We moved to DC with a baby on the way, so one of our main concerns when looking for an apartment was the cost. These "tax credit" properties tend to be newer buildings in better locations and offer reduced rent to applicants who fall in the required income range. Our 1 bedroom apartment was very nice (especially with in-unit laundry!) but got quite cramped once our baby was born. We enjoyed the large floor-to-ceiling windows, abundance of closets, and the neighborhood, but we recently decided to leave to find more space for our family!

The three tree flats building is only 5 years old. I've been here much of those 5 years and we've always had something broken in the building. Mostly the two elevators in the front. The second elevator has been broke (no joke) for the past three months. Whenever I've complained they mention that the other elevator is working. And when the other elevator is broken, they leave a sign that says the back dock elevator is working and to walk to the back of the building. They recently installed solar panels on top of the roof to heat the water and save energy but the water in the building has become so hot that the water has melted our dishwasher tubes and we had to have that replaced.

As for the atmosphere in the building. Floors 1-5 are income restricted and floor 6 is not, there is a roof, community room and small gym but the residents often have very loud parties there on the weekends when no front desk is there and trash up the place. Speaking of front desk, we've always had an issue with loiters/drug dealers/homeless people coming in and sitting downstairs when the front desk is not there as the front desk is only there during business hours. We had a sexual assault occur a few months ago where we demanded a meeting with police and property management and asked if they could hire a front desk person on the weekends to watch the front door. Took them a month to hire a person and that person lasted less than a week. Now it's back to us knowing not to come downstairs to the first floor common area after 11pm.

Ok so it's not all horrible at this place as we do have a washer and dryer and a dish washer in the apartment and Safeway is right next door and the Georgia Ave metro station is one block away. So it's convenient, and a good price but with that comes all the bad stuff I previously listed.