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The full letter with hyperlinks is available here:
https://tinyurl.com/NoCutstoLGBTQFundingDear Mayor Bowser:
COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge for the District and the country. We thank you for the steps you are taking to mitigate its devastation on our communities. Difficult decisions are required to maintain the fiscal health of the District while supporting DC residents, and the economy as a whole in a time of great need. However, social services must not be cut in order to balance the budget, especially during a pandemic. Moreover, DC should take bold action by increasing funding for vital programs and services.
We write today to express our concern that D.C. agencies are informing homeless service grantees and contractors that they must reduce their budgets by as much as 10% effective immediately. If implemented, these cuts will devastate District residents, particularly members of the LGBTQ community and other already under-resourced communities. Currently, LGBTQ people are more likely to report experiencing a cut in work hours and being in a worse off financial position because of the pandemic.
Cuts in expenditures to social services will only further harm struggling District residents, impede our recovery, and increase the pre-existing economic disparities in DC. Deferment of people’s financial obligations is not sufficient: additional funding is needed, and urgently. We must live up to our commitment to human rights by investing in services that meet the needs of DC residents. While your Administration is considering next steps, we urge that you not repeat the mistakes of the past and stop any efforts to balance the budget by cutting existing social services. DC’s commitment to equity means divesting from bloated agencies like MPD and increasing taxes on our highest income earners to help pay for programs and services to support residents’ basic survival.
Additionally, we are troubled by apparent delays in the launch of newly approved programs for our neighbors who are struggling. Taken together, these actions threaten not only the immediate well-being of many D.C. residents but also the progress toward ending homelessness that your administration has accomplished to date. Specifically, these cuts would hurt efforts to provide shelter, transitional housing, counseling, and other assistance to those experiencing housing instability.
As the District continues its hard work to address the impact of COVID-19, we hope that you will utilize all tools available to you as Mayor to address the impact of the pandemic on the District's most vulnerable residents. Prior to the pandemic, DC was already seeing high rates of poverty (14%)—particularly among Black residents (22%)—and a high rate of homelessness among transgender residents (20%). In October, the National Conference of Black Lawyers penned a letter highlighting their concerns for people experiencing homelessness. The average length of time of those experiencing homelessness and percent returning to homelessness in 6 - 12 months is increasing. The LGBTQ community makes up a disproportionately high percentage of DC’s unhoused residents, and has for several years. COVID-19 has exacerbated this problem and will continue to do so as the economic stabilizers and social insurance for people expire.
We request a meeting with you (and members of your administration) and our coalition members to address concerns in order to work together to find the right way forward.
Sincerely,
Full list of signers
