ENROLLED ORIGINAL
1
A RESOLUTION
25-432
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
March 5, 2024
To declare the existence of an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the
need to the need to amend the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency Act to
extend the Reverse Mortgage Insurance and Tax Payment Program, to include
condominium fees and homeowners association fees as approved uses of the financial
assistance provided by the program, and to give the District of Columbia Housing
Finance Agency the discretion to issue greater assistance if necessary.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution
may be cited as the “Reverse Mortgage Insurance and Tax Payment Program Second
Extension Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2024”.
Sec. 2. (a) The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency’s Reverse Mortgage
Insurance and Tax Payment Program (“ReMIT”) was designed to allow qualified senior
homeowners to receive financial assistance for property taxes, property insurance debts, and
certain property related expenses that have put the homeowner at risk of foreclosure on a reverse
mortgage.
(b) Under this program, qualified homeowners can receive assistance in the form of a
zero-interest loan. The program was initiated as an 18-month pilot program in the Reverse
Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Amendment Act of 2018, effective October 30, 2018 (D.C.
Law 22-168; D.C. Official Code § 42-2703.07a) and funded with $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2019.
The pilot program was expected to expire on October 27, 2021, but was extended by Council
action.
(c) The ReMIT pilot program successfully assisted 31 District senior households with
avoiding displacement, allowing the seniors to stay in their longtime residences.
(d) Councilmembers Anita Bonds and Robert C. White, Jr. introduced the permanent
Reverse Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program Amendment Act of 2023 on April3, 2023,
and a public hearing on that legislation was held on October 12, 2023.
(e) The Reverse Mortgage Insurance and Tax Payment Program Second Extension
Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 will expire on April 9, 2024, while the accompanying
temporary measure is not projected to become law until April 12, 2024, making congressional
review emergency legislation necessary to avoid a gap in the law.
(f) Continuing the ReMIT pilot program is important to ensure that eligible seniors can ENROLLED ORIGINAL
2
receive the assistance they need to remain in their homes while the Council finishes
consideration of the permanent legislation.
Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2
constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Reverse Mortgage Insurance
and Tax Payment Second Extension Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of
2024 be adopted after single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.