酒吧领导对大幅削减啤酒产量发出警告.C. 民事法律援助资金
2024年4月26日
D.C. 澳博app公会主席查尔斯·R. 阴暗的小. 和D.C. 酒吧 公益性服务 Center Executive Director 凯利海王星 joined more than 50 representatives of legal services organizations on April 25 in calling for the restoration of more than $21 million in access to justice funding that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is seeking to cut in her fiscal year 2025 budget proposal.
A 67 percent decrease in funding for the Access to Justice Initiative, which issues grants to more than 30 community-based organizations through the DC 酒吧 Foundation, means drastic reduction in essential free legal help to low-income District residents, 法律服务倡导者在他们的证词中说.C. 委员会.
在预算监督听证会上, a picture emerged of the communities impacted by the initiative’s funding. 孩子们, 家庭, and senior citizens were commonly the recipients of services to address 住房 insecurity, 卫生保健, 和旷课.
代表澳博app协会及其前任主席, Lowery expressed strong support for the restoration of Access to Justice Initiative funding to fiscal year 2024 levels. “这个项目是全国的典范, and we are grateful to the District government for its support. [The] funding has been transformative in providing essential legal assistance to low-income District residents.”
“The drastic cut to this effective program will be catastrophic for District residents, 它会把安全, 健康, 住房, and economic stability of the District’s most vulnerable residents at risk, 将他们置于更危险的境地,洛厄里说. “A severe reduction of initiative funding will be especially damaging because the community needs continue to rise. There is already a staggering unmet need for civil legal help.”
“Civil legal aid helps District residents navigate complicated issues and protect their 家庭,洛厄里接着说. “没有它, 我们社会面临的挑战将会增加, 由于未解决的法律问题演变成更多的危机. Providing legal help early is good for the community and relieves the burden on government agencies.”
在她的证词中, Neptune said Access to Justice Initiative funding is also critical to the 公益性服务 Center’s ability to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Black and Brown District residents living on low incomes “who have been historically left out, 离开挣扎, 然后留下.”
“We are the largest provider of pro bono legal assistance in the District of Columbia. Our organization leverages the power of volunteer attorneys to serve more than 21,000个人和5,每年有1000个非营利组织和小型企业,海王星说.
根据海王星的说法, the initiative funds a third of the 公益性服务 Center’s budget and nearly a third of its staff. “由于这笔资金, last year the 公益性服务 Center provided legal information and representation to more than 2,800 District residents in eviction proceedings and other 住房 matters. “业主及租客法律援助网络”, 与其他五个组织建立伙伴关系, 是由公益中心运作的吗. Fifty-two percent of callers were [from] Wards 7 and 8 with income below $20,000,海王星说.
在一份声明中，民主党.C. Access to Justice Commission said that the proposed budget undermines critical community priorities like 住房 stability, 公共安全, 经济发展. “[The budget cuts] will have catastrophic consequences for the almost 40,000 District residents who receive life-changing civil legal services from District nonprofits through the program each year,委员会说.
Decreased funding will also have significant impacts on more than 200 District agencies and community organizations like 健康 clinics, 学校, 库, and social services agencies that serve vulnerable populations in the District, 委员会补充说.
Public hearings relating to the budget will continue through May 3.
