5973277 Public Hearing on B21-0647, Rental Housing Late Fee Fairness Amendment Act of 2016 and B21-0646, Property Rehabilitation for Affordable Housing Act of 2016

 

Councilmember Anita Bonds, Chairperson
Committee on Housing and Community Development

Announces a Public Hearing of the Committee on

B21-0647, the “Rental Housing Late Fee Fairness Amendment Act of 2016”

  and

B21-0646, the “Property Rehabilitation for Affordable Housing Act of 2016”

on

Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at 10:00 AM

John A. Wilson Building, Room 500

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

Councilmember Anita Bonds, Chairperson of the Committee on Housing and Community Development, will hold a public hearing on B21-0647, the Rental Housing Late Fee Fairness Amendment Act of 2016 and B21-0646, the Property Rehabilitation for Affordable Housing Act of 2016. The public hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at 10:00 AM in Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building.

 

The stated purpose of B21-0646 is to transform vacant, blighted, and condemned properties, acquired through the tax sale process, into affordable housing. Residential units constructed or rehabilitated on these properties will be awarded to nonprofits and or/individuals in exchange for providing affordable housing units across all levels of area median income. The hearing will provide an opportunity for stakeholders and residents to provide comment on the legislation, specifically on use of the tax sale process to acquire properties, the imposed affordability levels, and the assistance with litigation costs associated with foreclosing on tax sale properties.

 

The stated purpose of B21-0647 is to regulate late fees imposed by a housing provider on a tenant for the late payment of rent. The bill defines the term "late payment" to mean rent that is unpaid within 10 days of the due date and caps late fees to 5% of the unpaid amount of rent. The bill also requires that the late fee be charged only once and correlate to the unpaid amount of rent and prohibits landlords from assessing late fees unless a written agreement between the landlord and tenant provides for the imposition of late fees. Finally, it provides for the imposition of a civil fine if its provisions are violated, and up to three times of the excess late fee collected to be transmitted to the tenant from the landlord.

 

 

Those who wish to testify are requested to telephone the Committee on Housing and Community Development, at [phone], or email [e-mail], and provide their name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation and title (if any), by close of business on May 10, 2016.  Persons wishing to testify are encouraged to submit 15 copies of written testimony. Oral testimony should be limited to three minutes for individuals and five minutes for organizations.

 

If you are unable to testify at the public hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record.  Written statements should be submitted to the Committee on Housing and Community Development, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 112, Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, 2016.