TOPA Hearing Wrapup
The historic DC Council hearing on TOPA reform was yesterday, and what a day it was! Nearly 200 people showed up and more than two dozen people took the stand in front of the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization, all to support fixing TOPA.
Councilmember Anita Bonds, who chairs the Housing Committee, was shocked by the size of the crowd and was forced to ask a number of attendees to wait outside, as the room was over capacity.
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The hearing got started with a bang, as Council Chairman Phil Mendelson used his opening statements to announce his support for a full exemption from TOPA for all single-family homes. That was more than anybody bargained for, and the crowd responded by giving the Chairman a standing ovation. Chairman Mendelson pointed out several problems with TOPA as it currently stands, which he states would not be resolved by the proposed legislation.
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Councilmember Robert White also was not thrilled with the state of TOPA, expressing his skepticism toward the legislation as it currently stands.
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All in all, it was a massive success, and we couldn’t be much happier with how the day went. NBC Washington was there to cover the hearing — you can watch their story here.
Thanks to all who showed up in support, and an extra special thank you to Councilmember Bonds. Without her, this hearing never would have been possible.
