You might have read in the news over the long weekend about a scathing report by the federal Dept. of Housing and Urban Development telling us that DC’s Housing Authority is in shambles. Many of us have been saying this for years, and I saw it every time I testified before or worked with the board. But the extent of the “serious violations” is breathtaking.
 Among the report’s 82 findings: one out of every four public housing units is sitting vacant — that’s nearly 2,000 units not available for low-income families desperate for a safe place to live; DCHA’s executive director lacks expertise in public housing management; its board does not provide proper fiscal and operational oversight; and DCHA is so out of compliance with the law that HUD is requiring the authority to review all past procurements and repay funds that were spent improperly. It’s bad.
So, what are we going to do about it?
I’ve been raising the alarm about DCHA for years. In my first year on Council, I boosted funds for repairs so that DCHA could address its quality problems and reduce the number of vacant units. I’ve sought to improve board independence and expertise by adding subject matter experts to the board and reducing the mayor’s majority on the board. And I authorized the Inspector General to investigate serious allegations of impropriety at DCHA. Still, DCHA’s repairs are moving too slowly and the attempt at board overhaul was weakened before passage.
Even before the HUD story broke last week, my staff and I were working on a major reform bill that would change the makeup of the board, giving greater power to residents on the board, empowering board members — not the mayor — to elect the chair, prohibiting District employees or contractors from sitting on the board, and specifying that the board may require supermajority approval for certain types of actions. Read more about the legislation.
The HUD report is a wake-up call for urgent and immediate action. Every part of the agency needs reform, from contracting and procurement to board composition to basic property management. Our lowest-income residents deserve housing that is high-quality, safe, and secure.
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New Fiscal Year, New Budget, New Benefits
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We are 11 days into Fiscal Year 2023, and I want to let you know about some exciting additions in this year’s budget.
First up: Increased Paid Family & Medical Leave!
Starting October 1, paid leave for private sector employees in the District expanded by a lot — to 12 weeks in all three categories. That’s on top of the two weeks of leave for prenatal care that was available.
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Paid family leave has been hugely popular since its July 2020 start, with 28,000 workers participating already. Last year, the Labor Committee, which I chair, required a financial review of the program’s fund, since I suspected we could provide more benefits for less money. And I was right: we’ve now cut the payroll tax for businesses by more than half and expanded the amount of leave time. The result is healthy workers, happy families, and a competitive economy — a win-win-win for the city.
You can learn more about your options for paid leave at dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov or attend an upcoming DOES webinar on Oct. 13 (in Spanish), or 27 (English) — info and registration.
That’s not all: Paid Leave for D.C. Government Workers is Expanding, Too
Earlier this month, the Council approved expanded paid leave for DC government workers, including the addition of a medical leave category. The legislation, which I co-introduced with Councilmember Christina Henderson, gives the same 12 weeks of paid parental, family, and medical leave to public sector employees. Two weeks of medical leave will take effect Jan. 1, and the expanded weeks for all categories — currently city employees get eight weeks of parental and family leave — will go into effect after funding is allocated in an upcoming budget.
There’s even more that started on Oct. 1 for workers
A number of other seeds we planted in the annual budget process bore fruit on Oct. 1. An estimated 15,000 undocumented residents, returning citizens, and workers in the informal economy (so-called "excluded workers") who were not eligible for relief during the pandemic will now receive payments of about $1,000 later this fall. This is a huge step in making sure our pandemic recovery is equitable and reaches all residents.
Plus, my committee and I fought for funding for workforce development programs, such as a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training program to build a pipeline for jobs with WMATA, and a career pathways program for home care and nursing at UDC and another for violence interrupters. The CDL training program came up in a discussion this week with the new WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke, and he was excited to learn about it.
Through the efforts and funding from the Labor Committee, we also expanded the School Year Internship Program, giving paid employment and training opportunities to 1,000 young people per year and increased funding for adult learners.
And we strengthened the safety net for residents at the greatest economic risk by doubling our investment in eviction diversion programs, funding a Commission on Poverty, and coming up with money for additional staff in the Attorney General’s office to enforce workers’ rights.
Read about all of this legislation and more.
What’s next?
Last week, I introduced the Reckless Driver Accountability Act, which will impound the cars of reckless drivers and require them to take a special restorative justice course to get their cars back (yes, even if they pay their fines, and yes, drivers from Maryland and Virginia, too). It’s working in New York City, where reckless driving offenses dropped 40% among participants.
And stay tuned later this week for another big piece of legislation I plan to introduce.
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