The city’s investment in housing will be increased in the coming year by $55 million following a 30 percent rise in funding for D.C. Housing Production Trust Fund which provides affordable housing services, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced in her first State of the District Address of her second term at the University of District of Columbia on March 18.
The mayor also stated that she would back the D.C. Congresswoman Elenor Holmes Norton’s plan to acquire RFL stadium campus from the federal government. Calling it a “national park dedicated to asphalt”, she said that they cannot afford to let any “untapped land in our city go to waste.”
The mayor also promised an additional $20 million in funds for creating more housing for teachers, police officers, firefighters, and social workers. The new investments will bring the annual expenses on the housing to $200 million, and most of it will be covered by higher taxes on commercial real estate deals.
“These have been and continue to be very good times for Washington, D.C. And to keep D.C. a city that works for both residents and businesses, in the coming fiscal year, we’re asking our commercial property owners to share some of the upside,” the mayor said.
1⃣ 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐃𝐂 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫
2⃣ More money for affordable housing
3⃣ More money for seniors to age in placeJust some announcements from #SODA19! Thank you, DC. Together, we can give every resident a #FairShot.
🗞️https://t.co/PBjjCefOMm pic.twitter.com/ARFt9z274g
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) March 19, 2019
The mayor said that they would boost funding for a program that aims aiding senior residents to repair their houses. She will also propose more tax credit to help low and moderate-income families on rent and homeowners.
Another announcement by Bowser was the plan to make the new, one-year $1,000 tax credit for child care costs permanent. She said a bill that exempts diapers from the sales tax of the city would be funded by her administration. “As a new mom, I know: those diaper costs add up, don’t they?” she said.
During her address, Bowser also announced increased funding of 2.5 million a year from the previous $90,000 a year for organizations that provide legal services to immigrants.
The mayor also mentioned plans to make the D.C. Circulator service, which runs buses in the city, free for the residents. The budget for the next year will be released later this week by the mayor. The Council will then be able to make the changes.
DC Fiscal Policy Report Recommends Doubling Investment in Affordable Housing