202-737-9311 | info@thrivedc.org
Last week's Council Budget session was a pivotal time. Our leaders were faced with a question: how do we respond to a historical moment, when many in our city are still reeling from the economic effects of COVID-19, and when COVID exposed the racial injustice in our city more starkly than ever before?
Budgets are moral documents. They reflect what we value the most.
Nearly 80% of DC voters supported raising taxes on high-income residents in order to provide sustainable housing, mental health initiatives, resolving racial injustices, and for the recovery of the impact COVID has had on DC residents. Last week, in response to a call from advocates to do justice, the council passed a historically progressive budget that could potentially change our city for the better in a lot of ways:
All told, this is a big change. If passed in the final budget vote in August, it will mean new opportunities for our clients to get out of homelessness, for families to stay housed, for children in mental health programs, and for people coming home from prison to have a better shot at a second chance.
We are grateful to our city leaders for their commitment to positive change in our communities at a time of uncertainty for many. If you want to learn more about all of the funding initiatives in more depth, we recommend utilizing the resources below to further understand the dramatic impact this budget will have on DC residents:
This is the moment when our city chooses to not just chip away at a problem, but tackles deep, ingrained justice issues. There’s more to do. But this is a great start, so stay informed!
