Dear Washingtonians,  

Let me start by congratulating everyone who participated in last week's Fresh Start 5K. Thank you for running with an idea I had back in 2014 for a New Year’s Day 5K and building it into what it was this year – thousands of people, kids and adults, from all eight wards (and beyond) starting the new year together on the iconic Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.   

Here is how we came into 2026:  

• Violent crime was down 29% in 2025, including a 32% reduction in homicides and a 53% reduction over the past two years. Our homicide closure rate increased to 85%, the highest closure rate in 13 years.
• We exceeded our initial goal to build 36,000 homes by 2025 and passed the RENTAL Act, an important step in stabilizing our affordable housing market.
• Our latest graduation rate hit a record high and last year’s DC CAPE results showed the largest increase in proficiency rates made since the pandemic in both ELA and math, in all tested grades, in both DC Public Schools and DC public charter schools.
• We were named the #1 park system in the nation for the fifth year in a row. Today, 99% of Washingtonians live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
• Our 2025 Point-In-Time count showed a 9% overall decrease in homelessness, and to build on that progress, we opened the E Street Bridge Housing Program, the District’s second non-congregate bridge housing program.
• Since launching the new regional Talent Capital initiative in October, more than 62,000 people have used the AI-powered job matching and career navigation tool.

For Washingtonians, all of these numbers mean safer neighborhoods, stronger schools, and more opportunities for those who need them. And we’re not slowing down in 2026. In the past week, we swore in our new Chief of Police; we welcomed thousands of students back to school, and in just a few weeks we’ll kick off applications for the MBSYEP program; and with MPD and ABCA, we also marked a significant milestone in our commitment to ensuring a safe and healthy DC – 100 illegal cannabis business closures since enforcement began in 2024.  

Let’s keep pushing for the next 12 months.  

Sincerely,