Housing Policy

The Silver Lining to Empty Subsidized Apartments

Plus: A nightmare squatting situation in Washington, D.C.

Christian Britschgi | 9.8.2026 4:35 PM

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Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Rent Free. Given the Labor Day holiday, this week's newsletter is a little abbreviated. 

Our stories include an item on the silver lining to be found in reports of high vacancies in federally subsidized affordable housing developments, and another terrible squatter case in Washington, D.C.

The Silver Lining to Empty Subsidized Apartments 

A recent story published by the Associated Press details double-digit vacancy rates of federally financed affordable housing units that are reserved for low-income renters.

Rent Free Newsletter by Christian Britschgi. Get more of Christian's urban regulation, development, and zoning coverage.

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It certainly sounds like a bad thing when, depending on the city, 12 percent or 16 percent of subsidized units are sitting empty. One would presume that below-market-priced housing would be oversubscribed.

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