Ward 8 Questionnaire: Mike Austin

Safe Communities

Please provide 1 - 3 policies or strategies you support to make residents, workers, and
businesses safer in DC.

Ward 8 deserves to feel safe—on our streets, in our homes, and in our schools. I support the
following strategies to make residents, workers, and businesses safer in DC: implementing a
community-led policing model that prioritizes de-escalation training and increased neighborhood
officer presence to reduce crime and build trust and implementing a data-drive public health
approach to tackling crime.

Abundant & Affordable Housing

1. DC’s average housing costs are 140% above the national average. Many experts argue that
DC laws, rules, and regulations make building housing here expensive, time-consuming, and
bureaucratic – creating a scarcity of available housing that drives up rent and home prices.
Do you support or oppose reforming the housing permitting process to make building new
housing easier?

a. Support
b. Oppose

2. Opportunity DC believes that DC must modernize and streamline outdated regulatory barriers
like The Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) to dramatically increase the supply of available
housing and bring down the cost of rent for residents. Do you support or oppose exempting
market-rate buildings built or significantly renovated in the 21st century from TOPA
requirements?

a. Support
b. Oppose

3. Do you support or oppose B26-0046, the Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Amendment
Act of 2025, to normalize DC’s ERAP program and help stabilize DC’s housing ecosystem?
a. Support
b. Oppose

What policies and strategies do you support to address the housing needs of current and
future residents at all income levels in the District?

Washington, DC is expensive, and no one should be forced out of their neighborhood
because of rising rents, predatory developers, or the loss of a job. When elected to the
Council, three strategies we will fight for to address the housing needs of current and future
residents at all income levels are: 1) expanding workforce housing, 2) requiring
homeownership opportunities for Ward 8 residents in major developments, 3) protecting
against displacement for our most vulnerable neighbors by leveraging the Schedule H tax

credit, and 4) expanding the Homeowner Assistance Fund to prevent foreclosure during life-
changing events that Ward 8 homeowners may experience.

Economic Growth & Workforce Development

1. Last July, DC lawmakers increased the paid family leave tax (a payroll tax on District
employers) from .23% to .75% of total wages. The additional revenue went to offset $2
billion in new general fund expenses rather than towards expanding paid family leave. The
higher payroll tax makes it harder for local employers, especially schools, hospitals, and
small businesses, to grow and hire District residents. Do you support or oppose eliminating
last year’s payroll tax increase on DC employers over the next four years?

a. Support
b. Oppose

2. Do you support or oppose B25-0999, The Personal Property Tax Form Simplification Act,
which eliminates the requirement for businesses to file personal property tax form (FP-31) if
they are below the proposed $325,000 threshold?

a. Support
b. Oppose

3. In DC, some workers must obtain occupational licenses from government-appointed boards
and pay large fees just to work as an interior designer, barber, cosmetologist, athletic trainer,
and manicurist, among others. These barriers artificially limit employment and
entrepreneurship opportunities for District residents. Do you support or oppose reducing the
time and financial requirements necessary to obtain occupational licenses in the workforce
categories listed above?

a. Support
b. Oppose

Quality Education

1. Do you support or oppose Mayoral control of the District’s public school system, as
established by the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007?

a. Support
b. Oppose

2. Do you support or oppose funding DC Public School (DCPS) and DC public charter school
students at equal levels, weighted by student need, through the Uniform Per Student Funding
Formula?

a. Support
b. Oppose

Efficient & Effective Government

1. Do you support or oppose requiring the Council to review economic impact assessments,
generated by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), for all new legislation and
regulations that impact District employers?

a. Support
b. Oppose

Since 2020, the District’s budget spending has outpaced new revenue growth. DC government will have to become more efficient and grow the tax base, without raising tax rates, to sustainably fund core services moving forward. Where are three areas you believe the government should reduce spending or grow our tax base?

