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The Office of Planning (OP) is gearing up for an eventful fall, as we reach a number of critical milestones on our most important work and top priorities of 2020.
Mayor Bowser submitted her Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) update to DC Council in April and the Committee of the Whole has opened the record for feedback on the Comp Plan through December 3rd. We urge all interested individuals and stakeholders to participate in the Council’s process, which allows for feedback to be provided by writing or through a phone message, as well through virtual hearings in November. In addition to comments about the Comp Plan, it offers an opportunity for you to share with Council the importance of prioritizing passage of the Comp Plan in 2020 to ensure critical work can continue in line with our long-term vision and values. You can learn more about Comp Plan major themes and updates by following the #CompPlan2020 hashtag on Twitter or visiting the PlanDC website.
We are also quickly approaching the end of the 2020 Census. Although a recent court ruling extended the Census timeline through October, an appeal by the Census Bureau is anticipated. The deadline could change again. We urge residents not to wait any longer. Complete the census by September 30th online at 2020census.gov or by calling 1-844-330-2020.
Stay tuned as future newsletters promise to be full of updates and planning news. Please feel free to share with others, who can sign up here. In addition, you can follow our work on Twitter at @OPinDC.
Sincerely,
Andrew Trueblood
Director, DC Office of Planning
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Yesterday, OP released Food Access & Food Security in the District of Columbia: Responding to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, a report presenting the current state of food security in the District. In accordance with the Coronavirus Support Emergency Amendment Act of 2020, signed into law by Mayor Bowser on May 27, 2020, this report evaluates and makes recommendations to address food access needs during and following the public health emergency.
Following Mayor Bowser’s call to seize this “once-in-a-generation opportunity to not just reopen our city, but to build a more equitable DC,” this report centers equity in its analysis and recommendations, exploring how the District can rebuild a more resilient, healthy, and equitable food system.
The COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic effects have led to increased food insecurity rates nationally and in the District. “Food insecurity” is a term defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecurity is a chronic condition that existed before the onset of the public health emergency, when 10.6% of District residents were food insecure. COVID-19 has exacerbated food insecurity in the District; it is projected that the District’s food insecurity rate in 2020 will be at least 16%, with even higher rates among vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, undocumented individuals, and unhoused individuals.
The District government, local businesses, and nonprofits have come together in a remarkable way to develop a robust emergency food response to the unprecedented public health emergency. Food insecurity will remain a critical priority even after the public health emergency has subsided. This new reality magnifies the urgency of achieving true health equity in the District, with every resident having meaningful access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food. The Food Security Report calls for both a strategic emergency response, as well as longer-term systems change and planning.
The Food Security Report is available at dcfoodpolicy.org/foodsecurity2020.
Ona Balkus, Food Policy Director at OP, joined Deputy Mayor Falcicchio and community partners to discuss the recommendations of the report at the Recovery Weekly Check-in with DMPED. Watch a recording of the discussion here.
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Earlier this month, Mayor Bowser and OP launched a survey to receive community feedback on public life and activity in and around the intersection of 14th and U Streets, NW, in the heart of the U Street corridor in Ward 1. OP is seeking public feedback on ways to better preserve or improve the public spaces around this intersection and how the District can work together to enhance the types of activities that take place there.
This survey is part of an OP Public Life Study that will provide recommendations and considerations for future design teams to consider, particularly for the existing public plaza at this location. Your input will also help inform the future redevelopment of the Frank D. Reeves Center, led by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
Please visit publicinput.com/Reeves to complete the Re-imagining Reeves Public Life Survey by Wednesday, September 30th. Completing the survey only takes 10 minutes. Fill it out now and share with your friends and neighbors!
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With the uncertainty around the 2020 Census deadline, we are urging every DC resident to get counted today. The 2020 Census is easy, safe, and confidential. Residents are asked to answer 10 simple questions about themselves and everyone who is living with them. We all must do our part to ensure we get the full representation and federal funding we deserve for schools, housing, health care, and other programs that help us thrive.
The federal government uses Census data to distribute more than $6 billion annually to the District for vital programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Section Eight Housing Choice Vouchers, Children’s Health Insurance, and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance. Census data is also used to update ward and ANC boundaries. Accurate and complete census data will be critical to COVID-19 recovery efforts as well. Knowing who lives in DC and where is important when making budgeting and planning decisions across all District agencies.
Anyone that has not completed the 2020 Census should self-respond online at 2020census.gov or by calling 1-844-330-2020. Residents can also fill the Census questionnaire when an official US Census taker knocks on your door. Find out if Census takers are in your area by texting “DOOR” to 442020.
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OP’s Historic Preservation Office was awarded a $50,000 grant from the National Park Service (NPS) to develop a Historic Context Study of women’s history and suffrage in the District of Columbia. Nonprofit partner, DC Preservation League, will manage the grant.
On the centennial of American women obtaining the right to vote, this study will identify the important themes related to women’s history and the Suffrage movement. The fight for women’s equality has roots all across America, but as the nation’s capital, Washington, DC served as the backdrop for many historic events as women across the nation struggled for equal rights.
NPS awarded $750,000 in grants to support 18 projects that will help identify and nominate state, tribal, and local sites for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. NPS’s Underrepresented Community Grant Program helps fund projects such as surveys and inventories of historic properties, and assists communities currently underrepresented in the National Register with developing their nominations.
This grant is the third Underrepresented Community Grant received by OP’s Historic Preservation Office. Prior awards produced a Historic Context Statement for Washington’s LGBTQ Resources while the first study that explores the rich history for the Chinese and Korean populations of the District of Columbia is currently underway.
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