Domestic Violence & Housing Taskforce Action Alert:
Stop Cuts that Hurt!
Fully Fund Domestic Violence and Homeless Services!
Housing Ends Homelessness
What you need to know:
- No families requesting shelter at the Family Resource Center will be provided lifesaving shelter until next winter. The Administration has no plan to change that policy.
- Families requesting shelter at FRC who have no safe plan for where to stay will be reported to CFSA. CFSA currently has no housing resources to assist such families.
- On any given day more than 50% of victims seeking domestic violence services in the District of Columbia request shelter or housing placement.[1] While it is common for victims to need safe housing, 74% of service requests for shelter or housing go unmet. [2]
- The Mayor’s budget proposal has a $7 million funding gap for homeless services. The Administration is suggesting cutting food, transportation, outreach, medical and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness— which will hurt people already desperately in need of services.
- The Mayor’s budget proposal has a $2.6 million funding gap for Office of Victim Services that will affect all services OVS provides to survivors including shelter and hotel stays.
- The Mayor has no plan in place to provide long-term affordable housing to help lift families out of homelessness.
What you can do:
Wednesday Action: Call or email the DC Council to put money in the budget to help DC residents in need!
1) Restore the $7 million funding gap in FY13 to make Homeless Services whole;
2) Restore the $2.6 million to OVS to make victim services whole; AND
3) End Homelessness for more than 500 children (250 families) with a Housing investment of $4 million in FY13.
Sample message: Please pass a budget that protects DC residents and responds to DC’s crisis of skyrocketing child homelessness by: 1) Restoring the $7 million gap in homeless services money so all adults and children experiencing homelessness have the services they need to survive; 2) Restoring $2.6 million to OVS’ budget to ensure victims of violence can access needed services; and 3) Placing at least 250 homeless families into long-term affordable housing as an effective and cost-efficient response to homelessness.
Chairman Kwame Brown, kbrown@dcouncil.us, 724-8032, @KwameBrownDC
Councilmember David Catania, dcatania@dcouncil.us, 724-7772
Councilmember Phil Mendelson, pmendelson@dcouncil.us, 724-8064
Councilmember Michael Brown, mbrown@dcouncil.us, 724-8105, @CMMichaelABrown
Councilmember Vincent Orange, vorange@dcouncil.us, 724-8174, @VincentOrangeDC
Councilmember Jim Graham, jim@grahamwone.com, 724-8181, @JimGrahamWard1
Councilmember Jack Evans, jevans@dcouncil.us, 724-8058, @JackEvansWard2
Councilmember Mary Cheh, mcheh@dcouncil.us, 724-8062, @MaryCheh
Councilmember Muriel Bowser, mbowser@dcouncil.us, 724-8052, @MurielBowser
Councilmember Tommy Wells, twells@dcouncil.us, 724-8072, @TommyWells
Councilmember Yvette Alexander, yalexander@dcouncil.us, 724-8068, @CYMYA
Councilmember Marion Barry, mbarry@dcouncil.us, 724-8045, @marionbarryjr
Thursday: Come to the Department of Human Services budget hearing at 11AM in Room 123 at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW to show your support for this proposal.
Friday: Come to the Office of Victim Services budget hearing at 11:00 AM in room 412 at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW to show support for full funding for victims services.
Spread the word! Blog, Tweet, Facebook, talk to your neighbors– whatever you can!
Tweeting: Use the hashtag #dcfy13. Here are some sample tweets:
- End the Hunger Games: restore homeless services gap and put 250 families in housing! #dcfy13
- Looking forward to @JimGrahamWard1 supporting homeless kids at DHS budget hearing! #dcfy13
- Cuts hurt in #dcfy13. Please restore homeless services $ [insert Councilmember handle]
- Don’t gamble with kids’ lives: invest in affordable housing for 250 families in #dcfy13.
Contact the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless at 328-5500 for more info on this campaign or Janelle Treibitz at makeonecitypossible@gmail.com to get involved in the
Fair Budget Coalition’s campaign to prioritize human needs in DC’s budget.
Contact Suzanne Marcus at the District Alliance for Safe Housing at 462-3274 for information about the Domestic Violence & Housing Taskforce at 202-462-3274 ext. 116 or email smarcus@dashdc.wpengine.com
[1] National Network to End Domestic Violence (2012). 2011 Domestic violence counts: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and
services, Washington, D.C.: NNEDV
