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DHS seeks flexibility to use Harbor Light for family congregate shelter; council raises concerns
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Summary
The FY26 budget includes $5.1 million that would allow DHS to operate Harbor Light as congregate family shelter; DHS said the authorization provides needed flexibility for interim-eligibility nonresident families and overflow, while Councilmembers warned against returning families to congregate settings and asked for pre-activation consultation.
The proposed FY26 budget includes an approximately $5,100,000 enhancement tied to Harbor Light that DHS says would give the agency flexibility to operate the facility as congregate family shelter in limited scenarios. The proposal prompted a sharp exchange at the June 12 Committee on Human Service hearing between Councilmember Matt Fruman and Interim Director Rachel Pierre.
Pierre said the BSA subtitle would authorize two scenarios in which Harbor Light could be used: to shelter families who present under interim eligibility (non‑District residents who come to Virginia Williams) and to provide additional capacity if family shelter inventory is exhausted. She said the subtitle “gives the program the flexibility to do so if need be” and that the city administrator and mayor are “committed to ensuring there's a replacement and there's a plan for CCNV.”
Fruman said 20 years of legislative changes reflect a deliberate policy choice to avoid placing unrelated adults and children in congregate family shelters and said the committee should be cautious about reversing that policy. He noted that family shelter capacity currently includes family shelters around the city and that the present system already has some unused capacity, asking why congregate shelter flexibility was necessary now.
Pierre told the committee that the system is undergoing multiple changes — including pausing some FRSP entries and a high-volume cohort of planned exits tied to the BSA subtitle — and that the agency needs flexibility to respond to uncertain demand. She said Harbor Light has precedent for past family use and that DHS would discuss activation plans with Council before opening the facility for families.
Ending: Councilmembers said they would continue the conversation; DHS asked for the flexibility to respond to operational unknowns but agreed to notify Council offices before any activation of Harbor Light for family congregate shelter.
