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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 4
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Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. Councilmember Zachary Parker 8
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Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau 12
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Councilmember Brooke Pinto 16
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A BILL 22
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 27
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To establish an Office of Social Housing Developments to foster the construction, maintenance, 33
and growth of District-owned residential properties designed to be mixed-income housing 34
with not less than two-thirds of a building developed as family units and not less than two-35
thirds of units rented as permanently affordable units for extremely-, very-, and low-36
income households, and to establish a framework for tenant governance, environmentally 37
conscious building standards, and street-level amenities that serve a public purpose at 38
social housing developments; to amend the District of Columbia Government 39
Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act of 1978 to provide for the appointment of the Director 40
of the Office; to amend the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018 to allow 41
investments in District-owned social housing developments; to amend an Act Authorizing 42
the sale of certain real estate in the District of Columbia no longer required for public 43
purposes to require that the Mayor evaluate such properties for conversion into social 44
housing developments before disposing of them; to amend the Housing Production Trust 45
Fund Act of 1988 to make social housing developments eligible to receive loans and grants; 46 2
and to amend The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980 to allow the District 47
to purchase residential property for conversion into social housing developments. 48
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 50
act may be cited as the “Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act of 2023”. 51
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Title I. SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT 53
Sec. 101. DEFINITIONS. 54
For the purposes of this chapter, the term: 55
(1) “Area Median Income” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 2(1) of 56
the Housing Production Trust Fund Act of 1988, effective March 16, 1989 (D.C. Law 7-202; 57
D.C. Official Code § 42-2801(1)). 58
(2) “Bonds” means any bond, note, debenture, interim certificate, or other evidence of 59
financial indebtedness of the Office authorized to be issued under the provisions of this chapter. 60
(3) “Extremely low-income” means a household income equal to, or less than, 30% of the 61
area median income. 62
(4) “Fair market value” means the average, unsubsidized rental rate a reasonable person 63
could expect to pay for a comparable dwelling unit when considering the age, condition, and 64
location of similar properties. 65
(5) “Low-income” means a household income equal to between 51% and 80% of the area 66
median income. 67
(6) “Mixed-income” means a property that includes tenants with a range of household 68
incomes including extremely low-, very low-, low-, and above low-income levels. 69 3
(7) “Mixed-use” shall mean a multi-family residential development that includes space 70
for commercial or institutional purposes in accordance with zoning regulations set forth by the 71
Office of Zoning. 72
(8) “Net-zero emissions” means all energy is produced on-site, and to the degree that off-73
site energy production is necessary, it is provided via contracts for electricity produced from 74
renewable sources and no energy may be produced from combustion or other sources that emit 75
greenhouse gases. 76
(9) “Operating costs” means any costs associated with maintaining a Social Housing 77
Development including management expenses, maintenance, utilities, and associated services. 78
(10) “Permanently affordable” means a tenant’s rent, in perpetuity, will not exceed 30% 79
of tenant household income if, at the time a tenant signs an initial lease, they qualify as 80
extremely low-, very low-, or low-income relative to area median income. 81
(11) “Personal mobility device” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 50-82
2201.02(13). 83
(12) “Real property” means land titled in the District or in which the District has a 84
controlling interest and includes all structures of a permanent character erected thereon or affixed 85
thereto, any natural resources located thereon or thereunder, all riparian rights attached thereto, 86
or any air space located above or below the property or any street or alley under the jurisdiction 87
of the Mayor. 88
(13) “Rent” means money owed to occupy a unit in a social housing development, 89
including: 90
(A) Money to be paid directly by a tenant, and 91 4
(B) Funding associated with housing voucher programs operated by the District or 92
Federal government. 93
(14) “Restorative justice” means a process of allowing tenants or property managers, or 94
management sub-contractors, who are causing harm in the community to take responsibility, 95
reconcile with impacted parties, and address root causes of the harm with the goal of restoring all 96
parties to the level of trust and cooperation prior to the harm. 97
(15) “Social housing development” means real property that: 98
(A) Is owned by the District of Columbia and operated by the Office of Social 99
Housing Development; 100
(B) Provides mixed-income apartment housing that is permanently affordable for 101
lower income tenants; and 102
(C) Uses the revenue generated from rent to further the purpose and duties of The 103
Office of Social Housing Development pursuant to section 103 of this Act. 104
(16) “Street-level” means the portion of a property that sits on or most proximately opens 105
to the same level as the street or sidewalk. “Street-level” may also be considered ground floor or 106
ground level. 107
(17) “Tenant” means a tenant, subtenant, lessee, sublessee, or other person entitled to the 108
possession, occupancy or benefits of a rental unit within a social housing development. The 109
singular term “tenant” includes the plural. 110
(18) “Tenant association” means: 111
(A) A group of tenants organized to represent their collective interests as residents 112
of social housing developments; 113 5
(B) An association that represent a minimum of 51% of the households in a 114
building, as determined by rules established by the tenant association pursuant to section 106(b); 115
and 116
(C) the term “tenant association” may also include the a tenant union, tenant 117
organization, tenant council, or similar term reflecting the chosen name of a duly organized 118
group of tenants of a social housing development.
