Committee approves SURF fund reappropriation, shifts programs to Mayor's Office of Housing

The Budget & Finance Subcommittee voted to approve an ordinance reappropriating $738,240 of the code enforcement rehabilitation (SURF) fund and deappropriating $73,495 of prior year appropriations to support code enforcement activities in the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) and the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH).

Ms. Levin, presenting the ordinance, said the SURF fund’s allowable uses are defined in state law and include defraying local housing code enforcement costs, funding housing rehabilitation for low‑ and moderate‑income households, and preventing displacement caused by enforcement. The ordinance reallocates $150,000 to restore a housing inspector position, transfers $117,000 to the repair and demolition fund (plus an additional $200,000 for DBI emergency orders), and moves $344,000 to the Mayor’s Office of Housing to assume responsibility for hardship loans and underground utility grant programs.

The budget analyst noted that if $344,331 of SURF money is appropriated to MOH, the office would take over administration of the hardship loan and underground utility grants and DBI would bring separate legislation to amend the building code to remove DBI references to those programs. The committee approved the ordinance on a motion from Supervisor Sean Ellsburn, seconded by Supervisor McCormick Whigham, taken "without objection" and forwarded it to the full Board of Supervisors with the committee's recommendation.

The item includes a follow‑up step: separate legislation to amend the city’s building code to reflect MOH’s new administrative role.