𝐍𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐝: 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐊𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞! DC's affordable housing market is doing its best impression of a Jenga tower in an earthquake. Mission-driven landlords who've spent decades providing affordable homes are watching their life's work crumble as unpaid rent hits $30M+ across major properties. Think of it like running a restaurant where 30% of customers don't pay their bills - eventually, the kitchen lights go dark. The pandemic created a perfect storm: tenants could stay without paying if they just applied for aid. The math is brutal: rent doesn't come in, but mortgages, taxes, and maintenance bills keep showing up. This isn't just a DC story - it's playing out in cities nationwide. One company head put it simply: "You can be a slumlord in this environment, but you cannot be an honorable housing provider." The "affordable" part of affordable housing might vanish first. When mission-driven owners get forced out, their replacements often have different goals - turning $800 apartments into $2,000 ones. It's a reminder that good intentions without good math leads to tough outcomes - in DC and beyond. https://lnkd.in/eWSVesBx