District of Columbia
Housing Authority
In the high-priced real estate market of Washington, D.C., thousands of families need help bridging the gap between low or moderate wages and the high cost of renting a home. The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) provides assistance to help these families obtain safe, quality, and affordable housing through public housing and voucher programs.
The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program is a five- to seven-year program designed to assist customers achieve economic self-sufficiency. Each participant is assigned to an FSS coordinator who meets regularly with them to help work toward their goals. The intermediary goals are based on three program tracks DCHA offers in addition to a general needs assessment. DCHA offers the following pathways to success: Education, Employment, and Homeownership.
To assist participants with reaching their goals, the following services are available:
DCHA is committed to providing equal access to events/programs for all applicants, residents, or participants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation or sign language interpreter service, please contact ADA/504/Language Department at 202-535-2737 or ADA504@dchousing.org with your complete request. Please allow at least three business days to make the necessary arrangements.
Although there is a waiting list for housing in the District of Columbia, preference is given to persons with mobility impairments, particularly those who serve as the head of a household. When there is a handicapped-accessible unit available, DCHA will go down its waiting list to look for applicants who have indicated they have mobility impairments.
The District of Columbia Housing Authority has a total of $40,000 in scholarships the agency awards each year to students furthering their education in the fall.
The annual Commitment to Excellence Scholarship Program accepts applications from students who live at DCHA properties or are Housing Choice Voucher Program recipients. There is no age requirement; however applicants must be attending an accredited college, university, or trade/technical school in the fall and must have a 2.0 GPA or a 225 GED score.
Continuing education is something DCHA always encourages and the agency wants to support its customers who are working toward that goal. These scholarships, which are paid directly to your learning institution, can pay for books, tuition, equipment, or other items needed to assist our clients’ in their studies.
Reaching the top of the waitlist depends on the available number of units and vouchers, when you applied, and any selection preferences you may have indicated on your application such as “veteran” or “disabled.” When your name reaches the top, DCHA will contact you to schedule a final eligibility interview.
Are you currently on DCHA’s waitlist for housing? Please log in to the Applicant Portal to update your contact information, address, family composition, phone number, and more at the link available here
If you prefer to fill out a form, please click here
More than 3,400 property owners in the District of Columbia are Housing Choice Voucher Program landlords. They work closely with the District of Columbia Housing Authority to develop and maintain a program that not only provides needed housing for thousands of families, but offers financial rewards for property owners, as well, including direct deposit and rents that are guaranteed. A Housing Providers Association helps shape policy that protects both landlords and tenants — and an agreement between the landlord, DCHA, and the tenant clarifies everyone’s obligations. HCVP is an effective way to expand the number of safe, quality homes available to low- and moderate-income residents of the city, while stimulating community stability and economic growth.
The Housing Providers’ Association (HPA) meets the third Wednesday of every month. Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m., and are held via Zoom.
For more information or to request a meeting link, contact DCHPA Chair,
Karissa Spann at (202) 718-5007 or karissa@dchpa.org
The District of Columbia Housing Authority and its contractors provide job training and employment opportunities to eligible low-income individuals in Washington, D.C. In addition, DCHA also offers training and support for low-income clients who are seeking employment opportunities.
The basis of these employment opportunity programs is Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. 1701u), as amended by Section 915 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992. The acts “ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by certain HUD financial assistance shall, to the greatest extent feasible, and consistent with existing federal, state, and local laws and regulations, be directed toward low- and very low-income persons, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing, and to business concerns which provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons.”
D.C. Housing Enterprises is a non-profit subsidiary of the District of Columbia Housing Authority and is one of the few Public Housing Authorities that the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund has certified as a Community Development Entity. As a CDE, DCHE originates New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) by providing tax credits to investors in return for equity investments in businesses that serve low-income communities. From 2009 to date, DCHE has received $128 million dollars of New Market Tax Credit allocations and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in community-oriented real estate and business developments. DCHE has a diverse portfolio of NMTC-financed projects that create catalytic economic impacts in low-income communities throughout the District of Columbia.
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