FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2026
Contact: Press@MoreAffordableDC.org
Phone: 202-744-2671
Landlord Lobby Lawsuit Delays Launch of DC’s Rent Freeze Ballot Initiative
More Affordable DC Vows to Fight Effort by Real Estate Interests to Block Voters from Having a Say
WASHINGTON, DC —Today More Affordable DC, the ballot initiative campaign committee behind Initiative 88, condemned a lawsuit filed in DC Superior Court, Douglass et al. v. District of Columbia Board of Elections, Case No. 2026-CAB-003542, as the latest attempt by the landlord lobby and powerful real estate interests to prevent District residents from voting on meaningful rent relief.
The lawsuit seeks to stop the ballot initiative that would freeze rents for two years and shift millions of dollars from rent increases back into the pockets of District residents, allowing that money to circulate through the local economy instead of flowing to landlords through higher rents.
Had the lawsuit not been filed on May 22, the campaign would have been issued its official ballot access petitions from the District of Columbia Board of Elections (DCBOE) on Wednesday, June 3, allowing supporters to begin collecting signatures across the District for Initiative 88. Instead, opponents represented by a major corporate law firm are seeking to delay and derail the initiative.
“This lawsuit is an attempt to silence the voices of renters before they even have the chance to be heard,” said Salim Adofo, proposer of Initiative 88 and Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. “The landlord lobby has every right to oppose this measure, but they should make their case to the voters—not try to prevent voters from participating in the democratic process altogether.”
The lawsuit follows the DCBOE’s determination that Initiative 88 was a proper subject for the initiative process on April 1, 2026. After failing to stop the measure before the Board, opponents have now turned to the courts in an effort to halt the petition drive before it begins.
At the heart of Initiative 88 is a two-year rent freeze designed to provide immediate relief to District renters struggling under the weight of rising housing costs.
“For too long, renters have been treated as an endless source of revenue,” Adofo said. “This initiative would allow District residents to keep more of their hard-earned money and spend it on groceries, childcare, transportation, healthcare, education, and local businesses instead of watching larger and larger portions of their paychecks disappear into rent increases.”
According to More Affordable DC, the legal challenge reflects a broader struggle between ordinary residents facing relentless rent increases and an organized real estate industry seeking to preserve the status quo.
“For years, renters have watched housing costs rise faster than their paychecks,” Adofo said. “Working families, seniors on fixed incomes, young professionals, and long-time residents are all feeling the squeeze. Meanwhile, the real estate industry continues to use its considerable political influence to block reforms that would provide meaningful relief.”
Initiative 88 was developed in response to growing concerns about housing affordability and displacement throughout the District. The campaign believes voters—not industry lobbyists—should have the final say on whether stronger tenant protections and rent relief measures should become law.
“The people of the District of Columbia deserve the opportunity to decide this issue for themselves,” Kris Furnish, chairwoman of the campaign and a Ward 3 voter, said. “The landlord lobby has lobbyists, lawyers, and political influence. Renters have their voices and their votes. This lawsuit is an attempt to take one of those away.”
More Affordable DC emphasized that the initiative process exists to ensure that residents can directly participate in shaping public policy, particularly when powerful special interests dominate the debate.
“This is bigger than Initiative 88,” Furnish continued. “This is about whether ordinary residents still have a meaningful avenue to challenge entrenched interests. If powerful industries can use litigation to prevent citizens from even collecting signatures, then the initiative process becomes little more than an illusion.”
The campaign pledged to continue organizing supporters across all eight wards and to vigorously defend the initiative in court.
“No lawsuit changes the reality facing District residents,” Furnish said. “Housing costs remain too high. Families are being pushed out of neighborhoods they have called home for generations. The need for action has never been greater, and we remain committed to giving voters the opportunity to make their voices heard.”
According to DC’s ballot initiative law, the lawsuit should be adjudicated in an expedited fashion. The campaign expects motions to be filed this month and the judge to make their decision in late July. The campaign hopes to begin circulating the ballot access petition immediately after the lawsuit fails.
To qualify for placement on a future District-wide ballot, the campaign must collect signatures from at least 5% of registered District voters citywide, including 5% in five of the District’s eight wards, in 180 days.
More Affordable DC is a citizen-led, ballot initiative campaign committee focused on stabilizing rents, modernizing housing policy, and expanding access to affordable housing in the District. For more information, and to try out the campaign’s Rent Freeze Calculator, visit www.MoreAffordableDC.org.
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