Lest ye drift from the gospel of McMillan, repent now! So sayeth D.C. Chief Tenant Advocate Johanna Shreve, who once again confirmed that indeed, thou rent hath been lifted to the point of damnation. more ›

U.S. News and World Report has it that a spike in rents in the District "could exceed 10 percent," since the recession hasn't affected Washington in the way it has other cities, leading to more demand from renters. more ›

That Jimmy McMillan, maybe he was on to something. The Washington Post reports that, according to census figures, one in five renters and one in seven homeowners in the Washington area are funneling more than half of their income to housing costs. And its not only a matter of a lack of affordable housing for low-income residents (though inclusionary zoning initiatives certainly have been dragging over the last couple of years in the District). Middle-class residents are really feeling the pinch, too, even in places like affluent Fairfax County. Obviously, it's difficult to compare dense, urban Washington D.C. proper with other jurisdictions; not too many other areas around the United States have a median rent of $1,300. (Plus, many who decide to spend more on housing in the District do so conscious of the extra cost and to save money on, say, commuting.) But even among those who rake in up to $50,000 a year and live in Washington's suburbs, the Post found many homeowners blasting well over the thirty-percent standard -- nearly double the national rate. more ›

Last spring, we noted that Atlantic business editor Megan McArdlejust could not find a tolerable home in the District on which to spend her federally-subsidized home buyer tax credit! McCardle received a fair amount of criticism from various sources for saying things like there are no Metro stops in Anacostia. (But there is a Ray's the Steaks nearby!) more ›

This is a question I often ask myself when strolling by the intersection of 14th and U Streets NW (though thankfully a little less often now, since the long-awaited redevelopment of the buildings on the northeast corner nears completion). Matt Yglesias offers up the vacant building next door, however, as a case study in why, even accounting for the current recession, so many city storefronts in seemingly ideal locations remain vacant for so long. Assuming that a landlord has difficulty attracting a new tenant at the current rent, shouldn't there be an incentive then to lower the rent? Isn't some rent better than no rent at all? more ›

Anyone who's a renter has at least one landlord-related horror story. It could be that your house doesn't meet the normal safety regulations, that your landlord just jacked up the rent 15 percent or that they're starting to play dumb when it comes to returning your security deposit. Whatever the case, navigating the District's tenant/landlord laws and regulations -- no matter how weighted towards tenants they might be -- can sometimes be confusing and frustrating. more ›

When news broke last week that the Lerner family was witholding rent payments on the new baseball stadium because they claimed it wasn't fully complete, many residents were predictably peeved. But today the Post is reporting that the D.C. Council may take a step that will similarly annoy everyone else who attends Nats games -- they might raise taxes on tickets and concessions to cover the rent shortfall. more ›

, now being staged at Theater J. In this production, in which the actress plays five members of a Jewish family in the 80s, material that may have been dated instead feels like a cozy trip back to a time gone by. more ›

It's one of the peculiarities of the interaction between economics and politics that the idea of price controls is roundly dismissed as a wrongheaded remnant of command economies while rent control maintains a prominent place in urban political debates. Economists hate the policy, with good reason, but political calculus makes it very difficult to get rid of the idea once and for all. more ›

A couple of months back we posted information on a pre-sale for tickets to see the Foo Fighters in a special, one night only show at the 9:30 Club. Needless to say, our decision wasn't met with kind words from the band's "real" fans, who proceeded to leave us all types of dirty comments and even went as far as to post the address of yours truly on a 9:30 Club Forum thread. So when... more ›

The D.C. Tenants' Advocacy Coalition will be holding a Candidates Forum this Thursday, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Charles Sumner Museum School at 1201 17th St. NW. more ›