WASHINGTON — City inspections of low-income housing complexes in D.C. have uncovered more than 1,000 code violations, which could result in fines exceeding $500,000 for the company running them.
Sanford Capital — referred to as a “slumlord” by The Washington City Paper and reported heavily on by The Washington Post — came into Mayor Muriel Bowser’s crosshairs after scathing reports were published by both outlets.
“Like you, I was horrified to read residents’ complaints about apartments and buildings owned by Sanford Capital,” Bowser said during State of D.C. remarks after ordering the inspections. “There are a lot of violations, years in the making, that need immediate attention.”
“So they will have a choice: fix the violations, face nearly a half-a-million dollars in fines, or see us in court,” she said.
The inspections and Bowser’s comments come amid her administration’s efforts to preserve affordable housing for D.C. residents.
District officials gave Sanford, which has received millions in taxpayer subsidies, one week to fix problems, instead of the standard 30 days, before fines are issued.
Sanford’s administrative court challenge to the violations must be resolved before citations can be issued.
Sanford runs at least 18 housing complexes in the District.
An attorney for Sanford would not comment on pending litigation but told The Washington Post that the company is hoping to resolve the matter.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
