Advancing policies for a strong, competitive, and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia.

RECENT PUBLICATION

TOPA’s Promise and Pitfalls: Balancing tenant rights, affordability, and housing investment in Washington, D.C.

This report analyzes the District’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) using data from multiple sources, including housing and tax records, multifamily sales data, and reports on subsidized housing. It evaluates sales and data on tenant association formations from 2012 and 2023 to measure TOPA’s effectiveness. Additionally, qualitative insights from thirteen interviews with key stakeholders provide a broader perspective on TOPA’s impact.

Yesim Sayin and Emilia Calma

Economy & Competitiveness

publications | Economy

Creating an environment of growth and opportunity in the District

Yesim Sayin

June 18, 2025

publications | Economy

Business Sentiments Survey 2025 Quarter 2 results

Daniel Burge

June 12, 2025

publications | Economy

2024 State of Business Report: Creating a thriving business environment

Daniel Burge, Yesim Sayin

September 27, 2024

Criminal Justice

publications | Criminal Justice, D.C. History

How D.C.’s criminal justice system has been shaped by the Revitalization Act

Emilia Calma, Yesim Sayin

March 1, 2023

publications | Criminal Justice, Demographics

A look at who is incarcerated in D.C.’s criminal justice system

Emilia Calma, Yesim Sayin

March 6, 2023

publications | Criminal Justice, D.C. History

The District of Columbia’s Criminal Justice System under the Revitalization Act: How the system works, how it has changed, and how the changes impact the District of Columbia

Emilia Calma, Yesim Sayin

March 1, 2023

Education Policy Initiative

publications | D.C. Voices, Education

D.C. Voices: Early signals for enrollment in school year 2025-26

Chelsea Coffin, Hannah Mason

May 21, 2025

publications | Education Policy, Schools

Targeted investment is necessary to improve attendance, and federal funding shows uncertainty for key programs

Chelsea Coffin

June 5, 2025

publications | D.C. Voices, Education, Student experience

D.C. Voices: Postsecondary Planning

Hannah Mason

March 19, 2025

Housing

publications | Housing

D.C.’s multifamily sales slowdown—A hidden cost of policy friction?

Yesim Sayin

May 22, 2025

publications | Housing

Clarifying TOPA to encourage investment in the District of Columbia

Emilia Calma

May 28, 2025

publications | Housing

Reforming TOPA to promote development and housing affordability

Yesim Sayin

May 28, 2025

Workforce

publications | Education, Student experience, Workforce

Building career assets for lifelong success

Chelsea Coffin, Hannah Mason

November 13, 2024

publications | Housing

Housing for workforce is a key economic development program

Andrew Trueblood

July 31, 2024

publications | Poverty and Income Inequality, Racial Equity, Talent pipeline, Workforce

The case for creating a local talent pipeline in the District of Columbia

Emilia Calma, Yesim Sayin

April 29, 2021

Spotlight: Chart of the week

Our chart of the week is a quick-read highlight of new or relevant data every week.

publications | Economy

Chart of the week: How D.C. resident employment has fared after four recessions

June 20, 2025 | Daniel Burge

publications | Housing

Chart of the week: Effect of the RENTAL Act on TOPA

May 23, 2025 | Emilia Calma

publications | Education

Chart of the week: Postsecondary enrollment for D.C.’s students, class of 2022

April 11, 2025 | Chelsea Coffin

Press coverage

The work of the D.C. Policy Center is often featured by the media in articles, interviews, and other platforms that highlight our expertise.

publications | Housing

D.C.’s TOPA Tall Tale: Investors Aren’t Fleeing D.C. Because of the Tenants Rights Law | Washington City Paper

June 20, 2025 | D.C. Policy Center

publications | Education

How D.C.’s failure to curb truancy fueled a surge in youth crime | Washington Post

June 10, 2025 | D.C. Policy Center

publications | Budget, Economy

How local leaders hope to navigate tough economic times ahead | The Politics Hour

June 05, 2025 | D.C. Policy Center

Events

To encourage the exchange of new ideas and fresh perspectives, the D.C. Policy Center hosts lectures and roundtables, and our experts regularly participate in events in the community.

event

State of D.C. Schools, 2023-24

March 04, 2025 |

event

Lunch and Learn with Chairman Phil Mendelson and Budget Director Jennifer Budoff

February 13, 2025 |

event

Building Career Assets for Lifelong Success Release Event

November 13, 2024 |

Our most recent publications

Testimony | Economy

Creating an environment of growth and opportunity in the District

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the Council. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Yesim Sayin and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. …

June 18, 2025 | Yesim Sayin

Articles | Economy

Business Sentiments Survey 2025 Quarter 2 results

The D.C. Policy Center’s Quarterly Business Sentiments Survey provides systematic, comprehensive information on the business community’s experiences to elected officials, the media, and the public. Recently, the D.C. Policy Center’s …

June 12, 2025 | Daniel Burge

Testimony | Education Policy, Schools

Targeted investment is necessary to improve attendance, and federal funding shows uncertainty for key programs

My testimony today focuses on the Office of the State Superintendent’s FY 2026 budget proposal with attention to investments that drive post-pandemic recovery improvements to attendance and potential risks to …

June 5, 2025 | Chelsea Coffin

Testimony | Education Policy, Schools

Investing in systems that improve economic and education outcomes is critical to District success, and early enrollment signs show increases

Office of Education Through Employment Pathways The Mayor’s proposed budget shows continued investment in improving economic and education outcomes for the District’s residents, including $550,000 to support the Office of …

May 30, 2025 | Hannah Mason

Testimony | Housing

Clarifying TOPA to encourage investment in the District of Columbia

Today, I will speak to the proposed reforms to the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), as introduced through the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords (RENTAL) Act and …

May 28, 2025 | Emilia Calma

Testimony | Housing

Reforming TOPA to promote development and housing affordability

Good morning, Chairman White and members of the Committee of Housing. My name is Yesim Sayin, and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center—an independent non-partisan think …

May 28, 2025 | Yesim Sayin

Data Collection Inbox

Business insights

We collaborate regularly with practitioners in the District’s business community, who have their ear to the ground. Share your insights via our data collection inbox.

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Media inquiries

Talk to our experts

From quarterly economic indicators, to housing data, to demographics, our staff and independent fellows are available for media interviews and speaking engagements. We strive to respond to media requests same-business-day.

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Commissioned research

Partner with us

We are independent, nonpartisan, and open-minded, and our work is shaped by data, not opinion. We work regularly with the public and private sector on commissioned research.

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