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In the News…

SNAP faces $5 billion cut Friday: A temporary boost to the SNAP program expires on Friday, which will affect the nearly 48 million Americans who receive food assistance benefits. What does that mean for SNAP recipients, 87 percent of whom are in households with children, seniors or those with disabilities? A report by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities has some startling statistics:

– A household of three, such as a mother with two children, will lose $29 a month.

– The cut is equivalent to about 16 meals a month for a family of three (based on the cost of the U.S. Agriculture Department’s “Thrifty Food Plan.”)

– Without the Recovery Act’s boost, SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2014 will average less than $1.40 per person per meal.

More DC families will be homeless this winter: According to an article in the Washington Post, DC officials predict a 10 percent increase in the number of families who will be homeless this winter. The City’s shelters are nearly full already, but an estimated 509 new families will need housing this winter. This is in addition to a number of unaccompanied homeless youth who are not included in the winter shelter plan. The Rapid Rehousing program, designed to quickly move families from shelters and into affordable housing, continues to face challenges in finding housing that also passes a safety inspection. Officials will meet Tuesday to discuss plans for managing the expected increase in homeless clients.

73 percent of DC students re-enrolled after school closure: After 13 schools closed due to under enrollment this fall, 2,000 students had to move to another school. At the beginning of the school year, only 44 percent of students had re-enrolled. That’s close to what the District saw in 2008 when it closed 23 schools. The current 73 percent rate is a marked improvement over 2008 but still short of the 80 percent goal. Read the article at WAMU here.

Montgomery County School Chief proposes investment to address overcrowding: Montgomery County is Maryland’s fastest growing school district; the County’s enrollment has grown by 14,000 students since 2007 and is projected to add another 11,000 within six years. In a Washington Post article, Superintendent Starr says the schools are “bursting at the seams,” and proposed a $1.55 billion dollar investment to build five schools and finance 22 classroom-addition projects to address overcrowding in the next six years. He plans to delay 20 school revitalization projects by a year or two due to budget constraints, however he has placed an emphasis on HVAC projects for existing schools. The proposal will be considered starting November 7th. Read the full story here.

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