Dear John,

Today, DC Council held their first vote on the DC 2021 Budget. Every year, the budget has meaningful impacts on the lives of over 700,000 DC residents. This year, we are in the midst of the COVID pandemic and its economic impact as well as an uprising against White supremacy and for Black life. The decisions made in the budget have immense weight on the lives, health, livelihood, and housing security of DC families. And the weight of using the budget as a tool for racial equity is even more urgent.

Excluded Workers

Our main campaign has been the inclusion of funds for excluded workers. A powerful, multi-racial, multi-lingual, international coalition of unions, immigrant organizations, service providers, sex workers, returning citizens, congregations and more fought together and for the first time won DC-funded cash assistance to those locked out of unemployment and federal stimulus. Today, we won $9 million for Excluded Workers.

This didn’t reach our goal of $30M, but we are proud that DC will put funds in the hands of DC residents that the federal government has abandoned during the crisis. Chairman Mendelson, Councilmember Nadeau, and Councilmember Allen all led efforts to identify these funds. The money will flow through the same system that was developed by Events DC and community organizations. And will be added to the $5M already making it’s way into the hands of excluded undocumented residents. Over the next two votes we will continue to seek more funds, and ensure that all excluded workers are eligible for this assistance.

More Wins!

DC JWJ also endorsed and supported a number of other campaigns which had successes today:

Decreased giveaways to those who can pay the most by reducing both QHTC and the estate tax cuts for millionaires which were championed by Jews United for Justice and Fair Budget Coalition among others
Increased funding to Emergency Rental Assistance as supported by the DC Tenants Union
Invested in school-based mental health and violence interruption as called to by Black Swan Academy and other DC Movement for Black Lives organizations

Disappointments

Unfortunately, there were disappointing decisions today as well.

A majority of the Council refused to raise income taxes and invest more in needed programs, including Excluded Workers. DC Council has made only the most modest changes in the MPD budget, failing to live up to the call to Defund MPD.

Attack on tenants and rent control reform

And last night, at the 11th hour, Chairman Mendelson surprised the Council and the public by unilaterally adding a 10-year extension of our broken rent control system to the Budget Support Act. This action short-circuits the democratic process already in motion that would allow the Council to improve rent control while reauthorizing.

DC JWJ and the Reclaim Rent Control reject this bare-bones reauthorization of our broken rent control system. The current system facilitates the systematic displacement of Black and brown families, contributes to unsustainable housing costs, and empowers landlords at the expense of tenants.

Rent control must be reauthorized, but only with significant improvements. Read our full statement here.

While we are disappointed by the DC Council, we are proud of our movement. More than 1120 people send emails to the DC Council over the last 24 hours to reject this underhanded plan to disempower tenants.

This fight is not over. We have until July 28 to get this language out of the Budget Support Act, and we intend to do so. We’re counting on you to stay in that fight with us. Together we will Reclaim Rent Control and win a system that empowers tenants and workers