Ward 1 Update: Reopening, Rental Assistance, and Upcoming Hearings
Hi Ward 1! I have more updates on reopening and important topics being discussed at the Council. |
COVID-19 UpdatesReopening DC
Mask Guidance
Even if you are fully vaccinated, you should continue to take a mask with you when you leave home. If you are not yet vaccinated or not yet fully vaccinated, help protect people who are not yet fully vaccinated and those who cannot get vaccinated or may be immunocompromised by continuing to wear a mask when you leave home. Ward 1 Community Vaccine Blitz
Vaccination Options for DC Residents 12+ Day of Action
StayDC Rental Assistance Program I am performing rigorous oversight of this program to ensure that all our residents in need receive this critical assistance, and that the process to do so is not overly burdensome. If you have feedback on the program, please share it with me by replying to this email. Just as I encouraged residents to assist friends and neighbors in getting registered for their vaccines, we now need your help getting residents signed up for rental assistance before the eviction moratorium is lifted. We are working on logistics now for a pop up registration event in Ward 1, but you don’t need a special event to help. If you know someone in need of rental assistance, please share the link or phone number with them. Assistance is available in multiple languages. |
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Council UpdatesCoronavirus Public Health Extension Emergency Amendment Act
Other changes I recommended to the Future Land Use Map were a product of a year+ of analysis & coordination to target increases in housing opportunities & expand community amenities like park space. All map changes in Ward 1 are accompanied by updated policy language in the text that direct any future zoning changes towards increasing affordable housing, protecting tenants, and enhancing open space. It’s been a great experience being able to work with our new Council Office on Racial Equity during this amendment process. They have been an excellent guide to my work on language that addresses the displacement of communities of color as well as amendments that seek to repair our legacy of segregation and racial redlining. However, because we’re still amending a document from 2006, there are some issues of racial equity so foundational to the text that it will take a full rewrite to address completely. That’s exactly what I’ve called for. We should be starting a brand-new comprehensive plan in the next 5 years, and I want to make sure that the public process is even more inclusive. Our new plan should be more concise, easier for residents to understand and see themselves in, and even more laser-focused on housing justice and racial equity. If residents consistently call for traffic calming while seeing little change, we fail to recognize the needs and agency of our constituents – especially communities of color and those who are not able to engage full time. I’m glad to have the partnership of Councilmembers Mary Cheh and Janeese Lewis George as we talk about doing better on Georgia Avenue. It is a nexus of so many communities in Ward 1 and 4 and yet is one of the most dangerous roads in the District. I've advocated for safer crossings on Georgia and gotten new crossing signals and medians, but it's not enough. We really need a top to bottom re-envisioning of this street and the many others like it. We should not ask our most vulnerable road users to have to out-organize drivers to give them the safety they deserve. I am fully in support of funding the Vision Zero omnibus, and investing in substantial improvements on our most dangerous arterials across the District. |
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Human Services CommitteeData Added on Website Vouchers Through American Rescue Plan
ICYMI: Public Restrooms |
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Upcoming HearingsThere are a few upcoming hearings that I want to put on your radar. Make sure to bookmark the DC Council website to easily access streaming links! Nutrition Equity Police Reform Commission and More
Redistricting Roundtable |
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In the CommunityThank you to CentroNía for inviting me to this year’s Mother’s Day Celebration! My team was there with vaccine information and rental assistance resources.
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Community ResourcesUtility Bills |