LISTEN TO VOICES FROM THE HOUSING FOR ALL RALLY
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“The programs that serve the neediest in the District of Columbia are under assault. There is no question about that,” said Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham to the more than 100 protesters who participated in the “Housing For All” demonstration outside the John A. Wilson Building on Tuesday.
April 1, Mayor Vincent Gray submitted his budget to the D.C. Council. The D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute noted, “Mayor Gray’s budget proposal contains close to $190 million in cuts, most of which would fall on human services and other low-income programs. Two out of every three dollars in cuts comes from human services even though that part of the budget makes up only one out of every four dollars overall.”
Linda Leaks of Empower DC addressing protesters outside the John A. Wilson Buidling
Linda Leaks, lead housing organizer for Empower DC, told the crowd that it is unacceptable for the mayor “to balance the budget on the backs of low-income people.” Leaks delivered a message to councilmembers: “Don’t go along with Mayor Gray’s cuts. These cuts are another way of forcing low-income people out of the city. It’s immoral. It is disgusting. It is shameful.”
In calling for “a tax increase on folks making more than $200,000-$250,000,” At-large Councilmember Michael Brown echoed the earlier comments of his colleagues Jim Graham and Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry.
“Believe it or not,” said Brown, “there are some of my colleagues that believe that there are no more poor folks left in the District of Columbia. If that’s your mindset then you’re not going to think these cuts are that devastating when in fact they are.”
One of the hardest hit programs is the local Housing Production Trust Fund which Mayor Gray proposes to slash by $18 million each of the next four years. The Continuum of Housing Campaign noted, “The Housing Production Trust Fund is a major source of local funding for affordable housing. [It] is fully funded by a percentage of all Deed Recordation and Transfer taxes – the taxes buyers and sellers pay to the city when property changes hands. That money is then dedicated to creating new affordable housing and helping tenants purchase. This way, as new developments are built, there are also investments in preserving affordability.”
The Housing Production Trust Fund provides funding for tenant purchases, which allows tenants to take advantage of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). TOPA has resulted in thousands of District residents becoming homeowners by giving tenants the opportunity to buy their building rather than have it sold out from under them. Mayor Gray’s proposed cuts threaten to cripple tenants ability to become homeowners.
One of the groups participating in Tuesday’s rally was the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC). The organization has produced an excellent short film on TOPA, “We Own This.”
Related Links:
- http://housingforallblog.org/
- http://www.cnhed.org/
- http://www.ledcmetro.org/
- http://www.saveoursafetynet.com/
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