The DC Council Committee on Human Services is holding a hearing today on Bill 20-414, the “Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Cost-of-Living Adjustment Amendment Act of 2013.” Legal Clinic staff attorney Becky O’Brien submitted the following testimony to the Committee. I want to thank you for introducing Bill 20-414, “TANF Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Amendment Act of 2013” which proposes an increase to TANF benefits for District...
With a $140 Million Surplus for DC, There’s No Excuse For Leaving People on the Street!
While the total won’t be finalized for several months, DC Government officials reported this morning that the District is on target to have a surplus of approximately $140 million as Fiscal Year 2012 draws to a close on Sunday. In spite of such a strong end-of-year bottom line, DC’s Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi did not revise his revenue projections for Fiscal Year 2013, leaving “Wish List” priorities unfunded. We therefore urge...
Crisis Averted for Thousands of DC’s Low-Income Families
“You made a good case, and we listened.” (Mayor Gray to advocates on August 20th, announcing the Gray Administration’s decision to delay the next round of reductions in TANF benefits for six months) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a lifeline for low-income families whose parents are caring for young children or children with disabilities, struggling with unemployment, or fleeing abusive relationships. This federally-funded...
A Mother’s Plea to City Leaders
Ed. note: The city’s Department of Human Services (DHS) is currently in the process of implementing the D.C. Council’s mandate to move families from the shelter system into housing in order to open up much needed shelter space for new families this summer. However, the city’s progress has been too slow for many “priority 1” families who remain without a safe place to go in the meantime. Ms. S’s is one such...
Budget Victory, But No Time To Rest
Budget season is over and it’s been a pretty exciting ride. This year, the D.C. Council really stepped up and, through restorations and investments, supported many programs relied upon by low-income and no-income D.C. residents. The Council put $4 million into the tenant-based Local Rent Supplement Program in order to provide permanent affordable housing to about 250 homeless families in the District and open up much-needed space in emergency...
D.C. Council Votes 10-3 to Delay TANF Cuts!
In giving final approval to the FY 2013 Budget Support Act today, the D.C. Council voted to delay additional cuts in TANF for a year. Councilmembers Jim Graham and Michael Brown introduced the amendment with the one-year delay language, and all but three Councilmembers voted in favor of the amendment. (Councilmembers Alexander,Catania, and Mendelson voted against the delay). In passing this amendment, councilmembers recognized that the...
