The D.C. Council voted unanimously to protect federal workers from creditors and landlords as the partial government shutdown passes the month mark.

The Federal Worker Housing Relief Act of 2019, introduced by At-large Councilmember Anita Bonds, requires judges to stay any motion of eviction or foreclosure against federal workers and contractors during a shutdown and for 30 days after.

Bonds shared stories of D.C. residents who work for the federal government who are facing dire financial circumstances. Feds have already missed one paycheck and are slated to miss a second one this Friday, and contractors haven’t been paid since the shutdown began on December 22, making it the longest in American history.

The bill is modeled after federal legislation, but Bonds changed a key aspect of it following advice from the general counsel. Instead of prohibiting housing providers or lenders from filing motions against feds and contractors, it instead compels judges to stay these motions if a worker can provide furlough documentation. According to Bonds, it will impact about 80,000 D.C. residents.

An amendment offered by Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen also includes D.C. Courts employees among those protected by the legislation. While many D.C. Courts employees are currently furloughed and not being paid, they are not technically considered federal workers.

The Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington worked with Bonds on the bill and supports it, says Randi Marshall, the organization’s vice president of government affairs.

D.C. Law Students in Court, which is the largest provider of defense services at the Landlord and Tenant Branch of D.C. Court, similarly provided feedback on the bill. “We think it’s going to help a lot of people,” says David Yellin, the group’s senior staff attorney.

Still, there are some people who Yellin says won’t be covered by the bill, including federal employees and contractors with already pending eviction cases and people with businesses that depend on feds as customers, like a food truck operator who parks in front of a government agency building.

Yellin questions the priorities of the federal government. “For some reason, federal agencies are furloughed but evictions are considered essential services,” he says.

The Council passed both an emergency bill, which takes effect upon the mayor’s signature for 90 days, and a temporary bill, which will require an additional vote and Congressional review. Bonds is also working on a permanent version of the bill.

Previously:
Councilmember Working On Bill To Protect Feds From Losing Homes, Possessions During Shutdown

This post has been updated with comment from AOBA and DCLSC.