An emergency bill that could get a vote in the D.C. Council as early as next week would impose a number of quick reforms at the D.C. Housing Authority, the agency reeling from a scathing federal audit that recently identified significant issues with how it manages the city’s stock of public housing.

The bill from D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) and Attorney General Karl Racine would impose new training requirements for the authority’s 13-member board as well as the executive director; require that the authority regularly report how it’s using D.C. funds for rental assistance as well as repairs to housing units; and clarify that the authority is subject to the same consumer protection law that applies to private landlords.

In a memo outlining the emergency bill, Silverman conceded that it represented a “modest set of legislative changes,” but that immediate action was required ahead of permanent legislation she and Racine are working on that would make more significant changes at the authority.

“The federal audit is clear: The housing authority is failing its residents and failing this city, at a time when we desperately need safe, affordable housing for our low-income working families,” said Silverman in a statement.

The audit from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development identified 82 deficiencies at the Housing Authority, which is largely federally funded and overseen by its board — though the mayor nominates and the council confirms more than half its members. Among the more dramatic findings was that the agency wasn’t keeping proper track of its 8,000 housing units, so much so that almost a quarter of them are vacant, a higher rate than any comparable public housing agency in the country.

The audit also said the current board and executive director lack consistent training on how to best manage and oversee public housing, which the emergency bill would address. Additionally, the audit only focused on the use of federal funds, not D.C. funds; in recent years, for example, the council has directed tens of millions of dollars to the authority to help repair dilapidated public housing units. Also, the agency has responded to a lawsuit from Racine’s office by saying it’s not covered by a broader city law meant to protect consumers, including renters.

“HUD’s scathing report confirms what we, unfortunately, already knew: DCHA is D.C.’s largest slumlord and one of the worst in the country,” said Racine in a statement. “It’s horrific that over 20% of DCHA units are currently vacant — the highest vacancy rate in the country — yet there’s a waiting list of 40,000 people. Rather than use federal and D.C. taxpayer monies to address these problems, current leadership at DCHA is sitting on its hands. Sadly, my office has had to sue DCHA twice because of its abject failures to follow the law and care for D.C. residents – many of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, and Black and Brown. Enough is enough.”

In recent days Racine, who is in his final two months as attorney general, has strongly criticized the Housing Authority for the deficiencies HUD identified in its audit. He has also called on Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At Large) to be removed from her chairmanship of the council’s housing committee, which oversees the authority. (Bonds and Silverman are both running for re-election for the council’s two At-Large seats; Racine has endorsed Silverman.) And on Wednesday Racine similarly said that Brenda Donald, the authority’s current executive director, should also be removed.

“When agencies fail D.C. residents… the leadership should go,” he said to DCist/WAMU. “She is not qualified for the job. I like her as a person, but she has no experience in housing.”

Also speaking on Wednesday, Bowser said she was “not satisfied” with what the HUD audit found. “I’m the mayor and want everyone to have safe and affordable housing,” she said at a press conference. “So I take it as a challenge to get right with the Housing Authority. We’re going to work with HUD on the issue that they brought to the [forefront] so we know best how to be helpful.”

Speaking to DCist/WAMU earlier this week, Donald said many of the problems at the authority pre-dated her time as executive director; she came on in June 2021. “I just got here a little over a year ago, and I’m moving in on all fronts,” she said. “In terms of operating with a sense of urgency, we are doing that.”

Donald says she is preparing the authority’s response to the audit, and will outline the steps she says will be taken or are being taken to address the 82 deficiencies that HUD identified. In the meantime, Silverman and Racine are working on broader legislation to address some of the problems found.

Jenny Gathright contributed reporting.