---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Councilmember At-Large Robert White <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, Jul 22, 2021 at 11:08 AM
Subject: DC Council Advances Equity & Social Justice in FY 2022 Budget
To: <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
July 22, 2021
This week, my colleagues and I voted to advance the Fiscal Year 2022 budget
for the District of Columbia. The proposal reflects many investments our
office fought hard for so we can continue making real progress toward
equity and social justice for all District residents.
When the budgeting process is complete, I will release a fuller picture to
help you understand what’s in it. For now, I want to highlight some of the
priorities we fought hard for. Here are some of our wins.
Education
The academic divide in our city starts when our kids are born. Profound
achievement gaps put many of our children of color at a disadvantage, even
before their first day of school. In fact, a child’s education from ages
0-3 impacts the full trajectory of their lives, including how they do in
school in later years, school drop-out, and lifetime earning potential. The
only way to address these achievement gaps is to make sure every child has
high-quality, affordable early childhood care and education. This was the
very first major issue I took up when I was a brand-new Councilmember with
a brand-new baby. I’m proud that we fought for:
- Full funding to increase pay for educators in child care facilities, a
big piece of the Birth-to-Three for All DC Act
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qttIEKhp1xOrvUeFhViAfK7Sf1-C_BbijqHKGOW4HLOOv2MKmhzX2UBGL9zE3FKce38DDMI4z8_x9l_3Dg0NgoWSDwG5liDVkgKLaMlO1bOaSDPtrBEk40olNrghypbEwg9_D4dK9WpvWTksqSx1v1iR9HAKVvAJCRy1TAGPt5gHL4O8RY3uNCuKtuIfvmjMZ2LNBBVMA5NTyPwcRRAtxLQtHyEIfnGwY-s0TiFeN5dqkfgQebr4UQ==&c=_XfdNiUHsqm52yJ35MriIjALFRK3Qj_6_Sm3wTfTtc6BFO5BEKYPFg==&ch=UoV4f_GOWTDM7l8s2BCuPWwxSRtiapsBm0bhle9m2B1fiOdK9oODIg==>
we
passed in 2018 that ensures high-quality care for all children.
Birth-to-Three
for All DC evolved from the BEGin Act
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qttIEKhp1xOrvUeFhViAfK7Sf1-C_BbijqHKGOW4HLOOv2MKmhzX2UBGL9zE3FKcflT_Fw0KvSg_ichI0vZdeqZA9XdneFcr5z49dwXrijz3NquHb25m0pIgzJ2xVNDLgDoLOeqT58tUGvbto6bou_LoropJp4GZ6yvGIHkoREmzlYSXQgeJZrUjmCuCaxkU8bgbskl0c2ulkvgFV6G-aN3T_6DE-gczSP--bJ9SpTBKsc-003DL93xLyLTwtLMW&c=_XfdNiUHsqm52yJ35MriIjALFRK3Qj_6_Sm3wTfTtc6BFO5BEKYPFg==&ch=UoV4f_GOWTDM7l8s2BCuPWwxSRtiapsBm0bhle9m2B1fiOdK9oODIg==>,
a bill I introduced when I was first elected to the Council; and
- I also got an amendment passed to require DCPS to release publicly the
full analysis and the raw data collected from the results of a 2020
survey on the IMPACT teacher evaluation system so that we all can
understand what teachers think of the IMPACT system.
Housing
I know how important housing affordability is. Too many members of my own
family have been forced out of the city because of the lack of affordable
housing, and my family is far from unique in this respect. Despite a lot of
investments by the city, housing that everyday people can afford is getting
harder to find every year. That’s why I keep looking for ways to protect
the housing we have and to create more. I’m proud that we fought for:
- $5 million for my new housing bill
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that
immediately makes affordable housing available by using property covenants
to convert unaffordable rental units into affordable units;
- $50 million for affordable housing repairs;
- 15 housing vouchers for senior citizens that my Committee was able to
identify funding for through careful budget work; and
- Restoring funding for transitional housing for youth experiencing
homelessness with funding my Committee identified.