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(19) “Universal design” means creating a built environment to be accessible and usable to 120
the greatest number of people regardless of ability, age, or other characteristics. 121
(20) “Utility provider” means a provider of services for electricity, water, and 122
telecommunications and internet. 123
(21) “Very low income” means a household income equal to between 31% and 50% of 124
the area median income. 125
Sec. 102. Office of Social Housing Development Establishment. 126
(a)(1) Pursuant to section 404(b) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 127
December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 787; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.04(b)), the Council establishes an 128
Office of Social Housing Development (“The Office”) as a subordinate office within the 129
executive branch of the District government. 130
(2) The Office shall be under the direction and agency cluster of the Deputy 131
Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. 132
(b) The purpose of The Office is: 133
(1) The development, construction, conversion, retention, operation, and 134
maintenance of District-owned real property to generate permanently affordable, well-135 6
maintained mixed-income rental housing accommodations (“social housing developments”) that 136
meet high environmental standards for District residents; 137
(2) The conversion of District-owned land into social housing developments; and 138
(3) The cultivation of street-level commercial tenant amenities that serve a public 139
purpose at all properties developed by The Office pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this 140
subsection where properties are zoned for mixed-use. 141
(c) The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Mayor with 142
the advice and consent of the Council pursuant to section 2(a) of the Confirmation Act of 1978, 143
effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01(a)). 144
(d)(1) The Mayor shall establish a board (“Board”) to govern the operations of The 145
Office which shall consist of 9 residents of the District of Columbia with the following 146
qualifications: 147
(A) Two members shall have expertise in the financing or development of 148
affordable housing for extremely low-income households; 149
(B) One member shall have expertise in the management or operation of 150
affordable housing for extremely low-income households; 151
(C) Two members shall have expertise in housing law, legal services, or 152
tenant organizing; and 153
(D) Four members shall be elected by tenants of social housing 154
developments to serve as tenant-representatives to the Board. 155
(2) Board members shall serve three-year terms and vacancies shall be filled 156
within 90 days of a board member departure. 157 7
(3) The Board shall establish bylaws to govern their operations, leadership, and 158
meeting procedures. 159
(4) With input from the Director, The Office and the social housing coordinating 160
council established in section 103(b), The Board shall create key performance indicators and 161
development goals for new social housing developments which shall be shared with the Council 162
of the District of Columbia and with tenant association leadership board on an annual basis. 163
(5) Board members shall participate in annual trainings related to: 164
(A) The role of the governing body of a District office; 165
(B) District government ethics; 166
(C) Background on major District and federal housing programs and 167
financing opportunities; and 168
(D) Fair housing, reasonable accommodations, and non-discrimination. 169
(6) Meeting of the Board shall be subject to the requirements of the Open 170
Meetings Amendment Act of 2010, effective March 31, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-350; D.C. Official 171
Code § 2-571 et seq.). 172
(e)(1) The Mayor shall dedicate start-up funding for the Office which shall be sufficient 173
for not less than 15 full-time employees, office space in a District government building, 174
employee technology, and office supplies. 175
(2) The District’s General Funds shall be used to supplement operational funding 176
for The Office until such time as the Social Housing Development Fund established pursuant to 177
section 104 is self-sustaining for purposes of paying staff salaries and Office operations utilizing 178
not more than 3% rent cumulatively generated by tenants of social housing developments. 179 8
(f) Beginning, October 1, 2025, and annually through October 1, 2030, the Mayor shall 180
dedicate not less than 10% of the Housing Production Trust Fund to the Office of Social Housing 181
Development as a developer fee to carry out the duties of The Office as described in section 103. 182
Sec. 103. Duties and Authority of the Office of Social Housing Development. 183
(a) The duties of The Office shall be as follows: 184
(1) Develop, manage, and maintain permanently affordable, mixed-income rental 185
housing accommodations where tenant rent deposited into the Social Housing Development 186
Fund established pursuant to section 104 of this title shall be used to fund some or all of the 187
following purposes: 188
(A) Property management of social housing developments, including any 189
contracts for property management and related sub-contracted services; 190
(B) Regular maintenance of social housing developments, including any 191
contracts or sub-contracts for property maintenance, repair, or renovations; 192
(C) Security personnel and systems at social housing developments, 193
including any contracts for security services,; 194
(D) Tenant association and tenant governance-related expenses required 195
