As Springtime turns the corner, Mayor Muriel Bowser is prepping to release her 2017 Budget. One of the hot-button issues is the Mayor’s homeless shelter plan, which is going to take a lot of budgetary wizardry at $200M.
To make sense of it all, Budget Director Matthew Brown will host DCAR’s Speaker Series this month.
Budget Basics
DC’s Budget season is starting, which means Mayor Bowser is putting together a proposal aimed to best utilize your tax dollars. It accounts for everything from transportation to new economic development projects.
Beginning in April, the Council will conduct hearings and have their own round of amendments. The final Budget usually passes in June and goes into effect October 2016.
What DC REALTORS® Should Know
DCAR is keeping a close eye on Recordation and Transfer taxes, the Real Estate Guaranty Fund, affordable housing and infrastructure investments.
DCAR’s Plan
Your State Association advocates every year to ensure the Budget reflects the best interests of the real estate community. For a more detailed look at the DC Budget, visit the Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s website.
Budget Highlight: Homeless Shelters
The District’s homelessness crisis has been a major sticking point for Mayor Muriel Bowser. DC has spent more than $172,000 on homeless encampment cleanup. Furthermore, the Mayor has laid the groundwork to establish shelters throughout DC’s eight wards.
In early February, Mayor Bowser revealed her Office’s selection of seven proposed family homeless shelters across DC’s wards. The Mayor’s announcement also cleared a path for the District to close the beleaguered DC General shelter.
DC’s residents responded quickly to the announcement with FOIA requests to learn more about the proposal. The investigation revealed nearly three dozen sites considered by the Mayor’s office.
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