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Council hearing reviews HPAP lottery, heirs‑property help and housing counseling demand
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Summary
The committee heard concerns over the Home Purchase Assistance Program lottery and the need for sustained funding for housing counseling, heirs property assistance and single‑family rehab programs. Housing counselors said program design and consistent funding affect how many residents can become and remain homeowners.
The Committee on Housing devoted substantial time on June 9 to homeownership programs and legal services that help families buy or keep homes in the District.
LEDC (Latino Economic Development Center), DC Affordable Law Firm, Legal Counsel for the Elderly and others described a broad set of locally funded programs that feed the homeownership pipeline and preserve existing ownership. LEDC told the committee it helped 32 District families become homeowners in FY 2024 and led counseling workshops for nearly 2,000 people; LEDC urged the council to maintain funding for housing counseling and neighborhood‑based programs.
Several witnesses described the Heirs Property Assistance Program, which provides legal services, probate help, and limited financial support to help families transfer title and avoid tax‑sale or vacancy. Gabby Majewski, executive director of DC Affordable Law Firm, said their work has helped “preserve $47,600,000 in wealth” for District families through probate and title work and that the program’s clients are disproportionately Black homeowners in Wards 4, 5, 7 and 8.
Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) questions dominated one portion of the hearing. Director Green said DHCD converted HPAP to a lottery model to “place more buying power and certainty into the hands of potential homebuyers” and to reduce the risk of applicants spending money on a contract without guaranteed assistance. Several advocates and brokers told the committee the lottery creates new uncertainties for buyers and brokers, and local realtors asked DHCD to restore a process with clearer, predictable timelines. Several witnesses asked DHCD to provide ward‑level distributions of HPAP awards and to guard that program’s predictability because it interacts with private lending and other down‑payment supports.
Housing counseling, heirs‑property assistance and the single‑family residential rehabilitation program were described as “critical” to prevent displacement and promote intergenerational wealth for lower‑income homeowners; Legal Counsel for the Elderly urged restoring or maintaining funding for counseling grants that had been reduced after federal program sunsets.
Ending: Committee members asked for ward‑level HPAP award data, counts of housing counseling clients by service type (foreclosure prevention vs. home‑buyer counseling vs. tenant navigation) and a report on the remaining balance and usable capacity of heirs‑property and single‑family rehab programs.