pursuant to Section 106 of this title; 196
(E) Contractor training-related expenses required pursuant to Section 107 197
of this title; and 198
(F) Office of Social Housing Development overhead operations, provided 199
that not more than 3% of rents deposited into the Social Housing Development Fund may be 200
used to defray the following costs: 201
(i) Employee salaries and benefits; 202 9
(ii) Government office space; 203
(iii) Office supplies and devices; 204
(iv) Website development, technology, and other IT services; and 205
(v) Other reasonable expenses necessary to facilitate general Office 206
operations; 207
(2) Leverage rent revenue generated in excess of an amount necessary to cover 208
expenses listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection for the following purposes: 209
(A) Establishing capital and operating reserve funds which may be used to 210
finance emergency maintenance or repairs, among other expenses; 211
(B) Building real property social housing developments on District-owned 212
land; 213
(C) Acquiring new real property for the purpose of creating a social 214
housing development; and 215
(D) Renovating real property, including retrofitting properties to achieve 216
compliance with Section 109 of this Act, for the purpose of developing social housing; 217
(3) Develop and administer a centralized tenant application process to facilitate 218
leasing at all social housing developments. The application process shall: 219
(A) Be available online and as a paper copy at a centralized leasing office; 220
(B) Use plain language and be made available in all languages requiredby 221
section 4 of the Language Access Act of 2004, effective June 19, 2004 (D.C. Law 15-167; D.C. 222
Official Code 2-1933); 223
(C) Utilize best practices in application design to limit implicit bias in 224
tenant selection and comply with all housing non-discrimination provisions set forth in The 225 10
Human Rights Act of 1977, effective December 13, 1977 (D.C. Law 2-38; 31 D.C. Official Code 226
§ 2-1401.01 et seq.); 227
(D) Not require an application or processing fee; and 228
(E) Provide prospective tenants with regular updates on the status of their 229
application; 230
(4) Pursuant to The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, effective 231
September 10, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3401 et seq.), convert privately-232
owned real property into social housing developments utilizing for following provisions: 233
(A) The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (“TOPA”) of 1980 when 234
tenant organizations elect to assign TOPA rights to the District under section 406 of the Act 235
(D.C. Official Code § 42-3404.06); or 236
(B) The District’s Opportunity to Purchase Amendment Act of 2008, 237
effective December 24, 2008 (D.C. Law 17-286; D.C. Official Code § 42-3404.31 et seq) 238
(“DOPA”); 239
(5) Apply for federal, local, or private government grants and loans including the 240
Housing Production Trust Fund, the Green Finance Authority, and the Affordable Housing 241
Preservation Fund, and use the proceeds thereof to acquire, develop, and preserve mixed-income, 242
permanently affordable social housing developments; provided, that the Office shall not borrow 243
any funds or incur any loans or other indebtedness unless such indebtedness has been authorized 244
in advance by an act of the Council and evidenced by a revenue bond, note, or obligation issued 245
pursuant to paragraph (6) of this subsection or other District law; 246
(6) Request the Council to authorize by act in accordance with section 490(a)(1) 247
of the Home Rule Act, effective December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 809; D.C. Official Code 248 11
§ 1-204.90(a)(1)), the issuance of revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations to finance capital 249
projects or undertakings relating to social housing, with all such obligations payable solely from 250
and secured solely by the pledged revenues of the Office; provided, that no real property shall be 251
mortgaged or pledged as security for such obligations; 252
(7) Possess an ownership interest in an entity formed for the purpose of financing 253
a capital project related to housing with federal tax credits such as Low-Income Housing Tax 254
Credits and New Markets Tax Credits; 255
(8)(A) Hire and supervise, with the advice and consent of tenant association 256
leadership boards, property management, including management provided through a contracted 257
company, to oversee the day-to-day operations of social housing developments owned by The 258
Office. 259
(B)The Office may provide or contract for maintenance, security, or other 260
services at social housing developments if such services are not facilitated through property 261
management. 262
(9) Enter into contracts and facilitate relationships necessary to carry out training 263
requirements pursuant to sections 106 and 107 of this title; 264
(10) Execute ground lease agreements for street-level commercial space, except 265
where prohibited by zoning regulations, to provide community amenities for a public purpose 266
pursuant to Section 108; and 267
(11) Enter into an agreement with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer to 268
provide for free DC Wifi connectivity and access at all social housing developments. 269 12
(b)(1) The Director of the Office of Social Housing Development shall establish and 270
sustain a social housing coordinating council to support the creation, maintenance, and tenant 271
governance of social housing developments. 272
(2) The social housing coordinating council shall include representatives of: 273
(A) District government housing agencies; 274
