June L. Marshall is a real estate attorney in Holland
& Knight's
Washington, D.C., office
The District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community
Development (DHCD) has issued its final rules for the
implementation of the District Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA),
which were published in the District of Columbia Register
on Nov. 16, 2018, and took effect that day. Generally, District
properties are considered for DOPA if:
- a property of five or more rental
units is offered for sale, and
- 25 percent or more of the rental
units are "affordable" at 50 percent of median family
income (MFI)
Background and Overview
DOPA was enacted in 2008, but regulations were never issued and
the law did not take full effect. In 2015, Mayor Muriel Bowser
created the DC Housing Preservation Strike Force, which then made
six recommendations in November 2016:
