March 2020

Coronavirus Update: Program Clarifications & Updates

Dear Neighbors,

Following Mayor Bowser's announcement of [1]stay-at-home order for District
residents and workers, I wanted to provide some short updates and program
clarifications based on some of the most frequently asked questions that my
office has received. And, while those updates are listed further in this
email, I wanted to take a moment in this letter to share some good news.

You may recall the effort earlier this year to protect several Ward 3 bus
routes that WMATA proposed either eliminating or drastically reducing
service in their FY21 Budget. These routes serve as vital public
transportation resources for Ward 3 residents, particularly our seniors and
those who don't commute by car. Yesterday, WMATA shared their [2]revised
budget proposal and almost every elimination/reduction in Ward 3 service
was discarded, except for:
* D6: The elimination of certain late-night trips on weekdays and
Saturday
* 30N, 30S: The elimination of the last 30N trip in each direction on
weekdays, Saturday, and Sunday and the elimination of the last 30S trip
each direction on weekdays and Saturdays

​I stress that nothing is final until the vote this Thursday, April 2nd,
however; this proposal is much improved over what was originally presented
to the public. At WMATA's February hearing on these cuts, I was proud to
join numerous residents, ANCs, and community organizations in defending our
Ward 3 bus routes. To everyone involved in this effort, thank you. There is
no doubt that our success was due to your passion and tireless advocacy for
strong public transit in Ward 3.

Regards,

Mary

Please see [3]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

The Mayor's Stay-At-Home Order

Mayor Bowser's stay-at-home order will go into effect tomorrow, April 1st.
Please remember, this is an order to codify and enforce the Mayor's
existing social distancing guidance. The order is not a requirement that
residents remain completely homebound during the emergency, it permits
outdoor recreation and all essential travel while also emphasizing the need
for us to stay home whenever possible. Below are some commonly posed
questions by residents:

Q: How should I report a violation of the Mayor's order?

A: Please call 311. Numerous agencies have already been at work to break up
large gatherings and alert the public to safe social distancing standards.
The Department of Public Works, for example, has removed the hoops on
popular basketball courts and MPD has begun to use a [4]speaker system to
help disperse large crowds.

Q: Aside from essential travel such as grocery shopping and going to
medical appointments, I'm permitted to leave my home for some recreation.
What are the 'allowable recreational activities' as defined by the order?

A: 'Allowable Recreational Activities' are outdoor activities with your
household members that comply with appropriate social distancing
requirements. Examples of these outdoor activities include: walking,
hiking, running, dog-walking, biking, rollerblading, playing tennis,
golfing, gardening (this includes community and victory
gardening), and other activities where there is no person-to-person
contact.

Q: Will I still be permitted to use a ride-share when I leave for essential
travel?

A: Yes, and there are new requirements for ride-share vehicle operators. In
addition to the limit of no more than two passengers in the car at a time,
drivers must now have disinfecting wipes in their vehicles and must wipe
down all surfaces potentially touched by a passenger after each ride.

Q: Will I still be able to order takeout or delivery from neighborhood
restaurants?

A: Yes. Restaurants were previously categorized as essential businesses and
will still be able to conduct deliveries and pickup orders for neighbors.
For the growing list of open restaurants in Ward 3, please see information
by our local Main Streets: [5]Cleveland Park, [6]Glover Park, [7]Van Ness,
[8]Tenleytown, and [9]Woodley Park.

Q: What are the specific social distancing requirements'?

A: In the Mayor's order, “Social Distancing Requirements” include:
* Maintaining at least a six (6)-foot distance from other individuals
* Washing hands with soap and water for at least twenty (20) seconds or
using hand sanitizer frequently, after contact with potentially-infected
surfaces, to the greatest extent feasible
* Covering coughs or sneezes, preferably with a tissue (please throw
immediately away) or into your sleeve or elbow
* Regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces
* Not shaking hands

To review the order in its entirety, please see [10]Mayor’s Order 2020-054.

A Note for Homeowners and Renters

Mortgage Payments - A number of homeowners have asked whether the District
is currently working with any banks to provide grace periods on mortgage
payments. The Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) is
currently looking into options with national banks operating in the
District for staying mortgage payments for the next 90 days. [11]Freddie
Mac and Fannie Mae have announced that they are providing payment
forbearance to borrowers affected by the pandemic. Forbearance means your
mortgage payments may be suspended for up to 12 months because of economic
hardship caused by the coronavirus outbreak. These two agencies back about
half of all mortgages in the United States.
* Reminder: through emergency legislation previously passed by the
Council, no mortgage may be foreclosed during the period of the emergency.

Rent Payments - A number of renters have asked whether the District would
be able to institute a rent freeze or provide other rental assistance
measures. As of now, no rent freeze has been put in place. Looking ahead,
the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
(DMPED) is looking into a COVID-19 specific program similar to the
Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to address rent arrears based on
need.

The ERAP and any new COVID-19 rental assistance programs may be funded in
part by COVID-19 related supplemental appropriations from the federal
government and there may be additional relief for renters under the federal
Rental Housing Act.
* Reminder: the Mayor and Council have already provided that there can be
no evictions for rent non payment during the period of the emergency.

Applying for Unemployment Insurance

User Difficulties with the Unemployment System - Through recent emergency
legislation, the Council waived the previous work search requirement for
claimants applying for unemployment insurance (UI) (this was done to
respond to the immediate need of unemployment compensation amid
COVID-19-related closures). However, many new users of the UI system report
receiving notices of denied or delayed claims due to the previous mandatory
work search requirements.

Claimants should disregard the delay message, as no claims will be delayed
or denied based on work search requirements. The UI software system
currently being updated and the Executive anticipates the system
modifications to be complete by the week of April 6th and is working to
increase the call center capacity.

Due to the higher than normal call volume to the Department of Employment
Services (DOES), claimants are encouraged to apply for unemployment
compensation online at [12]dcnetworks.org. DOES recommends using Internet
Explorer when accessing this page.
* For a specific question related to a specific claimant, the claimant
should email [13][email protected].

DC Tax Filings

Income Tax Filing Deadline Extended to July 15th - The District’s
individual income tax filing and the Internal Revenue Service's federal
filings and payment deadlines have been extended from April 15th to July
15th. This means taxpayers will have an additional 90 days to file and pay,
and there is no need to file an application for an extension.

*Please note: the quarterly tax filing deadline remains unchanged*
* The Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) encourages taxpayers who are able
to file their returns electronically
* For additional information, please contact OTR’s Customer Service
Center at (202) 727-4TAX (4829)

Property Tax Filing Deadline Remains Unchanged - The District’s property
tax filing date remains today, March 31st.

Small Business Recovery Grant Applications due Today!

Small Business Recovery Grants - The District's $25 million small business
grant program is accepting applications through 6:00 pm tonight, March
31st. For more information on the grant program, please see: [14]Small
Business Recovery.

Vote By Mail with an Absentee Ballot

Avoid voting in-person - The DC Board of Elections (BOE) is working on ways
to more safely hold elections amidst the COVID-19 public health emergency.

To do this, BOE is looking at ways to minimize crowding at voting precincts
and encourages voters to vote by mail using an absentee ballot. Absentee
ballots do not require a reason or explanation for their use and may be
requested online or through BOE's app. BOE will soon also open a call
center for requests by phone.
* Absentee ballots will be distributed on May 1st
* To request an absentee ballot online, please go to:
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Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is
closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are
teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to [15]email the office directly or reach us via phone
through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget
requests, and constituent services requests.

[16]Facebook [17]Twitter

FOLLOW MARY

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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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