WASHINGTON, D.C. — Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced three new lawsuits in response to discriminatory actions against District residents taken by seven real estate companies and professionals operating in Wards 4 and 8. District law prohibits businesses or individuals from discriminating against residents based on a wide range of traits, including disability, race, color, and source of income.

The District is in the midst of a housing crisis, with too many residents struggling to access safe and affordable places to live. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has been using all the tools in our toolbox to preserve existing housing and protect tenants. One of OAG’s core missions remains preserving affordable housing and disrupting the business model drives out long-term residents for quick profits. Over the past seven years, the office has secured major victories that have a real impact in the lives of Washingtonians.

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine applauds the Council’s passage of a bill that expands the District’s ability to hold landlords accountable if their failure to meet maintenance obligations forces tenants out of their homes. The bill empowers the District’s Office of the Tenant Advocate (OTA) to recover costs of emergency assistance to tenants from a housing provider if that provider’s neglect caused their tenants to be displaced. It also allows OTA to impose a lien on the landlord to collect unpaid reimbursements for such assistance to tenants.

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine, along with attorneys general from 14 states, has secured a federal court ruling that will require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate areas of the country that have unhealthy levels of smog in excess of federal Clean Air Act requirements.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will vigorously enforce new protections for tenants and consumers included in the Council’s COVID-19 Response Act, which passed unanimously today.

This article originally appeared in The Washington Post.

By Karl A. Racine

Karl A. Racine, a Democrat, is the D.C. attorney general.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) filed five lawsuits against family members and a home health aide alleging they financially exploited vulnerable adults in the District. Four complaints involve family members exploiting their elder parent’s finances for personal benefit, including opening a line of credit and withdrawing cash from their social security income without authorization.