Mayor Bowser and Chairman Mendelson Introduce Legislation Creating Stabilization and Reform Board for DC Housing Authority

(Washington, DC) – At this time, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson launched laws that creates a brand new Stabilization and Reform Board overseeing the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA). This eight-member board, which is able to substitute the present DCHA Board of Commissioners, will present the governance to DCHA to deal with the findings outlined within the latest report from the U.S. Division of Housing and City Improvement (HUD) in addition to create a extra sustainable path ahead for DCHA. The creation of the board builds on the District’s dedication to supply DCHA with the assets mandatory to make sure secure, dignified, and inexpensive housing.

“This streamlined reform board will be certain 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 secure life begins with secure and secure housing,” mentioned Mayor Bowser. “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 group deserves.”

“It’s understood that 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 vogue whereas we get a brand new Government Director subsequent 12 months,” mentioned Chairman Mendelson. “This laws helps to stabilize the Authority and be certain that we don’t see extra turnover on the prime whereas working this out.”

The seven voting members of the Board, appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the DC Council, will likely be:

• Reverend Jim Dickerson has greater than 45 years of expertise in inexpensive housing growth and operations, together with founding MANNA, Inc., which offers low- and moderate-income households with high quality inexpensive homeownership and housing selections.
• Jessica Haynes-Franklin is an actual property skilled with expertise in inexpensive housing growth and capital challenge financing having served with the U.S. Division of Housing and City Improvement and the DC Division of Housing and Group Improvement.
• Melissa Lee is the Senior Vice President of Capital and Investments at The Menkiti Group the place she is liable for the capital, funding, and fund administration actions of the group. She has over 20 years of finance expertise with experience in funding administration and treasury administration throughout a number of industries. She beforehand oversaw a $2+ billion actual property portfolio on the Maryland State Retirement & Pension System and served because the Director of Treasury Operations on the Washington Metropolitan Space Transit Authority (WMATA).
• Christopher Murphy serves as Georgetown College’s first Vice President for Authorities Relations and Group Engagement the place he coordinates the college’s strategic engagement with the federal and District governments, group organizations and leaders, and the Georgetown neighborhood. Murphy beforehand served as deputy chief of workers to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and chief of workers to former DC Mayor Vincent Grey.
• Raymond A. Skinner is an inexpensive housing advocate and an energetic chief within the housing and group growth trade who has spent the majority of his 50-year skilled profession in public service, together with holding a number of govt appointed positions in state and native authorities. For fifteen years, Skinner served as Secretary of the Maryland Division of Housing and Group Improvement, main a workers of 300 and managing the state’s housing finance, mortgage insurance coverage, group growth, and constructing code applications.
• The DCHA resident who serves as President of the DCHA Metropolis Extensive Advisory Board
• The Director of the Workplace of Finances and Efficiency Administration
• The Chief Monetary Officer (CFO) or a designee from the Workplace of the Chief Monetary Officer will function an ex officio, non-voting member. Raymond Skinner will function Chairperson of the Board.

The short-term and long-term wants of DCHA would require the Board to institute sound governance procedures to refine contracting and procurement processes and monitor govt coaching and efficiency to guarantee the company fulfills its mission, together with:

• Growing and implementing a plan to extend occupancy of housing models owned, operated, or managed by DCHA;
• Figuring out particular person residential models in substandard situation and bringing them right into a state of fine restore;
• Growing and implementing a sustainable property upkeep plan; and
• Enhancing the administration of the wait record for housing models.

The Stabilization and Reform Board, which will likely be in place for 3 years, may also present suggestions to the Mayor and the Council for the construction of a successor board of administrators to guide DCHA.