Panel backs pausing evictions during extreme-heat days; landlord groups caution about delays

Supporters of the Extreme Heat Eviction Protection Amendment Act (Bill 2061177) framed the proposal as an extension of existing cold-weather protections to prevent eviction in days that pose documented health risks.

Councilmember Janice Lewis George said the measure is "a straightforward change" that would pause evictions "on any day when the National Weather Service predicts by 8AM that temperatures will rise above 95 degrees at National Airport." Catherine Shea of Legal Aid supported the bill and recommended using the National Weather Service’s heat index forecast rather than raw air temperature to better capture humidity-driven risk for neighborhoods that experience urban-heat-island effects.

Landlord and trade witnesses including Eric Jones of AOBA and Brandon Scott of DCAR opposed the bill as written, saying it could create open-ended delays that place landlords—especially small providers—at risk. AOBA suggested a Montgomery County model that requires executions to be carried out within three days after weather conditions permit, a compromise aimed at limiting prolonged displacement of landlords' remedies while preserving tenant safety.

Committee members pressed both sides on data about how often the pause would apply; industry witnesses noted the District already blocks evictions on many cold-weather and precipitation days and estimated that an added 14–30 days might be affected by a 95°F threshold in a recent year. Legal Aid and advocates stressed that shelter and cooling resources are sometimes at capacity during heat emergencies, increasing the stakes for paused evictions.