District of Columbia Housing Authority

What District of Columbia Housing Authority does

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is a statutorily created public housing authority of the District of Columbia, established in 1990 and headquartered at 625 D Street SW in Washington. DCHA administers the District's portfolio of affordable housing programs, including the direct management of public housing properties across the city and the federally funded Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), through which 3,400+ private landlords rent to low-income households. As a Moving to Work (MTW) agency since 2003, DCHA holds HUD-approved flexibility to design local programs and policies tailored to Washington's high-cost rental market. Its service portfolio also includes the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, workforce development and apprenticeship training, a $40,000 annual Commitment to Excellence Scholarship Program, the Healthcare Initiative Program delivered via Community Concierge Care (C3 CARES), and resident services across multiple customer service centers.

DCHA operates its housing administration on a conventional government technology stack rather than proprietary software: the Yardi Housing Management System handles property management, tenant records, rent determination, and housing assistance payment tracking; RentCafe provides a self-service online portal for applicants, residents, voucher participants, and landlords; an agency-wide Enterprise Resource Planning application manages operations, finances, and administration; a Board of Commissioner BI dashboard supports governance; and a Project Management Information System (PMIS) tracks development and modernization projects. The agency's wholly owned nonprofit subsidiary, D.C. Housing Enterprises (DCHE), is a Community Development Entity certified by the CDFI Fund and has received $128 million in New Markets Tax Credit allocations since 2009, deploying hundreds of millions of dollars into community-oriented real estate and business developments.

DCHA's business model is that of a government agency rather than a commercial enterprise. Funding flows primarily from federal HUD subsidies and District of Columbia appropriations; services are not sold on commercial terms and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Major capital partners include HUD, KeyBank (providing a $70 million line of credit and a $15 million renovation project facility), the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (co-developing the Barry Farm redevelopment), and various professional service firms. DCHA is governed by a Board of Commissioners under a two-year temporary Stabilization and Reform Board structure and has experienced recent leadership turnover, including the April 2026 appointment of an Interim Executive Director. The agency is currently managing the aftermath of a cybersecurity incident discovered on June 28, 2026.

Name

District of Columbia Housing Authority

Legal name

District of Columbia Housing Authority

Website

https://dchousing.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is a DC government public housing authority that manages public housing properties and administers the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) serving extremely low to moderate income households across Washington, D.C., funded primarily by HUD and DC appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Housing Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111)

SIC

Real Estate Operators (No Developers) & Lessors (6510), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Public housing services
• Housing voucher program
• Affordable housing assistance
• Resident self-sufficiency programs
• Community development financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DCHA is a government housing authority that administers federal and local affordable housing programs in the District of Columbia. It directly manages public housing rental units and administers the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), distributing rental assistance to more than 3,400 participating private-market landlords. It also delivers resident self-sufficiency services including workforce development, apprenticeship training, family self-sufficiency programming, scholarships, and youth services under its Moving to Work designation.

Product overview

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is a government housing authority that provides a portfolio of affordable housing programs and services. It operates as a unified service delivery organization rather than a product company with modular software offerings. DCHA's core services include public housing units management, the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) for tenant-based and project-based vouchers, the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program, workforce development initiatives, scholarship programs, and resident services. The organization also administers the Moving to Work (MTW) program, provides housing vouchers, manages landlord partnerships, and operates customer service centers. These are government program services rather than commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Housing Program Direct management of DCHA-owned affordable rental housing units across the District of Columbia, providing subsidized housing to eligible extremely low to moderate income households.
• Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) Federal voucher program administered by DCHA that enables low-income families to rent privately-owned housing in the DC market, with rental assistance payments made directly to participating landlords (3,400+ property owners).
• Moving to Work (MTW) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,400+ landlords participate in the HCVP, expanding safe quality homes for low-income residents
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• D.C. Housing Enterprises (DCHE)coreOthers · 1 January 2009DCHE is a non-profit subsidiary of DCHA and is one of the few Public Housing Authorities certified as a Community Development Entity (CDE) by the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. DCHE originates New Markets Tax Credits by providing tax credits to investors in return for equity investments in businesses serving low-income communities. From 2009 to date, DCHE has received $128 million in NMTC allocations and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in community developments.
• Polsinelli PCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides bond advisor and counsel services to DCHA. Contract amount increases have been authorized through board resolutions.
• BDO USA, P.C.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides fee accounting and balance sheet account reconciliation services to DCHA. Contract extension and increase authorized through Resolution 26-01.
• Community Concierge Care (C3 CARES)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides the Healthcare Initiative Program for DCHA residents. Contract continuation authorized through Resolution 26-02 for the Healthcare Initiative Program.
• Nix Development Company, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides relocation planning and move management services for DCHA development projects. Cooperative agreement increase authorized through Resolution 26-09.
• District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMPED partners with DCHA on infrastructure projects including the Barry Farm redevelopment. A 2026 Infrastructure Memorandum of Understanding between DCHA and DMPED was authorized through Resolution 26-06 for the Barry Farm project.
• DC Housing SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCHA authorized a funding agreement supporting DC Housing Solutions' entering into a revolving line of credit up to $15,000,000 to support the Bond-Funded Renovation Project (Resolution 25-41).
• Residential One, LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDCHA entered into an exclusive right to negotiate a contract for property management services with Residential One, LLC to manage the Judiciary House RAD-PBV and LIHTC Converted Property (Resolution 25-24).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA): Largest public housing authority in the U.S., operating public housing and administering HCVP in New York City. Directly comparable as a municipal housing authority serving an expensive urban market with similar federal funding and MTW-adjacent regulatory exposure.
• Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA): City of Philadelphia's public housing authority, operating public housing units and the HCVP. Comparable in scale, governance structure, and federal funding model; operates under similar HUD oversight and addresses a high-cost urban rental market.
• Chicago Housing Authority (CHA): Chicago's public housing authority operating public housing and HCVP, with significant redevelopment activity (Plan for Transformation). Comparable to DCHA in administering a large urban public housing portfolio and voucher program.
• Boston Housing Authority (BHA): Boston's public housing authority providing public housing and Section 8 vouchers in a high-cost urban market. Comparable to DCHA as a smaller, urban, Northeast PHAs with redevelopment priorities and similar HUD funding structure.
• Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA): Los Angeles County's housing authority providing Section 8 vouchers and affordable housing. Directly comparable as a large municipal housing authority administering federal housing assistance in a high-cost urban market.
• San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA): San Francisco's public housing authority operating public housing and Section 8 vouchers in one of the nation's most expensive rental markets. Comparable to DCHA in scale, urban high-cost environment, and HUD regulatory exposure.
• Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA): Atlanta's public housing authority with significant mixed-income redevelopment experience (e.g., Centennial Place). Comparable in operating public housing, administering vouchers, and pursuing large-scale redevelopment projects.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Federal agency that funds and oversees DCHA's public housing and voucher programs. Functions as DCHA's primary regulator and funding source, providing the regulatory framework and capital that shape DCHA's operating model.

Others

• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit developer and CDFI focused on affordable housing and community development. Comparable to DCHA's mission and to the work of DCHE in deploying community development capital, though operates as a private nonprofit rather than a public agency.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National nonprofit CDFI that finances affordable housing and community development. Comparable to DCHE's CDFI/CDE activities and to DCHA's affordable housing mission, though operates as a private intermediary rather than a public housing authority.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DC_Housing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dc-housing-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about District of Columbia Housing Authority