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Village leaders urge DACL to fund transportation, expand villages in underserved wards
Summary
Village and lead‑agency witnesses said village models reduce isolation and prevent crisis but need stable funding, expanded membership subsidies and more transportation to reach seniors east of the river; DACL said it is funding new villages in Wards 5 and 7 and expanding ambassador training.
Village leaders and lead agencies told the committee that the DC village model is expanding but unevenly distributed and needs sustained DACL investment to reach low‑resource neighborhoods. Rahmahn Branch (East River Family Strengthening Collaborative) said the agency served more than 5,000 seniors in FY25 and won DACL funding to open two new dining sites; he asked for more transportation to connect residents to meals and wellness centers.
The DC Villages Collaborative described a citywide volunteer infrastructure (about 1,800 volunteers, 32,000 volunteer hours last year) and requested support for 12–15 additional sustainable village sites to reach underserved neighborhoods such as parts of Ward 7 and Ward 8. DACL said it intends to launch three new villages in FY26 (one in Ward 5 and two in Ward 7) and has trained over 200 senior ambassadors. Witnesses emphasized membership subsidies and staffed, ADA‑accessible transportation as priorities to keep seniors connected and reduce isolation.
