District of Columbia B 24-1050: Housing Authority Accountability Temporary Amendment Act of 2022

Bill Text

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AN ACT

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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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To amend, on a temporary basis, the District of Columbia Housing Authority Act of 1999 to
require the District of Columbia Housing Authority to report certain financial and
operating information, revise the training requirements for commissioners, and establish
training requirements for the executive director; and to amend chapter 39 of Title 28 of
the District of Columbia Official Code to confirm the applicability of landlord-tenant
consumer protections to the District of Columbia Housing Authority.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
act may be cited as the “Housing Authority Accountability Temporary Amendment Act of
2022”.

Sec. 2. The District of Columbia Housing Authority Act of 1999, effective May 9, 2000
(D.C. Law 13-105; D.C. Official Code § 6‑201 et seq.), is amended as follows:
(a) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 6-202) is amended by adding a new subsection (b-1)
to read as follows:
“(b-1)(1) No later than December 1, 2022, the Authority shall submit a report to the
Mayor, Attorney General, and each Councilmember that details:
“(A) The sum of all repayment amounts HUD has requested;
“(B) The sources of the funds the Authority intends to use in making the
repayments referenced in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph;
“(C) The total amount of security deposit interest owed to residents who
have moved out of Housing Properties in the 3 years preceding December 1, 2022;
“(D) The total amount of overcharging and undercharging rent and
housing assistance payments identified through HUD’s required review of tenant files and the
percentage of tenant files reviewed or corrected;
“(E) A date certain by which the Authority will deliver a protocol for
assessing properties for rent reasonableness, as required by the HUD rules.
“(2)(A) Beginning on December 1, 2022, and monthly thereafter, the Authority
shall submit a report to the Mayor, Attorney General, and each Councilmember that details:

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“(i) The amount of operating reserves, expressed in dollars and in
months of expenses, for the public housing program, Housing Choice Voucher program, and the
Authority’s operations overall;
“(ii) The number of vacant public housing units classified by repair
status, such as move-in ready, repairs in progress, and offline due to major repair needs;
“(iii) The average length of time that public housing units have
been vacant in the prior year, by repair status; and
“(iv) A detailed accounting of expenses paid for with District funds
in the prior month and the expenses budgeted for payment with District funds in the remainder of
the fiscal year.
“(B) In lieu of the monthly reports required by subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph (“reports”), the Authority may provide the Mayor, Attorney General, and each
Councilmember with access to an online database through which the reports can be generated.
“(3) If HUD designates the Authority as a Standard Performer or High Performer
in HUD’s Public Housing Assessment System or if the Authority demonstrates that the lack of
such a designation is solely due to the presence of HUD’s Moving to Work agreement with the
Authority, the requirements of paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be waived for 12 months
from the date the designation was received from HUD or documented by the Authority.”.
(b) Section 12 (D.C. Official Code § 6-211) is amended as follows:
(1) Subsection (h) is amended to read as follows:
“(h)(1) Within 60 days after a Commissioner’s appointment and on an annual basis
thereafter, each Commissioner shall complete training offered by or in connection with HUD
covering the following topics:
“(A) The role of a public housing agency board;
“(B) Ethics for public housing agencies and board members or
commissioners;
“(C) Background on major housing authority programs, including public
housing, Housing Choice Voucher Program, and the rental assistance demonstration;
“(D) Fair housing and reasonable accommodations;
“(E) Public housing authority budgets, financial oversight, and financial
reporting; and
“(F) Federal procurement requirements.
“(2) Within 90 days after a Commissioner’s appointment and on an annual basis
thereafter, each Commissioner shall complete training offered by or in connection with HUD
covering the following topics:
“(A) Public housing authority performance monitoring and risk
management;
“(B) HUD reporting requirements;
“(C) Public housing asset management, development, redevelopment,
disposition, and repositioning;

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“(D) Objectives and requirements of HUD’s Moving to Work program;
and
“(E) Resident opportunity, including HUD’s Section 3 requirements for
economic and employment opportunities.
“(3) In addition to the training required in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this
subsection, each Commissioner shall spend at least 4 hours per quarter in training or educational
seminars on co