from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found D.C.’s public housing to be among the worst in the nation on some measures.
But members ultimately decided to adhere to the outcome of the city’s competitive procurement process, which awarded the contracts to Amerigroup, MedStar and AmeriHealth. Judges on the city’s Contract Appeals Board repeatedly upheld the procurement process as fairly conducted this time — unlike the city’s attempts to award Medicaid contracts in 2017 and 2020, which were ruled improper by judges. Robert C. White Jr.
The unanimously backed legislation dealing with the D.C. Housing Authority imposes stricter training requirements for DCHA’s 13-member board and executive director and requires the agency to report certain data to the council, including the number and status of vacant units as well as a “detailed accounting of expenses paid for with District funds.
“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, who is up for reelection this year in a competitive contest for one of two at-large seats. “The problems go beyond basic maintenance. The authority is out of compliance with federal and local law. It is putting residents at health and safety risks.