Dear Ward 8 Residents, 

I am proud to present the Ward 8 Progress Report, "Leadership in Action: By Ward 8, For Ward 8, Of Ward 8, #DoSomething."
 

We are making measurable changes in the Ward. We are responding to COVID-19, ensuring adequate housing, addressing the community's violence, and ensuring students have access to high-quality education East of the River.

We worked tirelessly to ensure the needs of residents were met promptly. We held dozens of forums and virtual meetings on important topics that concerned residents. This work will continue as we address the rising concerns birthed from the global health pandemic.

As you read the progress report, I welcome your feedback to accelerate Ward 8. I am committed to serving this community and it is an honor and a privilege to have four more years to do so.

Regards, 



Trayon White, Sr.

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the District of Columbia has recorded the highest seven-day average per capita COVID-19 testing rate in the country, compared with those of other jurisdictions. The District has completed 701,485 COVID-19 tests since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We know how important a robust and widely accessible testing system is toward containing the virus and ensuring the health and safety of our residents, workers, and visitors,” said Mayor Bowser. “We are incredibly grateful to our frontline medical workers and all those who have made our testing program a national model.”

The District is operating free COVID-19 testing at public sites and at neighborhood firehouses across DC. In addition, the District offers pop-up testing throughout the District several times a week. The majority of residents are within a 20-minute walk of a public testing site, and the District has significant private sector testing resources available as well. For more information on where to find your nearest testing site, visit NeedATestGetATest.com.

In preparation for the winter, the District opened another testing site at Geico Garage @ Nationals Park last week and has reconfigured the Judiciary Square testing site.

To save time in line, residents should first visit coronavirus.dc.gov/register. Individuals who have health insurance will be asked to provide their insurance information when registering for a test at a public site. Residents will continue to receive testing at no cost, and no one will be charged a copay for testing. Individuals without insurance will continue to receive free testing. No one will be turned away or charged.

For more information on the District’s response, visit coronavirus.dc.gov.

The council unanimously approved a bill creating a Commission on Poverty on Tuesday.

The bill, first introduced in January 2019 by Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, would create a 19-person commission. The goal is to “study issues related to poverty, evaluate poverty reduction initiatives, and make policy recommendations to the Mayor and the Council based upon said research and evaluation.”

To read full article click here

The D.C. Council unanimously voted to approve an omnibus criminal justice reform bill on Tuesday, marking another step toward possible early release for some incarcerated D.C. residents.

The council granted initial approval of the Second Look Amendment Act, which would allow convicted felons who committed a violent crime before they turned 25 to petition for early release after they serve 15 years in prison. The legislation builds on the existing Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act, or IRAA, which passed in 2016 and applies to incarcerated felons who committed crimes before they turned 18.

To read full article click here

Rental Assistance

Visit coronavirus.dc.gov/rent for more information on rental assistance during the COVID-10 pandemic.

Food Resources

Residents that are homebound because of COVID-19 can request support from the District for food and other essential items. Call 1-888-349-8323 or click here: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/gethelp