D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 29, r. 29-13014

Current through Register Vol. 71, No. 49, December 6, 2024

Rule 29-13014 - RENTAL UNIT SELECTION AND CHANGES

13014.1

A Program participant shall remain housed in or secure a rental unit authorized by the Department in order to receive any rental assistance benefits.

13014.2

The Department shall authorize a rental unit if:

(a) It passes a housing inspection performed by the Department or its designee;

(b) The rent meets the rent reasonableness standard established by DCHA;

(c) It is located within the District of Columbia; and,

(d) It complies with Section 302 of the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act, effective November 9, 1973 (Pub. L. 91-695; 42 U.S.C. § 4822), and implementing regulations at 24 C.F.R. part 35, subparts A, B, M, and R, if it was constructed before 1978 and a child under the age of six (6) will be residing in it.

13014.3

The Department may authorize a housing unit that exceeds the rent reasonableness standard by up to ten (10) percent for purposes of ensuring that large families and individuals with disabilities can readily access and use the unit.

13014.4

An authorized rental unit is secured when a lease has been signed and all required rental assistance payment documents have been completed by the Program participant, landlord, and Department or its designee.

13014.5

If a household is housed in a rental unit that is subsidized by the Department through a program other than Career MAP at the time that the household enrolls in Career MAP, the Department shall consider the unit to be authorized and secured and the Program participant may remain in that rental unit while enrolled in Career MAP.

13014.6

If a household is not housed in a rental unit subsidized by the Department through a program other than Career MAP at the time that the household enrolls in Career MAP, the Program participant shall not receive rental assistance until the Program participant secures an authorized rental unit.

13014.7

The Program participant has the ultimate responsibility for securing a rental unit and seeking authorization of the unit from the Department or its designee.

13014.8

A Program participant may secure an authorized rental unit independently, work with its navigator or other Department or designee staff to secure an authorized rental unit, or select a unit from any pool of available housing units maintained by the Department or its designees to the extent units are available.

13014.9

Once a Program participant secures an authorized rental unit, the Department or its designee shall provide the Program participant's landlord the appropriate contact information for rent payments.

13014.10

Upon approval by the Department or its designee, a Program participant may receive financial and other assistance for some or all of the household members to relocate to a different authorized rental unit if, at any time during the tenancy, one of the following occurs:

(a) The unit does not comply with the right of a household member to reasonable accommodations for a disability;

(b) One or more household members would be subject to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking if the household stays in its existing unit;

(c) The household is living in a unit that has substantial housing code violations as established by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) which adversely affect the health or safety of the household members, which the landlord has failed to address within ten (10) business days after receiving notice of the violations; or

(d) The head of household determines that the unit does not meet the household's needs. A household seeking to move shall be counseled on the impact of a change in units on its budget and ability to afford unsubsidized rent for the unit at the end of its participation in the Program.

D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 29, r. 29-13014

Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 8238 (6/9/2023)