D.C. residents may soon find it easier to find affordable housing or shelter with their furry friends.
The D.C. Council passed a bill to make one homeless shelter pet-friendly and cap the amount landlords can charge in pet rent on Dec. 17, just two months after the Department of Human Services (DHS) said it did not support it.
The Pets in Housing Act, introduced by D.C. Councilmember Robert White in May and passed by unanimous consent, would cap pet rental fees at $25 and pet security deposits at $300, ban breed-specific fees or restrictions, and require DHS to offer at least one pet-friendly low-barrier shelter. Over the last few months, the bill garnered support from animal advocates and community members but faced pushback from DHS, which argued pet-friendly shelters were not a significant concern raised by people experiencing homelessness. The bill, which is estimated to cost $642,000 to implement in the first year, is not currently funded.
“I want to make sure people aren’t thinking about pets as this luxury, unnecessary thing, and more thinking about pets the way they are in reality, as parts of our family,” White said in June.
Outgoing DHS Director Laura Zeilinger said at an October D.C. Council Committee on Housing hearing the department doesn’t have the staffing or resources to accommodate a pet-friendly shelter in D.C. She said people experiencing homelessness have not raised pets in shelters as a “large unmet problem,” and shelter staff have not reported a “significant number” of people who declined to enter a shelter because they couldn’t bring their pet. People with a registered service animal are currently permitted to bring the animal into some shelters in D.C.
“It would be challenging to prioritize this given it hasn’t shown up as a significant need in our community over other issues where we do need resources,” Zeilinger said at the hearing.
D.C.’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer determined funds are insufficient in the current budget to make the shelter available. The office said DHS will need funding to develop and operate a pet-friendly shelter with consultant services, shelter staffing, additional logistics, training on pet safety, increased maintenance, repair, and security costs. The council could fund the project in the fiscal year 2026 budget, which will be approved next summer. While residents will have to wait for the pet-friendly shelter, the pet rent restrictions do not require additional funding, according to the fiscal impact statement, and could go into effect sooner.
More than 30 animal advocates, organizations, and community members testified at the hearing in support of the legislation, arguing the bill would help keep tenants and people experiencing homelessness with their pets. ASPCA Senior Director of Housing Policy Susan Riggs said thousands of cats and dogs arrive at animal shelters because the owners can’t afford to pay high fees to rent with their pets. According to Animal Legal Defense Fund Strategic Legislative Affairs Manager Alicia Prygoski, a Pet-Friendly Housing Initiative report revealed 72% of U.S. renters reported difficulty finding pet-friendly housing, and only 8% of pet-friendly housing options don’t include additional fees or breed restrictions.
Likewise, Lynn Amano, the director of advocacy at Friendship Place, said at the hearing many people experiencing homelessness don’t have a registered animal and must choose between giving up their pet or accessing a shelter.
The bill now goes to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office for review.