(B) Non-profit housing developers and providers; 275
(C) Local tenant rights organizations; 276
(D) Each social housing development tenant association leadership board; 277
(E) Social housing developments who do not currently serve on the tenant 278
association leadership board of their property; and 279
(F) Local green building and environmental justice organizations. 280
(3) The coordinating council shall meet not less than bi-monthly and meetings 281
shall be publicized to all social housing tenants. 282
(4) Meeting of the social housing coordinating council shall be subject to 283
the requirements of the Open Meetings Amendment Act of 2010, effective March 31, 2011 (D.C. 284
Law 18-350; D.C. Official Code § 2-571 et seq.) 285
Sec. 104. Social Housing Development Fund. 286
(a) There is established as a special fund the Social Housing Development Fund 287
("Fund"), which shall be administered by The Office of Social Housing Development. The 288
purpose of the Fund is to: 289
(1) Finance the creation of social housing developments; 290 13
(2) Manage federal, local, or private government grants, loans, and bonds 291
received to pay or finance costs of constructing, designing, developing, acquiring, renovating, or 292
equipping capital facilities of social housing developments; 293
(3) Collect and manage rent from residential and commercial or institutional 294
tenants of social housing developments; 295
(4) Pay for services related to tenant governance and property management 296
pursuant to sections 106 and 107 of this Act; 297
(5) Pay for administrative costs of the Office of Social Housing Development, 298
provided that not more than 3% of rents collected pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection 299
may be used to defray these costs; and 300
(6) Establish and manage capital and operating reserves to carry out fiduciary 301
responsibilities of the Office. 302
(b) Monies obtained pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be deposited into the 303
Fund and shall not revert to the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund of the District of 304
Columbia at the end of a fiscal year, nor be diverted to any fund of the District at any other time. 305
The Office may create accounts within the Fund. 306
Sec. 105. Residential Characteristics of Social Housing Developments. 307
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, when the Office of Social 308
Housing Development develops real property, the building’s residential development shall 309
include the following: 310
(1) Not less than 30% of apartment units constructed with three, or more, 311
bedrooms; 312
(2) Not less than 30% of apartment units constructed with two bedrooms; 313 14
(3) Universal design standards; and 314
(4) When street-level commercial office space is not available, one, or more, 315
apartment units shall be designed and dedicated as office space for providers of case 316
management or counseling services associated with District housing and economic security 317
programs. 318
(b)(1) When the Office of Social Housing Development acquires real property through a 319
TOPA or DOPA process pursuant to The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, 320
effective September 10, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3401.01 et seq.), at such 321
time when the building requires a substantial renovation, the Office shall produce a renovation 322
plan to generate redevelopment of multi-bedroom units in an amount equal to or greater than the 323
number of multi-bedroom units in the existing building. 324
(2) The Office shall guarantee a right to return to all tenants who wish to move 325
back to a renovated property. 326
(3) The Office shall engage the tenant association leadership board in 327
redevelopment planning processes to ensure the right to return and equitable development of 328
multi-bedroom units is achieved through renovations. 329
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, when the Office of Social 330
Housing Development develops real property, each social housing development shall initially 331
rent apartment units according to the following distribution: 332
(1) Not less than 30% of tenant households shall, at the time of application, be 333
considered extremely low-income; 334
(2) Not less than 30% of tenant households shall, at the time of application, be 335
considered very low or low income; and 336 15
(3) Not more than 40% of units shall be leased to households who shall agree to 337
pay a fair market value in monthly rent. 338
(d) When the Office of Social Housing Development acquires real property through a 339
TOPA or DOPA process pursuant to The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, 340
effective September 10, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3401.01 et seq.), new 341
rents shall be set according to annual household income such that no tenant household is paying 342
more than 30% of their income in rent. 343
(e) When a tenant moves out of a social housing development, the Office shall fill the 344
vacant unit according to the distribution requirements and housing preference bonus 345
considerations set forth in subsections (c)(1)-(3) and (f) of this section. 346
(f) In evaluating tenant applications for social housing units, the Office shall assign a 347
25% housing preference bonus to prospective tenants who, at the time of application, are 348
employed or are beginning employment in one of the following professional sectors: 349
(1) Education, including early childhood education, Pre-kindergarten to 12
th
grade 350
instruction, higher education, out-of-school time programming, and educational administration; 351
