DC Council is reviewing and amending the proposed FY25 Budget, and will soon have their final budget vote on June 11. The proposed FY25 Budget dedicates $515 million to a deal to expand the Capital One Arena and additional development investment dollars for downtown DC. At the same time, the budget includes drastic cuts to affordable housing funding and social safety net programs, including a $40million cut to the Housing Production Trust Fund and further cuts to emergency rental assistance, housing counseling and legal services. Save Chinatown Solidarity Network is joining the call for a just FY25 budget, and in particular, asking for the Council to fund the preservation of Chinatown. Specifically, we ask for:

1. Investment in affordable housing: stabilization and creation of affordable housing in Chinatown, including the preservation of Museum Square Apartments, located at 401 K St NW. Museum Square is home to a large percentage of the remaining Black and Asian residents in Chinatown, and must be recognized as part of the Downtown and Chinatown/Gallery Place boundaries.

2. Downtown/Chinatown small minority-owned business preservation and incubation: Chinatown development stakeholders must partner with Chinatown advocates and small businesses to build a minority business support program that provides counseling, technical assistance, and access to capital.

3. Unhoused community support: funding for clean, functional, and financially supported homeless shelters with robust social services. Rather than pouring funds into security and punitive measures, we need strengthened Day Services Centers, more public bathrooms, and an end to encampment evictions.

Beyond Chinatown, we echo the demands of our colleagues at Bread for the City, DC Bar Foundation, So Others Might Eat, and others for the restoration of services that are absolutely critical to the survival of low-income Black, Brown, and other communities of color across the city:

• Restore and expand Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF): HPTF must be FULLY funded in order to help residents to preserve their buildings and their communities through TOPA if their buildings are put up for sale. The Downtown TOPA exemption for newer buildings must be repealed.

• Restore Emergency Rental Assistance Program funding to advance homelessness prevention and keep residents in their homes.

• Strengthen SNAP funding so families do not go hungry.

• Restore funding to housing counseling services that working class and poor families rely upon for housing stability and support.

Please join us in calling on DC Council to take action – fill in your name and location, and send a letter with a simple click below: