Committee on Housing advances FY2026 budget recommendations, approves staff appointments

Chair Robert White convened an additional meeting of the Committee on Housing on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, and the committee voted unanimously to approve its report and recommendations on the District’s fiscal year 2026 budget for agencies under the committee’s purview and to confirm a slate of staffing appointments.

The committee’s recommendations keep the Housing Production Trust Fund at $100,000,000, set a goal that 30% of those dollars be dedicated to preservation, restore $1,000,000 to the acquisition and critical repair fund, increase funding for the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) by $2,000,000, and add $200,000 to the Office of the Tenant Advocate’s emergency housing assistance program. Chair Robert White (council member at large and chair of the Committee on Housing) said the committee’s work was guided by three priorities: “to stabilize what’s working, fix what’s broken, and fund what matters most to residents, even within tight fiscal limits.”

Why it matters: The committee framed preservation as a cost-effective tool to prevent displacement and shorten timelines for delivering housing compared with new construction. White emphasized urgency, noting the age of much of the rental stock and arguing preservation can reduce displacement as development pressures rise.

Committee recommendations and oversight proposals

- Housing Production Trust Fund: The committee’s report maintains the mayor’s proposed $100 million allocation for the trust fund and recommends dedicating 30% of those dollars to preservation projects. Chair White described preservation as a way to “keep people in their homes and neighborhoods” while new development costs rise.

- Preservation and repairs: The recommendation restores $1,000,000 to the acquisition and critical repair fund and increases investment in a small buildings program aimed at helping small landlords maintain units. White noted most rental units predate 1978 and argued preservation “stretches public dollars further.”

- Homeownership and HPAP: The committee increases HPAP funding by $2,000,000, changes the program’s delivery from a lottery to rolling distribution, extends applicant eligibility to at least two years after counseling, improves reporting and transparency, and allows public transit employees to participate in the district’s employer-assisted housing program. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1) thanked the committee for including her Home Purchase Assistance for Transit Workers amendment.

- Tenant advocacy and emergency assistance: The committee adds $200,000 to the Office of the Tenant Advocate’s emergency housing assistance program and recommends standardized public reporting on building conditions and repair-complaint patterns to identify chronic violators, an idea praised by Councilmember Biles (speaker identified in the record).

- Homelessness services: Committee members noted increases remaining in the budget for homeless services, including an increase cited during discussion of $5,500,000 for families and $14,900,000 to the general fund for the homeless services continuum, as referenced by Councilmember Brooke Pinto (Ward 2).

- Oversight of housing authorities and programs: Members urged greater transparency and reporting on repair backlogs across public housing portfolios and recommended that the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) review barriers in program application processes, improve rent-registry implementation with stakeholder input, and conduct a comprehensive review of the 9% low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) application and award processes to explain returned federal credits.

Committee debate and concerns

Councilmember Brianne Nadeau expressed support for many recommendations but cautioned about the proposed statutory requirement that 30% of the trust fund be spent on preservation. Nadeau argued the fund’s statutory definition of “preservation” may differ from the committee’s narrower use and suggested the committee consider set-asides rather than changing the trust fund’s statute, saying: “If this really is an urgent need, I think it’s better for us to set aside funds than statutorily change the housing production trust fund.”

Councilmember Matt Fruman (Ward 3) and others emphasized the need for preservation funding and oversight tools such as the rent registry and acquisition funds. Fruman said the rent registry’s population and the committee’s new reporting tools will help the council better understand housing conditions and allocation of resources.

Staffing resolution

The committee also considered and approved the Committee on Housing Staff Appointments Second Resolution of 2025, which names Jaya Pillai as legislative director and committee director; Christian Whisker as deputy legislative director; Maurice Cates as legislative assistant; and Jakayla Davis as legislative clerk. Chair White described the appointees’ prior experience (Pillai from HUD; Whisker from Capital One; Cates from Congresswoman Norton’s office) and praised the new team’s early contributions.

Votes at a glance: The committee voted unanimously to move the report and recommendations on the FY2026 budget to the full Council (unanimous among members present) and unanimously approved the staff appointments resolution.

Next steps

With the committee’s vote, the report and recommendations will be sent to the full Council for consideration. Chair White said staff have leave to make technical and conforming changes before the report is transmitted to the full Council. The committee noted plans for additional oversight hearings, including one on the Rental Act and a report on utility practices in multifamily housing to be produced by the Office of the Tenant Advocate.

Ending: The meeting was adjourned at about 1:10 p.m.