(2) Health, including nursing, mental health care, home health assistance, and 352
emergency medical services; or 353
(3) Case management or direct service professions. 354
(g)(1) A tenant of a social housing development property who, at the time of their initial 355
lease agreement, is considered extremely-, very-, or low-income, shall never pay more than 30% 356
of their monthly income in rent. 357
(2) the Office of Social Housing Development shall certify a tenant’s household 358
income on an annual basis to determine their monthly rent rate; 359 16
(3) If a tenant’s income is reduced or disrupted mid-year, a tenant may present 360
their situation to The Office to request a temporary reduction in rent to match 30% of their new 361
income level until the time of annual recertification, provided that a rent adjustment shall not be 362
granted below $250 per month. 363
(h) The Office of Social Housing Development shall not increase residential rent: 364
(1) More than once annually; 365
(2) Without 60-days advance written notice; or 366
(3) More than the average of the Consumer Price Index for the Washington-367
Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area for all-urban consumers published by the Department of 368
Labor, or any successor index, as of the close of the 12-month period ending on November 30 of 369
such year. 370
Sec. 106. Tenant Governance and Rights. 371
(a) The Office of Social Housing Development and the Coordinating Council shall 372
support the tenants of all District social housing developments to establish and maintain tenant 373
association leadership boards to represent the best interests of residents living at each respective 374
social housing property. 375
(b) Tenant association leadership boards shall be responsible for the following duties at 376
each social housing development property: 377
(1) Establish tenant association by-laws and a process by which residents will 378
elect leadership which is representative of the full population of tenants at the property; 379
(2) Establish and maintain community rules and expectations; 380
(3) Review Office of Social Housing Development contract agreements, when 381
applicable, and provide ongoing feedback related to property management; 382 17
(4) Advocate on behalf of tenants for improved property management, when 383
necessary; 384
(5) Initiate a process with The Office to procure a new contract for building 385
management if a majority of the tenant association leadership board finds a current company’s 386
performance unsatisfactory; 387
(6) Conduct tenant association feedback processes to determine community needs 388
and preferences related to a social housing development’s leasable street-level commercial or 389
institutional space; and 390
(7) Manage a budget for community-building and other initiatives that advance 391
the mission of the tenant association. 392
(c) Tenant association leadership board meetings shall: 393
(1) Be open to all tenant residents to attend; 394
(2) Be publicized, in matters determined by the tenant association leadership 395
board, at least 3 business days in advance of each meeting; 396
(3) Produce for tenants the Office copies of notes or recordings within one week 397
of each meeting; 398
(4) Record all discussions and votes related to the initiation of a new contract for 399
property management services; and 400
(5) Arrange for translation services upon request. 401
(d)(1) Tenant association leadership boards shall receive annual trainings, arranged by 402
The Office of Social Housing Development, in residential property management and board 403
governance. 404 18
(2) The Office shall facilitate a relationship between each social housing 405
development and the Office of Tenant Advocate and the Office of Tenant Advocate shall serve 406
as a primary tenant-rights resource for tenants of the development. 407
(3) Tenant association leadership boards may use board-managed funds to seek 408
support or technical assistance from non-governmental housing law, tenant organizing, or other 409
expert resources to exercise their rights and execute their duties. 410
(e)(1) Pursuant to subsection (b)(7) of this section, tenant association leadership boards 411
shall be provided with a budget equivalent to 1.5% of the cumulative annual rent collected at 412
their respective social housing development properties. 413
(2) the Office of Social Housing Development shall establish and facilitate access 414
to bank accounts for tenant association leadership boards for each property. 415
(f)(1) All tenants of social housing shall be afforded opportunities for restorative justice 416
conflict resolution when conflict or harm arise between tenants or between a tenant and the 417
Office of Social Housing Development or any entities contracted by The Office to work with a 418
social housing property. 419
(2) The Office of Social Housing Development shall facilitate a relationship with 420
organizations or consultants to provide annual restorative justice training on conflict resolution; 421
training shall be made available to all tenants of social housing developments. 422
(g)(1) The Office of Social Housing Development shall provide notice to all tenants of 423
their right to apply for Emergency Rental Assistance to cure rental arrears if they meet the 424
qualifications of Section 8f of the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005, effective October 22, 425
2005 (D.C. Law 16-35; D.C. Official Code § 4-753.08). 426 19
(2) Notice shall be posted publicly in a property’s common area and provided to 427
tenants: 428
(A) In writing, electronically or printed, at the time the property manager 429
or The Office learns of a tenant’s inability to pay rent, and there shall be a rebuttable 430