Three areas I believe the government should reduce spending or grow our tax base to ensure that
our core services are funded without raising tax rates are:

1. Attract new tech businesses to increase growth, create workforce opportunities, and grow the
tax base;

2. Strengthen contracting and procurement oversight which will reduce wasteful spending, prevent
fraud, and save the District money; and,

3. Auditing agencies with overlapping responsibilities to eliminate duplicity and save the District
money.

Do you believe there are any government rules or regulations that should be updated,
streamlined, or eliminated to make government more efficient and lower administrative
burdens on residents?

Yes, there are a number of government rules and regulations that should be updated and/or
streamlined to make government efficient.

1. Establish a new Tech Innovation Permit to make it easier for tech companies to pilot and
test new tech ideas in DC.

2. Streamline the business licensing process to make it easier for small businesses to start
up and attract new business ventures.

3. Streamline DDOT’s permitting process to make it less burdensome for businesses to
receive their permits.

Additional Questions

What do you believe are the three largest policy challenges facing the District and what are
your legislative or oversight solutions?

Ward 8 has a number of policy challenges that we will tackle when elected, below are three
challenges and my legislative solutions:

1. Affordable housing: We will fight for truly affordable housing, requiring homeownership
opportunities for Ward 8 residents in major developments, and protecting against displacement
for our most vulnerable. Moreover, we will establish a new Ward 8 Tenant Protection Fund to
combat predatory housing practices, develop a Community Land Trust to ensure long-term
affordability for Ward 8 residents, and implement the Displacement Prevention Act to prevent
displacement and allow families to build generational wealth.

2. Crime: We will implement a community-led policing model that will focus on ensuring that at
every level our community feels safter and less prone to commit crime through data-drive
solutions. We will focus on mental health support, economic pathways, improved police
interactions, de-escalation, and creating policies using best practices and data-drive solutions.

3. Education: Our children deserve world-class schools, and our educators deserve support,
resources, and respect. We will push for more funding for our schools, increased literacy rates,
better vocational training, more school counselors, and expanded early childhood education. When
our kids succeed, Ward 8 succeeds. To that end, we’ll create a Career and Technical Education

(CTE) High School in Ward 8 to prepare students for high-demand careers in technology,
healthcare, and skilled trades, establish the first East of the River Language Immersion School,
providing students with bilingual education in languages such as Spanish, French, or Mandarin,
and ensuring they have the global skills needed to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

(Optional) Please elaborate on any of your answers above.

#2 TOPA [Housing]: TOPA plays a vital role to prevent our most vulnerable residents from displacement and
while this proposal doesn’t appear to displace Ward 8 residents from the information I have
available to me right now, I would need to hear from residents and housing experts directly about
the impact this bill would have on our community.

General Information - More About Mike Austin

Candidate Name: Mike Austin

Campaign Website: mikeaustin8.com

Campaign and/or candidate social media account(s):

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mike8austin8;
• X: www.x.com/mike8austin;
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mike8austin
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelaustin202

Please share any accomplishments or experiences that reflect your commitment to
advancing Opportunity DC's policy priorities.

Current and recent occupations(s):

My recent occupation is being an attorney, and I’m licensed in D.C. and MD.

Professional Affiliations:

Member of the District of Columbia Bar, Maryland State Bar member, United Planning
Organization Board member, Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative Board
member, Community College Predatory Academy Board member

Community service honors:

I received a community service honor from the Widow’s Pantry for our work serving
individuals experiencing homelessness.

All endorsements to date:

2020 Ward 8 Council race: I was endorsed by the Washington Post and Greater, Greater
Washington.

Involvement with business organizations:

While I have not been directly involved with business organizations like the DC Chamber,
I have had a lot of experiences with local DC businesses. I have partnered with
developers to negotiate community benefits agreements, approvals, and for community
events. I have also worked with Ward 8 businesses help them connect-the-dots of
government over the years and offered letters of support to Ward 8 businesses and
testified before various committees in support of local businesses.

