DC is currently faced by an approximate $330 million budget shortfall. In response to this, Mayor Gray’s new budget slashes our safety net servies. More than 67% of budget cuts are from human services, meaning huge cuts to services such as affordable housing, childcare, domestic violence resources, and many other community-based services that keep our communities safe and healthy places to live.
These cuts affect our entire city, but on Thursday evening Save Our Safety Net (SOS-DC), focused on how the cuts would affect services in Ward 1, specifically, the diverse Columbia Heights neighborhood. The Peace Center joined SOS-DC, service providers, and concerned residents on SOS-DC’s Columbia Heights Budget Cuts Walking Tour. This provided an opportunity to learn from service providers and their clients about the many interconnected community-based services in this neighborhood, and the dire situations they have faced as a direct result of cuts to the funding of human services.
The first stop on the tour was the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) at 1419 Columbia Road NW. This organization, serving immigrant Latino youth for over forty years, began as a small, grassroots youth center in the basement of the Capital City Public Charter School (then known as the Wilson Center). LAYC has grown into a nationally-recognized organization serving youth in DC and surrounding areas in Maryland. It is now an entire network of youth centers committed to helping young people make a successful transition to adulthood. LAYC has been able to provide invaluable services on a community-based level, such as educational services and mentoring, workforce preparation, counseling and treatment, and transitional housing. Tragically, their housing program is facing major cuts. They have also been forced to cut many of their staff. The staff reminded us that young people are not only our future, but our present also. It is crucial that we secure these services for them now, so that they have the support they need to make a successful transition to young adulthood.
The next stop on the tour was Neighbors Consejo at 3118 16th St NW. Judith Diaz, the Executive Director, joined by her staff and their clients, spoke to us about her organization. Neighbors Consejo serves individuals with mental illnesses, substance abuse problems, and the homeless. They perform community outreach, work together with MPD and area hospitals to ensure people get the immediate treatment they need, and will continue to provide treatment in-residence. They are the only organization in the DC/MD/VA area like this which is committed to serving the limited English proficiency community. Last year, among other achievements, they were able to provide 140 adults with ESL classes, and 89 people with addiction treatment. This year, they are facing massive cuts to their funding (in excess of $350,000). They have been forced to cut 35 staff members, and are now trying to provide the same level of service with only 8 staff members.
We also heard from representatives of the Language Access Coalition. The Language Access Coalition works to ensure equal access to government services regardless of a person’s language skills. This right is protected by the Language Access Act, passed in DC seven years ago. This law protects the right of all people to interpretation of government services, so that these services may be accessed and understood no matter what language a person may speak. Depending on the language, translation should often also be available. While they continue to advocate for equal access, they expressed concern that budget cuts will mean that many will be cut off from services simply due to limited English proficiency.
The last stop on our tour was the Columbia Heights-Shaw Family Support Collaborative at 1470 Irving St NW. This organization provides services such as parenting support, family group conferences, and youth engagement and training programs, with the goals of promoting safe and healthy families and preventing gang-related violence. Last year, they were able to assist 140 family cases, but this year, due to budget cuts, they have been forced to scale that number down to 50 cases. They have already reached this quota this year, but they ensured us they are not about to start turning people away. They urged us to remember that shutting down these services only drives people away, pushes violence and homeless to other areas, and devastates many families.
SOS-DC recognizes that these budget cuts are unfairly affecting human services, and that effects of cutting these programs will be devastating throughout our city. After meeting with service providers and clients, it was even clearer just how catastrophic Mayor Gray’s proposed cuts will be. They will negatively impact all residents, not just those who directly benefit from these services.
Along with these cuts, Mayor Gray also proposed a new tax bracket of 8.9% per year for households with an income of over $200,000 per year. This will not be enough. We must have even more progressive tax income brackets and re-invest our money in human services. These services and those like it all across the city are invaluable to the development of DC on the whole. An investment in our safety net services means an investment in a better future for DC and its residents.
SOS-DC’s proposal for tax increases for high income earners increases DC’s revenue and will help save our safety net services. This is an extremely crucial time for DC residents to tell the Council that we support even more progressive income tax brackets. Find out more on SOS-DC’s proposal and how you can join them in putting pressure on our DC council on their website and follow them on Twitter, @SaveDCSafetyNet.