MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                 Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council

               

FROM:             Phil Mendelson, Chairman

                                 

DATE:               September 14, 2023

 

RE:                     Request to Place Measures on the Agenda for September 19, 2023 Legislative Meeting

 

            I am placing on the agenda for next week’s Additional Legislative Meeting the following measures:

 

• River East at Grandview Condominium Assistance Tax Exemption Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023
• River East at Grandview Condominium Assistance Tax Exemption Emergency Amendment Act of 2023
• River East at Grandview Condominium Assistance Tax Exemption Temporary Amendment Act of 2023

 

            This is a new round of emergency and temporary legislation that would continue to provide an income tax exemption for residents of the River East at Grandview Condominiums for certain financial assistance received from the District government and provide that such District financial assistance be excluded from income calculations by District agencies when administering District government benefits.

 

            On August 16, 2021, engineers from the Falcon Group issued a letter to homeowners at the River East at Grandview Condominiums advising them to vacate the premises within two weeks due to uninhabitable conditions based on the emergence of significant safety concerns from ongoing structural issues. On August 26, 2021, the Falcon Group provided additional detail to their original assessment by determining that families in approximately 30 of the 46 condominium units should move out. Subsequently, homeowners of these units were forced to vacate their homes and find alternative living arrangements very quickly, and without vital information related to a timeframe for their opportunity to return to their homes.

           

The District government developed multiple assistance programs in response to the displacement of these homeowners, including the use of housing certificates and other resources to ease the transition into temporary residence until appropriate repairs can be made to the Talbert Street property. In order to ensure that displaced homeowners are receiving the full value of the assistance provided by the District government, it is necessary to approve legislation to ensure that this financial assistance is not subject to District income tax.

 

Draft