[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6529959,"mediaKeyId","3764633-506ade9d577a9065574b6008dcae981f","parentId",3764633,"title","Advocates and residents tell committee language barriers and fear of requesting interpretation limit access to services","audioSeconds",2321,"startMs",551000,"endMs",2872000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3764633-506ade9d577a9065574b6008dcae981f&start=551&end=2872","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3764633-506ade9d577a9065574b6008dcae981f/thumbnail_551000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6529959/Advocates-and-residents-tell-committee-language-barriers-and-fear-of-requesting-interpretation-limit-access-to-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529959-6d0d1740954aaf275026e63a300c7090/orig.mp4?Expires=1771008434&Signature=AUYxOkBkieW~fhPXyE2921vSz6q9aPfsnvMSsiebW4MsbF3mFisB-wGpcan-IWJgneLrOuanayf-nu4Xv0G72dtpdg9I10CgJ99DvSQzwlwBpAD7PRWYgdLOlcH-FG~AlFS1i4i1kPsPMoQtpI7t0JWv6fuQRWtoAaLJQA-8mr2VAU1OKTf83gQzGng3R2cEOl6418~JV8iJ~96m5oOjhPO6wonRIs7KeFMKrSLGTeslH-C5W5qlyRfvlxkERo72-yvX0ufR824K9Vl5tWJA-T6BaskEgNNBIiOCZA~MXfkcWy~U5RuQ8uwCWwjseOa0wXLVhdfnCbJIFJ91kSkaFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","District of Columbia (Public Works and Operations)","date","2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","article","At a Committee on Public Works and Operations hearing on June 10, multiple community witnesses described a pattern of language‑access barriers at shelters and city services and urged the council to maintain or increase funding for enforcement of the District's Language Access Act.

Valeria Hernandez, whose testimony was delivered through a translator, described housing and shelter experiences in the District that she said were marked by language barriers and stigma. “Even in the places designed to be safe for her, she'd never felt welcomed,” the translator relayed about Hernandez's experience at youth and adult LGBTQ‑affiliated shelters.

Nicky (first name given in testimony), a 25‑year‑old immigrant from Guinea, said he encountered religious and language obstacles while in shelter and described staff interactions that left him feeling demeaned. Andres Meza, a bilingual street outreach worker at SMILE, testified that his team has reached about 200 unhoused LGBTQ and limited‑English‑proficient people this year and recounted repeated denials of front‑line services because of language barriers.

“Creating an amendment where fines are paid to the victims will only create that empowerment I'm speaking of,” Meza said when describing proposed changes to language access enforcement that would direct monetary penalties to impacted individuals.

Nancy Leon, director of advocacy at Many Languages 1 Voice and leader of the DC Language Access Coalition, urged the committee to preserve current OHR funding for language access and to pursue amendments that bring stronger accountability for agencies with repeated violations. \"Language access is fundamental to having the best city in the world,\" she said.

Several witnesses and the Office of Human Rights described the agency's current language‑access work: OHR distributes Know‑Your‑Rights and \"I Speak\" cards, conducts trainings, and has handled thousands of language‑access interactions through outreach. Staff told the committee they distributed about 4,975 multilingual I Speak cards and participated in roughly 49 community events to share information on language access.

Advocates said recent political actions, including an executive order around English as an official language, have created a climate of fear that deters residents from asking for interpretation. Leon told the committee that residents now sometimes fear requesting services or worry they could be fined for speaking their native language.

Committee members asked witnesses and agency staff to provide follow‑up details and written testimony; the committee closed the record on June 24 for additional submissions.