I have spent my career serving Ward 8 residents in various roles and capacities, below are
some of my experiences and/or accomplishments that squarely align with Opportunity DC’s
priorities:

Opportunity DC’s Priorities: Smart growth, Workforce Investment, and
Public Safety:

ANC 8C Chair:
- This role aligns with Opportunity DC’s goals of smart growth,
  workforce investment, and public safety by addressing that
  crime stems from poverty through a social and mental health
  lens. Moreover, also clearing pathways for Ward 8 business ownership and family-supporting jobs that are tied to smart growth and workforce investments to move Ward 8 forward.
- As the ANC 8C Chair, I supported and approved the
  development of the St. Elizabeths’ development project,
  provided grants to various Ward 8 non-profits focused on
  mental health and wellness, and negotiated the largest
  community benefits agreement in Ward 8 history.

Opportunity DC’s Priorities: Quality Education, Safety, Smart growth, and
Workforce Investment:
- Legislative Director, Ward 8 Councilmember LaRuby May:
  - This role allowed me to serve my community and be
    innovative to work through long-held Ward 8 challenges. I was
    able to create policies under the Councilmember that align
    with these Opportunity DC’s priorities because we have to
    meet the unique needs of our students at every level to
    prepare them for a successful future. In addition, we also
    have to make our community feel safter and invest in our
    workforce through common sense solutions like creating the
    residential clean teams.
  - In this role, I drafted bills and policies for Ward 8 like the SEED
    Act that establishes a tax credit for businesses that hire
    MBSYEP graduates and/or returning citizens, establishes a
    grant for Ward 8 businesses to finance capital improvements,
    requires Ward 8 developers to operate homeownership
    programs, establishes Ward 8 residential clean teams, and
    establishes an evidenced-based early home learning and
    visitation program. Lasty, the Private Security Camera Rebate
    Amendment Act, and the Criminal Record Sealing
    Amendment Act of 2016 directly address public safety
    concerns.
Opportunity DC Priority: Smart growth, Efficient Government, Workforce
Investment, and Public Safety:
- Legislative Director, Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity:
  - This role aligns with Opportunity DC’s goals of safer
    communities, workforce investments, efficient government,
    and smart growth because I was able to advance household
    prosperity, create high-wage workforce opportunities, and
    remove barriers to training for our residents.
  - In this role I had the privilege to serve Ward 8 and oversee the
    establishment of the Ward 8 Infrastructure Academy; worked
    on removing DOL’s high-risk designation for DC’s Workforce
    Investment Council. I also oversaw and/or drafted the
    legislative and policies for the Department of Employment
    Services, Department of Small and Local Business,
    Development, and the Workforce Investment Council. I also
    worked on the Vacant to Vibrant program to rehabilitate
    habitually blighted properties. This role allowed me create
    pathways for economic prosperity in Ward 8, to solve on our
    workforce challenges, and to create solutions for common
    business and residential problems that have stunted
    efficiency and growth.

Opportunity DC Priority: Smart growth, Efficient Government, Workforce
Investment, and Public Safety:
- Associate General Counsel, United Medical Center
  - This role aligns with Opportunity DC’s goals of safer
    communities, workforce investments, efficient government,
    and smart growth because I was able to ensure Ward 8 had a
    viable hospital when they need it most by solving legal,
    regulatory, and efficiency challenges, and ensure historically
    marginalized businesses and residents are empowered
    through opportunities and jobs.
  - In this role, I solved legal and regulatory challenges, managed,
    and oversaw all UMC contracts; increased UMC’s CBE
    participation rate, hosted a hiring fair for Ward 8 residents,
    and managed the UMC Mobile Unit. This role allowed me to
    solve challenges at the hospital by connecting with residents
    on the mobile unit during outreach, but more importantly, to
    help stabilize operations while increasing Ward 8’s
    participation in business and hiring to ensure UMC was not
    just a hospital, but a good neighbor that empowers the
    community*

Previous offices held:

My previous office held was the ANC 8C Chair (representing Congress Heights).