At D.C. Council hearings and organized rallies, housing advocates across the District are condemning Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed cuts to social safety net and housing programs in her FY 2026 budget, released in late May.
Advocacy groups and individuals have taken to the streets and to the Wilson Building to make their disapproval of the mayor’s budget — which includes severe cuts to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, and the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) — known to public officials. Almost 400 witnesses spoke at a June 18 council budget hearing, and several demonstrators held a sleep-in in Councilmember At-large Robert White’s office and a rally to urge lawmakers to reinstate funding for myriad housing programs. In late June, committees on the D.C. Council released budget report recommendations, which reversed some of the mayor’s cuts but did not provide new funds for housing vouchers or ERAP. The full council will take its first vote on the budget on July 14.
At the June 18 hearing, dozens of witnesses condemned Bower’s proposed $21.9 million in cuts to ERAP — a heavily sought-after rental assistance program for people facing housing emergencies — constituting an 80% cut to the program. The Fair Budget Coalition, a group of community members and local organizations, has estimated the need is at least $100 million.
Among those witnesses was Megan Browder, legal director for systemic advocacy and law reform at Legal Aid D.C. She called on the council to “adequately fund” ERAP, and to invest in permanent affordable housing by requiring the Housing Production Trust Fund to set aside 30% of its funds to preserve already existing affordable housing.
“We understand that you have to make tough decisions this budget cycle,” Browder said at the hearing. “The answer, however, cannot be taking away from our neighbors with the least.”
Joanna Blotner, the director of government affairs at D.C. Action, condemned the budget’s proposed $3.3 million cut to Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). Along with PSH, the budget also cuts $16.8 million from Rapid Rehousing for families, $7.1 million from the D.C. Housing Authority’s affordable housing program, and a total of $56.9 million from the Department of Human Services (DHS). Blotner requested the council reverse the cuts and require DHS to conduct an evaluation and strategic planning process across the youth homelessness system so the public can understand the agency’s claims of vacancies or underutilization resulting in cuts.
“Rather than cutting funds, this is a time we must be more responsive,” Blotner said at the hearing.
Before the hearing, dozens of local advocates rallied outside the D.C. Council building, holding signs reading “Invest in kids and families” and “Protect D.C. from Bowser’s ‘Big Beautiful Budget.’” Among those protesters was Dana White, director of advocacy at Miriam’s Kitchen, a street outreach organization that aims to end chronic homelessness.
“I’m here because the mayor’s budget abandons people who are experiencing homelessness, especially those who are experiencing homelessness in our streets and in tents,” White said.
White said the city must invest in PSH and emergency rental assistance, programs that face cuts in the proposed budget. They said Bowser has “not been kind” to people experiencing homelessness and is “aligned” with President Donald Trump’s thinking that homeless encampments need to be removed.
The Committees on Housing and Human Services’ budget recommendations reports, released June 24 and June 21, respectively, did not fund any new housing vouchers through programs like PSH and Rapid Rehousing or increase funding to ERAP, as advocates had asked for. The Committee on Human Services added $1.5 million to PSH, reversing a cut, but said it was to extend transitional housing for unhoused youth.
On June 23, over a dozen demonstrators held a sleep-in at White’s office, urging the councilmember to invest in more affordable housing in the District.
“What do we want? Housing. How do we get it? Tax the rich,” demonstrators chanted from sleeping bags.
The same day, White, who chairs the Housing Committee, released a statement on the sleep-in, stating he has “consistently fought” to strengthen ERAP and other housing programs and will not “turn my back” on the community’s needs. He recognized demonstrators’ concerns about the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants and Landlords (RENTAL) Act, which would reinstate quicker eviction timelines, roll back some protections for tenants seeking rental assistance, and exclude certain buildings from the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act.
The Housing Committee’s report recommended striking the RENTAL Act from the Budget Support Act, which includes policy changes related to the budget, because its proposed changes have not been thoroughly “vetted” by the public.
“I remain firmly committed to the fight for deeply affordable housing, tenant protections, and the right for every Washingtonian to live with dignity,” White said in a statement on the demonstration.
White’s housing budget proposal made small additions to programs, including $770,000 in “accommodations” to the Office of the Tenant Advocate, an increase from Bowser’s proposed $570,000. It also increases funding for the Housing Purchase Assistance Program from $27.4 million to $29.25 million and adds the 30% affordable housing preservation requirement.
Committees also reversed some of the mayor’s cuts to the social safety net. The Committee on Human Services, chaired by Ward 3 Councilmember Matthew Frumin, recommended reversing the cuts to TANF by investing over $7 million into the program in FY 2026. The Committee on Health approved the creation of a Basic Health Program in the D.C. Health Benefit Exchange to provide coverage for those who would lose Medicaid coverage due to the eligibility changes the mayor proposed.
But the council has not yet proposed the kind of sweeping change to the budget many advocates were calling for, such as instituting a new tax to fund programs for D.C.’s vulnerable residents. Joshua Armstead, vice chair of the Unite Here Local 23 airport worker labor union, attended the June 18 protest to ask the council to enact a “moral” budget rather than the current version, which “screws over tenants.” He condemned the cuts in the budget to programs like Medicaid and housing support at a time when people “can’t afford” to live in the city where they work.
“We need to make a budget that helps as many people as possible,” Armstead said.
Jelina Liu contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared in Street Sense’s July 2, 2025 edition.
