October 19, 2004
D.C. to Inspect Georgetown Off-Campus Housing
D.C. inspectors will be inspecting housing units on Prospect Street following the death of a Georgetown University student in an apartment fire over the weekend. Although 3318 Prospect St. had fire alarms and met code, Daniel Rigby, 21, had been sleeping in the same room where faulty wiring leading to the house's furnace sparked the fatal blaze.
From the Post:
City inspectors, residents and university officials had been discussing the rental problems for the past few months, but Rigby's death led to today's action, Clark said.
While DCist understands the need for inspections, we're frustrated that it had to take a death to get action. There are hundreds of substandard, crowded (and in some cases, illegal) apartments crammed into older housing stock in Georgetown and other areas across the city. We even know of some off-campus student housing in Georgetown that is actually part of old slave quarters ... and the conditions haven't improved much in the past century and a half.
(Photo of the Prospect Street fire aftermath from Yakusha.)
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boo hoo, poor G'town students. I challenge you to find some "slave quarters" that go for less than $400k.
DC Gov. generally consists of lazy bureucrats that don't move until someone higher up pressures them, that person doesn't move until someone is killed or property is damaged.
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Slave quarters where conditions haven't improved much? Dude, you seriously need to go get some perspective. Yes, safe housing is an important need that should be addressed, but jesus christ it's nothing even close to what you're trying to tap into. Think a little, next time.
Channel 4 is reporting that 33 g'town students have been kicked out of condemmed rental housing. Way to go DC government -- punish the tenants, not the slumlords!
Yeah, it does suck that they're kicking out the tenants... It would be nice if we could increase the percentage of students living on campus, but even though we have vacancies students are choosing to live elsewhere.
Honestly, it's damn expensive living here. I'm paying $800 a month for a dorm room that is essentially an efficiency, minus the kitchenette, and is shared with another person. And we have a lovely little roach problem.
So, yeah, I'll be living off campus next year, I think. :-P