Emergency Response to COVID-19
We need your help to extend a helping hand to the most vulnerable people in our community in this time of crisis. The DC Council will be voting on legislation tomorrow (Tuesday) 10am at its first ever virtual meeting, and we need to make sure that they do everything possible to protect our vulnerable neighbors. [Register to watch the DC Council meeting]. There are some folks who need urgent assistance:
EXCLUDED WORKERS: these are the workers who don’t qualify for federal government assistance or unemployment insurance. They include undocumented workers, domestic workers, day laborers, sex worker, street vendors, etc. Councilmember Elissa Silverman has led the effort to allocate $5 million in cash assistance for excluded workers. She was expecting that provision to be included in the emergency legislation that the Council will vote on tomorrow. But Chairman Mendelson has pulled it from the bill citing financial constraints.
TENANTS: The D.C. Council’s new emergency legislation for Tuesday has a gaping loophole for residential landlords that leaves tenants living in group houses, condos and basement suites out in the cold. Provision 202 allows deferred mortgage payments for owners, and mandates that owners approved for deferment must pass on this benefit proportionally to tenants. But while commercial landlords have to pass on the benefit to tenants, residential landlords are not required to comply. We need to expand Provision 202 to include residential landlords. Thank you to Janeese Lewis George for championing this issue!
JUNE ELECTIONS: ensure we have safe and fair elections in June through universally accessible vote by mail
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Please ACT TODAY to put maximum pressure on the Council before they meet tomorrow.
Use DC Jobs with Justice’ platform to send an email to your Councilmembers (please add a note about tenant relief, e.g. “Provide relief to tenants with residential landlords by closing the loopholes in Provision 202)
Tweet your Councilmembers (see sample tweets below or retweet @dc4d’s tweets)
If you’re not on Twitter, write a short note, take a picture of it and email it to us at dcfordemocracy@gmail.com or post to our Facebook group. We’ll tweet it using the @dc4d account
Instagram: use these graphics
Sign the petition for Safe & Fair Elections
