WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mayor Muriel Bowser has introduced two bills aimed at updating District housing law, preserving affordable units and making housing-related court procedures more predictable for tenants and property owners.
The Housing Investment Protection Act would expand the Local Rental Supplement Program’s project-based voucher threshold from 30% to 50%, which the administration says would increase the supply of affordable housing. It would also clarify who may exercise a right of first refusal under the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act and strengthen the District’s ability to purchase newer buildings on an expedited timeline to preserve affordable units.
The proposal would establish a 60-day hearing timeline for eviction cases, clarify that voucher recipients pay only their required share into protective orders, and modernize procedures for delivering and receiving eviction notices. Other provisions address access to units for repairs and flexibility for the D.C. Housing Authority when a tenant’s home is being repaired or rehabilitated.
A second measure, the Illegal Occupancy Enforcement Amendment Act, would clarify that guests in short-term rentals, vacation rentals or hotels have no legal right to remain after their scheduled stay ends. The bill would treat guests who refuse to leave as trespassers and authorize their removal when necessary.
The mayor’s office said Washington has added more than 73,000 housing units since 2015, including more than 22,000 affordable units. The District has invested more than $3 billion in affordable housing during that period, according to the administration.
The full proposals and a legislative fact sheet are available in the official announcement from the Office of the Mayor.
The Washington Herald
editorial@thewashingtonherald.com
Washington, D.C.
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