Date: September 17, 2008 From: DC Government DCRA Launches New Website Aimed at Making Off-Campus Housing Safer for College Students |
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(Washington,
DC)
– The DC Department of Consumer & Regulatory
Affairs (DCRA) launched a new Web-based campaign today to give the
thousands of college students living in off-campus housing in the
District the power to make their lives safer.
DCRA’s new site thisshouldbeillegal.com provides access to online databases where students can search by address to see if they are being rented to legally. The site also offers information and tip sheets on what students should be asking their landlords, and how to request a housing inspection, among other important safety information. “Unfortunately students who opt to live off-campus are among the most targeted by unscrupulous landlords trying to make a quick buck off their unlicensed and often unsafe properties,” said DCRA Director Linda K. Argo. “We want students to have as much access to our information and services as possible to ensure their units are safe and healthy.” DCRA has created a Facebook Group and a Twitter feed, both available at thisshouldbeillegal.com that will provide brief but regular updates, tips and other announcements directly to the Web, email and mobile devices. The Twitter service also allows students to talk back to the government publicly or privately. Argo said “by harnessing the power of new social media applications, DCRA hopes to create an ongoing relationship with students who in the past have been apprehensive about contacting the city for housing issues. These new tools allow students to interact with the city government in a more intimate atmosphere by sharing stories, asking questions, submitting photos, holding discussions, among many other useful tools.” With six major universities and more than a dozen small colleges and trade schools in its 61.4 square miles, the District has one of the highest concentrations of students living off-campus in the country. During a soft launch last week, the site drew more than 2,200 hits and more than 650 of those visitors used the agency’s online database to research their landlord to ensure they are licensed. Licensing is extremely important as it triggers safety inspections by DCRA and the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. DCRA has also partnered with the DC Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS) to promote fire safety awareness. FEMS will provide students with free smoke detectors and installation. For questions on this effort, ways you can help promote off-campus housing safety, or to schedule an interview with DCRA Director Linda Argo, please visit thisshouldbeillegal.com or email DCRA’s Public Information Office at michael.rupert@dc.gov or call (202) 442-4513. |
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