The DC budget—our community’s decisions about how to spend our resources—is the central tool for ensuring that all DC residents can succeed in our changing city. In the coming months, there are several opportunities to voice our values and influence the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget. These opportunities include Budget Engagement Forums, where residents can share their priorities with the Mayor’s office ahead of the release of her proposed budget on March 21, 2018.
The forums are taking place at the following dates and locations in the coming week:
Senior Budget Engagement Forum Tele-Town Hall: Tuesday, February 20, at 12:00pm
To join, register online or RSVP by calling 202-442-8150
Forum #1: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at 6:30pm
University of District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Avenue NW (Student Center); near Van-ness UDC Metro Station
Forum #2: Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 6:30pm
Watkins Elementary School, 420 12th Street SE; near Eastern Market Metro Station
Forum #3: Saturday, February 24, 2018 at 10:00am
Kramer Middle School, 1700 Q Street SE; shuttle services will be provided beginning at 9am from the Anacostia Metro Station to the school
Register here for a Budget Engagement Forum!
DCFPI staff are looking forward to attending the forums and sharing our vision for the District with the Mayor’s office. Here’s what we’ll be advocating for the Mayor to include in her proposed FY 2019 budget:
Health Care: The District should take important steps to strengthen access to quality health care, improve public health, and reduce racial and economic inequities in health access and outcomes.
- Remove barriers to accessing care in the DC Healthcare Alliance program (up to $17 million)
- Sustain behavioral health programs and services ($7.3 million)
- Reduce tobacco use (raise the tobacco tax by $2 per pack)
- Support parents and children through home visiting programs ($2 million)
Affordable Housing: The District should put a substantial down payment toward meeting DC’s complete affordable housing needs in FY 2019, focusing on families with extremely low incomes.
- Create more affordable homes through the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF)
- Help more low-income families pay rent with the Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP)
- Ensure tenants aren’t unfairly turned away through stronger enforcement of housing anti-discrimination laws
Homelessness: The District should do more to reach our goal of making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.
- Make significant progress towards the goal of ending chronic homelessness ($30.8 million)
- Improve shelter conditions for individuals ($1 million)
- Build first replacement shelter for individuals ($8 million)
- Expand the homeless prevention program to individuals ($2 million)
- Provide shelter, transitional housing, and supportive services to survivors of domestic violence ($5.5 million)
- Fund two public restrooms and launch a business incentive program ($600,000)
- Increase funding for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Targeted Affordable Housing (TAH) for families
- Fully fund year 2 of the comprehensive plan to end youth homelessness
Early Childhood & Pre-K to 12 Education: The District should make essential investments to support the education and healthy development of DC’s children, and address racial injustice and economic inequality.
- Pay providers enough to give quality care and education to low-income infants and toddlers ($11 million)
- Fully fund 2014 special education reforms: early intervention, faster evaluations, and better transition planning
- Support afterschool and summer enrichment opportunities for every low-income student ($25 million)
- Increase school funding by enough to cover: growing enrollment, rising cost of living, and greater resource equity
- Provide more resources for Restorative Justice and positive school climates to stop school push-out
- Expand and empower Community Schools to better support students, families, and neighborhoods