presumption that failure to pay rent by the property’s prescribed monthly deadline constitutes a 431
tenant’s inability to pay rent that month; 432
(B) In the language the property manager or The Office know to be the 433
tenant’s primary language; and 434
(C) 60 days or more before the Office moves to initiate an eviction 435
proceeding on account of nonpayment of rent. 436
(3) Notice shall include contact information for the Department of Human 437
Services and the Landlord-Tenant Legal Assistance Network. 438
(h)(1) The Office of Social Housing Development shall work with tenant association 439
leadership boards and property management companies to produce biannual reports on each 440
development’s finances, expenditures, revenues, unit vacancy and turnover rates, maintenance 441
and security contracts, property repairs executed and needs, projected rent adjustments, 442
commercial tenant agreements, and other major property management issues identified tenant 443
association leadership boards. 444
(2) The report shall be provided electronically to all tenants and posted on the 445
website of The Office . 446
(3) A tenant may request a report copy be provided to them as a paper copy. 447
Sec. 107. Responsibilities of Social Housing Property Management. 448
(a) The Office of Social Housing Development may: 449 20
(1) Establish a division in their Office to serve as the onsite manager of day-to-450
day operations of social housing properties; or 451
(2) Contract with a private company to provide day-to-day property management 452
operations at one or multiple social housing properties. 453
(b) Providing day-to-day property management operations shall include: 454
(1) Monitoring building operations and communicating updates to tenants 455
including establishing a process to receive regular tenant and tenant association leadership board 456
feedback on building operations; 457
(2) Ensuring proactive building maintenance and timely unit repairs, including: 458
(A) Responding, in writing, to a tenant maintenance complaint or repair 459
request not later than two business days after a tenant files a complaint or request; 460
(B) Making a reasonable effort to complete all maintenance and repair 461
requests within one week of receiving the request; and 462
(C) Providing a tenant a weekly status update on how an issue is being 463
resolved, if the issue remains unresolved after one week; 464
(3) Accurately collecting rent on behalf of the Office of Social Housing 465
Development Fund which shall transferred to The Fund in a timely manner; 466
(4) Providing or executing contracts with vendors for the following services: 467
(A) Regular cleaning services for building common areas; 468
(B) Regular maintenance for building upkeep and pest management; 469
(C) Emergency maintenance and construction repairs; 470
(D) Trash, recycling, compost, and other waste removal services; 471
(E) Security personnel and systems; and 472 21
(F) Landscaping services; 473
(5) Entering agreements with and making payments to utility providers for in-unit 474
and common space utility usage per social housing development property; and 475
(6) Facilitating restorative justice conflict resolution processes when a dispute 476
arises between a tenant or tenants and the property manager or any vendor contracted by 477
property management. 478
(c)(1) When a contract is executed with a private company to provide property 479
management, The Office shall require all company employees who will be working at or with 480
social housing properties to: 481
(A) Participate in implicit bias and anti-racism training; and 482
(B) Participate in restorative justice conflict resolution training. 483
(2) Employees working at or with social housing properties shall participate in 484
trainings annually, including attending trainings within two months of beginning a job with a 485
social housing property. 486
(3) The Office shall arrange for and fund anti-bias and conflict resolution 487
trainings. 488
Sec. 108. Community Amenities for a Public Purpose at Social Housing Developments. 489
(a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), when constructing a new building as a social 490
housing development, the Office of Social Housing Development shall set aside not less than 491
50% of the street-level floorplan as commercial space to meet a public purpose. 492
(2) The requirement set forth in paragraph (1) may be waived if a new property is 493
not being constructed in a location zoned for mixed-use and no zoning adjustments will be 494
pursued by the Office. 495 22
(b) When the Office of Social Housing Development acquires real property through a 496
TOPA or DOPA process pursuant to The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, 497
effective September 10, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3401.01 et seq.) and a 498
previous building structure included street-level commercial space, the Office of Social Housing 499
Development shall preserve not less than 75% of pre-existing commercial space for community 500
amenities that meet a public purpose. 501
(c) Community amenities that meet a public purpose include: 502
(1) Libraries; 503
(2) Community or recreation centers; 504
(3) Grocery stores or healthy food markets; 505
(4) Child development facilities, out-of-school time programs, or other 506
educational entities; 507
(5) Health clinics or other public health and wellness-related services; 508
(6) Career development and job training services; 509
(7) Non-profit offices or programs; 510
(8) Small-business or artistic community incubators; 511
(9) Flexible meeting rooms or office space for: 512
(A) Neighborhood organizations such as Advisory Neighborhood 513
