District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill PR25-0546 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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8		-	A RESOLUTION
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10		-	25-364
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12		-	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
13		-
14		-	December 5, 2023
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16		-
17		-	To declare an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the need to amend the
18		-	District of Columbia Housing Authority Act of 1999 to establish a temporary
19		-	Stabilization and Reform Board to govern the District of Columbia Housing Authority
20		-	(“DCHA”) and to require that the Board and the Executive Director of DCHA take
21		-	specific actions to reform and revitalize the operations of DCHA.
22		-
23		-	RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
24		-	resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform
25		-	Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023”.
26		-
27		-	Sec. 2. (a) The District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) provides housing
28		-	subsidies for tens of thousands of District residents through programs including the federally
29		-	funded Housing Choice Voucher Program, locally funded housing voucher programs, and public
30		-	housing.
31		-	(b) In 2022, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”)
32		-	issued a report describing the results of an on-site assessment of DCHA. The report identified
33		-	significant concerns with DCHA’s operations, leading to the development and implementation of
34		-	strategies and plans to improve DCHA’s provision of housing and services to low-income
35		-	District residents.
36		-	(c) Following the release of HUD’s report, the Mayor and Council agreed that it was
37		-	necessary to restructure the board of directors of DCHA, with a focus on providing the expertise,
38		-	experience, focus, and agility to support necessary reforms, successfully address HUD’s
39		-	findings, and revitalize DCHA’s operations. The Mayor and Council further agreed that it would
40		-	be necessary for the restructured DCHA board to work closely with DCHA’s executive
41		-	leadership to find a more sustainable path forward for DCHA to advance the mission of DCHA,
42		-	which is to build and maintain safe, decent, affordable housing for District residents.
43		-	(d) In December 2022, the Council passed, and the Mayor signed, the District of
44		-	Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022.
45		-	Substantively identical temporary legislation followed. Pursuant to this legislation, a new
46		-	Stabilization and Reform Board (“STAR Board”) took office and assumed control over DCHA’s ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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48		-
49		-
50		-
51		-	2
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53		-	operations at the start of 2023. Among other duties, the STAR Board is tasked with providing
54		-	recommendations for long-term governance of DCHA by July 1, 2024. The STAR Board’s
55		-	authorizing legislation contemplates a 2-year term for the body.
56		-	(e) The Council approved renewed emergency and temporary legislation on September
57		-	19, 2023, and October 3, 2023, to maintain the STAR Board’s authorization and operating
58		-	mandates. The temporary legislation may not complete congressional review and go into effect
59		-	prior to the expiration of the emergency legislation. Congressional review emergency legislation
60		-	is therefore necessary.
61		-
62		-	Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute
63		-	an emergency making it necessary that the District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization
64		-	and Reform Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 be adopted after a
65		-	single reading.
66		-
67		-	Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
	2	+	Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 2
	3	+	3
	4	+	4
	5	+	5
	6	+	A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 6
	7	+	__________ 7
	8	+	8
	9	+	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 9
	10	+	____________________ 10
	11	+	11
	12	+	To declare an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the need to amend the 12
	13	+	District of Columbia Housing Authority Act of 1999 to establish a temporary 13
	14	+	Stabilization and Reform Board to govern the District of Columbia Housing Authority 14
	15	+	(“DCHA”) and to require that the Board and the Executive Director of DCHA take 15
	16	+	specific actions to reform and revitalize the operations of DCHA. 16
	17	+	17
	18	+	RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 18
	19	+	resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform 19
	20	+	Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023”. 20
	21	+	Sec. 2. (a) DCHA provides housing subsidies for tens of thousands of District residents 21
	22	+	through programs including the federally funded Housing Choice Voucher Program, locally 22
	23	+	funded housing voucher programs, and public housing. 23
	24	+	(b) In 2022, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) 24
	25	+	issued a report describing the results of an on- site assessment of DCHA. The report identified 25
	26	+	significant concerns with DCHA’s operations, leading to the development and implementation of 26
	27	+	strategies and plans to improve DCHA’s provision of housing and services to low-income 27
	28	+	District residents. 28
	29	+	(c) Following the release of HUD’s report, the Mayor and Council agreed that it was 29
	30	+	necessary to restructure the board of directors of DCHA, with a focus on providing the expertise, 30
	31	+	experience, focus, and agility to support necessary reforms , successfully address HUD’s 31
	32	+	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
	33	+	leadership to find a more sustainable path forward for DCHA to advance the mission of DCHA, 34
	34	+	which is to build and maintain safe, decent, affordable housing for District residents. 35
	35	+	(d) In December 2022, the Council passed and the Mayor signed the District of Columbia 36
	36	+	Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022. Substantively 37
	37	+	identical temporary legislation followed. Pursuant to this legislation, a new Stabilization and 38
	38	+	Reform Board (“STAR Board”) took office and assumed control over DCHA’s operations at the 39
	39	+	start of 2023. Among other duties, the STAR Board is tasked with providing recommendations 40
	40	+	for long- term governance of DCHA by July 1, 2024. The STAR Board’s authorizing legislation 41
	41	+	contemplates a 2-year term for the body. 42
	42	+	(e) The Council approved renewed emergency and temporary legislation on September 43
	43	+	19, 2023, and October 3, 2023, to maintain the STAR Board’s authoriz ation and operating 44
	44	+	mandates. The temporary legislation may not complete congressional review and go into effect 45
	45	+	prior to the expiration of the emergency legislation; Congressional review emergency legislation 46
	46	+	is therefore necessary. 47
	47	+	Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances 48
	48	+	enumerated in section 2 constitute an emergency making it necessary that the District of 49
	49	+	Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Congressional Review Emergency 50
	50	+	Amendment Act of 2023 be adopted after a single reading. 51
	51	+	Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 52