District Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA)

The District Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA) is a preservation tool implemented by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development that promotes affordable rental housing by maintaining the affordable status of existing affordable rental units as well as increasing the total number of affordable rental units within the District.

To this end, DOPA requires rental property owners to provide the District of Columbia with the opportunity to purchase housing accommodations consisting of five or more rental units, as long as 25 percent or more of those rental units are deemed as “affordable” at 50 percent of Median Family Income (MFI).

In the statute, the District’s right to purchase is subordinate to a tenant’s right to purchase under the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). The Mayor may assign the District’s purchase right to a developer. In November 2018, DHCD issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify a pool of pre-qualified developers. As DHCD announces DOPA purchase opportunities, developers in this pool will be invited to respond to these opportunities.