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Robert C. White
At-Large Councilmember
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Monthly E-Newsletter November 26, 2024 |
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 Dear Neighbors,
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For neighbors in need of Thanksgiving meals |
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If you need some help putting food on the table for Thanksgiving this year, check out the opportunities from today through Thanksgiving Day, below.
Tuesday, November 26th
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Bread for the City is giving out Holiday Bags until 4pm. Find more information on their location and what ID to bring here.
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The Washington Nationals' Turkeypalooza is happening Tuesday, November 26th at the following locations at 3:00 p.m.: 5he Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, 3675 Ely Place SE, Washington, D.C. (Open to Academy families and neighboring Fort Dupont community), Van Ness Elementary School, 555 L St. SE, Washington, D.C. (walk-up only) and KIPP DC Legacy College Prep, 3999 Eighth St. SE, Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, November 27th
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Safeway is holding their 25th annual Feast of Sharing with a Thanksgiving meal, live entertainment, health screenings, non-perishable food bags, and a winter coat giveaway at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW Washington, DC 20001. More details here.
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The Washington Nationals' Turkeypalooza wraps up at these locations: 3:00pm: Oakcrest Community Center, 1300 Capitol Heights Blvd., District Heights, MD, and Marvin Gaye Park, 5200 Foote St. NE, Washington, DC (walk-up only)
Thanksgiving Day! Thursday, November 28th
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Opening the DC Go-Go Museum & Cafe |
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A home for the cultural heartbeat of DC
Last week we cut the ribbon on DC's official Go-Go Museum & Cafe! Go-Go music and culture are the beating heart of the District and it means everything that our history has a new home in this museum. In 2020, I proudly championed the effort for DC to purchase the Go-Go Museum building, taking a page out of Marion Barry’s book, by having the honor of preserving our city’s rich culture while boosting Anacostia’s small businesses. It’s amazing to see Ron Moten and Dr. Natalie Hopkinson's vision for this space come to life! Grateful for their unwavering dedication to preserving and celebrating the legacy of Go-Go, honoring its past and ensuring it thrives for today's generation and the years to come. And talk about perfect timing: the ribbon cutting happened during DC's annual Go-Go Preservation Week!
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Forward momentum on four of my bills
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Seizure Safe Schools Bill passes!
I'm thrilled that the Council passed the Seizure Safe Schools Act, which I introduced with Councilmember Allen. This bill provides crucial education for both students and teachers and puts in place steps to ensure students with seizure disorders will get the care they need at school. It's a particularly special bill because it was brought to us by a young DC resident and epilepsy advocate, Oliver. And DC State Board of Education Representative Brandon Best helped Oliver get it to the Council!
Pets in Housing Act moves forward
Last month I held a hearing on the Pets in Housing Act and moved it through the Housing Committee. Next, it will now face a vote in the full Council. I was proud to introduce this bill because too many residents are coming up against expensive pet rent and fees that make finding affordable housing impossible. Thank you to the GW Law Animal Welfare Project for crafting this bill, and the People & Pets in Housing Coalition, DC Voters for Animals, and Humane Rescue Alliance for helping to move this important bill forward for residents and their pets!
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Moving ahead on my public safety bill to expand mentorship for DC young people
My Youth Mentorship Through Community Engagement Act is one piece of my Safer Today, Safer Tomorrow youth crime prevention package of bills, which I introduced last year. Youth are asking for more guidance as they try to navigate a near impossible array of fear, trauma, poverty and adult responsibilities. My bill does two things: 1) Establishes a program with paid, professional mentors for youth who've faced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) like violence, abuse, and caregivers facing addiction, and 2) Increases our pool of mentors for youth across DC by creating community service leave for District government employees so they can dedicate 1 hour per week to mentor or tutor young people. With thousands of professionals able to mentor DC youth, we create a robust support system to help guide young people and prevent future spikes in juvenile crime.
