Interview with Kevin Chavous
Candidate for City Council At-Large
This interview is part of the Ward 2 Democrats Candidate Interview Series, designed to give voters direct insight into the candidates running to represent them. In this conversation, Kevin Chavous discusses his vision for strengthening Washington, DC through experienced, practical leadership focused on public safety, housing, small business support, downtown recovery, transportation, and responsive government.
Chavous outlines his approach to Council priorities including increasing MPD staffing, reducing police overtime, rebuilding community trust, expanding mental-health response, improving public-safety transparency, supporting officers who want to live in DC, expanding the Neighborhood Prosperity Fund, providing gap financing and tax credits, streamlining permits, strengthening DDOT oversight, supporting Vision Zero, maintaining parks, improving recreation-center programming, and enhancing city cleanliness. He also shares how his experience as a DC-born attorney, housing advocate, public servant, and former committee director for Councilmember Anita Bonds informs his focus on HPAP, inclusionary zoning, supportive housing vouchers, upzoning, proactive housing inspections, equitable growth, and making city government work more effectively for residents across all eight wards.
About This Interview
Howard Garrett and ANC 2F04 commissioner Ben Dalley of the Ward 2 Democrats interview DC At-Large Council candidate Kevin Chavous about Ward 2 priorities.
Chavous, a DC-born attorney and former committee director for Councilmember Anita Bonds, describes his background in housing advocacy and public service and argues he is prepared to legislate immediately. On public safety, he supports increasing MPD staffing to reduce overtime, rebuilding community trust, expanding mental-health services so police aren’t the default responders, improving transparency and accountability (including body camera access), and helping officers live in DC.
For downtown vacancies and small businesses, he backs expanding the Neighborhood Prosperity Fund, gap financing, BID support, tax credits, and streamlining permits via a unified portal. On transportation, he supports Vision Zero with protected bike lanes where appropriate, balancing parking and business needs, and stronger DDOT oversight.
He emphasizes maintaining parks, improving rec-center programming and hours, and enhancing cleanliness, including better trash cans. On housing and homelessness, he supports HPAP, stronger inclusionary zoning, more supportive housing vouchers, upzoning, and enforcing proactive inspections while distinguishing between large developers and small landlords. He calls for equitable growth that helps the middle class and urges voters to rank him first (No. 8) under ranked-choice voting and to participate in the election.
00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:20 Chavous Background and Roots
02:52 Housing Passion Origin Story
06:36 Why He’s Running Now
08:16 Why He’s Prepared
10:59 Public Safety Plan
15:34 Reviving Downtown Business
19:31 Transportation and Vision Zero
23:09 Parks Libraries and Cleanliness
28:22 Housing Stability and Homelessness
30:23 Build Up Downtown
31:17 Preserve Housing Quality
32:50 Proactive Inspections Push
34:32 Fair Enforcement Debate
39:07 Revive Vacant Downtown
42:29 Protect Tenants Ward 2
44:15 Fix Inspection Priorities
47:25 Equity Without Displacement
50:12 Middle Class Affordability
54:45 Closing Pitch To Voters
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