DC Mayor Bowser Looks to Reform DCHA

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser joined D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson on Thursday to introduce new laws designed to create a stabilization and reform board that might oversee the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA).

Bowser is seeking to lower the present board’s membership from 13 to eight, all of whom she would appoint.

The motion comes after a scathing federal report by the U.S. Division of Housing and City Improvement (HUD) in October, which revealed town’s housing authority failed to supply “respectable, secure and sanitary” public housing.

“This streamlined reform board will make sure that we aren’t solely addressing the problems raised by HUD, however that the company resides as much as our perception {that a} secure and steady life begins with secure and steady housing,” Bowser mentioned. “DCHA wants an agile board, comprised of specialists who perceive these points deeply, in order that we will ship the housing DCHA residents deserve and that our neighborhood deserves.”

“It’s understood that the Public Housing Authority is just not working very nicely, the problem for us is to show the authority round and do it in an orderly trend whereas we get a brand new government director subsequent yr,” Mendelson mentioned. “This laws helps to stabilize the Authority and make sure that we don’t see extra turnover on the prime whereas working this out.” 

A streamlined eight-member board would supply governance to DCHA to deal with the findings outlined within the HUD report and create a extra sustainable path ahead for DCHA, in response to Bowser.

If her proposed reform is accepted, Bowser would immediately appoint seven members to the board. She mentioned these would come with the Rev. Jim Dickerson; actual property vet Jessica Haynes-Franklin; Melissa Lee, senior vp of capital and investments at The Menkiti Group; Christopher Murphy, Georgetown College’s vp for presidency relations and neighborhood engagement; and inexpensive housing advocate Raymond A. Skinner.

Moreover, the DCHA resident who serves as president of the DCHA Metropolis Huge Advisory Board and the director of the Workplace of Price range and Efficiency Administration (OBPM) would additionally get a vote. OBMP’s chief monetary officer would function an ex officio, non-voting member. 

The D.C. Council is anticipated to vote on the reform proposal early subsequent week.

Keith Loria might be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.