*Advocate: Affordable Housing and Public Restrooms

Advocate for Affordable Housing

Miriam’s Kitchen is part of a robust advocacy effort, known as The Way Home Campaign, to increase access and availability of affordable housing in the District of Columbia. Without sufficient affordable housing, MK guests seeking permanent supportive housing struggle to find an apartment they can afford and will accept a housing voucher.

The Way Home Campaign includes many organizations and concerned citizens who advocate and continue to work for further increases in the proposed DC budget for affordable housing.

Do your part by letting the DC City Council know that there is still more to be done to end chronic homelessness in the nation’s capital. Go to THEWAYHOMEDC.ORG for more information on how to put your faith into action for this cause.

Advocate for Public Restrooms

On April 11th, Law 22-0280, Public Restroom Facilities Installation & Promotion Act of 2019, became effective! There is more work to do for 2020 before the budget is finalized at the end of April.

The People for Fairness Coalition (PFFC) has been hard at work convincing the Mayor and DC City Council to include $336,000 in the FY 2020 budget to fund the first year of two pilot programs to increase access to clean, safe public restroom for DC’s residents, workers, and visitors.

PFFC Loo advocates and other DC residents delivered forceful testimonies at Budget Oversight hearings throughout April:

• April 4, Department of General Services (Committee on Facilities & Procurement Chaired by CM Robert White)
• April 9, Department of Health (Committee on Health Chaired by CM Gray)
• April 10, Deputy Mayor for Planning 8 Economic Development (Committee on Business & Economic Development Chaired by CM McDuffie)
• April 10, Events DC (Committee of the Whole Chaired by Chairman Mendelson)

If you are a DC resident, let your Councilman know you support funding for this important legislation! It’s not too late, but time is of the essence.

For more information on the PFFC and its Public Restrooms Initiative and other important activities and/or to make a donation to this effective organization go to PFFCDC.ORG.

PFFC’s mission is to end housing instability of for individuals who live on the streets and in shelters in the Nation’s Capital through Advocacy, Outreach and Peer Mentoring. It was founded by guests of Miriam’s Kitchen with support of MK staff.