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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 with respect to the need to amend the Rental Housing 12
Act of 1985 to enact a moratorium on applications for, and the Mayor’s issuance of, 13
certificates of assurance associated with District rent stabilization laws . 14
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution 16
may be cited as the “Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Emergency Declaration 17
Resolution of 2024”. 18
Sec. 2. (a) Section 221 of the Rental Housing Act of 1985, effective July 17, 2985 ( D.C. 19
Law 6-10; D.C. Official Code § 42- 3502.21) allows owners of housing accommodations to apply 20
for certificates of assurance from the Mayor , which would provide that in the event their 21
properties become subject to any rent stabilization , the owners would recover in the form of a 22
District real estate tax credit the difference between the annual fair market rent s and the annual 23
amount of stabilized rent s the owners receive from the tenants in the housing accommodations . 24
(b) Because the certificate of assurance entitlement lasts for as long as the properties 25
remain housing accommodations , the entitlement may create a potentially prohibitive fiscal 26
impact on future reform legislation . 27
(c) Implementation barriers and concerns kept the program from ever being fully 28
operational. 29
(d) On September 22, 2020, the Council passed the Certificate of Assurance Moratorium 30
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Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (Bill 23 -0900), which placed an emergency moratorium on 31
applications for, and the Mayor’s issuance of, certificates of a ssurance to owners of housing 32
accommodations. 33
(e) The Council has extended the moratorium through subsequent emergency and 34
temporary acts, including most recently the Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Second 35
Extension Temporary Amendment Act of 2023, effective April 10, 2024 (D.C. Law 25- 152), 36
which will expire on November 21, 2024. 37
(f) The Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 is 38
necessary to maintain the status quo while permanent legislation is considered. 39
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances 40
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the 41
Certificate of Assurance Moratorium Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 be adopted after a 42
single reading. 43
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 44