Returning Citizens
Returning citizens need stable housing and good paying jobs just like the
rest of us, but they face additional barriers due to their criminal records
and often long periods of incarceration. I’m proud that we fought for:
- Commissioning a study to develop a plan for transitioning to a system
of smaller halfway houses in each Ward in order to improve reentry for our
returning citizens, instead of the one large halfway house model we
currently use;
- 20 housing vouchers, with funding identified by my Committee, to help
returning citizens avoid homeless shelters as they work to stabilize their
lives after incarceration;
- Full funding for my Restore the Vote
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bill, which restores the voting rights of incarnated residents; and
- $100,000 for grants to support organizations that offer reentry
housing for returning citizens.
The LGBTQ Community
We need to continue protecting LGBTQ residents in the District from hate
crimes and provide access to resources, like safe housing, and services,
like mental health support. With this year’s budget, we secured:
- $1 million for an LGBTQ Community Center that advocates have been
working hard to develop;
- 20 housing vouchers, with funding identified by my Committee, for
low-income LGBTQ seniors who often have a difficult time finding safe,
affirming housing; and
- Funding for an LGBTQ Coordinator in the Office of Veterans’ Affairs,
which will help LGTBQ veterans navigate veterans’ services. LGBTQ veterans
are an undercounted and underserved constituency within Veterans Affairs.
This position will help them be seen and heard by the District.
- $200,000 to study LGBTQ businesses. Private bars, bookstores,
publishers, and other businesses play a special role for many LGBTQ people,
helping them form communities and movements outside their families of
origin. This bill will generate an assessment to guide our government’s
support to keep these institutions vibrant and inclusive.
Environment
Climate change is real. It is happening now, and its effects are
disproportionately impacting low-income communities and people of color. I
have been focused on achieving our city’s climate goals by expanding
renewable energy generation on District government properties. Our budget:
- Invests an additional $2,713,000 in energy retrofitting for District
government buildings, bringing the District closer to compliance with
building efficiency standards; and
- Funds portions of the Zero Waste Omnibus Amendment Act to promote
waste diversion at District agencies.
I fought to have the FY 2022 budget to be a tool for social justice that
responds to the most fundamental needs of our residents. This budget gets
closer to that than any other budget the District has seen before. I would
like to thank my staff, the Chairman, and my colleagues for making this
happen.
NEED TO REACH ME OR A MEMBER OF MY TEAM?
My office is teleworking, but still available to you. Connect with me and
my staff via phone or email. Please call my personal office at (202)
724-8174, committee office at (202) 741-8593 or email any of my team
members.
PERSONAL OFFICE STAFF
- Robert White | Councilmember | rwhite@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Mtokufa Ngwenya | Chief of Staff | mngwenya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Angela Fowlkes | Senior Legislative Assistant | afowlkes@xxxxxxxxxxxx
<shilgendorf@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Katie Whitehouse | Senior Legislative Assistant |
kwhitehouse@xxxxxxxxxxxx <astrickland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Andre Strickland | Constituent Services Director |
astrickland@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Angie Minor | Executive Assistant | aminor@xxxxxxxxxxxx
<astrickland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Joe Crea | Communications Director | jcrea@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Kelly Wilkins | Constituent Services Specialist |
knwilkinsland@xxxxxxxxxxxx <astrickland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
COMMITTEE OFFICE STAFF
- Shawn Hilgendorf | Committee Director | shilgendorf@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Kirti Suri | Deputy Committee Director | ksuri@xxxxxxxxxxxx
<dwilliams@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Estelle Mitchell |Legislative Counsel | emitchell@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Sean Cuddihy | Legislative Counsel | scuddihy@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember, At-Large | Council of the District of
Columbia
Phone: (202) 724-8174 | Fax: (202) 727-8210 | www.RobertWhiteAtLarge.com
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The Office of At Large District Council Member Robert C White Jr | 1350
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 107, Washington, DC 20004
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