Committee on Housing approves FY2026 recommendations, keeps $100 million in trust fund; staff appointments confirmed

Councilmember Robert White, chair of the Committee on Housing, opened the committee’s additional meeting Tuesday to review and vote on the committee’s recommendations for the District’s fiscal year 2026 budget and to consider a staff appointments resolution.

The committee unanimously approved its report and recommendations to the full Council, keeping the Housing Production Trust Fund at $100,000,000 and directing changes intended to prioritize preservation, homeownership assistance and small-building support.

The committee’s recommendations dedicate 30% of Housing Production Trust Fund dollars to preservation, restore $1,000,000 to the acquisition and critical repair fund, increase the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) by more than $2,000,000, move HPAP from a lottery to a rolling distribution with at least two years of eligibility after housing counseling, and allow public transit employees to qualify for the government employer-assisted housing program. The report also allocates $200,000 to the Office of the Tenant Advocate’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program and calls for expanded reporting and transparency across programs.

"This year has been difficult," White said, adding that the…