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Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 2
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A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 5
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 8
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To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the Rental Housing 11
Act of 1985 to enact a moratorium on applications for, and the Mayor’s issuance of, 12
certificates of assurance associated with District rent stabilization laws . 13
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution 15
may be cited as the “Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Second Extension Emergency 16
Declaration Resolution of 2023”. 17
Sec. 2. (a) Section 221 of the Rental Housing Act of 1985 (D.C. Code § 42-18
3502.21) allows owners of housing accommodations to apply for certificates of assurance 19
from the Mayor, which would provide that in the event their properties become subject to 20
any rent stabilization, the owners would recover in the form of a District real estate tax 21
credit the difference between the annual fair market rents and the annual amount of 22
stabilized rents the owners receive from the tenants in the housing accommodations . 23
(b) Because the certificate of assurance entitlement lasts for as long as the 24
properties remain housing accommodations , the entitlement may create a potentially 25
prohibitive fiscal impact on future reform legislation . 26
(c) Implementation barriers and concerns kept the program from ever being fully 27
operational. 28 2
(d) On September 22, 2020, the Council passed the Certificate of Assurance 29
Moratorium Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (Bill 23-0900), which placed an 30
emergency moratorium on applications for, and the Mayor’s issuance of, c ertificates of 31
assurance to owners of housing accommodations. 32
(e) Most recently, this moratorium was extended by the Certificate of Assurance 33
Moratorium Second Extension Temporary Amendment Act of 2023, which will expire on 34
January 25
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2024. 35
(f) The Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Second Extension Emergency 36
Amendment Act of 2023 is necessary to maintain the status quo while permanent 37
legislation is introduced and considered. 38
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances 39
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the 40
Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Second Extension Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 be 41
adopted after a single reading. 42
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 43