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Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Properties (BCIB)

The Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings (BCIB) is charged, under DC Official Code Section 6-901, et seq. (2001 Edition), with:

  • Examining the sanitary condition of all buildings in the District
  • Receiving referrals from other agencies, citizens and inspectors
  • Inspecting insanitary building conditions and reporting them to BCIB meetings
  • Determining which buildings are so insanitary that they endanger the health or lives of occupants or people in the vicinity
  • Serving owners with Notices to Show Cause, within 10 days, why their buildings should not be condemned
  • Holding hearings, if owners ask for them
  • Issuing Orders of Condemnation to owners to correct insanitary conditions, within 30 days, by changing, repairing, making habitable, razing, or removing buildings
  • Making buildings safe and sanitary or razed and removed—if owners fail to fix conditions—and assessing corrective action costs as special taxes on the property

The six BCIB members are full-time DC government employees, appointed by the Mayor.

NOTE:  All BCIB meetings are held at 10 am at 1100 4th St SW, Washington, DC, 20024, in Room 4302 on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The calendar is published monthly in the DC Register. Please click on the link below for exact dates and agendas. You can find BCIB Agendas in the news section of this website.

Any case status designated as “status hearing”, there is no need for either the property owner nor the ANC to attend the hearing.  The case status is listed on the agenda.

Minutes of BCIB meetings are available by request via audio tape. DCRA is working closely with the BCIB to unveil minutes on demand via this website. Stay tuned for more information.

For more information, please contact the Shavon Turner at (202) 481-3550.

What Does Insanitary Mean?

Insanitary means unhealthy conditions, especially the lack of freedom from infective, deleterious influences, including non-water-tight roofs, walls, floors, doors, windows; improper grading, drainage; open plumbing/sewer lines; defective electrical systems; fire danger; presence of or conditions which encourage breeding of rats, rodents, or disease-carrying insects; and general, filthy conditions.

Who Are the Board Members?

Members of the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings (BCIB) are full-time DC government employees, appointed by the Mayor:

Two members from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, which provides administrative support;
One member each from the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development; Department of Housing and Community Development; Department of Public Works; Office of Property Management; Office for Planning and Economic Development, and the Office of Planning’s Historic Preservation Office.

Current members are:

  • Gilbert Davidson, Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)-  Acting Chairperson
  • Timothy Dennee, Office of Planning (OP)/Historic Preservation Office (HPO) Representative
  • Vonda Orders, Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD)
  • Amar Singh, Department of Real Estate Services (DRES)
  • Vacant, Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Representative
  • Donald Sullivan, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) Representative
  • Patrick Smith, Council of the District of Columbia (DMPED)