

On July 8, a temporary website launched to ensure access to housing resources and up-to-date announcements regarding the incident. Our three Customer Service Centers and the DCHA Call Center are currently providing full services for DCHA customers. Customers may experience some delays as staff are addressing both new and previously filed inquiries and prioritizing them accordingly. Of all customer inquiries received, DCHA’s first priorities are emergency housing quality inspections, emergency transfers and support for lease-ups happening on or before August 1.

Residents, applicants, participants and landlords may always call DCHA’s customer service line for help at 202-535-1000 and access the Yardi RentCafe portal directly for self-service at services.dchousing.org.

While these types of situations have become all too common nationwide, we recognize the significance of this event and have quickly taken appropriate steps to address it. Law enforcement has been notified, and cybersecurity experts are completing a forensic investigation to determine the full scope and impact of the incident. Internally, DCHA is thoroughly analyzing all employee laptops to ensure they are clean before they are brought back online. Although the investigation is still underway, DCHA is prepared to offer assistance to individuals whose information was impacted and we will share more details in the future.

DCHA follows industry standards when it comes to cybersecurity and data protection, including the use of round-the-clock threat monitoring, multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, layered email security, account monitoring and vulnerability assessments. Following this incident, we’ve taken additional measures to upgrade and enhance our cybersecurity programs and practices in consultation with our cybersecurity team.

DCHA is committed to restoring our systems as quickly, efficiently, and most importantly – safely as possible, and we thank our customers for their patience. We will continue to share updates as they become available.

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About DC Housing Authority

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is committed to providing safe, affordable and quality housing to the residents of the District of Columbia. The agency emphasizes fostering a collaborative work environment to meet the highest expectations of the affordable housing industry. With a focus on innovation and community development, DCHA strives to improve the lives of individuals and families by creating sustainable and thriving communities. Learn more at our website about DCHA and the work that the agency is doing to impact the residents of Washington, D.C.