On March 19th, after 5 years of unexplained water usage, the residents of Amber Overlook received a notice from DC Water informing us that water will be shut off to our residence on April 17th, effectively displacing 100+ residents.
About the Organizer
I'm Stewart Gray III, a resident at the Amber Overlook community in Marshall Heights. I moved back to DC in 2024 to help my mother (pictured above) after my father's passing and the sudden closure of my employer that year. She is a 66 year old breast cancer survivor, widow, and retired educator from the PGCPS school system who is currently recovering from myopathy, which significantly limits her mobility. Since moving back, we've come to call this place home after profound loss, and now face another displacement due to an impending water shutoff of no fault of our own.
We are raising funds to secure a home of our own. Given that I am temporarily employed and my mother is retired, we are not in the financial position to relocate easily.
This fundraiser is dedicated to helping my family cover emergency expenses for:
- First month’s rent + security deposit: $4,000–$6,000
- Moving costs (truck, movers, storage): $2,000–$4,000
- Temporary housing (if needed): $3,000–$5,000
- Utility setup fees and deposits: $1,000–$2,000
- Basic living expenses during transition: $4,000–$6,000
About Amber Overlook
The Amber Overlook Condominium Owners Association is a self-managed homeowners association. Since assuming self-management in July 2020, they have experienced persistent and unexplained water usage and billing issues that continue to this day.
In 2021, the association installed third party meters to track water usage across the condominium, which reflected lower water usage than reported by DC Water. They initiated formal disputes contesting the charges with DC Water to no avail.
Despite repeated efforts to resolve these issues through professional inspections, disputes, government outreach, and financial hardship programs, our current water balance has escalated to $227,000. Our community is not financially capable of paying this amount, nor any significant portion of it.
Your support is invaluable as we navigate this difficult situation
Organizer
