February 29, 2016
 

A Different Kind of Season:  As Springtime turns the corner, Mayor Muriel Bowser is prepping to release her 2017 Budget.  One of the hot-button issues is the Mayor's  homeless shelter plan, which is going to take a lot of budgetary wizardry at $200M.
 
To make sense of it all, Budget Director Matthew Brown will host  DCAR's Speaker Series this month.

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DC's 2017 Budget On The Horizon
Budget Basics
DC's Budget season is starting, which means Mayor Bowser is putting together a proposal aimed to best utilize your tax dollars. It accounts for everything from transportation to new economic development projects.  

Beginning in April, the Council will conduct hearings and have their own round of amendments. The final Budget usually passes in June and goes into effect October 2016.  

What DC REALTORS®  Should  Know
DCAR is keeping a close eye on Recordation and Transfer taxes, the Real Estate Guaranty Fund, affordable housing and infrastructure investments.
 
DCAR's Plan
Your State Association advocates every year to ensure the Budget reflects the best interests of the real estate community. For a more detailed look at the DC Budget, visit the Office of the Chief Financial Officer's website.
Budget Highlight: Homeless Shelters
The District's homelessness crisis has been a major sticking point for Mayor Muriel Bowser. DC has spent more than $172,000 on homeless encampment cleanup. Furthermore, the Mayor has laid the groundwork to establish shelters throughout DC's eight wards. 

In early February, Mayor Bowser revealed her Office's selection of seven proposed family homeless shelters across DC's wards. The Mayor's announcement also cleared a path for the District to close the beleaguered DC General shelter.

DC's residents responded quickly to the announcement with FOIA requests to learn more about the proposal. The investigation revealed nearly three dozen sites considered by the Mayor's office.
Got Questions? 
DC's Budget Director Has Answers!
Join us  Friday, March 11, 2016 for a discussion with the official who holds the keys to DC's Budget. It's a big job that fills some big shoes. Matthew Brown leads the Office of Budget and Planning, which manages the  operating, capital and enterprise funds.

Date:
3/11/2016
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Location: NAR Building
500 New Jersey Avenue, NW 12th Floor
Washington, DC
Speaker: DC Budget Director Matthew Brown
Stay ahead of the curve and on the pulse of the DC Real Estate community. Follow our daily updated Real Estate and Public Policy Flipboard magazines for more stories. (What's Flipboard?)
DCAR has been working on ways to simplify the single-family provision of TOPA for more than a year. Real estate attorney Benny Kass weighs in on the owner-occupancy issue, which has made it difficult for people to move back into their own homes.

March 2nd - All DC Open Doors Homebuyers Seminars are free for the public.

The District's shadow delegation went to Iowa to caucus on behalf of statehood.
The information expressed herein is intended to serve as a general resource guide for the members of the District of Columbia Association of REALTORS®, is not to be considered legal advice and is subject to change. While the District of Columbia Association of REALTORS® strives to make the information in this document as timely and accurate as possible, the Association makes no claims or guarantees about the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and expressly disclaims liability for any errors and omissions. Members should always consult a licensed attorney in their jurisdiction for legal advice. 
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