D.C. Council advances single‑stair legislation for mid‑rise multifamily buildings
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Washington, D.C. The D.C. Council has advanced legislation that would allow certain mid‑rise multifamily buildings to be constructed with a single staircase, a change supporters say could unlock new housing options on narrow infill lots across the District.
The measure, known as the One Front Door Amendment Act, cleared a key procedural vote and now moves to a second reading before it can become law, according to reporting from the Washington Business Journal by Ben Peters.
The bill, introduced by Council member Brianne Nadeau, directs the District’s Construction Codes Coordinating Board to draft rules permitting single‑stair residential buildings up to six stories, expanding beyond the current limit of three stories. The board would have two years to complete the rulemaking, which must consider fire‑safety systems, water supply, evacuation performance, and other technical safeguards.
Supporters — including architects, housing advocates, and the D.C. Policy Center — argue that single‑stair buildings can reduce construction costs and make it feasible to build family‑sized units on small or irregular parcels that cannot accommodate dual‑stair layouts. They say the reform aligns D.C. with a growing national trend, as multiple states and cities move to modernize egress rules to expand housing supply.
Critics, including some fire‑safety advocates, warn that relying on a single exit raises questions about evacuation and firefighter access, emphasizing that the most consequential debates will occur during the technical rulemaking phase. The mayor has signaled support for the bill, according to the Washington Business Journal.
If approved in a final vote, the legislation would mark one of the most significant building‑code shifts in the District in years, potentially reshaping mid‑scale residential development across neighbourhoods where infill construction has long been constrained.
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Further Reading:
https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2026/03/31/single-stair-bill-dc-council-nadeau.html
https://www.housingwire.com/articles/single-stair-dc-council/?
https://ggwash.org/view/102966/breakfast-links-single-stair-reform-advances-in-dc?