District Bridges’ Community Navigation Program that provides direct connective services to residents experiencing substance use disorder and homelessness, with behavioral health, housing, medical care, and other services in under threat.

We were notified by the Department of Health that funding for our Ward 1 Community Navigation program will end on September 30, despite the funding being available in the FY27 budget. We are working with Councilmember Brianne Nadeau to move emergency legislation to ensure that DBH exercises our Option Year 3, so that this vital program can continue through 2027. 

If We Are Unsuccessful in our Advocacy

  • Loss of Lifelines for Vulnerable Clients: Approximately 70 clients undergoing housing navigation or receiving supplemental assistance for groceries and utilities will lose us as their primary support.
  • Public Space Crisis: Removing us from the ecosystem will result in the most vulnerable clients returning to the streets and public spaces that we successfully transitioned them away from.
  • Erosion of Ward 1 Infrastructure: With no remaining Ward 1-focused mobile outreach teams, organizations in neighboring areas will be left to fill a major service gap without adequate staffing or funding, disrupting years of trust and progress in the community.
  • Increased Strain on Emergency Services: The absence of proactive, nonviolent behavioral health intervention will shift the burden onto emergency medical services and MPD officers, increasing municipal costs and diverting critical emergency resources. A client entering PSH saves our city $18,343 in emergency public services.
  • Immediate Dismantling of Navigation Program & Existing Infrastructure: The loss of this funding would result in the immediate dismantling of the Community Navigation program and the organizational infrastructure, including systems, training guides, and organizational partnerships, that have been built over the last five years to empower this work. 
  • Loss of Trained Staff: The loss of this funding would result in the immediate dismantling of the Community Navigation program and the organizational infrastructure, including systems, training guides, and organizational partnerships, that have been built over the last five years to empower this work. 

How Can You Help

Because we were only given five weeks’ notice, we have a very limited window to advocate for DBH to change course. We are hopeful that the emergency legislation will be successful, however, even if it is it is highly unlikely that we will see our funding come through before November, due to the time the agency requires to process the paperwork. 

So we will experience a funding delay even if the emergency legislation is successful. Your contribution today can help us fill the gap and ensure our team gets paid and our clients continue to receive these vital services.  Thank you so much to all of you who have already donated to help us fill the gap! Your support truly means the world to us.

There are other ways you can support as well.

​Write a letter of support​ and send it to us so we can share it with DC Council. Send your letter to info@districtbridges.org.

Contact DC Councilmembers and urge them to vote to approve the emergency legislation that Councilmember Nadeau will present next Tuesday that will ensure DBH proceeds with our Option Year Three (see Councilmember contacts below)

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