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WATCH: Back To School Town Hall
On August 18, Chancellor Ferebee and DCPS leadership shared important updates on how DCPS is preparing to welcome back our students and staff. Topics included student immunizations, health and safety, academics, attendance and more!
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Councilmember Trayon White and the DC Community Development Consortium (DCCDC) announced the Ward 8 Community Investment Fund (W8CIF) that will provide grants and loan funding support for Ward 8 aspiring entrepreneurs, small businesses, and visionaries.
The grant-supported loan program is available only to Ward 8 residents and business owners. Award categories are separated into three tiers:
Explorer - $5,000 Award
$2,500 Grant | $2,500 Loan
The Explorer tier is for aspiring entrepreneurs who need funds to explore a business idea. Explorers may still be in the research phase and need funds to further that research to finalize the product, service, or business. Explorer applicants are required to submit a pitch desk with the application.
Start-Up - $10,000 Award
$5,000 Grant | $5,000 Loan
The Start-Up tier is for aspiring or current entrepreneurs who have completed the research phase and have a plan for a new business, service, or product ready for launch. Start-Up funding supports entrepreneurs with launching their business or taking their new product/service to market. Start-Up applicants are required to submit an Executive Summary with the application.
In-Business - $20,000 Award
$10,000 Grant | $10,000 Loan
The In-Business tier is for established business owners with a minimum of 1 year in operation, either as a sole proprietorship or other legal business entity. In-Business applicants should be seeking funding to enhance operations and build capacity. In-Business applicants are required to submit an implementation plan, 1 year Profit & Loss statement, and 3 months of recent bank statements.
APPLY NOW
For details on the Ward 8 Community Investment Fund's Grant-Secured Loan program, please review the Information Packet HERE.
Apply for the Ward 8 Community Investment Fund Grant Secured Loan. Applications are due September 7, 2022.
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Monkeypox Vaccine Updates
August 19, 2022
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DC Health to Begin Implementing New Intradermal Dose Strategy and Offering Second Dose Appointments for Monkeypox Vaccine
Today, DC Health announced a new intradermal injection monkeypox vaccine strategy that will greatly increase the number of doses available to eligible District residents. Based on our current inventory, cases, and the newly approved strategy, on Saturday, August 20, DC Health will resume limited scheduling of second dose vaccine appointments, based on the date of an individual's first dose.
In order to stop the spread of monkeypox, it is critical to surround the disease with a wall of immunity by providing the vaccine to the greatest number of high-risk individuals as quickly as possible. DC Health's new vaccine strategy is designed to ensure that more doses of the monkeypox vaccine will be available to close contacts and the recently expanded pool of eligible residents. The new strategy also allows for more equitable access to the vaccine by providing additional first doses to DC Health's community partner programs and walk-up appointments at the three DC Health monkeypox vaccination clinics. DC Health joins several cities from around the nation in adopting this new vaccination strategy.
Under the new vaccination strategy, the monkeypox vaccine will be administered between the layers of skin rather than below the skin. Vaccinations offered through the new strategy have been shown to elicit a similar immune response and provide the same level of protection as the previous administration technique, while allowing for additional doses of vaccine to be made available.
On August 20, DC Health will begin sending emails to individuals who have already received their first dose to provide them with the option to schedule their second dose appointment. Emails will be sent out as supply allows with appointments provided on a rolling basis based on initial vaccine date. Second doses will not be available through walk-up appointments at the DC Health monkeypox clinics.
The monkeypox vaccine is a two-dose series, however, DC Health had previously postponed the administration of the second doses in order to provide additional vaccine coverage to the highest risk population.
DC Health recently updated the eligibility criteria for the monkeypox vaccine to include District residents, individuals who work in the District, students enrolled at District universities/colleges, and persons affiliated with DC Health Programs that receive health care services in DC, are 18 years of age or older and meet at least one of the following criteria:
- All people, of any sexual orientation or gender, who have had multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks, including those currently considered highest risk: gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, transgender men, and transgender women; or
- Sex workers (of any sexual orientation or gender); or
- Staff (of any sexual orientation or gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs)
All District residents are invited to pre-register for a vaccination appointment at PreventMonkeypox.dc.gov, however, those who are not currently eligible will only be contacted if eligibility changes and appointments are available.
Earlier this week, DC Health launched a new monkeypox data tracker which will be updated every Wednesday at 11:00 AM and provide current case counts and vaccination information. The dashboard can be accessed at PreventMonkeypox.dc.gov.
Monkeypox is a potentially serious viral illness that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. It can spread during intimate physical contact between people, including sex, kissing, and hugging. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact or when a person touches fabrics, such as bedding and towels, used by a person with monkeypox.
Initial symptoms of monkeypox often include flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash and lesions on the skin. Although the majority of cases do not require hospitalization, monkeypox can be dangerous, contagious, and uncomfortable. Anyone with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider about whether they need to get tested, even if they don't think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox.
