Updates from CM McDuffie

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Neighbor,

As we celebrate the vital role of women in our history and daily lives, it is important to remember that many women, especially women of color, still face tremendous obstacles to succeed and thrive in our city. Women of color make 63 cents for every dollar paid to their white male counterparts and many have a more difficult time accessing capital to start and sustain a business.

That is why my team is highlighting some of the women-owned businesses in our community and the trailblazing women who run them. For Women's History Month, I encourage you to also be intentional about supporting women-owned businesses. districtlylocal.com/directory ([link removed]) makes it easy to identify women and BIPOC-owned businesses in our city, I hope you will join me in supporting them.

In service,

Kenyan
In this issue of the Ward 5 Report:

* Kenyan in The News
* Team McDuffie in the Community
* HomeSaver Foreclosure Prevention Program
* Upcoming Forums
* Small Business Spotlight
* COVID Vaccine Updates
* Updated School Guidances



** Kenyan in The News
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Check out some of the news articles Councilmember McDuffie was mentioned in over the last two weeks:

McDuffie Wants to See Fiscal Incentives in D.C. (The Washington Informer ([link removed]) )

National Cherry Blossom Festival Goes Virtual (The Afro ([link removed]) )

GambetDC Shifts Blame, Slashes DC Sports Betting Forecast (Legal Sports Report ([link removed]) )


** Team McDuffie in the Community
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On Monday, Team McDuffie joined The National Center for Children and Families and Career Path DC's Clean Team to clean up the area around 17th and Rhode Island


** HomeSaver Foreclosure Prevention Program
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The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) has approximately $4 million available to relaunch the HomeSaver program. The funds will be used to aid eligible D.C. homeowners that have fallen behind on their mortgage payments due to unemployment, underemployment, or have endured a financial hardship of which a lump sum payment will make the homeowner’s expense current.

You can apply by May 14th here ([link removed]) , and learn more information about the HomeSaver program here ([link removed]) .


** Upcoming Forums
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Join DISB and partners for their Flood and Water Damage Forum on Thursday, April 1st from 4-5 PM.
Join by Phone: 1-650-479-3208
Access Code: 160-184-7600
Join by Computer: bit.ly/3qbSzGd
On Wednesday, March 17th at 6 PM the Office of Tax and Revenue will host a virtual information session for Wards 5 and 6 to assist property owners in navigating the MyTax.DC.gov portal. The session will include a demonstration of the real property tax functions in the portal and a time to answer your questions.

Register here ([link removed])

The Financially Fit DC: Workshop on Black Generational Wealth Building - TAXES is a virtual workshop focused on providing information on tax resources to residents, how to file taxes, the earned income tax credit (EITC), and tips on filing taxes at different stages of your life (e.g. college students, families with dependents, preparing for retirement, etc.).

For more information or to request reasonable accommodations, please email [email protected] or call 202-836-0826. You can RSVP here ([link removed]) .


** Small Business Spotlight
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On Monday, The Rhode Island Ave and Bladensburg Rd Main Streets programs opened up their 2nd round of applications for Small Business Assistance Grants. Funding is available for projects including marketing, branding and design, operations, social media, digital marketing, new signage, facade painting, decorative exterior lighting, awnings, and grate removal.

The deadline to apply is 5 PM on March 29th. There will also be 2 additional rounds of applications in April and May. Learn more here ([link removed]) and find the application here ([link removed]) .
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The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) is holding an intensive training program to support returning citizens who want to launch a small business or who have a small business they want to grow

The deadline to apply is April 15th, you can apply and learn more here ([link removed]) .
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You can make an impact with your dollars this Women's history month by patronizing women-owned businesses like Studio Elan on Rhode Island Avenue, which provides salon services. Women and minority-owned businesses have been disproportionately impacted by the recession - we must be intentional about supporting them.


** COVID Vaccine Updates
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Last week, DC Health starting using a new pre-registration system for vaccine appointments, ending the process that left residents scrambling to sign-up at 9 AM and contributed to the equity issues surrounding distribution. Now, residents go to vaccinate.dc.gov or call 855-363-0333 to submit their information and then will then be notified by DC Health via call, text, and or email when they qualify for an appointment. Alerts for appointments will be sent out Thursday and Sunday mornings, and potentially on Tuesdays if all appointments haven't been filled. Following this notification, residents will have 48 hours to schedule their appointment, so make sure to check your spam folder!

DC Health also released an updated timeline for vaccine eligibility. Essential workers in Phase 1B Tier 3 and Phase 1C Tier 1 now qualify for the vaccine. Starting March 29th and April 12th all essential workers in Phases 1C-2 and IC-3 will qualify respectively. Starting May 1st, the vaccine will become available to all District residents 16 years and older.

There are also a number of updated re-opening guidelines for residents, businesses, and libraries starting on March 22nd. Click here ([link removed]) to see all the new guidances.


** Updated School Guidances
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To learn more, check out the slides from the Mayor's 3/15 ([link removed]) and 3/11 ([link removed]) situational updates.

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