Doni Crawford, Senior Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy institute, told The Outlaw Report she was encouraged to see the new funding, though work remains to be done to create an equitable medical cannabis market in the District.
A 2020 study from the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute found that nearly a third of people experiencing homelessness in the District say incarceration played a role in their housing struggles.
According to a D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute poll, 78 percent and 72 percent of District voters support raising taxes on residents earning taxable income of $350,000 or more and $250,000 or more, respectively.
Erica Williams, the executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, said “this year’s budget is a historic opportunity to repair the damage done by the COVID-19 crisis and ‘build back better’, especially for Black and Brown residents.
Racial justice advocates have been calling on lawmakers to go farther, including by protecting cannabis consumers from employer discrimination.
“We’re really excited,” policy analyst Eliana Golding said, referring to the proposal to add a record-breaking $400 million over two years to the Housing Production Trust Fund.
The DC Fiscal Policy Institute applauded the mayor for her investment in affordable housing and direct economic support to residents, but still had some criticism of the document.
Kate Coventry, a senior policy analyst with the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, said that despite advocates’ claims that the PIT count is not perfect, “no one thinks it is. But it is a measure.”
In 2019, the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute implored the mayor to double the annual $100 million in housing funds, saying the trust has become less valuable each year as construction costs have gone up.
Kate Coventry – a senior policy analyst at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, which researches budget and tax issues in the city – said homelessness in the District is primarily caused by failed systems and policy.