What kind of city would the nation’s capital be if homeless shelters closed their doors? How would such a move be seen by District residents, businesses, and neighborhoods? Unless the council restores a minimum of $17.4 million to the homeless services budget, we will find out — as soon as next spring.
Under Mayor Gray’s proposed budget, funding for homeless services would fall by 26 percent. According to recent DHS estimates, this cut would put more than 150 homeless District families with children and 1,500 single adults currently housed in shelters out on the streets. The District is legally required to provide shelter during hypothermia season, which runs from November through March, but the proposed cuts are so deep that on April 1, 2012, many shelters would be forced to close their doors.
A recent public outcry has raised awareness about the severity of the issue. Some councilmembers have said they will try to find $4 million for shelter for families with children. However, this figure would not fully restore family shelter, and would not even begin to address the funding gap for single adult shelter space. In his testimony at the Department of Human Services budget hearing last week, Director nominee David Berns stated that fully restoring family shelter for FY 2012 would cost $7.1 million, and that preserving 1,500 single adult beds would require a further restoration of $10.3 million. An additional $1.7 million would be needed to provide transportation, meals, and other core services.
Some councilmembers have said that feel it is necessary to cut the budget, because our government is too big. Yet two out of every three dollars cut in next year’s budget proposal comes from services that house the homeless, provide cash assistance for residents with disabilities and provide critical mental health services. Certainly we need to be efficient and effective with our limited resources. But our most vulnerable residents shouldn’t pay the price.
