Local advocates in Washington, DC, are celebrating the passage of a strong fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget that will provide more permanent supportive housing (PSH) for single adults than any in previous years.
Nine Councilmembers worked together to increase funding support for people experiencing homelessness considerably beyond Mayor Muriel Bowser’s original budget proposal. Several important community coalitions, including the Way Home Campaign and the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, an NLIHC state partner, led the advocacy effort. The Way Home campaign estimates the FY20 budget will end chronic homelessness for 615 single adults and 180 families.
The final budget makes significant investments in PSH for both individuals at $15.85 million and families at $6.3 million, but advocates point out this level of funding will be insufficient to end chronic homelessness for people with special needs. The budget also provides for full funding of DC’s homeless street outreach network, which connects people living without shelter to services and resources. Much of the new homeless services funding comes from a reduction in a technology industry tax cut championed by Councilmember Brianne Nadeau.
The final budget also includes $25.5 million for public housing repairs, a common budget appropriation for the District of Columbia to offset the failures by the U.S. Congress to properly fund the Public Housing Capital Fund. The $25.5 million was provided through new budget flexibilities that shift money away from tax abatements for hotel development and supporting public events.
“Combined with the recently released point-in-time count that shows chronic homelessness in DC decreased by 13.3%, I think this demonstrates that we are on the right track to end chronic homelessness in D.C.,” said Jesse Rabinowitz, a social worker at Miriam’s Kitchen, a non-profit actively involved in budget advocacy. “Our base mobilized, people really took action, we were able to work with our champions on the council and get a few councilmembers that don’t usually vote with us to do the right thing.”
For more information about budget advocacy in DC to support and expand homeless services and housing programs, contact Jesse Rabinowitz at: [email protected]
Read the Way Home Campaign’s recap of the final budget at: https://rebrand.ly/hj9sst