Bowser’s staff meets with members of ONE DC on housing issues. Photo by Sarah Anne Hughes.

About two dozen demonstrators attempted to enter Councilmember Muriel Bowser’s office in the Wilson Building today to ask for legislation in support of their affordable housing plan, but were blocked as a group from entering.

“This is the people’s house,” one demonstrator with ONE DC told a guard blocking the door. “They can’t do this. … I’m a D.C. resident, and I pay taxes here.” The guard explained that, while the building is open to the public, Council staff may restrict entrance to offices if the activities are expected to create a disruption.

A guard blocks the door of Bowser’s office. Photo by Sarah Anne Hughes.

Five people, some residents of Mount Vernon Plaza, others affiliated with ONE DC, were eventually allowed to enter the office to explain to Joy Holland and Robert Hawkins, Bowser’s chief of staff and legislative director, respectively, their demand: A written comment from Bowser on the People’s Platform, which includes a call to freeze rents at places like Mount Vernon Plaza, one apartment building where local and federal affordability requirements are soon set to expire. Residents of Mount Vernon Plaza say they were not told a Low Income Housing Tax Credit was set to expire at the end of 2013, increasing their rents by hundreds of dollars.

Bowser, who chairs the Council’s Committee on Economic Development, was not in the office at the time. Staff for the Ward 4 Councilmember, who is running for mayor, originally said she would arrive at 1 p.m. to discuss the platform. As about a dozen people sat outside Bowser’s office, the meeting was pushed to the next afternoon.

“It’s disturbing,” one man said of the expiring housing agreements. “She’s the chairman of the committee. … They all talk the good game, but I don’t see any affordable housing for people who make less than $30,000.”

“Stop treating us like we’re stupid,” the man said. “Just be honest.”

“She talk a good game,” Valerie Williams, a founder of local homeless advocacy group Organization for United People, said. “If she hasn’t been for poor people in the past, she’s not going to be for poor people now.

“God is sick and tired of the mess that is going on in Washington, D.C. … toward people of color.”

In September, demonstrators organized by ONE DC and residents from Mount Vernon Plaza gathered in Bowser’s office and spoke with an aide, Judah Gluckman, to discuss the platform. “She didn’t even give us a response,” one demonstrator said of a letter sent to Bowser and Councilmember David Catania, who is also running for mayor, “outlining clear legislative initiatives that will benefit local residents.” Gluckman promised the staff was working on a “good, solid” response to the platform, but ONE DC says they did not receive one.

An organizer with ONE DC sat with Holland today to draft a list of topics for discussion, including “standard notification to tenants” and subsidization of rent by the D.C. Housing Authority after agreements expire.

Three hours after arriving, members of ONE DC and tenants from Mount Vernon Plaza met with Bowser’s staff to discuss legislation to address their concerns. While Bowser’s office has not committed to introducing legislation, it will be discussed tomorrow with the Councilmember.

Marybeth Onyeukwu, an organizer with ONE DC, said today’s meeting was progress, but the group is “still apprehensive” about another promise being made.