Street Sense: DC Flex, a pilot long-term rent subsidy program, could become permanent

Shani Laskin of Street Sense reports on DC Council’s deliberations about whether to make DC Flex, a rent subsidy program the city has piloted for several years, permanent.

The program fills a niche in the city’s housing services array as D.C.’s only shallow longer-term rental assistance program, as opposed to deep subsidies like housing vouchers, which cover the full cost of rent. For people exiting shelters, it has the potential to offer more stability than an alternative like the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which can provide short-term rental assistance but often only on a one-time basis. Funding for ERAP has decreased since federal pandemic-era support was depleted, and applications have been closed since November 2024.

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Makenna Osborn, testifying for the Children’s Law Center, urged the committee to wait to mark up the legislation until the Lab’s report is published, ensuring the bill is based on the most recent data. As it stands, each participating family receives $8,400 annually, and individuals $7,200. The bill proposes an increase, moving toward a minimum of $11,300 for families and $9,000 for singles by October 2027. With high rent prices and low incomes, Osborn said even these increased subsidies may be too low.

Photo credit: Kaela Roeder