District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill PR25-0371 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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2		-	ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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7		-	AN ACT
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9		-	__________
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11		-	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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13		-	____________________
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16		-	To amend the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005 to establish grounds for an extension to
17		-	the Family Re-Housing Stabilization Program, whereby the Department of Human
18		-	Services or its designee will thoroughly consider the totality of the participant's
19		-	circumstances, including their progress and eligibility for affordable housing.
20		-
21		-	BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
22		-	act may be cited as the “Family Re-Housing Stabilization Program Protection Emergency
23		-	Amendment Act of 2023”.
24		-
25		-	Sec. 2. Section 7(b)(4)(B) of the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005, effective
26		-	October 22, 2005 (D.C. Law 16-35; D.C. Official Code § 4–753.01(b)(4)(B)), is amended as
27		-	follows:
28		-	(a) The existing text is designated as sub-subparagraph (i).
29		-	(b) New sub-subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) are added to read as follows:
30		-	“(ii) The Department, or the Department’s designee, shall consider
31		-	requests for Family Re-Housing Stabilization Program (“FRSP”) assistance extending past 12
32		-	months if:
33		-	“(I) There is funding available within FRSP;
34		-	“(II) The participant has requested an extension in writing;
35		-	“(III) The participant has made a good faith effort towards
36		-	the achievement of goals set forth in an individualized plan with the aim of a targeted
37		-	progression towards exit from the supports of FRSP, as observed by the service provider at
38		-	consistent intervals, but cannot yet sustain housing stability independently of FRSP; and
39		-	“(IV) The participant has not yet been approved for
40		-	permanently affordable housing.
41		-	“(iii) When making a determination of whether to grant a
42		-	participant in FRSP an extension beyond 12 months, the Department or Department's designee
43		-	shall:
44		-	“(I) Consider the totality of the circumstances; and
45		-	“(II) Grant extensions of time in increments not greater
46		-	than 6 months, with regular formal reviews every 3 months to ensure that participants are given
47		-	the support necessary to exit FRSP with stable housing.”
48		-	“(iv) If a requested extension of FRSP assistance by a participant is
49		-	denied, the participant shall be given 30 days written notice prior to the final subsidy payment
50		-	ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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55		-	explicitly setting forth the reason for the denial of additional assistance and inform the
56		-	participant that the FRSP participant has a right to:
57		-	“(I) Appeal the determination through a fair hearing and
58		-	administrative review, including deadlines for requesting an appeal; and
59		-	“(II) The continuation of FRSP services pending the
60		-	outcome of any fair hearing requested within 15 days of receipt of written notice of a
61		-	termination.”.
62		-
63		-	Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.
64		-	The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact
65		-	statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved
66		-	October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
67		-
68		-	Sec. 4. Effective date.
69		-	This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the
70		-	Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than
71		-	90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section
72		-	412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788;
73		-	D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).
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78		-	______________________________
79		-	Chairman
80		-	Council of the District of Columbia
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85		-
86		-	_________________________________
87		-	Mayor
88		-	District of Columbia
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	2	+	_____________________________ 1
	3	+	C ouncilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 2
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	10	+	A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 9
	11	+	_________________ 10
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	13	+	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 12
	14	+	_________________________ 13
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	16	+	To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to provide equitable 15
	17	+	real property tax relief to certain property owned by Grace Covenant Church 16
	18	+	located on Lot 0800, Square 4138. 17
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	20	+	19
	21	+	RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 20
	22	+	resolution may be cited as the “ Grace Covenant Church Equitable Real Property Tax Relief 21
	23	+	Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023”. 22
	24	+	Sec. 2. (a) Grace Covenant Church is a nondenominational church that was established in 23
	25	+	Ward 5 in the Brookland neighborhood in 1999 (“Church”) . The congregation of the Church 24
	26	+	assembled and worshipped in rented properties until the Church purchased its current property 25
	27	+	on Lot 0800 in Square 4138 from Capital Temple Church of God in Christ in October 2019. The 26
	28	+	goal of this purchase was to have a permanent home and to renovate and expand the space to 27
	29	+	better accommodate the congregation, allow for community engagement, and create spaces for 28
	30	+	children. 29
	31	+	(b) The transfer of ownership terminated the real property tax exemption that had been 30
	32	+	granted to the previous owner. The Church mistakenly thought that the tax exemption had 31 2
	33	+	transferred through the sale as similar operations were continuing as the property changed hands 1
	34	+	between the two churches. 2
	35	+	(c) After receiving a tax bill, the Church filed an Application for Exemption from D.C. 3
	36	+	Real Property Tax form in December 2021. The application was approved by the Office of Tax 4
	37	+	and Revenue (“OTR”) and the exemption went into effect on January 1, 2022. Because the 5
	38	+	Church was not eligible for an exemption until the application was filed, OTR could not grant an 6
	39	+	exemption for prior periods. As a result, there currently remains an unpaid tax liability on the 7
	40	+	Church property from tax year 2020 through a portion of tax year 2022. 8
	41	+	(d) On April 28, 2023, Councilmember McDuffie introduced a permanent version of this 9
	42	+	legislation and on June 28, 2023, the Committee on Business and Economic Development held a 10
	43	+	hearing on the permanent version (Bill 25 -281). The hearing included questioning by Chairman 11
	44	+	McDuffie to both the witness from the Church and a representative from the Office of the Chief 12
	45	+	Financial Officer. At this hearing the Office of the Chief Financial Officer supported the 13
	46	+	legislation. 14
	47	+	(e) There is a need to pass this legislation via emergency because on October 1, 2023, the 15
	48	+	Church will accrue more interest and fines on the unpaid tax liability. T o ensure that the amount 16
	49	+	budgeted by the District for this legislation is used in the current fiscal year, the legislation will 17
	50	+	need to be enacted before October 1. 18
	51	+	Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute 19
	52	+	emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Grace Church Equitable Real Property 20
	53	+	Tax Relief Emergency Act of 2023 be adopted after a single reading. 21
	54	+	Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 22