Residents are encouraged to visit PreventMonkeypox.dc.gov for the latest information on the virus.
PreventMonkeypox.dc.gov.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 22, 2022
CONTACT:
LaToya Foster (EOM)
Natalia Vanegas (DMPED)
Richard Livingstone (DHCD)
The Homeowner Assistance Fund Can Help Current Homeowners Keep Their Homes, the Home Purchase Assistance Program Can Help More Washingtonians Become Homeowners
(WASHINGTON, DC) –Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) urged residents to take advantage of two important homeownership programs: the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) and the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). Both programs have dates coming up that residents should know about: On September 30, the District’s Foreclosure Moratorium will end, but homeowners who have struggled to keep up with mortgage and bill payments can get protection from foreclosure if they have applied to HAF by the deadline. Additionally, on October 1, which marks the start of the new fiscal year, the maximum down payment assistance that residents can receive through HPAP will increase from $80,000 to $202,000.
“We know that homeownership is an important tool for closing racial wealth gaps in our city. We also know that for people without generational wealth, the idea of becoming and staying a homeowner can be daunting,” said Mayor Bowser. “But we have programs and resources in our city that can open doors that people may not have even thought possible. One way we can keep more Washingtonians in DC is by making sure our neighbors know about these programs and are using them.”
The Mayor launched the $50-million Homeowner Assistance Fund in June 2022 to provide financial assistance to residents struggling to make housing related payments. Through HAF, eligible homeowners can apply for grant funding to cover mortgage payments and other property or housing expenses, including utilities, insurance, internet assistance, and housing association fees. When the foreclosure moratorium ends in September, foreclosure proceedings may resume unless homeowners have an existing financial assistance application under review, pending approval, pending payment, or under appeal by the HAF program. More information, including eligibility requirements, can be found at haf.dc.gov. Interested applicants may also call (202) 540-7407 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. if they have questions or want to connect with a housing counselor for a virtual or in-person appointment. As of August 15, 2022, 875 HAF applications have been submitted and another 1,244 residents have started applications.
For residents who are looking to become homeowners, HPAP provides interest-free loans and closing cost assistance to qualified applicants to purchase single family houses, condominiums, or cooperative units in the District. The loan amount is based on a combination of factors, including income, household size, and the amount of assets that each applicant must commit toward a property’s purchase. In addition to the HPAP down payment assistance, eligible homebuyers may also be eligible for $4,000 in closing cost assistance. Residents can find more information about HPAP, including how much assistance they qualify for and how to start the HPAP process, at dhcd.dc.gov.
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Meet Dr. Tracey G. Jackson
Tracey is the Committee Director overseeing the direction of the Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs. She manages a team that reviews, analyzes and makes recommendations relative to legislation officially referred to the Committee and is responsible for conducting hearings on proposed legislation and oversight matters.
As the Committee Director, Tracey supervises and reviews proposed contracts and reprogramming; exercises oversight over executive agencies, boards, commissions, and offices; and conducts annual performance and budget hearings.
Before her leadership as the Committee Director, Tracey served as the Legislative Director for Councilmember Trayon White.
We asked Tracey a few questions so you can get to know her.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Chicken, Salmon, and Red Snapper.
Q: What motivates you at work?
A: Empowering the "little guy".
Q: Are you a morning person or a night owl?
A: Night owl.
Q: What’s something you’re proud of?
A:Service to others is something that I am incredibly proud of. In my tenure at the Council, I drafted the Close Relative Caregivers Act. This legislation is now an official law that assists families in staying together.
This was my first bill that became law within six months of being employed at the Council. On a personal side, I am proud of my education.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: I see myself healthy, happy, and doing work that makes a positive impact on our community.
Q: What do you love most about Ward 8?
A: I love the history, culture, and natural beauty of Ward 8.
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: An elected official.
Q: Do you have any hidden talents?
A: Helping people reach their goals. I enjoy playing cards and golfing.
Q: What else do you want to share about yourself?
A:I am a Leo, competitive, and enjoy traveling.
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Hours of operation:
Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 5:30pm
CLOSED Saturday, Sunday & Holidays |
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Wendy Glenn: [email protected]
Director, Constituent Services
Department of Employment Services
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
DCACL
ERCPCP/ACC Faith Leaders
Louise Thorne: [email protected]
Constituent Services Specialist
DC Public Schools
DC Housing Authority
Department of Human Services
Utilities: PEPCO, DC Water, Washington Gas
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Eric Cleckley: [email protected]
Constituent Services Specialist
District Department of Transportation
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Department of Energy and Environment
James Wood: [email protected]
Constituent Services Specialist
Department of Motor Vehicles
Department of Public Works
Senior Related Issues
For all other constituent services concerns, please contact Wendy Glenn. |
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