While DHS only faced minor cuts compared to other agencies, the budget lacks sufficient resources for the housing and services that homeless residents need to thrive.
Kate Coventry
(she/her)
Director of Legislative Strategy
Kate is DCFPI’s key liaison with the mayor’s office and DC Council. She focuses on a range of issues affecting residents of DC, particularly TANF, Interim Disability Assistance, and ending homelessness. She is a voting member of the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, a body comprising representatives from the DC government, nonprofit providers, advocates, people experiencing homelessness, and formerly homeless individuals. Kate’s professional background is rooted in working with community-based organizations in the DC area. Kate holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University.
Recent posts by Kate Coventry
DC Leaders Should Center Six Principles When Crafting Budget Plans
To make it through this crisis and build a just economic recovery, it is important for DC’s response to preserve crucial investments in homeless services and housing, health care, social services, and education.
DC Takes Steps to Ensure Residents Can Access Needed Benefits
The Department of Human Services (DHS) has taken steps to make it easier to apply for benefits and to increase SNAP benefits. These steps will help our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet buy food and other necessities.
COVID-19 Makes It Clear: Housing is Health Care
Every day individuals experiencing homelessness die from preventable and manageable diseases. Now, the connection between housing and healthcare is even more evident when one of the keys to staying healthy is staying at home.
Coming Home to Homelessness
This report is supported by a grant from the William S. Abell Foundation. DC residents returning from incarceration often come home to homelessness, which means that the District’s efforts to reduce homelessness must include doing more to help returning citizens find...
Coming Home to Homelessness: Too Many Returning Citizens Lack a Home
Returning to DC from incarceration often means coming home to homelessness.
Economy: Invest in Things that Build An Equitable, Inclusive Economy
The fiscal year (FY) 2021 DC budget should advance economic policies that ensure everyone has the chance to fulfill their potential regardless of the ward they live in, the color of their skin, or the size of their bank account.
Homelessness: Prevent and End Homelessness, and Improve Conditions for Residents Experiencing Homelessness
Stable housing is out of reach for far too many District residents, many of whom have lived in the District their entire lives and are finding themselves priced out our rental market. In addition the 4,7000 households that experience literal homelessness on any given night in the District, thousands more are living in doubled up and often unstable (if not unsafe) situations, and over 40,000 are severely cost burdened.
Testimony of Kate Coventry At the Public Oversight Roundtable on the D.C. Housing Authority’s Transformation Plan
Chairperson Bonds, and other members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Kate Coventry, and I am a Senior Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI is a nonprofit organization that promotes budget choices to...
Testimony of Kate Coventry At the Joint Performance Oversight Hearing on the Interagency Council on Homelessness
Chairperson Nadeau, Chairperson Bonds, and other members of the Committees, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Kate Coventry, and I am a Senior Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI). DCFPI is a non-profit organization that...
Testimony of Kate Coventry At the Joint Performance Oversight Hearing on the Department of Human Services
Chairperson Nadeau, Chairperson Bonds, and other members of the Committees, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Kate Coventry, and I am a Senior Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI is a non-profit organization that promotes...
Counting Our Homeless Neighbors While Envisioning a Future Without Homelessness
Last Wednesday night, volunteers braved the cold to conduct the annual Point in Time (PIT) count. The PIT aims to get an accurate snapshot of people experiencing homelessness in DC on a single night. Providers survey their clients and volunteers fan out across the...
Remembering Our Neighbors Who Died While Homeless
At least 81 residents died while experiencing homelessness in the District over the past year. This the highest recorded number ever. Last year, there were 54 recorded deaths.
What’s In the Approved Fiscal Year 2020 Budget for Interim Disability Assitance
The total budget for IDA is $3.3 million, a decrease of just over $1 million from FY 2019. It also is well below the peak budget of $10.9 million in FY 2009.
What’s In the Approved Fiscal Year 2020 Budget for Homeless Services?
Summary: Adds the following for individuals: $15.9 million for new Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units and $737,000 for additional Targeted Affordable Housing units for individuals. While this is a significant investment, it falls short of the need. Adds the...
Testimony of Kate Coventry At the Public Hearing on the “Interagency Council on Behavioral Health Establishment Amendment Act of 2019”
Chairman Gray and other members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit this written testimony. My name is Kate Coventry, and I am the Senior Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI is a non-profit organization that promotes budget...
Update: What Changed in the FY 2020 DC Budget at Final Vote
Yesterday, the DC Council had its second and final vote on the DC budget for FY 2020. The approved budget includes important investments for DC residents but fails to ensure that all residents have the resources they need to be successful in our growing city. This blog highlights important changes made to the budget this Tuesday at the second vote.
What You Need to Know About the FY 2020 DC Budget After First Vote
Yesterday, the DC Council held its first vote on the budget for FY 2020. While the near-final FY 2020 budget includes a number of increases for programs that work towards a more equitable DC, notable gaps remain.
Significant Decrease in Chronic Homelessness Should Motivate the DC Council To Make Additional Investments
The recently-released results of this past January’s Point in Time (PIT) count show that the investments the District has been making to house our most vulnerable residents are effective. The DC Council should make additional investments in housing and homeless services in the FY 2020 budget to build on this success.
Budget Markups: Many Steps in the Right Direction, But Larger Investments are Still Needed
While the committee markups resulted in some important funding increases for programs that work towards a more equitable DC, notable gaps remain.