18 MONTH PROGRESS REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS We Are Washington DC Page 1 Challenges A Safer, Stronger DC Page 2 An Inclusive DC Page 4 Opportunities Economy & Jobs Page 6 An Economic Checklist Page 8 Education Page 10 Sustainable Communities Page 12 Budget Autonomy & Statehood Page 14 Investments Page 16 18 MONTH PROGRESS REPORT WE ARE WASHINGTON DC. AND WE ALWAYS WILL BE. The District of Columbia is a place—perhaps like no other in the world—that welcomes all. Beyond the millions who visit our 68 square miles each year, we are home to 680,000 residents–and we are growing every day. By some estimates, the District’s population will reach 800,000 strong in the next 20 years. These are exciting times to be a Washingtonian. The District of Columbia is a city—soon to be state—that embraces the past, present and future. We are getting younger and older, and more economically and demographically diverse. We are changing. But we are also making progress in all 8 wards. Change is both an exciting and daunting reality. Oftentimes, our economy drives change faster than residents and policymakers are able to understand and react. Mayor Muriel Bowser has long recognized the sense of urgency to remain vigilant in evaluating the impact of our policies and programs on our most important asset – our people. The Mayor brings together residents, policy experts, business leaders, government workers and others, to help Washington, DC manage change. It’s a priority for the Mayor to ensure that all of our residents are given a fair shot by embracing growth and investing in what residents need to succeed, including safe neighborhoods and good schools. Page 1 18 MONTH PROGRESS REPORT CHALLENGES A Safer, Stronger DC The tragic events this summer in Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas have given the District and the nation reason to pause. Residents from across the District, police officers and other government workers have expressed anxiety and concern about recent events from around the nation – all attempting to make sense of these senseless acts. Mayor Bowser is committed to working tirelessly until all of us feel safe in our homes, at our workplaces and on our streets. The District saw overall crime decrease by 4% in 2015 and it is down 2% in the first half of 2016. That said, too many residents feel unsafe in their neighborhoods. The Bowser Administration remains vigilant in working to proactively maintain safe neighborhoods, including such efforts as continuing to ensure our police department is representative of the community it protects. Since taking office, the Mayor has made critical investments to protect the public and our public safety officials: • Deployed more than 1,200 body-worn cameras to officers in all seven police districts, the Police Academy, and specialized units such as the Nightlife Unit and the Narcotics and the Special Investigations Division • Formed a Robbery Task Force to more quickly hold robbery suspects accountable • Offered a private security camera incentive program to reimburse residents, businesses and nonprofits for the purchase and installation of more than 1,200 security cameras • Added 25 additional ambulances on our streets every day to help meet the public safety needs of our growing population • Relaunched the District’s illegal gun initiative, which seeks the public’s help to identify violent offenders who carry illegal firearms • Proposed doubling the number of training hours for the 17,000 special police officers and security officers operating in the District • Trained more than 5,000 residents in “hands on” CPR through the Hands on Hearts Program • Created “Safe Passage” zones for young people traveling across the city by recruiting government volunteers stationed in high-traffic areas on the last day of school and the start of the SYEP Program • Established a specialized mental health unit at the DC Jail • Opened Genesis, an affordable, intergenerational housing community • Graduated 100 members of the community from the six-week Metropolitan Police Department Community Engagement Academy, which allows interested community members to learn firsthand about police operations Page 2 18 MONTH PROGRESS REPORT • Enrolled 60 DC high schoolers in the DC Public Safety Academy at Anacostia High School to prepare DC residents for career opportunities in law enforcement • Resolved the longstanding overtime issue with Local 36, who represents our firefighters and emergency services personnel As we work together to move forward as a community, the Bowser Administration will step up our efforts to foster healthy and productive relationships between residents and law enforcement. Next year’s budget will support a safer and stronger DC, by: • Providing an additional $2.5 million to hire and train 30 additional 911 call takers • Utillizing $12 million for third-party ambulance providers to improve emergency response, and adding time for first responder training • Investing $8 million to shore up the District’s Crime Lab, which will ensure timely and accurate readings for law enforcement, legal teams and families • Assume operations of all of the DC Jail in order to provide a place where residents have programming and treatment options that improve opportunities for successful community reintegration The Bowser Administration understands that there is no greater responsibilty of government than that of keeping residents and visitors safe in our city. We are committed to making the recurring and critical investments in our public safety infrastructure. William Lucky, a Ward 7 resident and Youth Creating Change (YCC) participant, spoke on a Congressional panel about his interactions with law enforcement. Youth Creating Change is a 12- week program serving to strengthen relationships between young community leaders and the police department. Police chiefs from around the country participated in the panel and heard Lucky share his YCC experience and how it affected his perceptions and his family’s perceptions of police officers. Lucky is joined by Sen. Cory Booker (D- NJ) and YCC leader John Mein. Page 3 18 MONTH PROGRESS REPORT CHALLENGES An Inclusive DC As the District’s population has grown in the past several years, housing costs have also increased. Back in 1960, when Mayor Bowser’s parents bought their house in North Michigan Park, the average home in DC cost about $15,000. That was only three times the average family income. Today, the median home value tops $500,000, more than five times the average family income. That’s an unsustainable trend that could soon make the District the most expensive place to live in the country and undermine the diversity that makes the District of Columbia a great place to live, work and raise a family. We have a lot at stake: • 38% of all households spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs • Over 42,000 families are on the District of Columbia Housing Authority’s (DCHA) waiting list for assistance • Nearly 4,000 households live-in units with more than one person per room • Over 2,000 households lack kitchen or plumbing facilities • Nearly 7,500 homeless residents live in the District • From 2006 to 2014, DC lost at least 1,000 units of subsidized housing • Another 1,750 units are currently being tracked by the DC Preservation Network as at risk of being lost • And there are 13,700 additional units with subsidies that will expire by 2020 and are possibly at risk of loss We can’t make up the deficit by simply producing more housing. One of Mayor Bowser’s top priorities is to produce, preserve and protect affordable housing so that every resident in the District can afford a place to call home. The Bowser Administration has aggressively instituted policies and invested hundreds of millions to do just that: • Yielded over 4,000 total affordable housing units since January 2015, far more than in previous years • Over 5,300 units of affordable housing are in the pipeline, which will house nearly 12,000 District residents • Made historic $200 million investments in the Housing Production Trust Fund • Renegotiated major development projects to include more affordable housing • Developed a robust foreclosure prevention program preventing 3,010 homeowners from losing their homes to foreclosure, since FY 2015 Page 4 18 MONTH PROGRESS REPORT • Developed a District-wide solution to close DC General and open alternative, safe and dignified places for families to stay in all eight wards • Hosted a Faith-Based Housing Expo to brief religious leaders about the development process, connect them to key networks such as financers, developers, and city leaders, and provide technical assistance • Announced expanded capacity within community based organizations for housing homeless LGBTQ youth • Created the DC Housing Preservation Strike Force to develop an action plan to preserve our affordable housing stock in the long term We are making progress. We have thousands of affordable housing units in the pipeline. But production is only part of the equation. We can’t make up the deficit by simply producing more housing. We have to ensure that we have the ability to make such large, critical investments, which we will need to sustain any long term investment in affordable housing – which is why supporting economic development and investments is so critical. The Administration discussed this careful balance during the “Preserving and Planning for Progress” symposium, which brought experts together to discuss how the District will plan for 800,000 residents in the next 20 years while preserving its rich and diverse history. The Bowser Administration is proud of our efforts to keep Washington, DC a place of diversity and inclusivity and there is still more to do. This fall, the DC Office of Planning will be re- evaluating our Comprehensive Plan, which dictates public policy in terms of educational institutions, transportation, utilities, land use, recreation, and housing.