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Committee on Housing advances bill to restore rent-exemption for LIHTC properties
Summary
The Committee on Housing unanimously voted Dec. 17 to report a bill clarifying that Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties remain exempt from DC rent stabilization rules—a response to a court ruling the chair said threatened financing for more than 11,000 affordable homes.
The Committee on Housing, chaired by Councilmember Robert White, voted Dec. 17 to advance the LITEC Rent Stabilization Exemption Clarification Amendment Act of 2025 (B26-429) to the full Council. White said the bill would codify the district’s long-standing practice of exempting Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties from local rent stabilization and make that exemption retroactive to 1985 to protect existing investments.
White told the committee a court decision earlier this year overturned the prior practice and that the ruling "threatens the financial stability of" LIHTC properties, many of which were underwritten assuming federal rent limits applied. He said the proposal "does not raise rents" and argued removing the exemption could prompt defaults or foreclosures that would displace tenants. White also acknowledged testimony raising concerns about building conditions and said the council must strengthen oversight and accountability for LIHTC properties. The committee voted to report the bill with leave for staff to make technical and conforming changes; the chair announced the motion passed unanimously.
