City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MAY 9, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: DAVID C. ROSE, ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DISTRICT DIRECTOR
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of the Release of $120,510 from FY 2026 Contingent Reserves to Fund Health Department Community Support Activities. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Should City Council release funding from FY 2026 Contingent Reserves for Health Department services that will improve social drivers of health and advance community health?
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
(1) Approve the allocation of $120,510 from FY 2026 contingent reserves as one-time funding to support health initiatives; and
(2) Authorize the City Manager to execute all the necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: In the FY 2026 budget add/delete process, the City Council placed $120,510 into contingent reserves to fund “health initiatives”, with specific reference to Healthy Homes, which is a collaborative effort of roughly (30) thirty City agencies and organizations addressing home conditions. The original “add” proposal responded to the lack of allocated, dedicated funds to support the coordination and implementation of the Healthy Homes initiative, with an amount that equaled the estimated FY 2026 costs. However, on March 25, the federal administration ended COVID-19-related grants, which originally were awarded through FY 2027, resulting in the health department losing significant funds which support outreach, engagement, resource linkage, clinical services, and disease mitigation. Other federal grant funding to the Alexandria Health District (“AHD”) was also reduced by the Commonwealth (Title V MCH Services Block Grant, Ryan White Part B). Furthermore, the federal administration’s proposed FY 2026 budget outlines sizable reductions to health and human services allocations. Given the potential local health department impact of these developments, the City Council proposed that the funds for a contingency reserve to fund department-prioritized public health activities more broadly.
DISCUSSION: In consideration of the challenges identified, staff proposes that the City Council release $120,510 to AHD to maintain departmental capabilities that will be otherwise unfunded for FY 2026: community health outreach, engagement, and resource coordination with the city’s immigrant and refugee communities. This work will include, as part of the implementation of the 2025 Healthy Homes Action Plan, the expansion of the department’s ALX Breathes program (providing home-based education, referrals, and green cleaning supplies to those with asthma or COPD) to the Amharic-speaking immigrant community, as well as direct service navigation and other community-based health and social drivers of health education efforts. The department is also seeing an increasing need for resource coordination for newcomer/refugee residents due to the loss of federal support for community refugee services. AHD resource coordination staff conduct needs assessments for newcomers, respond to those and the universal social need screens conducted in all AHD clinics since 2024, and provide warm linkages for needs such as primary medical care, cancer screenings, workforce development, and financial and rental assistance. The maintenance of these activities will support the health department’s mission to improve the social conditions that impact all our communities’ capacities to achieve their best state of health and well-being.
FISCAL IMPACT: The contingent reserve funding will support contractor services for FY 2026.
STAFF:
Kieu Nguyen, Health Department Business Manager
Natalie Talis, Health Department Population Health Manager
Felicia Simmons, Health Department Nurse Manager
Wyatasha Dickerson, Health Department Fiscal Officer