Channel Square Housing LLC

Arrested for Organizing

A Channel Square tenant leader was arrested in February 2026 while attending a meeting in her own building's community room. Management blocked the doors, called police, and used a barring notice to justify the arrest — a notice issued years earlier, organizers say, after the tenant became vocal about building conditions and active in organizing efforts. Residents had been raising concerns about rodents, mold, plumbing failures, and lack of heat. The unlawful entry charge was later dropped. Video of the arrest went viral, drawing more than 200,000 views.

"They filed no complaints against me until I filed one against them," said the tenant who was arrested. "Then came the harassment, the lies, the blocked doors, and ultimately an arrest — all for trying to organize and attend a tenant meeting."

This is at least the second time in recent years a DC landlord has used a barring notice to block tenant organizing. The president of the Langston Views Tenants Association (formerly Marbury Plaza) also received a barring notice from her landlord, preventing the tenant union from meeting on property for months.

Tenants Fight Back

On March 6, 2026, tenants and supporters rallied outside Channel Square to demand the right to organize without retaliation. Tenants have asked DC residents to write to Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen calling on him to stand up for their right to organize.

March 2026 Fire

On March 6, 2026, a fire in the 1400 block of 3rd Street SW — within the Channel Square complex — displaced a resident. DC Fire and EMS responded around 9:10 p.m.