Committees or civic associations; 514
(B) “Pop-up” programming that meets community needs identified by 515
tenants of a social housing development; or 516
(C) Case management services affiliated with District government housing 517
and economic security programs; and 518 23
(10) Businesses that advance environmental causes. 519
(d)(1) Lessees or renters of ground-floor commercial space may be the District 520
government, non-profit entities, or private businesses. 521
(2) When leasing ground-floor commercial space to non-governmental entities, 522
the Office of Social Housing Development shall charge rents at not more than 80% of fair market 523
rental rates for comparable neighborhood street-level retail space. 524
(3) The Office shall not raise rents for commercial lessees more than once in a 525
two-year period. 526
(4) When adjusting rental rates or renegotiating a lease with an existing street-527
level retail tenant, the Office shall not raise rent above the average of the Consumer Price Index 528
for the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area for all-urban consumers published 529
by the Department of Labor, or any successor index, as of the close of the 12-month period 530
ending on November 30 of such year. . 531
(5) A new lessee for street-level commercial space in a social housing 532
development shall not be charged more than 5% more than a previous lessee. 533
(f)(1) The Department of General Services shall facilitate property maintenance and 534
security for any government facilities or services operating or co-locating at a social housing 535
development. 536
(2) The Office of Social Housing Development or their contracted property 537
manager shall execute maintenance contracts necessary for regular and emergency maintenance 538
needs of non-governmental street-level commercial space lessees. 539
(3) Storefront security systems, such as alarms, CCTV cameras, door lock 540
protocols, and retail product security, shall be the responsibility of non-governmental street-level 541 24
commercial lessees operating at a social housing development. These responsibilities shall not 542
dimmish the requirement of the Office or their contracted property manager to provide or 543
procure contracts for security personnel and systems for the social housing development 544
complex. 545
Sec. 109. Environmental Standards at Social Housing Developments. 546
(a) When constructed or renovated, social housing developments shall meet high 547
environmental standards, including: 548
(1) Net-zero emissions, including no energy from combustion or any sources that 549
emit greenhouse gases; 550
(2) High-efficiency, all-electric heating and cooling systems; 551
(3) Energy-efficient or high-efficiency appliances, windows, and lights in all 552
apartment units and common spaces; 553
(4) On-site solar energy production to the maximum extent practicable, including 554
using the District’s solar installation program and employing labor through the District’s solar 555
installation workforce training programs; 556
(5) Eco-friendly landscape architecture, including green walls and green roofs, to 557
maximize natural cooling; 558
(6) Low-flow toilets, smart shower and washing machine technologies, and rain 559
capture and recycling techniques to reduce water waste; 560
(7) On-site composting services; 561
(8) On-site electric vehicle and electric bike charging ports that are accessible to 562
tenants and to the public; 563 25
(9) Indoor facilities to lock and store bicycles and other personal mobility devices; 564
and 565
(10) To the extent that on-site parking is developed or available at a social 566
housing development, not less than 20% of parking spaces shall be reserved for agreements with 567
car-sharing services. 568
(b) Social housing developments shall not include the following: 569
(1) Natural gas for heating, hot water, or cooking; or 570
(2) Off-street parking in excess of zoning regulations. 571
Sec. 110. Labor Standards and Employment Generation for Social Housing. 572
(a) Social housing developments shall be developed in compliance with federal and 573
District law, including: 574
(1) Procurement laws pursuant to Subchapter VI of Chapter 3A of Title 2; 575
(2) First source employment laws pursuant to Subchapter X of Chapter 2 of Title 576
2; 577
(3) Small and local business enterprise development laws pursuant to Subchapter 578
IX-A of Chapter 2 of Title 2; 579
(4) Clean Hands requirements pursuant to Subchapter II of Chapter 28 of Title 47; 580
(5) Whistleblower protections pursuant to Subchapter XII of Chapter 2 of Title 2; 581
and 582
(6) Prevailing wage requirements pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, 583
approved March 3, 1931 (46 Stat. 1494; 40 U.S.C. § 3141 et seq.). 584
(b)(1) In order to advance the Office of Social Housing Development’s authority to 585
manage social housing properties established under section 107(a)(1), the Office may develop a 586 26
job training program for professions related to property management, including day-to-day 587
building operations, maintenance, and security services. 588
(2) To the extent practicable, the Office of Social Housing Development shall hire 589
tenants to work the following jobs at properties under the Office’s management: 590
(A) Front desk attendants and site managers; 591
(B) Leasing office associates; 592
(C) Security; 593
(D) Property maintenance and repair; and 594
(E) Landscape management and groundskeeping. 595
(c) When The Office procures a contract related to the development, construction, or 596
operation of social housing, the Office shall assign the equivalent of a 25% preference bonus for 597
companies whose workforce is unionized or who subcontract for union labor. 598
