Housing Is the Foundation. Stability Is the Work.

by Tyrell Holcomb, VP of External Affairs, Jubilee Housing

What This Budget Says About the Moment

On July 7th, the D.C. Council passed the final piece of the FY27 budget package. In a difficult budget year, that matters. But from Jubilee’s lens, the question is not only what was funded. The question is whether the budget supports the full picture of what residents need to remain stable, connected, and able to thrive. 

Jubilee’s work begins with affordable housing, but it does not end there. Housing is the foundation. Stability is the work. 

Across the District, staying stable is becoming harder for too many residents and families. Housing costs, utilities, groceries, transportation, childcare, and other basic needs continue to stretch households thin. For the residents Jubilee serves, that instability is not abstract. One missed paycheck, one rent increase, one health emergency, or one unexpected bill can push a household into crisis. 

That is why housing stability cannot be treated like just another line item. 

Housing Stability Still Has to Be Central

The Council did make important investments in areas that directly impact residents’ ability to stay housed, safe, and connected to opportunity. That should be acknowledged. In a difficult fiscal environment, the Council preserved or restored funding across housing stability, reentry, public safety, victim services, workforce development, food access, and legal support. 

But the budget also tells us something about the moment we are in. 

 The political tide is changing. Public resources are tighter. The conversation around government spending has shifted. Programs that support low-income residents, working families, returning citizens, and communities facing displacement are going to face more scrutiny, not less. That means organizations like Jubilee have to be clear about what is at stake and why these investments matter. 

The Housing Production Trust Fund Falls Short

The Housing Production Trust Fund remains one of the clearest examples. 

The HPTF is the District’s primary tool for producing and preserving affordable housing. In the budget passed by the Council, the fund remains at $62.6 million. That is still below the historic $100 million benchmark, and it falls short of what this affordability crisis requires. 

That does not mean the investment is unimportant. It is important. But we should be honest: at a time when affordable housing production is harder, preservation is urgent, and residents are being priced out, the District cannot afford to treat housing investment as something to scale back from. 

 For Jubilee, this is not abstract. Housing production and preservation are directly connected to whether residents can remain in the District, whether families can stabilize, and whether affordable housing providers can continue doing the work at the scale this moment demands. 

Other Housing Supports Matter Too

There were also important investments in other housing stability programs. The Home Purchase Assistance Program is funded at $28.1 million, including a $636,000 increase. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program is funded at $11.5 million. The Small Buildings Program is funded at $1.44 million, with a $271,000 increase. Security Deposit Assistance saw a meaningful increase, bringing total funding to $2.69 million, including an additional $1.7 million. 

 The Council also funded Emergency Housing Assistance through the Office of the Tenant Advocate at $769,000, including a $200,000 increase. In addition, 26 new Local Rent Supplement Program vouchers were added to help families exiting rapid re-housing remain stably housed. 

 These investments matter because they meet residents at different points of instability. Some help prevent displacement. Some help families move into safer housing. Some help residents avoid falling deeper into crisis. Together, they reflect a basic truth: housing stability requires more than housing production alone. It requires a broader system of support. 

Reentry Is Part of Stability

The budget also maintains funding for the Office on Returning Citizen Affairs at $2.37 million. ORCA plays an important role in helping returning citizens connect to housing, employment, identification, and other critical supports. Reentry is not only about coming home. It is about whether people have what they need to rebuild their lives and fully participate in community. 

Public Safety Has to Include Support

On public safety and victim services, the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants is funded at $31.2 million. That includes $5.6 million to restore victim services grants that support community-based organizations across the District. It also includes $27.3 million in one-time funding for the Access to Justice Initiative, helping residents access legal assistance and related supports. 

That investment matters because public safety cannot only be measured by enforcement. It also has to include support for victims, legal assistance, community-based services, and the kind of stability that prevents harm from becoming a deeper crisis. 

Workforce Development and Economic Mobility

The Workforce Investment Council received a $3.8 million increase, bringing its FY27 budget to $11.9 million. From Jubilee’s perspective, that is important. As we continue thinking about resident leadership, employment, and long-term stability, the broader workforce ecosystem matters. Residents need access to training, credentials, partnerships, and career pathways that support real economic mobility. 

Housing stability and workforce development cannot be treated like separate conversations. Residents need affordable homes, but they also need income, opportunity, and the ability to build a future beyond survival. 

Food Justice Is Connected to Housing Stability

The Council also restored funding for the Food Policy Council after the Mayor’s proposal would have eliminated the Council and associated staff positions. That function will now be transferred to DC Health. 

From Jubilee’s lens, that matters because food access is not separate from housing stability. As our work continues to grow through Jubilee Farms, deeper engagement in the food justice space, workforce development connected to KEB, and reentry supports for returning citizens, these investments become even more important. Food justice, employment, reentry, and housing stability are all connected. A resident cannot fully thrive if they are housed but still food insecure, disconnected from opportunity, or returning home without the supports needed to rebuild. 

The Work Ahead

Overall, the FY27 budget reflects the reality of a hard fiscal moment. It also shows that advocacy still matters. The Council made choices to preserve and restore funding in areas that support housing stability, economic mobility, public safety, reentry, and resident well-being. 

But we should not confuse a passed budget with a solved crisis. 

The affordability crisis is still here. Residents are still being stretched. Affordable housing providers are still navigating rising costs, limited resources, and growing need. The political environment is shifting in ways that will require sharper advocacy, stronger partnerships, and a clearer case for why housing stability must remain central to the District’s future. 

For Jubilee, this is the work: preserving affordable housing, supporting residents beyond the walls of their homes, and pushing for a city where stability is not reserved for those who can afford it. 

The budget passed. Now the real test is whether DC continues to meet the moment.