My Vocational Education for a New Generation Act advances
I was proud to hold a hearing on my Vocational Education for a New Generation Act last month and move it forward out of committee this month. Next step: I'm pushing for this bill to receive a vote before the full Council in the new year. With immense support and over 50 residents testifying at the hearing, including young people, local union leaders, and community organizations, I know this bill is so needed.
When District residents like my dad were growing up, we had strong vocational education programs, so even if students didn't go to college, they could still have training for a successful career. Today, half of DC students don't go to college, but our vocational education programs have diminished. My bill would massively expand vocational education programs in DC and -- this is the crucial part -- ensure our programs provide students with the industry certifications they need to get a job in their field. So, whether our kids choose college or not, they'll have a successful future.
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Residents facing frustrations with DC’s Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP)
Many residents trying to purchase their first homes in DC using the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) have contacted my office about the change to using a lottery system that DC Housing and Community Development (DHCD) made this year. I’m incredibly frustrated on behalf of residents because the agency similarly made a change to the rules in the middle of the game last year. I passed legislation last year to give residents more transparency and predictability by requiring the agency to post a public dashboard with how much HPAP funding remains so residents can make informed decisions about whether to apply, move forward with contracts, etc. However, the agency is not complying with the law and has not updated the dashboard. I have been in constant communication with DHCD pushing the agency to better communicate to residents about whether there will be multiple lotteries this year, and how much funding remains. Moving forward, I am considering passing legislation to require DHCD to provide advanced notice (at least several months) before making any changes to how the HPAP program is run, to allow residents time to prepare and get their questions answered.
Oversight hearing on DC Housing Authority
As part of my ongoing close oversight of DCHA to turn the agency around for residents, I held a hearing last month to hear from residents and DCHA leadership. I focused on whether DCHA is headed in the right direction and changing in the way it needs to in order to support DC residents. We heard from over 60 members of the public who testified as well as DCHA leadership. My takeaway is that all of the hours my team and I have put in working with DCHA since I took over the Housing Committee a year ago are starting to pay off. Residents said they had faith in the new DCHA leadership and were starting to see positive changes. BUT the work is far from done. I'm going to keep pushing DCHA on speeding up the lease-up process, making rent reasonableness less difficult for residents, committing to stronger tenant protections, and much more.
Oversight hearing on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)
ERAP is not working well for either residents or landlords. The Council is working on ERAP reform to make the program fair and effective for everyone and ensure that it is helping the residents who need it the most. This month I held a hearing on ERAP to learn directly from tenants, landlords, and advocates about challenges they’re currently facing and insights into how to make this program better. The next step will be working with the full Council to create and pass the ERAP reform bill in the new year.
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Your perspective is important in helping to shape our laws. Below are upcoming oversight hearings in my Committee on Housing and I encourage you to sign up to testify and share your experiences with the agencies my committee oversees. You can view all upcoming Council hearings here. To register to testify, click on the hearing link and click the "Register to Testify" button. If you'd rather submit written testimony, click the "Submit Testimony" button. |
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Below are various resources that I hope will help solve issues you or your family may be facing. If you are experiencing a housing issue, contact my Housing Committee team by calling (202) 727-8270, or using the contact information in my staff directory, below. For more general constituent issues, feel free to contact anyone on my Personal Office team (see directory, below), or call my office at (202) 724-8174. |
- Check out DC Department of Public Works' leaf pick-up schedule to find out when the leaves in your neighborhood will get collected.
- The cold weather is here! Attend one of DC's Weatherization Item Giveaways in December to receive free materials to keep the cold out of your home and learn about utilities resources.
- Want to find jobs in environmental trades, learn how you can start composting, or get river-smart landscaping for your home? It's easy to be green, check out Sustainable DC, a resource from the DC government!
- December 9th is the deadline for all DC Public Schools students to have their required immunization vaccines! Learn more and find free vaccine locations here.
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My office is available to you. Connect with me and my staff via phone or email. Please call my personal office at (202) 724-8174, or my committee office at (202) 727-8270, or email any of my team members in the staff directory, below.
Your feedback is incredibly valuable! If you have a moment, please take my 3-question constituent survey:
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