Hi neighbors!  

Our  newsletter today is focused on important reopening updates and a few helpful resources.  

But first, a quick ‘In Case You Missed It’: Last week, I hosted a telephone town hall. I gave a brief Council update and then had a discussion on education in the District with our Ward 1 State Board of Education Representative Emily Gasoi. During our live question and answer portion, we received questions on school budgets, covid recovery, language access, and more. Thank you to everyone who joined us! If you missed the town hall, you can listen to the recording here.  
  
If you would like to be automatically registered for future telephone town halls, email Luz Martinez on my team at [email protected] and we will add your number to our list! 

Phase 2 Modifications 

Walk Up Vaccination Sites   
Starting May 1, the District is transitioning to walk up, no appointment needed vaccination sites. This Thursday, 4/28, is the last day that pre-registrations will be accepted through vaccinate.dc.gov. Residents can visit any of the 11 walk up sites.  
  

  
You may notice that there is no walk-up site in Ward 1. DC Health did not share the list of walk-up sites prior to the Mayor’s announcement yesterday. In fact, Councilmembers learned of the ‘no appointment needed’ shift at the same time as the public. I Immediately raised the issue of not having a site in Ward 1 with DC Health. I’m waiting to hear back from the agency. ANC1A Commissioner Layla Bonnet and I both spoke to WUSA9 about how this could affect Ward 1 residents.  
  
In the meantime, if you are able, go ahead and get your vaccine at a nearby walk-up site. My team will continue to work with individuals who need assistance by helping them secure appointments at our community clinics and pharmacies. 16 and 17 year old residents still need to register at childrensnational.org to ensure they received the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only one currently approved for their age group. Homebound residents can now call 1-855-363-0333 to register for an at-home COVID-19 vaccination appointment.
  
DC Health’s dashboard is reporting 33.6% of residents as partially or fully vaccinated and 20.2% of residents fully vaccinated (as of 4/23/21). You can help us reach more residents by joining neighbors this Saturday, May 1st for a Community Day of Action. We will go door to door to encourage residents to get vaccinated. Canvasses will start at 9am, 11am, and 1pm. You can RSVP and find more information here. 
  
The following Phase 2 modifications will also go into effect on May 1:  

• The indoor capacity limit for non-essential retail businesses will be raised to 50%.
• The number of people who can sit together at a table will be increased to 10 people. 
• Live music will be allowed outdoors for summer gardens, courtyard dining and sidewalk cafes. 
• If customers are sitting outside, alcohol sales can be made without a requirement to purchase food. 
• Multi-purpose facilities, concert venues, and theaters may open at 25% capacity. Attendees must remain seated. 
• Movie theaters can operate at up to 25% capacity/per auditorium.
• Weddings and special events allowed indoors and outdoors at 25% capacity.
• Attendees must remain seated and socially distanced. 
• Regional business meetings and seated conventions allowed indoors at 25% capacity. Attendees must remain seated and socially distanced. 
• Indoor fitness classes can include up to 25 people. 
• Gyms and fitness centers can operate at 50% capacity. 
• Public and private pools may open with health and safety plans in place; hotel pools may only open to overnight guests. 
• Outdoor splash pads will be able to open at full capacity.
• Places of worship may admit up to 40% of their capacity for the room(s) or area where worship services will be held. This total limit includes worshippers, not including clergy and staff.

On May 3: 

• The DC Public Library will add Saturday hours at its open locations. Operating hours will be Monday through Saturday, 10:00am – 6:00pm.

On June 1, the District will restart: 

• All parking enforcement
• Towing of vehicles violating parking zones
• Street sweeping and SWEEP enforcement 
• Vehicles must display valid DC registration and inspection stickers
• New tiered residential parking permit fees

There is a new four-month ticket amnesty program to give drivers the opportunity to pay outstanding tickets for parking, photo enforcement (including speed, red-light, and stop sign), and minor moving violations. Drivers eligible for the amnesty program are still obligated to pay the original ticket amount; however, any penalties will be waived. More information can be found at ticketamnesty.dc.gov.
  
School Year 2021-2022  
All public schools in Washington, DC will fully open for in-person learning, five days a week, with all educators back in the classroom. DCPS enrollment is open. DC Health is working with school leaders now to implement CDC guidelines for re-opening, and more information on individual school plans will be available soon. Last week I also inquired with the City Administrator as to what virtual options will remain available, for families who may not be ready to return in person. That information should be available soon. 

Resources  

StayDC  
The District is receiving $352 million in federal Emergency Rental assistance funds. StayDC is a financial assistance program for D.C. renters and housing providers who need support to cover housing and utility expenses and offset the loss of income. StayDC can cover back rent, upcoming rent, utility expenses, and extended support. Click here for more information or call 833-4-STAYDC. The success of this program is critical to preventing eviction, and I have been providing rigorous oversight of its implementation. If you have feedback on the program, please reply to this email to share it with me directly. If you know someone in need of rental assistance, please share the link or phone number with them. Assistance is available in multiple languages.  
  
DC HomeSaver Program  
The DC Housing Finance Authority has temporarily reopened the HomeSaver program through May 14 to help DC homeowners who are behind on their mortgage or other housing payments. Apply here. 
  
Utility Bills  
Washington Gas is offering payment assistance and flexible payment options through the Washington Gas Cares program. More information here.  
  
DC HealthLink   
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (American Rescue Plan) lowers health insurance premiums. For DC residents, the American Rescue Plan reduces premiums for health insurance through DC Health Link, provides health insurance for as little as $2/month to people who lost their jobs, and pays for 100% of COBRA premiums for laid-off workers. More information here. 
  
Restaurant Revitalization Fund  
The U.S. Small Business Administration released information about applying for the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which will provide emergency assistance to eligible restaurants, bars, and other qualifying businesses impacted by COVID-19. The program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business. More information here.  
  
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance from FEMA  
FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. More information here. 
  

Constituent Services 

If you need assistance accessing any of the resources listed above, please reach out! Our office has resolved more than 500 constituent cases since January. We are here to help. 
  
I recently relaunched Brianne on Your Block office hours in person at Sarah’s Circle. The residents at Sarah’s Circle were vaccinated back in January, so we set up right outside of their building so that our senior neighbors could stop by and chat. I look forward to fully relaunching Brianne on Your Block in person soon. 
  
 

This past weekend, my team was at Columbia Heights Education Campus helping families with language barriers enroll students for the upcoming school year. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in future volunteer opportunities.  

  
It was great seeing so many of you at Share A Seed’s event with Ward 1 Mutual Aid at the Euclid Street Community Garden. I hope to see more of you very soon!