At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds Moves Emergency Legislation to Protect Workers Affected By Government Shutdown

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Contact: Emmanuel Brantley
ebrantley@dccouncil.us
(202) 724-8064

 

At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds Moves Emergency Legislation to Protect Unpaid Federal Workers and Contractors Impacted by the Trump Administration’s Government Shutdown

Washington, D.C. –  On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds, Chairperson of the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization, moved the “Federal Worker Housing Relief Emergency Act of 2019” to protect unpaid federal government workers and contractors from foreclosure, eviction, and late fees during a federal government shutdown.

During the additional legislative meeting, the Council of the District Columbia voted unanimously to pass this bill, benefiting as many as 80,000 federal workers and contractors living in the District of Columbia. According to a Zillow analysis, federal workers who are not receiving pay owe approximately $438 million nationwide in mortgage and rent payments for this month alone. With many of these individuals facing the possibility of eviction and foreclosure, it is necessary for the Council to prevent the onslaught of additional homeless District residents that would negatively impact the local homeless services system and create a severe hardship for federal workers.

Councilmember Bonds also accepted a friendly amendment from Ward 6 Councilmember and Chairperson of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety Charles Allen, to include the employees of the DC Courts who are equally affected by the shutdown.

In accordance with this law, judges will be required to “put on hold” any motion by a housing provider or lender to evict or foreclose upon a federal worker or contractor during a federal government shutdown and for 30 days after the end of the shutdown, for a period of up to 90 days.

This legislation is consistent with Councilmember Bonds’ record of advocating for those most in need and has been met with applause by local leaders. In response to the emergency legislation, Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO President Jackie Jeter stated, “We have to ensure that our government workers are not used as pawns during this manufactured ordeal. We have to do everything we can to minimize the struggles [that] government workers and their families are dealing with. Labor applauds Councilmember Bonds and the District of Columbia City Council for taking an aggressive approach to help working families."

This emergency legislation and the accompanying temporary legislation that also passed on Tuesday will last for 90 days and 225 days, respectively, for a total of 315 days, and will become effective immediately following the Mayor’s signature. Under the guidance of Councilmember Bonds, the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization will work with stakeholders to prepare a permanent version of the bill also for introduction this year.

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