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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 2
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A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 6
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 9
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To declare an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the need to amend the 12
District of Columbia Housing Authority Act of 1999 to establish a temporary 13
Stabilization and Reform Board to govern the District of Columbia Housing Authority 14
(“DCHA”) and to require that the Board and the Executive Director of DCHA take 15
specific actions to reform and revitalize the operations of DCHA. 16
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RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 18
resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform 19
Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023”. 20
Sec. 2. (a) DCHA provides housing subsidies for tens of thousands of District residents 21
through programs including the federally funded Housing Choice Voucher Program, locally 22
funded housing voucher programs, and public housing. 23
(b) In 2022, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) 24
issued a report describing the results of an on- site assessment of DCHA. The report identified 25
significant concerns with DCHA’s operations, leading to the development and implementation of 26
strategies and plans to improve DCHA’s provision of housing and services to low-income 27
District residents. 28
(c) Following the release of HUD’s report, the Mayor and Council agreed that it was 29
necessary to restructure the board of directors of DCHA, with a focus on providing the expertise, 30
experience, focus, and agility to support necessary reforms , successfully address HUD’s 31
findings, and revitalize DCHA’s operations. The Mayor and Council further agreed that it would 32 be necessary for the restructured DCHA board to work closely with DCHA’s executive 33
leadership to find a more sustainable path forward for DCHA to advance the mission of DCHA, 34
which is to build and maintain safe, decent, affordable housing for District residents. 35
(d) In December 2022, the Council passed and the Mayor signed the District of Columbia 36
Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022. Substantively 37
identical temporary legislation followed. Pursuant to this legislation, a new Stabilization and 38
Reform Board (“STAR Board”) took office and assumed control over DCHA’s operations at the 39
start of 2023. Among other duties, the STAR Board is tasked with providing recommendations 40
for long- term governance of DCHA by July 1, 2024. The STAR Board’s authorizing legislation 41
contemplates a 2-year term for the body. 42
(e) The Council approved renewed emergency and temporary legislation on September 43
19, 2023, and October 3, 2023, to maintain the STAR Board’s authoriz ation and operating 44
mandates. The temporary legislation may not complete congressional review and go into effect 45
prior to the expiration of the emergency legislation; Congressional review emergency legislation 46
is therefore necessary. 47
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances 48
enumerated in section 2 constitute an emergency making it necessary that the District of 49
Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Congressional Review Emergency 50
Amendment Act of 2023 be adopted after a single reading. 51
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 52