Title 4, Public Care Systems.

(a) The Office shall: (1) Facilitate interagency communication and coordination related to issues impacting CFSA children; (2) Receive requests to reconsider complaints dismissed by the Deputy CFSA Ombudsperson; (3) Develop and maintain a database that tracks complaints received …

(a) In addition to any other duties that the Ombudsperson may assign, the Deputy CFSA Ombudsperson shall: (1) Provide information, as appropriate, on the rights and responsibilities of CFSA constituents; (2) Facilitate communication between CFSA and CFSA constituents as needed; (…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Ombudsperson shall have the power to: (1) Access, examine, and copy, without payment of a fee, any agency record that is required for the discharge of the Ombudsperson's duties; (2) Make inquiries and obtain assistance and infor…

(a) In a case of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpoena issued to a person under [§ 4-671.06(a)(6)], the Ombudsperson may apply to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for an order requiring the contumacious person to appear. (b) If the Ombudsperson prevails, in whole …

(a) The Ombudsperson may from time to time report the Office's activities to the Council or any of its committees, the Citizen Review Panel established by part C-ii of subchapter I of Chapter 13 of this title, the Mayor, the Office of the Inspector General, any relevant agency, o…

(a) A civil action may not be brought against the Office for anything done, said, or omitted in the performance of the Office's duties or responsibilities under this chapter. (b) No finding, conclusion, recommendation, or report of the Office shall be reviewable in court. (c) Nei…

(a) The Office shall keep confidential: (1) All information received pursuant to a complaint filed or a matter investigated, except as may be necessary to enable the Office to perform its duties and to support any resulting recommendations; and (2) Identifying information of comp…

(a) No person, including a CFSA constituent, an employee of an agency, an employee of an agency's licensed or contracted service and placement provider, or an employee of any entity that must operate under or comply with guidance from an agency, who files a complaint or participa…

Beginning in Fiscal Year 2022, the Chief Financial Officer shall assign an individual agency-level code for the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children in the District's financial system.

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Administrative Procedure Act” or “APA” means Chapter 5 of Title 2. (2) “Adult” means any individual who: (A) Has reached the age of majority under District law as defined in § 46-101; or (B) Qualifies as an emancipated minor under …

(a) There is established in the District the Interagency Council on Homelessness for the purpose of facilitating interagency, cabinet-level leadership in planning, policymaking, program development, provider monitoring, and budgeting for the Continuum of Care of homeless services…

(a) The Interagency Council shall provide leadership in the development of strategies and policies that guide the implementation of the District’s policies and programs for meeting the needs of individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. (b) In fulfillin…

(a) No later than 300 days after February 26, 2015, the Interagency Council, working jointly with organizations providing service to homeless youth within the Continuum of Care as well as homeless or formerly homeless youth and their advocates, shall prepare, publish, and submit …

(a) The Interagency Council shall meet not less than quarterly. All meetings of the Interagency Council shall comply with the following requirements: (1) A quorum of one-third of the appointed representatives of member agencies, one-third of appointed representatives of providers…

(a) The District’s provision of homeless services shall be based on a Continuum of Care that offers a comprehensive range of services through various member agencies and is designed to meet the specific, assessed needs of individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of ho…

(a) An individual or family is eligible to receive services within the Continuum of Care if the individual or family: (1) Is homeless or at risk of homelessness; (2) Is a resident of the District, as defined by § 4-751.01(32), except that low-barrier shelters and severe weather s…

An individual or family seeking shelter during severe weather conditions may be afforded a 3-day grace period from the date of application to demonstrate District residency.

(a) All permanent supportive housing assistance or placements funded exclusively with non-federal funds shall be awarded to appropriate homeless individuals or families by the Department according to the District's centralized or coordinated assessment system protocol. (b) Each p…

(a)(1) To qualify for emergency rental assistance funds made available pursuant to this section ("Emergency Rental Assistance Funds"), an applicant unit shall be required to meet only the following eligibility criteria: (A) Be living in the District of Columbia at the time of app…

(a) The provisions in this subchapter shall apply to: (1) Each program within the Continuum of Care offered by the District of Columbia or by a provider receiving funding for the program from either the District of Columbia or the federal government, if such funds are administere…

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on November 8, 2026. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Permanent Version.* (a) Clients served within the Continuum of…

Clients residing in temporary shelter or transitional housing shall have the right to: (1) Receive visitors in designated areas of the shelter or housing premises during reasonable hours and under such reasonable conditions as specified in the provider’s Program Rules established…

Clients residing in permanent housing provided through a permanent housing program shall have the right to: (a)(1) Receive visitors in their own housing unit or, if applicable, in the common area designated for such purposes, in accordance with their lease or occupancy agreement;…

(a) Clients receiving services within the Continuum of Care shall: (1) Seek appropriate permanent housing according to the Program Rules established by a provider pursuant to § 4-754.32, except when the client is residing in severe weather and low barrier shelter; (2) Seek employ…

