When Shakira Butler's landlord gave her an eviction notice, they probably didn't expect her to be ready to put up a years-long fight — not just for herself but for her neighbors.  

“I’m not afraid. In order for anything to change, someone has to say something,” Ms. Butler said.  

Ms. Butler, 36, and her daughter Kariah have lived in the Skyline apartments in Southeast for about eight years, and she serves as tenant association president. She has become her community’s go-to resource for help with problems in the building. Her apartment window sits just above the property’s rental office, and she taped up a sign to the inside of the glass with the phone number for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s complaint line.  

“I’m that tenant,” she said. “My grandmother raised me, and she always taught me if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. I can’t just sit back and complain. I notice an issue, and I speak on the problem.”  

So when her landlord filed an eviction case against her in 2022, she knew her rights and contacted Legal Aid DC. She suspected that the eviction notice was retaliation for her history of speaking up and that Skyline had purposefully withheld the basic documents she needed to receive rental assistance so they could evict her. Legal Aid represented her in the eviction case and also filed a counterclaim based on the conditions at the property.  

The eviction case resolved after Ms. Butler received rental assistance, but her counterclaim continued to move forward. In her suit, Ms. Butler pointed to cracks and gaps in ceilings and walls, exposed electrical wires, soft spots in stairs, a pervasive nauseating sewage smell, and a broken front door and key fob.  

“I have elderly neighbors who shouldn’t have to live in these conditions,” she said. “I know that this is not how we’re supposed to live.”

Ms. Butler grew up in a military family and spent time on Navy ships as a young girl. She says her upbringing gave her a strong sense of service and for doing what’s right. Before beginning her current job as a hotel housekeeper, she spent nine years as a DC Special Police Officer.

"I didn’t wake up and say, ‘Let me help.’ I just started to question things, and it had a domino effect,” she said. “It’s in my nature to give back.” 

A Drawn-Out Fight for Repairs

In Ms. Butler’s counterclaim, her Legal Aid attorney repeatedly requested documents from Skyline about repairs, inspections, tenant requests, and communications with Ms. Butler as part of the discovery process — none of which they would provide. On the eve of a hearing in March 2023, they agreed to a settlement that waived Ms. Butler’s rent for two years and pledged to make all the needed repairs, most within 30 days.  

But not much changed. In December 2023, Ms. Butler and her attorney were still trying to get Skyline to follow through on the repairs they’d agreed to. Some progress had been made, but much of the work had been done shoddily or not at all. Instead of fixing the key fob equipment on the front door, for example, it was just covered up, leaving the building unsecured.

Legal Aid Senior Staff Attorney Jamie Long then filed a motion to enforce the settlement agreement, and Jamie and Ms. Butler attended several hearings where they told the judge again and again that two of the main issues — the front door and the sewage smell — had not been addressed. In February 2024, almost a full year after the original settlement, part of the front door was held together with zip ties. Following these months of frustrating hearings and lack of progress, Jamie asked that the case be transferred to an associate judge who has the power to hold a party in contempt of court.  

Just before the first hearing in front of DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz, Skyline contacted Jamie, wanting to reach another agreement outside of court. They consented to the terms that Jamie laid out, including agreeing to be held in contempt and to steep fines for not making repairs.  

Skyline agreed to fix the front door within 14 days and have a plumber inspect the building and complete any work needed within 30 days, or face hundreds of dollars in daily fines. Skyline continued not to follow through on its commitments. They twice asked for more time at status hearings.

“So much time was going by, so the fines were racking up,” Jamie said. “Ms. Butler was always there and ready to testify. She wanted to make the community better, and the things that we were fighting for all benefited the whole building.”

Paying It Forward

It took about six months from the contempt order and several hearings until everything was done, and the penalties had by then climbed to nearly $123,000.  

At a hearing to determine how the money should be distributed, Judge Kravitz decided that the bulk of the funds, nearly $98,000, would be given to the DC Bar Foundation to support critical eviction defense work. A little over $9,000 went to Legal Aid for attorneys’ fees. About $10,000 went to Ms. Butler in compensation for the lack of repairs as well as her advocacy on behalf of her neighbors. Ms. Butler also pushed for $5,000 to go to Horton’s Kids, an on-site nonprofit that serves local families.

“The judge didn’t have to give me anything, and I would have been fine with that. It wasn’t even about the money,” she said. “Skyline had to be made an example of. In that moment I felt triumphant.”

Her struggle turning into donations for organizations she’s passionate about was incredibly rewarding, Ms. Butler said. She said that Horton’s Kids was there for her and her daughter 10 years ago when she lost her dad and needed help. The organization is a source of comfort and hope for everyone in the neighborhood, she said.  

“There was never a point where Horton’s Kids wasn’t a part of our lives. I know the money will be used for a great purpose, and that means a lot to me. And they deserve much more,” Ms. Butler said.  

The DC Bar Foundation plans to invest the money it received to support eviction defense and other tenant advocacy services.

“No tenant should have to go through what Ms. Butler went through, and we at the DC Bar Foundation recognize that access to a lawyer from an organization like Legal Aid DC can make a critical difference in cases like this,” said Kirra Jarratt, the Chief Executive Officer of the DC Bar Foundation. “We are grateful to Judge Kravitz and Ms. Butler and look forward to using these funds to ensure more tenants like her have access to lawyers.”  

Ms. Butler echoed the importance of having an attorney by your side to navigate the complexities of an eviction case  

“To know that the DC Bar Foundation will be assisting other people is just a great feeling. Legal aid services are so important for tenants,” she said. “It’s been two and a half years that Legal Aid has been assisting me with this matter, and the consistency of having someone stick beside you through all of that is so powerful.”

Ms. Butler said she’ll use her portion of the settlement to pay off bills and save for her and her daughter’s future. Her hope is that she’ll be able to move out of Skyline this summer and leave the apartment to Kariah, who recently turned 18.  

Although the case is behind her and sparked some much-needed improvements at the building, Ms. Butler isn’t letting up. She’s determined to keep the pressure on Skyline to keep tenants safe and healthy.

“I throw myself under the bus continuously if that’s what it takes for landlords to understand that we can’t be treated this way,” she said. “My voice will be heard.”