2025-26 Performance Oversight Hearing: Department of Human Services

Senior Policy Attorney Makenna Osborn testified before the Committee on Human Services at the performance oversight hearing for the Department of Human Services (DHS). Our testimony focuses on three areas of DHS’s work where thoughtful, effective implementation is essential to keep DC families and children stable.

First, assessing DHS’s administration of three forms of rental assistance used by Children’s Law Center’s clients —temporary assistance via Rapid Re-Housing, DC Flex and Career Map; long-term assistance via Permanent Supportive Housing and Targeted Affordable Housing vouchers, and emergency assistance via the Emergency Rental Assistance Program— and identify areas where changes in DHS practice and priorities will help more families access lasting housing security. Second, outlining the risks facing District families from pending cuts to their cash assistance from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the data needed from DHS to inform the best path forward. Finally, we highlight an issue occurring between DHS and the Department of Healthcare Finance (DHCF) that is causing DC children to improperly lose their health insurance coverage.