1

Human
Needs

s
t

housing 1st child care 1st shelter 1st disability assistance

health care education 1st economic opportunity 1st
jobs
substance abuse treatment 1st elderly services 1st welfare
immigrant supports 1st

mental health services 1st

food 1st recreation

PRESS
RELEASE

youth development

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CONTACTS: Patty Mullahy Fugere, 202-872-8958, fugere@attglobal.net

December 5, 2000
Mary Titus Villedrouin, 202-626-0617, mvilledrouin@familiesusa.org

District Residents Rally Mayor to Place Human Needs First

Today at 5:00 p.m., District residents, advocates, activists and service providers will gather at One
Judiciary Square (441 Fourth Street, N.W.), in a rally to kick off the Human Needs First Campaign, calling on
Mayor Williams to fulfill his promises to meet the basic human needs of all District residents.
The rallyers will present score cards comparing the Mayors stated goals with his record in areas such
as health care, housing, child care, employment, income security, shelter, services for older residents, support
for people with disabilities, youth services, substance abuse treatment and mental health services. The Mayor
receives failing grades with respect to placing human needs first.
According to event co-organizer Patty Mullahy Fugere, Executive Director of the Washington Legal
Clinic for the Homeless, Since the earliest days of his administration, Mayor Williams has spoken eloquently
about the governments responsibility to the Districts poorest and most vulnerable residents. But for the most
part, aggressive action has not followed those eloquent word, and all we are left with is promises....promises
made, and sadly, promises broken, leaving countless District residents suffering or on the verge of crisis. It is
long past time for the Mayor to take seriously his commitments. Residents of the District deserve no less.
For example, although Mayor Williams has stated that people with disabilities [have the right to live]
with dignity and independence in the community settings they prefer, his administration has failed to establish
the quality assurance system critically necessary to monitor treatment of people with mental retardation and
developmental disabilities living in group homes under contract with the government.

Human Needs First

c/o Fair Budget Coalition of the District of Columbia
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW, 6th floor, WDC 20036 * 872-8958 phone * 872-1932
fax

At the Neighborhood Action Summit in November 1999, Mayor Williams said that A great city is a city
that takes care of the homeless, that takes care of the disadvantaged, that meets its responsibilities. Everyone
knows that. White. Black. Rich. Poor. One year later, on any given day, there continue to be nearly 10,000
people living in homelessness in the city.

Many are families who wait for months on end for emergency

shelter; countless others are the most fragile of those who are homeless, who cannot overcome the barriers of
entry into the Districts shelter system.
In Spring 1999, the Mayor committed District funds to a public-private emergency assistance fund to
pay rent, mortgage or utility arrearages to prevent evictions and homelessness. A year and a half later, only a
fraction of the committed dollars has been paid into the fund, while hundreds of households languish on waiting
lists for this desperately needed assistance.
The Mayors performance with respect to children and youth also receives failing grades. Rallyers call
on the Mayor to: ensure that birth parents who need substance abuse treatment services can access them in a
timely manner; provide funding so that all 31,500 eligible children receive subsidized child care; hold
accountable the Child and Family Services Administration; provide mental health services to all 22,000 children
and youth in need of such support; increase the graduation rate to achieve the national average.
It is clear, whether were talking about our youngest neighbors or our older residents, that the Mayor
has failed a significant segment of his constituency, said Kerry OBrien, Director of Advocacy and Outreach at
the D.C. Employment Justice Center. It is time that he reflect upon his words, and bring his actions into line
with them. Rebuilding the infrastructure of the city means so much more than digging road trenches to lay fiber
optic cable or beautifying crosswalks downtown. It means investing in the people of this city -- no matter their
ward or zip code. It is well past time that the Mayors budget and policy decisions make human needs a
priority.
The Human Needs First Campaign will continue its advocacy by providing the Mayor and the D.C.
Council with recommendations for Fiscal Year 2002 budget enhancements to meet the needs of poor and
vulnerable residents. Recommendations will be presented at todays rally and delivered by a delegation to the
Mayors office following the rally.
###

Human Needs First

c/o Fair Budget Coalition of the District of Columbia
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW, 6th floor, WDC 20036 * 872-8958 phone * 872-1932
fax

Copies of the Human Needs First Report Cards and Budget Recommendations will be available at the rally. District
residents in need of services will also be available for comment to the media.

Human Needs First

c/o Fair Budget Coalition of the District of Columbia
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW, 6th floor, WDC 20036 * 872-8958 phone * 872-1932
fax