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DC Council pushes mayor for Rapid Rehousing Program extension
Hundreds of families in Washington D.C.'s Rapid Rehousing Program are facing eviction, as the clock runs out on their housing assistance.
WASHINGTON - Hundreds of families in Washington D.C.'s Rapid Rehousing Program are facing eviction, as the clock runs out on their housing assistance.
Councilmember At-Large Robert White joined FOX 5’s "Live Zone" Monday to explain the situation, blaming the Bowser administration for failing to address the issue.
The Rapid Rehousing Program is designed to help homeless families move from shelters into housing, covering their rent temporarily while they work toward financial independence. However, White said, "The reality, and most of us know this, is folks, even working full-time, can’t afford their leases."
According to White, the Bowser administration plans to end the program for these families, which will likely force them back into shelters or onto the streets.
White pointed out that the D.C. Council had funded housing vouchers for these families to prevent eviction, but he said the administration changed its numbers after the budget was passed.
"The mayor's pointing fingers, but the reality is we worked around the clock to find a solution for these families so they could stay in housing. And the administration is dropping the ball," White said.
WASHINGTON, DC -OCTOBER 19: Some residents are very unhappy that affordable housing is becoming available in their neighborhood at The Bobbi Apartments in Washington, DC on October 19, 2023. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Ima …
The council member also shared his frustration with the administration's refusal to continue supporting families already in the program: "We said, just keep those families in there and don’t put new families in. Bowser put up a roadblock and said, 'No, it’s going to cost the city too much money.'"
The Rapid Rehousing Program offers up to 12 months of rental subsidies for families experiencing homelessness, along with assistance with utilities, moving costs, and case management services. However, many participants struggle to afford rent even after receiving help.
Mayor Bowser’s administration has argued that the city cannot afford to keep all families in the program.
White emphasized that the council had already secured funding to extend housing vouchers for the current participants.
"The money that the council funded is supposed to become available in a couple of weeks. If the agencies move money around, they need to move it back."
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White said that he and the rest of the council are committed to preventing these families from becoming homeless.
"We can’t have families in our city who are relying on a program end up homeless. That’s bad for those families, it’s bad for the city," he said. "At the end of the day, forget the politics, forget who's in charge. We need to make sure people don’t end up homeless."