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| Update
Washington Legal Clinic For the Homeless Board of Directors Appoints Amber W. Harding as New Executive Director
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, board president Jim Rocap announces that after conducting a nationwide search, the Board by unanimous vote has appointed Amber W. Harding as the new Executive Director. Read more…
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| UpdateStatement on the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Scathing DC Housing Authority Audit
The recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) that lays out eighty-two ways in which the DC Housing Authority (“DCHA”) is failing residents, tenants, and voucher holders confirms what housing advocates and residents have long known. Read more…
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| Advocacy
Real Rapid Re-Housing Reform Is Finally Within DC’s Reach!
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 almost 400 individuals asked the DC Council to “reform rapid re-housing legislatively so that DC residents cannot be terminated for a time limit until they can… Read more…
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| Advocacy
Despite Strong Community Opposition, DC Elected Officials Segregate and Exclude Immigrants from Homeless Services
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 lead. Councilmembers Silverman, Lewis George, and Gray voted for Pinto’s amendment, but it failed 9-4. The result is that recent migrants have no legal, health or safety protections, no… Read more…
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| AdvocacyThe Migrant Services and Supports Emergency Act of 2022: A Poisoned Apple
Immigrants of all countries of origins, languages, and incomes should be welcomed and supported as new residents. We reject any assertion that immigrants are in competition with long-time DC residents for resources, as DC has sufficient resources to meet the needs of all who come here. Similarly, we reject the scarcity mindset that leads to pitting these populations against each other. Read more…
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| AdvocacyThat’s a Wrap for DC’s Budget: Did We Meet Our Goals for Housing?
Our collective advocacy during the fiscal year 2023 budget season led to significant policy wins, and increased investment in deeply affordable housing – and there is still more work to be done! Read more…
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| Update
The Legal Clinic Is Hiring!
We look forward to welcoming both attorneys and non-attorneys who share our vision of housing as a human right to the Legal Clinic team! Read more…
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| AdvocacyWhat Did Mayor Bowser Put in FY23 Budget Towards Our Housing Priorities?
With DC Council turning to its version of DC’s budget, we share an assessment of how far Mayor Bowser’s proposed budget goes towards meeting needs for affordable housing and ending homelessness in DC. We hope the Council sees this as their critical “to do” list over the next few weeks! Read more…
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| Advocacy
Over 50 Organizations and Experts Demand That the DC Council Reform Rapid Re-housing
The following letter was submitted to the DC Council on behalf of 69 organizations and experts. Don’t forget to send an email and sign up for a call-in day echoing these asks to your elected leaders! DC Council members, We, the undersigned organizations, join together to ask you to stop Mayor Bowser from terminating DC residents from the rapid re-housing program for hitting an arbitrary time limit. This year, as many as 913 families are facing time limit terminations. The Bowser Administration estimates that 90% of these families would not be able to afford rent on their own if their… Read more…
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| AdvocacyAction Alert: It’s Past Time to Reform Rapid Re-housing!
The Legal Clinic, along with the Fair Budget Coalition, is advocating for money to keep families facing termination from rapid re-housing housed, an increase in permanent affordable housing subsidies, and legislative reform to make sure that this problem gets fixed systemically. Read more…
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