Sec. 111. Rules. 599
The Mayor, pursuant to Title I of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, 600
approved October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1204; D.C. Official Code § 2-501 et seq.), shall issue rules 601
to implement the provisions of this title. 602
603
Title II: CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 604
Sec. 201. Section 301(q) of the District of Columbia Government Comprehensive Merit 605
Personnel Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-139; D.C. Official Code § 1-606
603.01(17)), is amended as follows: 607
(a) Paragraph (56) is amended by striking the word "and" at the end. 608 27
(b) Paragraph (57) is amended by striking the phrase "District of Columbia Public 609
Schools." and inserting the phrase "District of Columbia Public Schools; and" in its place. 610
(c) A new paragraph (58) is added to read as follows: 611
"(58) Office of Social Housing Development.". 612
Sec. 202. Section 301(b) of the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018, 613
effective August 22, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-155; D.C. Official Code § 8-173.31(b)) is amended by 614
striking the period and inserting the phrase “including Social Housing Development as defined 615
pursuant to Title I of the Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act of 2023, introduced 616
March __, 2023 (B25-___).” 617
Sec. 203. Section 1(a-1)(2)(A) of An Act Authorizing the sale of certain real estate in the 618
District of Columbia no longer required for public purposes, approved August 5, 1939 (53 Stat. 619
1211; D.C. Official Code § 10-801(a-1)(2)(A)), is amended to read as follows: 620
“(A) Whether the real property could have any use by the District, 621
including: 622
“(i) A description of the District’s current needs for real property, 623
“(ii) A description of potential public uses considered by the 624
Mayor, 625
“(iii) The square footage of green space on the real property, 626
“(iv) A narrative explaining why the real property is unsuited for 627
each public use considered; and 628
“(v) If the property is being disposed of in order to provide 629
affordable housing, a justification and mathematical assessment such as a pro forma for why the 630
proposed disposition will result in more permanently affordable housing for extremely low- and 631 28
very low-income households than would be created if the property were converted into a social 632
housing development as defined pursuant to Title I of the Green New Deal for Housing 633
Amendment Act of 2023, introduced March __, 2023 (B25-___).”. 634
Sec. 204. The Housing Production Trust Fund Act of 1988, effective March 16, 1989 635
(D.C. Law 7-202; D.C. Official Code § 42-2801 et seq.), is amended as follows: 636
(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 42–2801) is amended by adding a new paragraph (13) 637
to read as follows: 638
“(13) “Social Housing Development” shall have the same meaning as section 639
101(15) of the Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act of 2023, introduced March __, 640
2023 (B25-___).”.. 641
(b) Section 3(b) (D.C. Official Code § 42–2802(b)) is amended by adding a new 642
paragraph (12) to read as follows: 643
“(12) Funds for the Office of Social Housing Development to acquire, develop, or 644
preserve a social housing development.” 645
Sec. 205. The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, effective September 10, 646
1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3404 et seq.), is amended as follows: 647
(a) Section 406 (D.C. Official Code § 42–3404.06) is amended by striking the phrase “or 648
governmental.” and inserting the phrase “or governmental, including to the District Office of 649
Social Housing Development established pursuant to Title I of the Green New Deal for Housing 650
Amendment Act of 2023, introduced March __, 2023 (B25-___).” in its place. 651
(b) Section 431 (D. C. Official Code § 42–3404.31) is amended by adding a new 652
subsection (b-1) to read as follows: 653 29
“(b-1) If the Mayor assigns the District’s purchasing rights pursuant to § 42-3404.36, 654
they must first issue a justification and mathematical assessment such as a pro forma for why 655
doing so will create more permanently affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-656
income households than converting it into a social housing development as defined pursuant to 657
Title I of the Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act of 2023, introduced March __, 2023 658
(B25-___).”. 659
660
TITLE III. FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT; APPLICABILITY; EFFECTIVE DATE. 661
Sec. 301. Applicability. 662
(a) This act shall apply upon the date of inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved 663
budget and financial plan. 664
(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in 665
an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council 666
of the certification. 667
(c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in 668
the District of Columbia Register. 669
(2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the 670
applicability of this act. 671
Sec. 302. Fiscal impact statement. 672
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 673
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 674
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code§ 1-301.47a). 675
Sec. 303. Effective date. 676 30
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 677
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 678
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 679
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 680
Columbia Register. 681