There are moments when you can feel a shift—not just in policy or politics, but in energy. Our recent gathering was one of those moments.
For the first time in several years, we came together in person. And it mattered.
There is something irreplaceable about being in the same room—reading expressions, sharing space, building trust not just through ideas but through presence. The past few years required adaptation, and we did that well. But this gathering was a reminder: relationships are the infrastructure of effective advocacy. And being face-to-face strengthens that infrastructure in ways no virtual platform can replicate.
We are deeply grateful to LeadingAge DC for hosting us and helping create the conditions for that kind of reconnection. It set the tone for a meeting that was not just productive, but grounding.
A Coalition in Action
The agenda reflected something important: this is not a passive coalition. It is a working coalition—one that is organized, informed, and increasingly influential.
We heard from leaders across our ecosystem:
- Local policy and systems updates from DC Appleseed and our Workforce Committee
- Progress on the Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide merger
- Planning and momentum behind Advocacy Day
- Local and national trends shaping long term care
- Updates from Age-Friendly DC on how our city is evolving to meet the needs of an aging population
Each update, on its own, was substantive. Taken together, they told a larger story: this coalition is operating at multiple levels simultaneously—policy, workforce, advocacy, and systems alignment.
And that is exactly what this moment demands.
We were also honored to be joined by Councilmember Christina Henderson, whose leadership continues to be instrumental, particularly in advancing the Certified Nurse Aide Amendment Act. Her presence—and that of colleagues from the DC Department of Health—underscored something we’ve worked hard to build: not just access to decision-makers, but relationships rooted in shared accountability.
The Budget: Hard Choices, Real Implications
Just days after our meeting, Muriel Bowser released her proposed last budget as Mayor. It is, in many ways, a defining document—not just financially, but politically.
At $21 billion, it represents the Mayor’s final opportunity to shape her legacy while keeping the District fiscally stable. But that stability comes at a cost. The proposal includes $469 million in cuts, driven by a convergence of pressures: significant federal job losses, a still-struggling downtown economy, and structural revenue gaps. Maintaining current service levels alone would require an additional $1.1 billion.
In that context, difficult decisions were unavoidable.
There are areas of real concern. Reductions to early childhood educator funding, affordable housing and rental supports, and adjustments to paid family leave will have ripple effects across communities. There is also a clear acknowledgment that some workforce development efforts—particularly within TANF—have not produced the intended outcomes.
At the same time, there are important signals of progress. Most notably, the decision to maintain health coverage for approximately 30,000 residents served by the Health Care Alliance—including the restoration of dental and vision benefits—is significant. In a budget defined by constraint, that choice reflects a clear prioritization of continuity of care.
The Council will now take up the budget, and as always, there will be opportunities to shape, refine, and advocate.
For this coalition, the takeaway is clear: we must be precise, strategic, and persistent in how we engage this process.
A Political Moment Unlike Any Other
Layered on top of the budget is an electoral cycle that will reshape the District’s leadership landscape.
In just two months, voters will make decisions that could redefine the Mayor’s office, the composition of the Council, and the broader direction of the city. This is not a routine election. It comes at a time of financial strain, federal-local tension, and economic uncertainty—particularly in our downtown and hospitality sectors.
There are fundamental questions in play about how the city moves forward: how to generate revenue, how to allocate limited resources, and how to balance competing priorities in a constrained environment.
As a coalition, our role is not to resolve those questions politically—but to ensure that long term care remains central to the conversation, regardless of who is in office. The stakes for our sector—and for the residents and workers we represent—are simply too high.
The State of the Coalition: Strong and Still Building
Amid all of this change, one thing is steady: the strength of this coalition.
For more than 30 years, the DC Coalition on Long Term Care has worked to ensure that all residents—regardless of income or neighborhood—can age with dignity, maintain independence, and access high-quality care. That mission remains unchanged, but our capacity to deliver on it has grown.
Today, we are more than 300 members strong, representing consumers, providers, workers, advocates, and public sector partners. And we are still growing.
We are also more structured, more visible, and more active than we have been in years.
Over the past year, we:
- Played a central role in passing the Certified Nurse Aide Amendment Act unanimously
- Built and launched a new website and expanded our digital presence
- Fielded our first ever candidate questionnaire sent to all candidate running for public office
- Advanced the production of a high-quality advocacy video
- Showed up consistently—in hearings, forums, and across the city
And critically, we have strengthened the financial foundation of this work, with support from partners including the Washington Home Foundation, the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the Jane Bancroft Foundation, and the Agua Fund.
This is what momentum looks like.
From Policy to Implementation
But if there is one area where our focus must sharpen in the year ahead, it is this: implementation.
The passage of the Certified Nurse Aide Amendment Act was a major achievement. It addressed workforce quality, training standards, oversight, and wages. But legislation alone does not change systems.
Implementation does.
That means sustained coordination with agencies, continued partnership with Councilmember Henderson, and engagement with the next Mayor—whoever that may be—to ensure that the intent of the law becomes reality in the lives of workers and residents.
Because without implementation, progress remains theoretical.
What Comes Next
If this moment feels complex, it’s because it is. Budget constraints, political transition, workforce challenges, and system fragmentation are all converging at once.
But complexity is not new to this coalition. It is the environment we operate in.
What is different now is our level of alignment, our credibility, and our readiness to act.
We are not starting from scratch. We are building from strength.
And if our recent gathering reminded us of anything, it is this: when we come together—with clarity, with purpose, and with a shared commitment to outcomes—we are capable of shaping not just policy, but the future of care in this city.
Thank you again to LeadingAge DC for hosting us—and to each of you for continuing to show up, contribute, and lead.
There is more work ahead. And we are ready for it.
— Neil Richardson