2023 Funding & Reform Priorities

Posted on Mar 21, 2023 in DC Budget, DC Policies and Plans, Homelessness, Housing, Justice, Law, Poverty, Shelter | 0 comments

It’s budget season again, and the Legal Clinic continues to advocate for budgets and laws that further housing justice for D.C. residents.  Along with our Fair Budget Coalition and Way Home Campaign partners*, we implore D.C. to “Meet the Needs” of all D.C. residents—particularly those who struggle the most to maintain their lives in the city. Recent housing investments and legislation during the height of the pandemic were crucial to minimize...

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Real Rapid Re-Housing Reform Is Finally Within DC’s Reach!

Posted on Sep 29, 2022 in Clients, DC Policies and Plans, Homelessness, Housing, Law, Poverty, Shelter, Wealth Gap | 0 comments

We have long advocated for substantial reform for the rapid re-housing program in DC. The urgency of that advocacy intensified last winter, when the Department of Human Services announced it intended to start terminating almost 1000 families for reaching a time limit in rapid re-housing, even though the agency knew that nearly all of those families would be thrown into crisis as a result. In the spring of 2022, 66 organizations and experts and...

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Despite Strong Community Opposition, DC Elected Officials Segregate and Exclude Immigrants from Homeless Services

Posted on Sep 27, 2022 in DC Policies and Plans, Homelessness, Law, Poverty, Shelter | 0 comments

On Tuesday, September 20, 2022, the DC Council passed The Migrant Services and Supports Emergency Act of 2022 without making any of the significant changes that we advocated for. Councilmember Pinto tried to amend the bill to remove many of the harmful provisions and to add in legal and safety protections for migrants. Councilmember Nadeau and Mayor Bowser strongly opposed the amendment, and managed to convince their colleagues to follow their...

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Legal Clinic Priorities for Funding and Reform in 2022

Posted on Mar 17, 2022 in Advocates, Clients, DC Budget, DC Policies and Plans, Homelessness, Housing, Justice, Law, People, Shelter, Wealth Gap | 0 comments

Despite living in a well-resourced District of Columbia, DC residents are facing homelessness, housing instability, and crisis-level lack of affordable housing every day, so there is much work to be done to address these issues in DC in order to further housing justice. The budget process is an opportunity to do just that.

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Action Alert: Pass Emergency Legislation to Stop Encampment Evictions!

Posted on Dec 3, 2021 in Action Alert, Criminalization, DC Policies and Plans, Homelessness, Housing, Hypothermia, Law, Shelter, Wealth Gap | 0 comments

Councilmember Brianne Nadeau has announced emergency legislation that would prohibit encampment evictions and the creation of “no tent” zones while also addressing some of the health and safety concerns raised by unhoused and housed residents. The Council will vote on the bill next Tuesday, December 7, and nine votes are needed for the bill to pass.

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