As we welcome the arrival of spring and look forward to warmer weather and flowers in bloom, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the challenging times we have been through and the resilience we have demonstrated as a city. Despite the difficulties, I am heartened by the progress our city has made toward recovery, and I am excited about the opportunities ahead.
Recently, Mayor Muriel Bowser released her Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Fair Shot Budget and Financial Plan to the DC Council, and I wanted to share some highlights with you. This budget builds upon the District’s road to recovery and the Mayor’s commitment to ensuring all residents, including seniors like you, have a fair shot. And despite the economic challenges faced, the proposed budget remains focused on the necessary investments that will energize DC’s comeback, unlocking the full potential of our older residents and our communities.
For us at DACL, we have been hyper-focused on helping more older Washingtonians truly live and thrive in the communities you have all come to know and love. Whether it is creating innovative programs to decrease senior food insecurity and increase nutrition equity through the Food4Choice Pilot Program, or ensuring we further alleviate the risk of falls by expanding the Mayor’s signature program, Safe at Home, our agency remains committed to using every tool in our toolbox to meet and exceed your needs.
In FY24, the Mayor is continuing to make investments in Safe at Home. She is investing an additional $1 million to increase the eligibility for the program. We know how critical is to support you in making sure your homes are a place where you can age safely. With additional funds, we can ensure more seniors benefit from this longstanding program, creating greater independence and giving more older residents like you the autonomy to age how you want and how you choose.
Additionally, many of you have shared with us that transportation is the lifeline connecting you to medical care, food, the community, and social events that help you thrive. In FY24, the Mayor is making a $1.5 million investment in transportation access for seniors, giving DACL the opportunity to expand the ConnectorCard program. Through ConnectorCard, qualifying seniors can receive up to $100 a month in travel transit funds. These funds can be used towards transportation of your choice to get to and from any destination in the city, whether through Metro, including MetroAccess, cabs, or rideshare services. With this investment, we can continue to prioritize helping you get around our great city.
The Mayor is also making significant investments to ensure housing in our city is more affordable for all residents, further closing the racial wealth gap and keeping longtime Washingtonians in DC. These investments include:
- $31 million investment to fund the Housing Production Trust Fund at $100 million,
- $1.5 million enhancement for Heirs Property Services,
- $2 million investment to increase available funds for Single Family Residential Rehab,
- and, $115 million investment to rehabilitate and modernize public housing units managed by the DC Housing Authority.
The investments, and others like them, prioritize seniors who are both homeowners and renters, creating more access to dignified, affordable housing.
In closing, I want to reaffirm that our government and Mayor are dedicated to investing in our city’s recovery, and I am so proud of the progress we have made so far. You can trust us to prioritize your needs and the needs of our communities, and we are confident that the FY24 Budget will energize our city’s comeback. For more information about the budget, please visit budget.dc.gov. Thank you for your ongoing trust and support.
Sincerely,
Charon P.W. Hines
Mayor Bowser Releases her FY24 Fair Shot Budget
On March 22, Mayor Muriel Bowser presented her proposed Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Budget and Financial Plan to the Council of the District of Columbia as part of the District’s annual budget process. The $19.5 billion FY23 Budget makes significant increased investments in public safety, housing and ending homelessness, affordability programs, and city services.To learn more about the budget, visit budget.dc.gov.