The Rev. Ben Roberts: Don’t divert money for homelessness to corporate tax cuts

Every day at our church in Dupont Circle, I encounter neighbors sleeping outdoors without the dignity of a home. Some sleep on our church steps, looking for shelter that gives some break from the wind or rain. With more than 6,900 DC residents without a place to call home on a given night, it’s unconscionable that our representatives aren’t taking every opportunity to care for their neighbors’ well-being.

Homelessness represents a moral, economic and civic failure. It’s especially urgent to address this tragedy as the District’s rapid prosperity and gentrification cause affordable housing to almost disappear completely. The harmful impact falls mainly on our black and brown neighbors.

At Foundry United Methodist, our guiding scripture is Christ’s commandment to love God and love one another. In that spirit we serve our neighbors both with action and advocacy. Our ID Ministry works with neighbors to get vital documents, like birth certificates and non-driver IDs, needed to access housing, employment and education. In our advocacy efforts we call on our city’s leaders to use DC’s vast resources to do as they have promised — make homelessness “rare, brief and non-recurring.” This means the District should help prevent homelessness when possible, help those who become homeless quickly move into homes, and ensure that folks do not cycle in and out of homelessness repeatedly.

Earlier this year, a U.S. Supreme Court decision opened the door for the District and other jurisdictions to require all online retailers to collect sales tax. Implementation in the District stands to generate approximately $20 million in new revenue every year. Years ago, when the DC Council anticipated this possibility, they made a commitment, through legislation, to devote much of this new revenue to ending homelessness.

When the Supreme Court decision came down, I was hopeful that additional strides could be made toward housing our homeless neighbors. These funds could provide permanent homes and supportive services for over 700 individuals, or affordable housing for 1,000 families. But I have been bitterly disappointed to discover that now, some DC Council leaders want to divert these revenues to provide tax cuts for large commercial properties. The Internet Sales Tax Amendment Act of 2018 is on Tuesday’s council agenda for a final vote, after winning initial approval last month.

It is outrageous that the forward-thinking legislation the council passed originally is now being ignored to further serve commercial property owners rather than the most vulnerable among us. If the council moves forward with this proposal, DC’s largest commercial properties, like the gleaming office buildings I can see from our church, will enjoy a tax cut while our homeless neighbors shelter underneath their awnings.  

Investing in addressing homelessness will make a huge difference in the lives of many DC residents by helping un-housed neighbors move from tents, sidewalks and parks into safe, affordable housing. Furthermore, it’s the smart policy choice. Research shows that moving neighbors experiencing chronic homelessness into stable and permanent housing saves money by reducing reliance upon emergency and crisis services.

Moving forward with this shortsighted proposal would be a moral failure for our city and our council. I urge the council to keep its commitment to using online sales tax revenue for ending homelessness.

The Rev. Ben Roberts is the director of Social Justice Ministries at Foundry United Methodist Church at 1500 16th St. NW.