Council extends foreclosure moratorium to aid struggling homeowners
In consultation with DCAR, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation on June 28 to revise the foreclosure moratorium the Council passed earlier this year, which was set to expire on June 30. The need for this moratorium extension was identified by DCAR and councilmembers because applications for the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) Homeownership Assistance Fund (HAF) only became available on June 22. The result would leave vulnerable homeowners without adequate time to apply for assistance through HAF.
The emergency legislation passed last week:
Eligible homeowners can apply for grant funding through HAF to cover mortgage payments and other property or housing expenses, including utilities, insurance, internet assistance and housing association fees. If you know someone struggling to make ends meet, encourage them to submit an application at haf.dc.gov.
D.C. Council passes remote notary bill
In a win for REALTORS® and the public, the D.C. Council passed legislation on July 12 that allows public notaries to certify paper copies of electronic records and to notarize documents virtually.
During testimony at the bill’s first hearing in March 2022, DCAR emphasized the need for flexibility and access to individuals seeking notarial services and highlighted the usefulness of online notarization for traditionally underserved communities. DCAR continued to actively support the bill through its final passage last week.
DCAR testifies in favor of soil survey modernization bill
On May 19, DCAR testified before the D.C. Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee in favor of legislation aimed at updating the way REALTORS® obtain the soil characteristics on properties for real estate disclosures.
Council member Mary Cheh’s office drafted the bill in consultation with DCAR’s Government Affairs team. Under the new bill, REALTORS® would be able to use the most up-to-date soil survey from the Natural Resources Conservation Service website, where they’ll be able to rely on data found in a searchable map. The current statute requires the soil disclosure to be done using an outdated 1976 color-coded static map that includes a key showing the different soil types in the District by geographic area.
“The most critical aspect of this bill Is equipping real estate professionals operating in the District with this tool, which will help avoid circumstances where a contract can be rendered void because of a totally preventable mistake,” DCAR said during the committee hearing.
DCAR calls on D.C. Council to support Bowser’s proposal to increase investment in public safety
On April 19, DCAR, along with eight other business organizations, sent a letter to D.C. Council members expressing their support for Mayor Muriel Bowser’s recommendation to hire an additional 500 Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers contained in her proposed FY’23 budget.
The letter to council members states, in part, “The bottom line is that today’s MPD is a force that the District can be proud of. D.C. residents – and especially those in vulnerable communities – want to be safe. MPD is essential to deliver the safety residents expect and want.”
DCAR testified before the D.C. Council’s Housing and Executive Administration, urging the Council to make remote online notarization (RON) permanent.
The pandemic shined a spotlight on how crucial virtual services are to the real estate industry. DCAR explained how RON would remove barriers and provide D.C. residents with access to notarial services, as it allows individuals to meet with notary publics virtually to execute documents. D.C. is one of the last states that has yet to adopt RON.
DCAR will provide updates as they become available.
The D.C. Council has introduced legislation aimed at updating the way REALTORS® obtain the soil characteristics on properties for the purposes of real estate disclosures. Councilmember Mary Cheh’s office drafted the bill in consultation with DCAR’s Government Affairs team. The current statute requires the soil disclosure to be done using an outdated 1976 color-coded static map that includes a key showing the different soil types in the District by geographic area.
Under the new bill, REALTORS® would be able to use the most up-to-date soil survey from the Natural Resources Conservation Service website , where they’ll be able to rely on data found in a searchable map.
DCAR will follow this issue and provide updates as they become available.
As part of the District’s Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration, a toll, or pause, was put into effect for the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) for the duration of the PHE. As a result, pending sales of rental properties were slowed or halted due to the inability to have meetings.
On Friday, Jan. 14, DCAR learned of a foreclosure moratorium bill authored by Councilmember Janeese Lewis George. Councilmember Anita Bonds included a narrowly written amendment that would extend the toll for the organizing phase of the TOPA process to March 31.
Shortly after, DCAR sent a letter to D.C. Council members urging councilmembers to consider passing the bill without the tolling extension, explaining that the omicron variant shouldn’t be a barrier for tenants and tenant advocates navigating the rules and procedures of the TOPA process when virtual platforms and other methods exist for holding meetings.
Councilmember Elissa Silverman reached out to DCAR after the letter was sent to broker a compromise on the amendment’s duration. Due to DCAR’s advocacy efforts and subsequent negotiations, the tolling duration was rolled back to Feb. 15. The bill now heads to Mayor Bowser for her signature.
Before ringing in the new year, we want to share with you DCAR’s top accomplishments in 2021. This year, DCAR:
Take a look at our DCAR Year in Review for all the details.
Thank you for your contributions to DCAR’s success – we appreciate having you as a member of our association!
The D.C. Council reconvened with a flurry of legislation this week for their first legislative meeting since the summer recess. DCAR anticipates this fall will be highly active, with debates centered around ranked choice voting (RCV), flood insurance, property management and other issues. The DCAR Public Policy Committee is laser-focused and is monitoring committee movement.
In other news, the Council extended the foreclosure moratorium until February 4, 2022, allowing enough time for the $50 million in federal relief to get to those homeowners who need it most. Read more about the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF).
This past spring, DCAR noted with alarm that dangerous incidents in rental properties were being reported, but housing providers were powerless to evict the perpetrators because of an especially strict eviction moratorium in place during the public health crisis. DCAR helped the Housing Committee of the D.C. City Council to craft an amendment to allow for the removal of clear and present dangers from rental housing. Read the full article.
DCAR celebrates disbursement of rental assistance funds hitting key target
D.C. officials announced last week that more than $143 million, or 70 percent, of the $200 million federal rent relief money had been dispersed to D.C. residents. Under federal guidelines, D.C. was at risk of losing the funds if enough weren’t distributed before the end of September.
The results are a solid win for DCAR members. Read more.