Fred Hill

DC should significantly increase the Housing Production Trust Fund.

Would fast-track any affordable housing project receiving city financing to prevent bureaucratic delay; BZA experience showed him how projects die in the permitting process. Also supports 3+ bedroom family units and working with Congress to relax the federal Height of Building Act to enable denser DC development. At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate he said the 'affordable housing system is broken right now — no one's investing in it, no one's building,' named the Housing Production Trust Fund among the tools that aren't working, and said as a first oversight step he would go to the housing agency to find out why the financing pipeline fails.

Sources: [Meet the candidates for an At-Large seat on the DC Council — The 51st], [Youth Engagement, Education Policy — Washington Informer], [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

DC should legalize apartments and 'missing-middle' housing (duplexes, triplexes, and small multifamily buildings) citywide by removing single-family-only zoning restrictions.

Former 10-year chair of the DC Board of Zoning Adjustment who supports denser development: he calls for more 3+ bedroom family units and for working with Congress to relax the federal Height of Building Act to enable taller, denser construction in DC. At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate he reiterated the 'need for density,' tying it to rail lines and high-speed bus lines so more housing can be built along transit.

Sources: [Meet the candidates for an At-Large seat on the DC Council — The 51st], [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

DC should cut taxes and fees on small and local businesses — and offer relief such as the small retailer property tax credit — to help them open, survive, and grow.

A business-friendly moderate who ran a federal contracting firm for nearly three decades and argues the Council needs a private-sector voice. Wants to grow biotech and high-tech sectors to diversify DC's economy and reduce bureaucratic barriers for businesses. At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate he proposed cutting small-business red tape — a 50-day licensing window and a 45-day certificate-of-occupancy window — short-term leases to fill vacant downtown ground-floor space, and prioritizing AI, cybersecurity, and biotechnology to diversify the economy.

Sources: [Meet the candidates for an At-Large seat on the DC Council — The 51st], [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

DC should respond to Trump administration interference in city governance with an assertive, public stance — filing lawsuits, passing protective legislation, and refusing to comply with unlawful federal directives — rather than quiet diplomacy or pragmatic deal-making.

Supports 'strategic — rather than activist — resistance to federal overreach,' favoring a measured, pragmatic approach to defending DC's autonomy rather than an explicitly confrontational political posture. At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate he urged educating congressional allies that 'DC's disenfranchisement is a civil rights issue, not a partisan one,' a focused defense coordinated with the Council, Attorney General, and Mayor, and a 'nuanced' message to Congress that DC 'is run very well' and they should not make it worse by taking it over.

Sources: [Meet the candidates for an At-Large seat on the DC Council — The 51st], [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

DC should treat violence as a public health problem, investing heavily in violence interruption programs and community-based solutions.

At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Hill described 'two sides' to public safety: evidence-based violence interruption and restorative-justice programs focused on healing, accountability, and community engagement; the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement; mental-health co-responders; an expanded Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program; and re-entry services — paired with traditional policing. Supportive of the public-health/prevention approach as one of two pillars.

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

Hiring significantly more MPD officers is a priority for reducing crime in DC.

At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Hill said DC should 'fully fund the MPD' and escalate the force 'back up from the 3,000 to 4,000 officers,' then prioritize officers on commercial corridors. Supportive of more officers, presented as one half of a balanced approach alongside violence interruption and re-entry services.

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

DC should keep police officers out of public schools and instead invest in counselors, social workers, and mental-health staff.

Reverse-coded question: keeping armed police out of schools aligns with the statement. In the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate lightning round, Hill answered 'no' to returning armed police to all DC public high schools.

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

DC should increase its funding for Metro (WMATA), even if it means cutting other city services.

At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Hill said he would 'figure out how to fund Metro in a way that doesn't involve us providing other cuts' — not in favor of creating cuts to fund Metro. Supportive of Metro but against the cuts-elsewhere tradeoff; recorded as mixed.

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

DC should impose a commuter tax on people who work in the District but live in Maryland or Virginia (if federal law allowed it).

At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Hill opposed a commuter tax, arguing such fees 'end up hurting lower income workers' and are easily evaded (parking outside the zone, shuffling between cars).

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]

When the two conflict, DC should prioritize building more housing quickly — including market-rate — over maximizing deep-affordability requirements on each project.

At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Hill called it 'not either or' but 'what actually might work from a financial standpoint' — projects must 'pencil out,' DC needs more density (rail and high-speed bus lines), and the priority is both new affordable housing and retention of existing units. Recorded as mixed.

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]