4814030 Housing Authority, DC - Notice of Emergency and Proposed Rulemaking - Shelter System Relief for Housing Choice Voucher Program Applicants

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

 

NOTICE OF EMERGENCY AND PROPOSED RULEMAKING

The Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (“DCHA”) hereby gives notice, pursuant to the District of Columbia Housing Authority Act of 1999, as amended, effective May 9, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-105; D.C. Official Code § 6-203 (2012 Repl.)), of its intent to adopt, on an emergency basis, the following proposed amendments to Chapter 61 (Public Housing: Admission and Recertification) of Title 14 (Housing) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (“DCMR”).

 

Per 1 DCMR 311.4(e), emergency rulemakings are promulgated when the action is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, welfare, or morals. There is an urgent need to adopt these emergency regulations to ensure that persons, including those in the shelter system, can receive immediate access to housing during this critical housing shortage for low income persons.

 

These emergency regulations were adopted by the Board on March 12, 2014 and became effective immediately. They will remain in effect for up to one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of adoption, until July 21, 2014, or upon publication of a Notice of Final Rulemaking in the D.C. Register, whichever occurs first.

 

The Board of Commissioners of DCHA also gives notice of intent to take rulemaking action to adopt these proposed regulations as final in not less than thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice in the D.C. Register.  

 

Chapter 61 (Public Housing: Admission and Recertification) of Title 14 (Housing) of the DCMR is amended as follows:

 

14 DCMR Section 6125 (Preferences for Placement Eligibility for Housing Choice Voucher Program Applicants), is amended to add a new Subsection 6125.12, to read as follows:

 

6125.12           Shelter System Relief—Applicants are included under this preference if an applicant is referred to DCHA by District of Columbia Department of Human Services (“DHS”) or some other District agency as designated by the Office of the Mayor as a homeless individual or family temporarily housed in a shelter and such applicant meets the DHS eligibility requirements in addition to the DCHA HCVP program requirements. Up to 113 vouchers are authorized for this purpose.  Such vouchers will be available for issuance to individuals/families that are referred to DCHA by September 30, 2014 and any vouchers not issued to the referred families will no longer be available and will be returned to DCHA’s general voucher inventory for issuance to individuals/families selected from the DCHA waiting list.  Any extension of this allocation will be made at the sole discretion of DCHA’s Executive Director.

 

 

Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments regarding this Proposed Rulemaking to DCHA’s Office of General Counsel within thirty (30) days of publication of this notice in the D.C. Register.  Copies of this Proposed Rulemaking can be obtained at www.dcregs.gov, or by contacting Karen Harris at the Office of the General Counsel, 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20002-7599 or via telephone at [phone].  All communications on this subject matter must refer to the above referenced title and must include the phrase “Comment to Proposed Rulemaking” in the subject line.  There are two methods of submitting Public Comments:

 

1.                  Submission of comments by mail:  Comments may be submitted by mail to the Office of the General Counsel, 1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20002-7599.

2.                  Electronic Submission of comments: Comments may be submitted electronically by submitting comments to Karen Harris at:

[e-mail].

3.                  No facsimile will be accepted.

 

Comments Due Date:  April 20, 2014