Beyond the Resume Podcast (Webinar Series): Fixing the formula in Washington D.C. Affordable Housing
👀 YouTube: https://youtu.be/vw26kp7vA38 • 👂 Spotify: https://bit.ly/4oUQ62r
In this episode of Beyond the Resume, we bring you another edition of our webinar series. Join Chris Papa and Kristin Niver as they lead an urgent discussion on the future of affordable housing in Washington, D.C. The expert panelists unpack the economic, political, and social factors shaping the city’s housing landscape.
Panelists Mitch Crispell (True Ground Housing Partners), Ed Delany (Capital One), Kimberly Driggins (Washington Housing Conservancy), Chris Marshall (The NRP Group), and Kate Owens (Jair Lynch RE Partners) examine the ripple effects of rent delinquency, eviction backlogs, and the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). Together, they explore how policymakers and developers can balance tenant protections with financial sustainability—while keeping the city’s housing stock intact.
This is a must-listen for developers, lenders, policymakers, and advocates navigating post-pandemic housing challenges in the nation’s capital.
Chapters
(04:35) The Fallout from the 2025 Rental Act
An overview of how the Rental Act emerged as a response to economic vacancy, rent delinquency, and strained landlord-tenant relations in D.C.
(10:12) The Billion-Dollar Problem: Rent Delinquencies
Kimberly Driggins and Kate Owens discuss over $1 billion in lost rent since the pandemic, how emergency-era tenant protections persisted too long, and their destabilizing effects on affordable housing providers.
(18:40) The Ripple Effect on Building Maintenance & Operations
Panelists explain how sustained delinquencies have made it difficult to maintain buildings, pay mortgages, and keep affordable units habitable—creating a vicious cycle of disrepair and nonpayment.
(26:58) Financing Fallout: The Lender’s Perspective
Capital One’s Ed Delany reveals how rising vacancies and thin margins are forcing lenders to step back from D.C. investments, chilling multifamily development across the city.
(36:25) Eviction Backlogs & the ERAP Program
A deep dive into D.C.’s eviction crisis—why court delays stretch up to 24 months, how federal judicial vacancies compound the issue, and whether new protective order requirements under the Rental Act can help.
(46:02) Lessons from Virginia’s Approach
Mitch Crispell contrasts D.C.’s dysfunction with Virginia’s more efficient systems, including resident services, consistent rental assistance, and functioning courts—keeping evictions below 2%.
(52:10) Investor Confidence & Regional Shifts
Kate Owens and Ed Delany describe a migration of investor capital from D.C. to Maryland and Virginia as developers seek more predictable outcomes and faster lease-ups.
(58:30) Understanding TOPA: Tenant Rights vs. Development Realities
Panelists unpack the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, exploring its origins, intentions, and unintended consequences for preservation and new construction.
(1:10:22) Policy Wins & What’s Next
Kate Owens and Kimberly Driggins reflect on the coalition that made the Rental Act possible and the ongoing need to refine eviction timelines, clarify tenant association rules, and modernize the courts.
(1:20:40) Road to Recovery: A Path Forward
Audience Q&A explores how to fix D.C.’s eviction bottlenecks, fill judicial vacancies, and restore investor trust in the market. Panelists close with ideas for keeping housing both affordable and financially viable.
Links
YouTube: https://youtu.be/vw26kp7vA38
Spotify: https://bit.ly/4oUQ62r
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3I3nkG9
Web: https://www.jacksonlucas.com/podcast/webinar-washingtondc