(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords Act (RENTAL Act), new legislation to protect the District's existing affordable housing and strengthen the local housing ecosystem to ensure DC is and continues to be a national leader in affordable housing.

"Our collective citywide commitment to affordable housing has made DC a national model for success. But that hard-won progress is at risk," said Mayor Bowser. "We now must act with similar urgency to protect the affordable housing that is home to nearly 100,000 Washingtonians and ensure our ability to build more housing. We do that by rebalancing our housing ecosystem and leveraging the right tools, the right investments, and the right policies to meet this moment."

In addition, Mayor Bowser and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the selection of 69 projects through DHCD's 2024 Consolidated Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide bridge, gap, and support funding to affordable multi-family projects. The properties applied for up to $144 million in funding. The District's investments will preserve nearly 8,000 units of housing, of which over 7,700 are affordable. This marks the largest Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF) investment in affordable housing preservation since the fund's inception. The Consolidated RFP has three application categories, and today's selections exemplify the District's highest priority of preventing loss of affordable housing units throughout the city, as set in the RFP. Applications to the remaining RFP categories are under review and additional selections will be made in the coming months.

"These initial selections focus on the properties where our affordable housing investments are potentially at risk," said DHCD Director Colleen Green. "It's important that existing affordable housing units are preserved because protecting every affordable unit is vital to the District's housing ecosystem."

DC's affordable housing system is facing significant financial distress, with many affordable housing providers struggling to cover expenses due to non-payment of rent and increased costs, putting projects at risk of foreclosure. This puts people's affordable homes at risk and can lead to residents experiencing a decline in maintenance and amenities as housing providers struggle to cover costs. In addition, DC is falling behind the region in overall housing production. Unmitigated, this will drive housing costs up for all. Mayor Bowser's housing legislation utilizes a comprehensive approach necessary to protect DC's existing affordable housing and ensure DC can build more housing in the future.

The RENTAL Act

Protect DC's Existing Affordable Housing
The Mayor's legislation includes proactive provisions to preserve existing affordable units and expand residents' access to them by:

Making Permanent Provisions of the Emergency ERAP Legislation that the Council Passed Last Year

Streamlining Court Process Timelines

• Modify eviction timelines to be consistent with pre-pandemic timelines and neighboring jurisdictions, provide a fair and predictable eviction process, establish accountability for landlords and tenants.

Strengthening Tenant Safety Protections

• Authorize eviction if a tenant or other occupant of a rental unit is arrested or charged with a violent offense that occurred in or adjacent to the housing accommodation.

Protecting the District's Ability Support Affordable Housing Projects

• Clarify that the District is not liable for damages as a lender when supporting affordable housing projects.

Increasing Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP)

• Allow more units to be eligible for project-based LRSP vouchers by increasing program eligibility up to 50% Area Medium Income from 30% AMI.

Preserving DC Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform (STAR) Board

• Keep DCHA's temporary STAR Board in effect to provide consistent and sustained leadership in order to deliver public housing that residents deserve.

Ensure DC Can Build More Housing in the Future
The District is facing investment uncertainty that risks the future production of housing, including affordable housing. The legislation includes provisions to make it clear that investing in DC is a strong bet by:

Focusing the Tenants Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) on Preventing Displacement

• Focus TOPA on preventing displacement by ensuring that naturally occurring affordable housing is protected.

• Reform TOPA to clarify which transactions are eligible and that tenants are aware of their TOPA rights.

Repositioning Vacant Properties into Affordable Housing

• Restore DHCD's authority to acquire and reposition vacant properties to increase investment in communities and create more opportunities to develop and uplift affordable housing developments.

Ensuring the District's Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Supports More Affordable Housing Investments

• Implement technical measures to ensure DHCD can utilize FY25 DC LIHTC allocation for affordable housing projects.