DC Council Advances "One Front Door" Act, Opening the Door to Taller Single-Stair Buildings

• April 1st

by UrbanTurf Staff

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The DC Council advanced the One Front Door Amendment Act on Tuesday, a building code reform that could quietly reshape the way the District builds housing on its most stubborn, hard-to-develop lots.

The legislation, introduced by Councilperson Brianne Nadeau, directs the Construction Codes Coordinating Board to enact rules allowing residential buildings of a certain height to be served by a single entrance, exit and stairway under certain conditions, a seemingly technical change that housing advocates have been pushing for years. In most U.S. jurisdictions, including DC, single-stair buildings are currently only permitted up to three stories, but the new rules would expand their use up to six stories, with as many as four to six dwelling units per floor.

The practical effect on the District's housing supply could be significant. Unlike large-scale apartment complexes, single-stair buildings have a smaller footprint that allows them to integrate more easily into neighborhoods, delivering what advocates call "gentle density" without requiring large land assemblages. This could allow for development on narrow infill lots that have long stymied smaller developers across neighborhoods like Petworth, Columbia Heights, and Brookland.

DC is not alone in making this move. As of early 2025, around seventeen single-stair bills had been filed or passed in state houses and city halls across the country — part of a growing recognition that outdated egress rules have been a quiet but real obstacle to housing production. Similar efforts are underway in Virginia and Maryland, meaning the DC region could see a coordinated shift in how mid-size multifamily buildings get built.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc_council_passes_one_front_door_act_opening_the_door_to_taller_single-stai/24478.