District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-0994 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1
2	2	1
3	3	Councilmember Anita Bonds Chairman Phil Mendelson 2
4	4	3
5	5	4
6	6	5
7	7	Councilmember Vincent C. Gray Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. 6
8	8	7 8
9	9	9
10	10	Councilmember Matt Frumin 10
11	11	11 12
12	12	A BILL 13
13	13	14
14	14	____________ 15
15	15	16
16	16	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 17
17	17	18
18	18	____________________ 19
19	19	20 To amend Section 8f of the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005 to reform the Emergency 21
20	20	Rental Assistance Program to require specific documentation from tenants establishing 22
21	21	eligibility for Emergency Rental Assistance funds , to clarify the definition of a qualifying 23
22	22	emergency situation; and to amend section 501 of the Rental Housing Act of 1985 to 24
23	23	permit a court to enter a stay, rather than require a court to enter a stay, when a tenant 25
24	24	submits documentation to the court demonstrating that he or she has a pending 26
25	25	Emergency Rental Assistance Program application 27
26	26	28 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 29
27	27	act may be cited as the “Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Amendment Act of 2024”. 30
28	28	Sec. 2. Section 8f of the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005, effective March 10, 31
29	29	2023 (D.C. Law 24-287; D.C. Official Code § 4-753.08), is amended as follows: 32
30	30	(a) Subsection (a) is amended as follows: 33
31	31	(1) Paragraph (2)(A) is amended as follows: 34
32	32	(A) The lead-in language is amended to read as follows: 35
33	33	“(2)(A) To qualify for emergency rental assistance funds, an applicant unit shall 36
34	34	be required to document:”. 37 2
35	35	(B) Sub-subparagraph (v) is amended by striking the phrase “for 38
36	36	payment.” and inserting the phrase “for payment; and” in its place. 39
37	37	(C) A new sub-subparagraph (vi) is added to read as follows: 40
38	38	“(vi) The nature of the emergency situation; provided, that if the 41
39	39	nature of the emergency situation precludes documentation, an unsworn declaration made under 42
40	40	penalty of perjury explaining both the emergency situation and the reason why the applicant unit 43
41	41	does not possess documentation regarding the nature of the emergency situation may be 44
42	42	considered sufficient documentation of proof for this element of an application.”. 45
43	43	(2) Paragraph (3) is repealed. 46
44	44	(b) Subsection (d)(3) is amended to read as follows: 47
45	45	“(3) “Emergency situation” means a situation in which immediate action is 48
46	46	necessary to avoid homelessness or eviction, to re-establish a rental home, or otherwise to 49
47	47	prevent displacement from a rental home, which is the result of an unforeseen or unusual event, 50
48	48	such as the loss of a job or high medical costs, that impacts the applicant unit’s ability to pay rent 51
49	49	and that cannot be resolved without financial assistance.”. 52
50	50	Sec. 3. Section 501(r) of the Rental Housing Act of 1985, effective July 17, 1985 (D.C. 53
51	51	Law 6-10; D.C. Official Code § 42- 3505.01(r)), is amended to read as follows: 54
52	52	“(r)(1) The court may stay any proceedings for a claim brought by a housing provider to 55
53	53	recover possession of a rental unit for non- payment of rent if a tenant submits documentation to 56
54	54	the court demonstrating that he or she has a pending Emergency Rental Assistance Program 57
55	55	application; provided, that the court may stay proceedings pursuant to this subsection only once 58
56	56	during the pendency of the case. 59 3
57	57	“(2) The proviso in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not be construed to limit 60
58	58	a court’s discretion to extend or continue a stay. 61
59	59	“(3) When an eviction that involves non- payment of rent has been authorized by 62
60	60	the court and a tenant notifies the housing provider that he or she has an approved Emergency 63
61	61	Rental Assistance Program application that would pay the full amount of unpaid rent owed by 64
62	62	the tenant no later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled date and time of the eviction, the housing 65
63	63	provider shall reschedule the eviction for a date no earlier than 3 weeks from the current 66
64	64	scheduled eviction date to allow for the application to be processed, a determination of funding 67
65	65	to be made, and, if the application is approved, funding to be distributed to the housing 68
66	66	provider.”. 69
67	67	Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 70
68	68	The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 71
69	69	impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 72
70	70	approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 73
71	71	Sec. 5. Effective date. 74
72	72	This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 75
73	73	Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30- day period of congressional review as 76
74	74	provided in sections 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 77
75	75	24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1- 206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 78
76	76	Columbia Register. 79