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Council Member Robert White says utility coordination bill cleared committee
Summary
The Committee on Housing advanced B26-542, the Powering Local Utility Guidance and Housing Act of 2025, creating a utility coordination task force and directing agencies and utilities to enter a memorandum of understanding to reduce delays that drive up housing costs.
Council Member Robert White (Council Member at Large and Chair of the Committee on Housing) moved and the committee approved the committee print and report for B26-542, the Powering Local Utility Guidance and Housing Act of 2025, with leave for staff to make technical and conforming changes.
White said the measure targets development delays caused by unclear requirements and late-stage changes from utility providers, which he said "increase financing costs, force redesigns, delay repayments to the HPTF, and ultimately result in fewer units being built or higher rents for the units that do get delivered." The bill would create a dedicated utility coordination task force to help affordable housing projects navigate the utility process and would require agencies and utility providers to enter a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen coordination.
White framed the bill as a practical step to reduce friction in the development process so that commitments to build housing can be delivered. The committee approved the measure by voice vote; the chair reported that the ayes carried and the motion passed. The motion left authority to staff to make technical and conforming edits before further legislative steps.
Next steps: the committee passed the report and left the bill with staff for technical edits; further committee or Council action will follow the standard legislative process.