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on November 8, 2026. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Permanent Version.* Providers shall: (1) Ensure staff members …

All service provider employees, including intake workers, shall be trained in trauma-informed care, civil rights and other legal compliance, conflict resolution, and cultural competence, including, with regard to the LGBTQ population, the following: (1) Vocabulary and best practi…

In addition to the standards in § 4-754.21, providers of severe weather shelter shall provide: (1) When severe weather conditions continue overnight, a clean bed with clean linens, pad, and blanket for each bed; (2) Basic needs, such as food and clothing and other supportive serv…

In addition to the requirements in §§ 4-754.21 and 4-754.22, providers of low barrier shelter shall provide: (1) Case management services with an appropriately trained, qualified, and supervised case manager, which shall include the development of a service plan; (2) Hot shower f…

In addition to the requirements in §§ 4-754.21, 4-754.22, and 4-754.23, providers of temporary shelter, transitional housing, and permanent housing programs shall provide: (1) Assessment by an appropriately trained, qualified, and supervised case manager in order to identify each…

In addition to the requirements of §§ 4-754.21, 4-754.22, 4-754.23, and 4-754.24, all providers of transitional housing shall provide: (1) Follow-up supportive services, for a minimum of 6 months, for clients who have transferred to permanent housing from their program, unless th…

Providers of shelter, transitional housing, or permanent housing programs for LGBTQ homeless youth shall implement research-based family acceptance interventions that are designed to educate families on the impact of rejection towards their LGBTQ children and negative outcomes fo…

(a) The Mayor shall monitor and evaluate the services delivered by all programs covered by § 4-754.01. (b) The Mayor shall inspect the premises of all providers operating programs covered by § 4-754.01. Except for inspections of shelters monitored by the Office of Shelter Monitor…

(a) Pursuant to the limitations of subsections (b) and (c) of this section, providers may establish Program Rules related to the specific goals of their programs. The Program Rules shall include: (1) Any applicable special eligibility requirements for the purpose of limiting entr…

(a)(1) All providers shall give prompt and effective notice of their Program Rules by: (A) Posting a copy of their Program Rules on the provider’s premises in a location easily accessible to clients and visitors; and (B) Giving every new client a written copy of the provider’s Pr…

(a) A provider may transfer a client to another provider to ensure the client receives the most appropriate services available within the Continuum of Care whenever: (1) The client consents to the transfer; (2) The provider identifies and secures for the client a placement with a…

(a) If a client fails or refuses to comply with the provider’s Program Rules and the client responsibilities listed in § 4-754.13, or engages in any of the behaviors listed in § 4-754.36(2), the provider may suspend services to the client for an appropriate period of time in ligh…

(a) A provider may terminate its delivery of services to a client only when: (1) The provider documents that it has considered suspending the client in accordance with § 4-754.35 or has made a reasonable effort, in light of the severity of the act or acts leading to the terminati…

(a) A provider may discontinue permanent supportive housing for a client only when the client has: (1) Relocated to another program or facility for more than 180 days; (2) Abandoned his or her unit for more than 60 days and good-faith efforts to locate the client have failed, or …

(a) Each client shall be exited from a Rapid Re-Housing program at the end of the time limit for services under the program. The time limit for assistance under the program shall be established by the Mayor by rule, but shall not be shorter than 12 months. (b) The Mayor may exten…

(a) A provider may exit a client from a housing program only when: (1) The housing program is provided on a time-limited basis, and the client's time period for receiving services has run out; or (2) Pursuant to § 4-753.02(b-1), the Mayor determines that the client is no longer e…

(a) A provider may employ lesser sanctions as alternatives to the transfer, suspension, or termination of services authorized in §§ 4-754.34 through 4-754.36. (b) Any alternative sanction applied shall be authorized in the schedule of sanctions included in the provider’s Program …

(a) Whenever a client presents an imminent threat to the health or safety of the client or any other person on a provider’s premises, the provider, in light of the severity of the act or acts leading to the imminent threat, may transfer, suspend, or terminate the client within 24…

(a) Providers are strongly encouraged to establish internal mediation programs to resolve disputes with clients. (b) Any provider who chooses to establish an internal mediation program shall offer mediation services to any client of the provider, or the client’s representative, w…

(a) The Office of Administrative Hearings shall grant a fair hearing to any client or client representative who wishes to appeal a decision listed in subsection (b) of this section and who requests such a hearing, orally or in writing, within 90 days of receiving written notice o…

(a) The purpose of the administrative review shall be to enable the Department to ascertain the legal validity of the decision that is the subject of the fair hearing request, and, if possible, achieve an informal resolution of the appeal. (b) Any administrative review conducted …

There is established within the Department of Human Services a Shelter Monitoring Unit to monitor shelters and services provided by the District and its contractors to clients who are homeless.