In recent years, there has been growing public attention to the city’s homelessness crisis. Residents have been calling on our city’s government to address this crisis by increasing investments in housing solutions, and the response has usually been investments in short- and long-term vouchers, emergency rental assistance and affordable housing construction. Indeed, housing is the solution to homelessness, and it is critical that we increase investments in housing solutions that work.
However, there is closely related issue that is often overlooked. How do we make sure that D.C. residents have enough income to support living in a city as costly as D.C.?
While the city overall has healthy employment rates, if you only look at D.C. residents with a high school diploma, the picture looks much bleaker. In 2012, unemployment rates for those with a high school diploma spiked as high as 21 percent, with underemployment, meaning residents are working fewer hours than they would like, almost equally as high at 22 percent. For those who are employed, low wages and unpredictable scheduling prevent families from earning a sustainable income to afford the high cost of living in the city. As a result, a recent report published by the D.C. Fiscal Policy institute found that the average income for the poorest fifth of D.C. residents is $9,300 (compared with the top fifth of D.C. residents making $487,000).
When public education fails to prepare young people for a competitive job market, when the housing market doesn’t produce affordable homes, when jobs are low-paying and unaccommodating to working parents, when our justice system incarcerates a disproportionate number of community members, it is no wonder that record numbers of families and individuals are flocking to city services to meet their basic needs.
This is why the city’s safety net programs are critical to protecting the basic health and safety of our community members. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF is one example of an important lifeline for families facing economic hardship. TANF provides a modest income benefit, childcare vouchers, transportation subsidies and job training for families for whom our traditional job market is not working.
However, due to a rigid time-limit policy, more than 6,200 families, including 13,000 children, will lose all of their TANF benefits on October 1, 2016 if nothing changes. This will leave them with no cash assistance, no matter how hard they have tried to comply with TANF rules or how many barriers they may face to employment. Research shows that families cut off TANF are often unable to replace their lost benefits with employment income and fall into deeper poverty. Not surprisingly, the children in these families are harmed in ways that make it harder for them to succeed in school and in later life. As we recognize the failure of these broader systems to allow families to be self-sufficient, it is important that families can access important services to create career pathways, in addition to receiving cash assistance to for clothing, supplementing rent, school supplies and field trips.
Mayor Muriel Bowser recently submitted her 2017 budget to the D.C. Council for review. It extends for another year TANF benefits (which have already been decreased) for families reaching their 60-month limit. This means a family of three will receive roughly $150 per month. While this is necessary and valuable assistance, a blanket extension does not address the larger problem: How do we best support families as they try to find employment, even if it takes longer than 60 months?
Last year, Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (along with five co-sponsors) introduced a common-sense bill that would create more extension categories for families currently receiving TANF. This legislation would recognize a family’s unique circumstance and make sure that they were receiving the income, childcare and transportation support they need as they continue to navigate the difficult job market and try to provide for their families.
Cutting children and families off of TANF would likely send them straight to the shelter door. However, investing in a smarter policy that supports families while they get on their feet would make a world of difference.
