Happy National Nonprofit Day!

Happy National Nonprofit Day! Celebrate the work of nonprofits like University Legal Services by learning more about our community work. This week, we are spotlighting the work of our Housing and Tenant Programs.

Together we can make a real difference in the lives of low-and-median income DC residents who are working to achieve housing stability. Thank you for your ongoing support. Please consider contributing to our mission. Your donation directly supports our efforts to strengthen our DC community.

The Tenant Purchase Assistance Program

Our Tenant Purchase Assistance Program (TPAP) supports members of tenant associations, cooperatives, and condominiums who are interested in preserving and expanding affordable housing options in DC. TPAP has been working with DC tenants to purchase and preserve affordable housing for over 30 years.

Our primary focus is to provide asset management assistance to residents of cooperatives who previously purchased their buildings. We help cooperatives create Asset Management and Sustainability Plans, organize building inspections, review financial statements, create annual operating budgets, plan building renovations, and troubleshoot various operational concerns.

Making Strides to Improve Housing Cooperatives’ Finances

Members of housing cooperatives don’t pay rent to a landlord; instead, they are owners and pay monthly carrying charges to the cooperative.  Co-op boards are made up of building residents, and the board approves an annual budget, decides on maintenance priorities, and more.  The carrying charges collected by the co-op are its only source of income, which is used to pay bills- property taxes, insurance, utilities, property management, loan payments, etc.

Timely payment of carrying charges is critical to the health of a co-op, however, during the COVID pandemic, many rental property owners and co-ops experienced a decrease in on time payment of carrying charges by residents .  Both national and local affordable housing developers have been feeling the stress of missed payments, which makes it difficult to pay operating expenses and fund building repairs.

This is where organizations like ULS can step in to support cooperatives. The TPAP program provides asset management and financial advisory services to co-op boards, working with them to address the problem of missed payments. Our dedicated Program Manager spends time with each individual cooperative, helping them to understand their finances and create a plan for the co-op board to meet with residents to ensure they understand the importance of paying carrying charges to the co-op’s overall health.

At ULS, we know that co-ops are a strong housing model and do everything within our power to support them. When residents own their building, they have a long-term investment in its health and success. The co-op boards that we work with may struggle to keep up with carrying charges, but they are dedicated to maintaining affordable housing and keeping it viable for all residents. Board members are excited to strengthen the health of their communities by reducing delinquencies and filling vacancies.

TPAP works with co-ops throughout the city.  Many co-ops ULS works with have significantly reduced or eliminated delinquencies, and one particular co-op has had great success as the result of a pilot grant program. In November of 2024, the Residence at Minnesota Gardens Cooperative received a $25,000 grant from LISC DC to promote financial stability and community engagement. One of the programs implemented with this grant is to fund rewards to residents who have paid their monthly carrying charges in full by the end of the calendar year, awarding them a $400 account credit towards future charges. This program has had fantastic results, encouraging more residents to pay their carrying charges in full each month.

This is a testament to the strength of community-based organizations like ULS, as we work with residents to empower them to make better, more informed choices within their communities.

The Housing Counseling Program

Our Housing Counseling Program (HCP) is committed to keeping long-time DC residents in their beloved communities.

University Legal Services started with legal representation and housing advocacy. HCP is at the heart of our organization. In the early years, ULS handled housing, social security, and welfare/public benefits issues. For example. ULS litigated and won a federal housing discrimination suit on behalf of a tenant against Dunphy Realty.

ULS represented many tenants prior to the enactment of the District’s Rental Housing Act of 1985, which established tenants’ rights based on litigation in the 1970s. One such case was Mendes v. Johnson, in which ULS argued successfully against a landlord’s common law right to self-help evictions. Mendes served as a critical turning point for the preservation of tenants’ rights as it required landlords to seek court action and justify legal bases prior to attempting to evict tenants.

"Other programs and agents may just want to push you through the system. But ULS? They are invested in YOU."

-Mr. Diggs, HCP client and first-time homeowner

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HCP at the Academy of Hope Housing Summit

ULS had the opportunity to table at the Academy of Hope Housing Summit on Thursday, August 7th. The Academy of Hope is an Adult Public Charter School for DC Residents over the age of 18. They have a GED Program, College and Career Services and several Workforce Programs.

This event was organized to provide housing resources to the Academy’s adult learners so that they may be educated on the services available to those looking to improve their current housing situation.

HCP educated attendees about our services while handing out informational flyers and freebies!

HCP at the Housing Resource Center

The Housing Resource Center (HRC) is the District's central hub for housing, connecting residents and other customers with essential programs and services. Through the HRC, the Department of Housing and Community Development offers guidance on rental assistance, homebuyer support, foreclosure prevention, housing counseling, and emergency and transitional housing.

The Housing Counseling Program has been a featured Community Based Organization (CBO) at the HRC this summer. Our housing counselors are available on select dates to meet with DC residents and connect them with resources to guide their homeownership journey and achieve finanical stability. To see when ULS will be at the HRC next, follow the Department of Housing and Community Development on Instagram!