District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill PR25-0921 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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3		-
4		-
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6	1		1
7		-	A RESOLUTION
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9		-	25-590
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11		-	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
12		-
13		-	July 9, 2024
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15		-
16		-	To declare an emergency with respect to the need to amend the District of Columbia Housing
17		-	Authority Act of 1999 to establish a temporary Stabilization and Reform Board to govern
18		-	the District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) and to require that the Board and
19		-	the Executive Director of DCHA take specific actions to reform and revitalize the
20		-	operations of DCHA.
21		-
22		-	RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
23		-	resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform
24		-	Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2024”.
25		-	Sec. 2. (a) The District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) provides housing
26		-	subsidies for tens of thousands of District residents through programs, including the federally
27		-	funded Housing Choice Voucher Program, locally funded housing voucher programs, and public
28		-	housing.
29		-	(b) In 2022, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
30		-	(“HUD”) issued a report describing the results of an on-site assessment of DCHA. The report
31		-	identified significant concerns with DCHA’s operations, leading to the development and
32		-	implementation of strategies and plans to improve DCHA’s provision of housing and services to
33		-	low-income District residents.
34		-	(c) Following the release of HUD’s report, the Mayor and Council agreed that it was
35		-	necessary to restructure the board of directors of DCHA, with a focus on providing the expertise,
36		-	experience, focus, and agility to support necessary reforms, successfully address HUD’s
37		-	findings, and revitalize DCHA’s operations. The Mayor and Council further agreed that it would
38		-	be necessary for the restructured DCHA board to work closely with DCHA’s executive
39		-	leadership to find a more sustainable path forward for DCHA to advance the mission of DCHA,
40		-	which is to build and maintain safe, decent, affordable housing for District residents.
41		-	(d) In December 2022, the Council passed and the Mayor signed the District of
42		-	Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022.
43		-	Pursuant to this legislation, a new Stabilization and Reform Board (“STAR Board”) took office
44		-	and assumed control over DCHA’s operations at the start of 2023. Among other duties, the
45		-	STAR Board is tasked with providing recommendations for long-term governance of DCHA by ENROLLED ORIGINAL
46		-
47		-
48		-
49		-
50		-	2
51		-	July 1, 2024. The STAR Board’s authorizing legislation contemplates a 2-year term for the
52		-	body.
53		-	(e) The Council has passed subsequent rounds of emergency and temporary legislation as
54		-	necessary to maintain the STAR Board structure. The temporary legislation that currently
55		-	authorizes the STAR Board and lays out its operating mandates is scheduled to expire on August
56		-	1, 2024. Further emergency and temporary legislation are required to maintain the current
57		-	governance structure and allow the STAR Board’s 2-year term to continue.
58		-
59		-	Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute
60		-	an emergency making it necessary that the District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization
61		-	and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 be adopted after a single reading.
62		-
63		-	Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
64		-
	2	+	1
	3	+	Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 2
	4	+	3
	5	+	4
	6	+	5
	7	+	A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 6
	8	+	7
	9	+	____________ 8
	10	+	9
	11	+	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
	12	+	11
	13	+	____________ 12
	14	+	13
	15	+	To declare an emergency with respect to the need to amend the District of Columbia Housing 14
	16	+	Authority Act of 1999 to establish a temporary Stabilization and Reform Board to govern 15
	17	+	the District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) and to require that the Board and 16
	18	+	the Executive Director of DCHA take specific actions to reform and revitalize the 17
	19	+	operations of DCHA. 18
	20	+	19
	21	+	RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 20
	22	+	resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform 21
	23	+	Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2024”. 22
	24	+	Sec. 2. (a) The District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) provides housing 23
	25	+	subsidies for tens of thousands of District residents through programs including the federally 24
	26	+	funded Housing Choice Voucher Program, locally funded housing voucher programs, and public 25
	27	+	housing. 26
	28	+	(b) In 2022, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) 27
	29	+	issued a report describing the results of an on- site assessment of DCHA. The report identified 28
	30	+	significant concerns with DCHA’s operations, leading to the development and implementation of 29
	31	+	strategies and plans to improve DCHA’s provision of housing and services to low-income 30
	32	+	District residents. 31 2
	33	+	(c) Following the release of HUD’s report, the Mayor and Council agreed that it was 32
	34	+	necessary to restructure the board of directors of DCHA, with a focus on providing the expertise, 33
	35	+	experience, focus, and agility to support necessary reforms , successfully address HUD’s 34
	36	+	findings, and revitalize DCHA’s operations. The Mayor and Council further agreed that it would 35
	37	+	be necessary for the restructured DCHA board to work closely with DCHA’s executive 36
	38	+	leadership to find a more sustainable path forward for DCHA to advance the mission of DCHA, 37
	39	+	which is to build and maintain safe, decent, affordable housing for District residents. 38
	40	+	(d) In December 2022, the Council passed and the Mayor signed the District of Columbia 39
	41	+	Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022. Pursuant to 40
	42	+	this legislation, a new Stabilization and Reform Board (“STAR Board”) took office and assumed 41
	43	+	control over DCHA’s operations at the start of 2023. Among other duties, the STAR Board is 42
	44	+	tasked with providing recommendations for long- term governance of DCHA by July 1, 2024. 43
	45	+	The STAR Board’s authorizing legislation contemplates a 2- year term for the body. 44
	46	+	(e) The Council has passed subsequent rounds of emergency and temporary legislation as 45
	47	+	necessary to maintain the STAR Board structure. The temporary legislation that currently 46
	48	+	authorizes the STAR Board and lays out its operating mandates is scheduled to expire on August 47
	49	+	1, 2024. Further emergency and temporary legislation are required to maintain the current 48
	50	+	governance structure and allow the STAR Board’s 2 -year term to continue. 49
	51	+	Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute 50
	52	+	an emergency making it necessary that the District of Columbia Housing Authority Stabilization 51
	53	+	and Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 be adopted after a single reading. 52
	54	+	Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 53