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_______________________________ 1
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 the existence of an emergency, due to congressional review, regarding the need to 12
the need to amend the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency Act to extend the 13
Reverse Mortgage Insurance and Tax Payment Program, to include condominium fees 14
and homeowners association fees as approved uses of the financial assistance provided 15
by the program, and to give the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency the 16
discretion to issue greater assistance if necessary. 17
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution 19
may be cited as the “Reverse Mortgage Insurance and Tax Payment Program Second 20
Extension Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2024”. 21
Sec. 2. (a) The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency’s (“DCHFA”) Reverse 22
Mortgage Insurance and Tax Payment Program (“ReMIT”) was designed to allow qualified 23
senior homeowners to receive financial assistance for property taxes , property insurance debts 24
and certain property related expenses that have put the homeowner at risk of foreclosure on a 25
reverse mortgage. 26
(b) Under this program, qualified homeowners can receive assistance in the form of a 27
zero-interest loan. The program was initiated as an 18-month pilot program in the Reverse 28
Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Amendment Act of 2018, effective October 30, 2018 (D.C. 29
Law 22-168; D.C. Official Code § 42- 2703.07a) and funded with $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2019. 30
The pilot program was expected to expire on October 27, 2021, but was extended by Council 31
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action. 32
(c) The ReMIT pilot program successfully assisted 31 District senior households with 33
avoiding displacement, allowing the seniors to stay in their longtime residences. 34
(d) Councilmembers Anita Bonds and Robert C. White, Jr. introduced the permanent 35
Reverse Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program Amendment Act of 2023 on April 3
rd
, 2023, 36
and a public hearing on that legislation was held on October 12, 2023. 37
(g) The Reverse Mortgage Insurance and Tax Payment Program Second Extension 38
Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 will expire on April 9
th
, 2024, while the accompanying 39
temporary measure is not projected to become law until April 12
th
, 2024, making congressional 40
review emergency legislation necessary to avoid a gap in the law. 41
(f) Continuing the ReMIT pilot program is important to ensure that eligible seniors can 42
receive the assistance they need to remain in their homes while the Council finishes 43
consideration of the permanent legislation. 44
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances 45
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the 46
Reverse Mortgage Insurance and Tax Payment Second Extension Congressional Review 47
Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 be adopted after single reading. 48
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 49