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A RESOLUTION
25-590
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
July 9, 2024
To declare an emergency with respect to the need to amend the District of Columbia Housing
Authority Act of 1999 to establish a temporary Stabilization and Reform Board to govern
the District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) and to require that the Board and
the Executive Director of DCHA take specific actions to reform and revitalize the
operations of DCHA.
RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform
Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2024”.
Sec. 2. (a) The District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) provides housing
subsidies for tens of thousands of District residents through programs, including the federally
funded Housing Choice Voucher Program, locally funded housing voucher programs, and public
housing.
(b) In 2022, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
(“HUD”) issued a report describing the results of an on-site assessment of DCHA. The report
identified significant concerns with DCHA’s operations, leading to the development and
implementation of strategies and plans to improve DCHA’s provision of housing and services to
low-income District residents.
(c) Following the release of HUD’s report, the Mayor and Council agreed that it was
necessary to restructure the board of directors of DCHA, with a focus on providing the expertise,
experience, focus, and agility to support necessary reforms, successfully address HUD’s
findings, and revitalize DCHA’s operations. The Mayor and Council further agreed that it would
be necessary for the restructured DCHA board to work closely with DCHA’s executive
leadership to find a more sustainable path forward for DCHA to advance the mission of DCHA,
which is to build and maintain safe, decent, affordable housing for District residents.
(d) In December 2022, the Council passed and the Mayor signed the District of
Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022.
Pursuant to this legislation, a new Stabilization and Reform Board (“STAR Board”) took office
and assumed control over DCHA’s operations at the start of 2023. Among other duties, the
STAR Board is tasked with providing recommendations for long-term governance of DCHA by ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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July 1, 2024. The STAR Board’s authorizing legislation contemplates a 2-year term for the
body.
(e) The Council has passed subsequent rounds of emergency and temporary legislation as
necessary to maintain the STAR Board structure. The temporary legislation that currently
authorizes the STAR Board and lays out its operating mandates is scheduled to expire on August
1, 2024. Further emergency and temporary legislation are required to maintain the current
governance structure and allow the STAR Board’s 2-year term to continue.
Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute
an emergency making it necessary that the District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization
and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 be adopted after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.