https://oag.dc.gov/blog/dc-housing-authority-failing-residents-heres-how
The Attorney General's plan for the reform of the DCHA 12/16/22
https://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/DCHA-Report-final-.pdf
Karl Racine, D.C. Attorney General says that independent voices are necessary on the D.C. Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners. The loss of political independence at the agency has had real consequences. Instead of furthering the effective running of public housing and voucher programs, the DCHA has focused on furthering the development goals of the Mayor. Furthermore, DCHA's Board of Commissioners has failed to provide adequate oversight over the agency and there is a dearth of experienced leadership at the top rungs of the agency, leading to a lack of checks and balances, and informed decision making.
The Mayor's Office - often channeled through the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) has led the agency to turn away from its stated mission and focus more on development goals. The Mayor who has set ambitious development goals is especially interested in market-rate and retail development which brings in revenue for the city and attracts newcomers. However, these development goals require land - the DCHA's portfolio is valuable and political leadership has an incentive to use it for their own agenda. The Attorney General calls for the removal of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development from the Board of Commissioners.
The DCHA lacks a system of checks and balances to hold agency executives accountable and ensure good decision making. The Board votes have become a de facto formality - a rubber stamp on whatever is brought to them, sometimes when it is too late to stop a plan already in motion. The Attorney General calls for strengthening the system of checks and balances.
The lack of thorough review of proposals by the Board has allowed problematic decisions to go through unimpeded. The highest profile of these is the Board's approval of a contract to the significant other of Board Chairman Neil Albert without either party disclosing the conflict of interest. Neil Albert was appointed by the Mayor Muriel Bowser and chosen by her to be Chairman of the Board of Commissioners. Albert's actions led to his resignation from the Board, a $15,000 ethics fine, and a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A desire for political loyalty has led to the appointment of Executive Directors who are unequipped for the position. Brenda Donald, the current executive director, comes to the agency without previous housing experience and Tyrone Garret, her predecessor, had previously run a housing authority just a fraction of the size of the DCHA.
Current the Board is stacked with political appointees with little or no experience in affordable or public housing. Therefore they take direction from the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (who also sits on the Board). The Mayoral appointees vote as a block thus easily winning majority since there are only 5 independent Commissioners and 7 Mayoral appointees.
The Attorney General, Karl Racine recommends the political appointees to the DCHA Board should be selected from a group of pre-qualified individuals who are identified by an advisory group. To increase tenant say in the decision making, this advisory group should be made up of elected tenant representatives and the legal advocate community.
The Attorney General recommends that there be cause before appointees can be removed from the Board. These types of for-cause removal provisions ensure that the Mayor cannot remove Board members when they disagree. This allows Board members to exercise good judgement and oversight without fear of political retaliation.
The Attorney General also calls for strengthening the existing conflict of interest protections to ensure that Board members of people with whom Board members have a personal relationship do not stand to profit from any action of the DCHA or that if they do, they recuse themselves from relevant decision making.
You can read the Attorney General's own proposal for DCHA reform here:
https://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/DCHA-Report-final-.pdf