Ending: Advocates asked the council to preserve OHR language‑access funding and to work with community groups on statutory amendments to strengthen enforcement and ensure fines or corrective remedies produce direct relief for people who face repeated denials of interpretive services.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","District of Columbia (Public Works and Operations) - Committee on Public Works & Operations, Budget Oversight Hearing, Brianne Nadeau, Chairperson - Jun 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a Committee on Public Works and Operations hearing on June 10, multiple community witnesses described a pattern of language‑access barriers at shelters and city services and urged the council to maintain or increase funding for enforcement of the District's Language Access Act.","taxTitle","Committee on Public Works and Operations, Committees, Legislative, District of Columbia","taxId",15951,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6529963,"Council hearing flags staffing, funding shortfalls that could slow implementation of Fairness in Human Rights changes",399,4388000,4787000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3764633-506ade9d577a9065574b6008dcae981f&start=4388&end=4787","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3764633-506ade9d577a9065574b6008dcae981f/thumbnail_4388000.jpg","/articles/6529963/Council-hearing-flags-staffing-funding-shortfalls-that-could-slow-implementation-of-Fairness-in-Human-Rights-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529963-7261114ee8d5b2abce058b7c78340423/orig.mp4?Expires=1771008434&Signature=MqoOtubWE4nFkbaU3VBcP2uBk8KFnonLyKgQhJQXo7zvlro1YMyTQo-~an-QD8MSpYQW5RqmxlullvhSaEohmu5JkU-SmDnPb9xbExiZY2Ph3Inmpszv6vZozYZl3hnCPctTysoiF39g7NwuulD3AA7Qk~QXZoSsqCceHHz4deU6gh1RdWP9u-vr9pOQuH2xuhOmmzcqe0O0jwfX9TZaH7fC90NxT0Sl0WjrkHEn7hVxorL8HUpweRMsCKb0uwnVMHJxVg8HASiKn6Yt8xPQjDpuxFWf70mdEJXYYchLsqxZfqi50NfKn8-JwbhWd5ki4KJdQv4kw3pHTBM4Uw2uuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chairwoman Brianne Nadeau convened the Committee on Public Works and Operations hearing on June 10 to review the mayor's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget for the District's Office of Human Rights and related offices.

The Office of Human Rights' director, Kenneth Saunders, told the committee the mayor's FY26 proposal would set the agency's operating budget at about $9,000,000, composed of roughly $8.6 million in local funds and $400,000 in federal grants. Saunders said new and expanded enforcement responsibilities created by recent amendments will require additional staffing and administrative changes to implement.

“The Fairness Act expands the definition of sexual harassment beyond what the Human Rights Act currently covers, provides additional rights and remedies for district employees, and expands the rights of complainants to remove their cases to court,” Saunders said. “Implementation will require OHR to overhaul our procedural regulations, draft and publish new guidance documents, retrain the agency's intake staff, investigators, and mediators on these new standards, create new legal notices of rights to complainants and respondents at every stage of our process, and conduct a public awareness and outreach campaign.”

Advocates and practitioners who testified warned that a continued hiring freeze and proposed vacancy savings could prevent OHR from filling investigator and intake positions needed to carry out those tasks. Laura Brown, executive director of First Shift Justice Project, said OHR has asked for three staff positions to implement the Fairness in Human Rights Amendment Act and that the estimated personnel cost she found was $339,000.

“OHR needs funding to implement this bill,” Brown said, noting the agency must revise procedural regulations, train staff, and prepare for an anticipated increase in hearings and commission workload.

Other witnesses pressed the committee on vacancy and hiring numbers. Saunders and agency budget staff said OHR's FY26 authorized FTE account is 77.5 but that the office currently has about 21.5 vacancies; 14.5 of those vacancies are frozen and six had been in active recruitment before the freeze. The agency estimated a roughly 18% vacancy savings rate and said frozen positions include investigators in the enforcement unit and an intake manager.

Community partners urged Council action to unfreeze critical positions. Susie McClanahan, Fair Housing Director at the Equal Rights Center, told the committee that OHR has lost two of three investigators on the unit that handles housing and other non‑employment claims and that two investigator positions remain funded in the FY25 and proposed FY26 budgets but cannot be filled because of the mayor's hiring freeze.

“If the mayor does not grant a waiver to these vacancies, the investigation of these complaints at OHR could come to a practical standstill, unfairly denying justice to DC residents reporting discrimination,” McClanahan said.

The transcript and testimony also captured discussion of the agency's case management system and one‑time funding lines. Saunders told the committee that the mayor's proposed budget included $300,000 in one‑time funding for case management system implementation. During follow‑up questioning agency staff described contract and subscription line items that together total roughly $400,000 (contractual services, subscription/membership, and IT hardware maintenance), a discrepancy the committee flagged for clarification.

Saunders said several other recently enacted laws remain unfunded for implementation at OHR, naming the Cannabis Employment Protections Amendment Act and the Medical Necessity Restroom Access Act. He also said OHR has opened five complaints under the Eviction Record Sealing Authority Amendment Act and has published initial guidance and intake materials for that statute.

The hearing record closed on June 24 at 5:30 p.m. and the committee said it would accept additional written testimony.

