It was an honor to celebrate the city’s oldest residents at the 29th Annual Salute to the District of Columbia Centenarians, held on April 20. Many of these amazing individuals have resided in our great city for more than 50 years. They are truly our most precious treasures.

With Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and Councilmember Vincent Orange, we marked the 153rd anniversary of Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia with a parade, concert and fireworks on Freedom Plaza. As we celebrated this momentous occasion, we also remembered that we still have a lot of work to do as we continue our fight for statehood and equal rights.

April 25, 2015 | Volume 1, Issue 13

Greetings friends,

Our city continues to grow and thrive with 800 new residents each month choosing to call the District home. But as we continue to prosper, it is important that we maintain our focus on producing and preserving quality affordable housing for all residents.

My Administration remains committed to this goal and that’s why I am investing $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund in my 2016 Fiscal Year Budget. It is an investment I intend to make each year for the next four years.

But there are also other creative tools we can employ in order to ensure our residents can afford to live in this city. On Wednesday, we celebrated the groundbreaking of the Brightwood Portfolio, a $32 million project that will create or preserve 140 affordable apartments in Brightwood.  What makes this project extra special is that the tenants, working through the Brightwood Tenants Association, exercised their rights under the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). This Act gives tenants the right of first refusal when a rental property is to be sold.  They selected a developer and received financial support from the DC Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing and Community Development and other financial services to develop their building.

Congratulations to the neighbors in Brightwood Portfolio for preserving affordability. To learn more about TOPA, contact the Department of Housing and Community Development at (202) 442-7200.

Next week, I am attending another affordable housing event for Station House at 701 2nd Street NE, which will include 28 affordable units.

Together, we will make the District of Columbia a great place to live for all residents, regardless of income status.

Sincerely,

Mayor Bowser

 Breaking Ground on a New DMV Service Center in Southeast

On Monday, we celebrated the groundbreaking of a new Department of Motor Vehicles service center in Ward 7. This new state-of-the-art service center, located at 4525 Benning Road, SE, will serve more residents and be accessible to drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and Metrorail/Metrobus riders. It will replace the existing Penn Branch Service Center. With the opening of the Benning Ridge Service Center, DC DMV will continue to have four full service locations in every quadrant of the District.

 Save the Date: Summer Youth Employment Program Career Expo

The Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program will host a Career Expo on Friday, May 1, 2015, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for those youth who are certified and eligible to participate in the 2015 SYEP. Eligible youth are encouraged to come out and join us at the Expo to learn more about the summer jobs available.

Protecting and Preserving Our Beautiful City

On Earth Day, we hosted a “Path to Zero Waste” Summit in an effort to reduce waste in the District of Columbia. With District Department of the Environment (DDOE) Director Tommy Wells, we are making a fresh start on waste policy and changing the dialogue about how we reduce waste, save money and create jobs in the District of Columbia.

We also released a progress report of the Sustainable DC Plan, where more than 90 percent of actions are already underway. The report is available at sustainabledc.org.

Calling All Lifeguards!

If you know how to swim and have the desire to serve the community by keeping our pools safe this summer, then the DC Department of Parks and Recreation has a job for you. DPR is hosting an Aquatics Hiring Fair from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, May 2, 2015, at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Avenue, NE. Applicants must be 16 years old. For more information, visit summer.dpr.dc.gov.

 Stay in contact with me and my Administration online. Like us on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter @MayorBowser to follow our progress. Follow my team, @TeamMuriel, for the latest news and information from the John A. Wilson Building and District government agencies. Follow me on Instagram @Mayor_Bowser for even more updates on what's happening around town.  Lastly, find our online picture albums on Flickr.