EQUAL RIGHTS CENTER LAWSUIT ALLEGES NEW GEORGETOWN APARTMENT BUILDING EXCLUDES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Equal Rights Center (ERC) announced a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against Weaver Prospect LLC (Weaver), the owner of Weavers Row Apartments, a 115-unit apartment building in D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood that opened for occupancy in 2024. The complaint alleges that Weavers Row was designed and constructed in such a way that excludes people with disabilities from the property, in violation of the D.C. Human Rights Act (DCHRA) and D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act (DCPPA). The Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and Handley Farah & Anderson represent ERC, alongside Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, which represents ERC pro bono.

In November 2023, the Metropolitan Washington Regional Fair Housing Plan identified a severe shortage of accessible housing in the D.C. region, making it difficult for people with disabilities to find homes. D.C.'s historic Georgetown neighborhood suffers an especially pronounced shortage, as the majority of its housing stock is not subject to accessibility standards. As such, it is imperative that new residential buildings like Weavers Row are made accessible in compliance with District law.

ERC Executive Director Kate Scott comments, "For decades, we've heard from D.C. residents with disabilities that they need safe, accessible housing options. Weaver could have helped address the shortage of accessible homes by simply designing and building this property in compliance with the law. Instead, constructing inaccessible units contributes to the problem. We're taking action today to right this wrong, prevent future violations, and increase the availability of accessible housing for people with disabilities."

ERC is a civil rights organization that identifies and seeks to eliminate unlawful and unfair discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations in its home community of Greater Washington, D.C. and nationwide. In its complaint, ERC alleges its testers observed multiple DCHRA violations at Weavers Row, including doorway thresholds too high for wheelchair users to safely navigate them and environmental controls placed out of wheelchair users' reach. As a result, people using wheelchairs would likely not be able to access Weavers Row unit patios or adjust their thermostats.

Mirela Missova, Supervising Counsel at the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, comments, "New multifamily buildings are required by law to meet a baseline level of accessibility. Failure to do so is akin to posting a sign that says, 'People with disabilities not welcome here.' It's illegal and it's wrong."

Among other relief, ERC seeks to require Weaver Prospect LLC to bring the units at Weavers Row into compliance with applicable law and to design and construct future units in compliance with the law. It also asks that Weaver be ordered to provide training to its employees and agents to prevent future discrimination.

CONTACT:
Nick Adjami, Communications & Engagement Manager
Equal Rights Center
[email protected], (202) 370-3220

ABOUT THE EQUAL RIGHTS CENTER: The ERC is a civil rights organization that identifies and seeks to eliminate unlawful and unfair discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations in its home community of Greater Washington D.C. and nationwide. The ERC's core strategy for identifying unlawful and unfair discrimination is civil rights testing. When the ERC identifies discrimination, it seeks to eliminate it through the use of testing data to educate the public and business community, support policy advocacy, conduct compliance testing and training, and, if necessary, take enforcement action. For more information, please visit www.equalrightscenter.org.

ABOUT THE WASHINGTON LAWYERS' COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND URBAN AFFAIRS: The Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs partners with community members and organizations on scores of cases to combat discrimination in housing, employment, education, immigration, criminal justice reform, public accommodations, based on race, gender, disability, family size, history of criminal conviction, and more. The Washington Lawyers' Committee has secured a relentless stream of civil rights victories over the past five decades in an effort to achieve justice for all. For more information, please visit www.washlaw.org. 

ABOUT HANDLEY FARAH & ANDERSON: Handley Farah & Anderson are lawyers who seek to improve the world. Based in Washington, D.C., they fight for: workers deprived of wages, consumers deceived about products, tenants denied access to housing, farmers mistreated by processors, parents deprived of adequate parental leave, investors who were defrauded, small businesses harmed by antitrust violations, persons with disabilities denied access, whistleblowers who uncover fraud, and women and communities of color subject to discrimination. 

SOURCE Equal Rights Center