D.C Budget 2026. Why The Black Community Must Show Up or Be Shut Out

Budget Justice & Housing Equity in D.C.: A Wake-Up Call for Grassroots Organizing Story by Grassroots Reporter Brother James Shabazz

Dear Community Family,

In a time when life-altering economic decisions are being made behind closed doors and in public meetings we don’t attend, we cannot afford to remain spectators. We must become participants—organized, informed, and present.

On May 27, 2025, Mayor Muriel Bowser released the District’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget, totaling $21.8 billion. Alongside it came a supplemental FY 2025 budget. These numbers are more than figures—they represent priorities. And if we’re not part of shaping those priorities, we’re at risk of being erased by them.

That’s why the People for Fairness Coalition (PFFC) is calling on every affiliate—especially our staff—to unite in a line-by-line study of this budget. The D.C. government is studying it. Lobbyists are studying it. Now we, the people, must study it too.

Here’s why it matters: This budget will be finalized by August 2025. And while local leaders debate the numbers, President Trump’s federal FY 2026 proposal looms in the background, threatening to slash $26.7 billion in rental aid programs like Section 8. That means families in D.C. who rely on these resources face displacement—unless we demand that our city fills the gap. This isn't hypothetical. This is real.

At the same time, I attended a vital town hall at Foundry United Methodist Church focused on the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)—a law that gives D.C. renters the right to buy their building before it’s sold to outside developers. TOPA is a critical pathway to homeownership and economic transformation, especially for longtime residents. City Councilmembers Robert White and Brianne Nadeau showed up. So did nonprofit advocacy groups. There were 108 people in the room. But only seven were Black.

Let that sink in.

When the topic is legal pathways to ownership—shifting the wealth dynamic in D.C.—and we’re not there in meaningful numbers, it creates a dangerous narrative. It says we’re not interested. It signals to decision-makers that we’re disengaged. Whether that’s true or not, the result is the same: gentrification is justified.

Brick by brick. Building by building. Block by block.

And the silence of our absence becomes the hammer that knocks us out of place.

If we’re not present, we cannot protest. If we’re not informed, we cannot influence. If we’re not organized, we cannot own.

We must ask ourselves: How can we fight for housing justice, economic fairness, and community equity if we’re not in the rooms where the rules are written? How can we demand accountability when we’re not even at the table?

Understanding the system is the first step toward changing it. That’s why this is not just a call to action—it’s a call to survive with dignity. Studying the D.C. budget isn’t just about policy. It’s about protecting our families, defending our blocks, and securing our future.

It’s time for community ownership—of knowledge, of action, and of our collective destiny.

Let’s get organized. Let’s get informed. And above all—let’s show up.

References & Citations:

1. Mayor Bowser’s Budget Announcement – mayor.dc.gov

2. D.C. Council Budget Timeline – dccouncilbudget.com

3. D.C. Budget Summary (FY 2026) – Washington Post

4. Budget Impact on Affordable Housing – D.C. Council Housing Report

5. Section 8 Cuts Proposed in Trump Budget – Washington Post

6. Townhall Meeting Event Notes – Brother James Shabazz, May 2025