Ending: The committee did not vote on budget items at the hearing. Members signaled they will follow up with the mayor's office about frozen positions, the composition of the case‑management funding line, and whether temporary contract funding could be used for enforcement work pending any waiver to the hiring freeze.","At a June 10 Committee on Public Works and Operations hearing, Office of Human Rights officials, advocates and lawyers warned that hiring freezes, proposed budget cuts and limited one‑time funding could hinder implementation of recently passed human‑rights amendments and lengthen complaint backlogs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6529954,"Mayor's veterans office says FY26 budget holds steady; committee seeks details on program metrics and outreach",529,2948000,3477000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3764633-506ade9d577a9065574b6008dcae981f&start=2948&end=3477","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3764633-506ade9d577a9065574b6008dcae981f/thumbnail_2948000.jpg","/articles/6529954/Mayors-veterans-office-says-FY26-budget-holds-steady-committee-seeks-details-on-program-metrics-and-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529954-bfccec9ab039df853b7a4245990f5f0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771008434&Signature=bvJnjC-aNznliU3ycr~mHUgrdj2UvYm-0rWqXTmJwL0w~m3Xk5bC5VbMddZxxEASIDandgwXw-Am2TP2TDvRO6AsB1YEaonblquzfRc19yF0vpBdlCHz-QzpdUvvyBPb6Qgy0Urq1X5Y9J4ip3RHXsu3r3SEfa-tcNCH3f916O2IoWO~QqxvSyO1XqKRm4Tmhb4idI88rcj5lKE~uVl2yxETpwu~CCIam~c1PrpkmgiI2~5fQyNIMYtNL3H84icKyx0UNQeH1lf~4QHRMrb5gADDFjD0J11IwO9vWaWVzr~Qqp-TGXXPk65G0lAnvH3yh4SvfeWCBJSfHl10j3U6Lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Charlotte K. Woodard, Director of the Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs, testified on June 10 that the mayor's proposed FY26 budget would not reduce MOVA's core programs or staff and that the office would remain at seven full‑time equivalent positions with a budget of $1,246,526.

Woodard described three pillars of MOVA's work — outreach, programs and benefits assistance — and said the office connects veterans and their families to federal VA benefits, housing partners and transportation support. “MOVA's fiscal year 'twenty 6 budget will continue at 7 full time equivalent employees and $1,246,526 reflecting no change from fiscal year 'twenty 5,” Woodard said.

Committee members questioned MOVA officials about VetsRide, the office's subsidized taxi program for eligible veterans, and about the Veterans Disabled Homestead Deduction program. Woodard said the FY26 budget includes $268,000 for VetsRide, which provides up to 10 ride vouchers per eligible veteran per month and operates seven days a week. MOVA told the committee VetsRide has provided thousands of free taxi rides to DC veterans since the program began; the office reported several tens of thousands of rides in recent years and projected approximately 11,000 completed trips in the current fiscal year.

On the Veterans Disabled Homestead Deduction program, MOVA said it had received 353 applications since the program began, that 150 disabled veterans were granted the deduction, and that 80 veterans recertified their eligibility; MOVA estimated the granted deductions equaled approximately $673,285 in tax savings for recipients to date.

Woodard also described targeted outreach plans for FY26, including continuing the office's monthly resource symposium, in‑person tabling at veterans service organizations, and partnering with community groups to reach survivors and LGBTQ veterans. MOVA said the office's LGBTQIA+ veteran coordinator provided 123 services in FY25 and will continue those monthly meetings around care and access.

Committee members asked for more data about how many eligible veterans have not yet claimed the homestead deduction and whether surviving spouses would be reachable through proposed legislation. Woodard said MOVA could not provide an exact count of eligible but unclaimed deductions during the hearing but noted a rough figure of about 1,794 DC veterans with 100% VA disability ratings; she also said that roughly five surviving spouses had inquired about eligibility so far.

Ending: Councilmembers signaled follow‑up requests for more precise program metrics and asked MOVA to return any written responses requested by committee staff before the hearing record closed on June 24.

","Charlotte Woodard, director of the Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs, told the Committee on Public Works and Operations that MOVA's FY26 proposal would keep staffing and core programs intact. Members asked about VetsRide performance, the Veterans Homestead Deduction program and outreach to survivors and LGBTQ veterans.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advocates and residents tell committee language barriers and fear of requesting interpretation limit access to services

Council hearing flags staffing, funding shortfalls that could slow implementation of Fairness in Human Rights changes

Mayor's veterans office says FY26 budget holds steady; committee seeks details on program metrics and outreach