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DC mayor urges Biden to end telework policies for federal workers

January 3, 2023 Published by

Just In | The Hill 

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called for the Biden administration to end work-from-home policies for federal government employees Monday, highlighting office buildings left empty by the remote work policies as opportunities for affordable housing.

Washington D.C., like many other major U.S. cities, has seen a rise in vacant office buildings as work-from-home protocols remain in place across multiple sectors. Bowser leaned on the Biden administration to drop the policies in her inauguration address for her third term in office on Monday.

As Bowser attempts to attract 100,000 new residents to the city, she explained that it is time for the federal government to refill the spaces with government employees or take advantage of the opportunity to attract and house more residents.

“We need decisive action by the White House to either get most federal workers back to the office most of the time or realign their vast property holdings for use by the local government, by non-profits, by businesses and by any user willing to revitalize it,” Bowser said.

The mayor said converting office spaces into housing is “key” to attracting more residents.

“Converting office space into housing is the key to unlocking the potential of a reimagined, more vibrant downtown,” Bowser said.

The push by the mayor shines a light on the massive property holdings by the federal government.

“The federal government represents one quarter of D.C.’s pre-pandemic jobs and owns or leases one third of D.C.’s office space,” Bowser said.

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