Chapter 22. Senior Citizens’ Home Repair and Improvement Program Fund.
§ 42–2201. Definitions.
For the purposes of this chapter, the term:
(1) “Council” means the Council of the District of Columbia.
(2) “District” means the District of Columbia.
(3) “Fund” means the Senior Citizens’ Home Repair and Improvement Program Fund established by § 42-2202.
(4) “Lower income” means a household within the Section 8 lower income guidelines established by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1437f.
(5) “Mayor” means the Mayor of the District of Columbia.
(6) “Principal place of residence” means a dwelling unit in which a person lives in a particular locality with the intent to make it a fixed and permanent home of the senior citizen.
(7) “Senior citizen homeowner” means the owner resident of residential real property who is 60 years of age or older.
§ 42–2202. Establishment of Fund.
(a) There is established in the District a revolving Senior Citizens’ Home Repair and Improvement Program Fund to be administered by the Mayor for the purpose of providing loans up to $5,000 to lower income senior citizen homeowners to enable them to make repairs and improvements to ensure health and safety in their principal places of residence.
(b) There may be appropriated out of the revenue of the District an amount necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
§ 42–2203. Sources of monies for loans.
The fund shall consist of, but not be limited to, monies from the following sources:
(1) Appropriations pursuant to this chapter;
(2) Grants and gifts from public or private sources to the fund or to the District for the purposes of the fund;
(3) Repayments on principal and any interest on loans provided from the fund;
(4) Proceeds realized from the liquidation of any security interests held by the District under the terms of any assistance provided from the fund;
(5) Interest earned from the deposit or investment of monies of the fund;
(6) Monies appropriated for the fund by the United States government; and
(7) All other revenues, receipts, and fees derived from the operation of the fund.
§ 42–2204. Eligibility for loans.
(a) An applicant is eligible for a loan if he or she is a senior citizen homeowner, is a resident of the District, and has resided in his or her principal place of residence for at least 3 years preceding the date of the application for assistance under this chapter. Lower income applicants shall be given priority consideration by the Mayor with respect to the issuance of loans.
(b) To determine the eligibility of an applicant, the Mayor shall develop an application form.
(c) In order to apply for a loan under this chapter, an applicant shall complete the application form and return it to the Mayor at the time and in the manner in which the Mayor shall prescribe.
(d) The Mayor shall verify the contents of the application form and determine whether the applicant meets the requirements for age, residency, and principal place of residence.
§ 42–2205. Repayment of loans.
(a) For each loan issued under this chapter, the Mayor shall arrange a repayment schedule for which the repayment shall not create an economic hardship on the senior citizen homeowner receiving the loan. Loan repayment may be deferred to avoid economic hardship.
(b) The loans granted under this chapter shall be recorded as a lien against the principal place of residence of the applicant.
(c) If the loan is not fully repaid prior to the death of the senior citizen homeowner who accepted a loan under this chapter, the District may collect the unsatisfied amount from the decedent’s estate.
§ 42–2206. Issuance of rules.
Within 120 days of March 24, 1988, the Mayor shall, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2, issue proposed rules to implement the provisions of this chapter. The proposed rules shall be submitted to the Council for a 45-day period of review, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, and days of Council recess. If the Council does not approve or disapprove the proposed rules, in whole or in part, by resolution within this 45-day review period, the proposed rules shall be deemed approved.
§ 42–2207. Mayor’s report to Council.
The Mayor shall submit to the Council, not later than 6 months after the end of each fiscal year, a report on the financial condition of the fund and the results of the operation of the fund for the fiscal year.
