Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

                                       A RESOLUTION

                                             25-255

                   IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                      September 19, 2023

To declare an emergency with respect to the need to amend the District of Columbia Housing

       Authority Act of 1999 to establish a temporary Stabilization and Reform Board to govern

       the District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) and to require that the Board and

       the Executive Director of DCHA take specific actions to reform and revitalize the

       operations of DCHA.

        RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform

Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023”.

        Sec. 2. (a) The District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) provides housing

subsidies for tens of thousands of District residents through programs, including the federally

funded Housing Choice Voucher Program, locally funded housing voucher programs, and public

housing.

        (b) In 2022, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”)

issued a report describing the results of an on-site assessment of DCHA. The report identified

significant concerns with DCHA’s operations, leading to the development and implementation of

strategies and plans to improve DCHA’s provision of housing and services to low-income

District residents.

        (c) Following the release of HUD’s report, the Mayor and Council agreed that it was

necessary to restructure the board of directors of DCHA, with a focus on providing the expertise,

experience, focus, and agility to support necessary reforms, successfully address HUD’s

findings, and revitalize DCHA’s operations. The Mayor and Council further agreed that it would

be necessary for the restructured DCHA board to work closely with DCHA’s executive

leadership to find a more sustainable path forward for DCHA to advance the mission of DCHA,

which is to build and maintain safe, decent, affordable housing for District residents.

        (d) In December 2022, the Council passed and the Mayor signed the District of Columbia

Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022. Substantively

identical temporary legislation followed. Pursuant to this legislation, a new Stabilization and

Reform Board (“STAR Board”) took office and assumed control over DCHA’s operations at the

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start of 2023. Among other duties, the STAR Board is tasked with providing recommendations

for long-term governance of DCHA by July 1, 2024. The STAR Board’s authorizing legislation

contemplates a 2-year term for the body.

         (e) The temporary legislation that currently authorizes the STAR Board and lays out its

operating mandates is scheduled to expire on October 21, 2023. Further emergency and

temporary legislation are required to maintain the current governance structure and allow the

STAR Board’s 2-year term to continue.

       Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute

an emergency making it necessary that the District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization

and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 be adopted after a single reading.

       Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

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