About 1,600 federal workers are currently stranded in a chaotic transition, after having to flee their offices on F Street in Washington, DC, for the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building, just two blocks away. The move comes with a hefty side of inconvenience, as the new office is plagued by mice, a crumbling bathroom ceiling, and murky drinking water that needs a good rinse before it's safe to sip.

The General Services Administration (GSA), responsible for federal IT and real estate, has faced a tumultuous year. Since January 2025, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under Elon Musk’s purview, has overseen significant workforce cuts and a zero-based budgeting spree. This has left GSA reeling, with plans to sell hundreds of office buildings and hire just 400 workers, a far cry from the thousands fired.

One anonymous GSA employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, lamented, 'We’re left wondering what else is going to collapse or break—do we need to look at the ceiling before going to the bathroom? Can we actually trust the water is safe to drink?' Photos reveal a third-floor men’s room with a gaping hole in the ceiling and a dead mouse in a trap, adding to the chaos.

Despite the troubles, GSA leadership, including administrator Ed Forst, assured employees that they should expect to work in the OPM building until December 2028. The prior building, 1800 F Street, is undergoing renovations. This initiative, part of a broader government effort to reduce underutilized space, has been met with skepticism, especially after the DOGE’s controversial public role.

While Musk has stepped back from his public role, DOGE affiliates have continued to work within government, implementing austerity measures and AI initiatives. Others have returned to the private sector, working in AI, data centers, and manufacturing, leaving the federal workforce to navigate the fallout.