Mayor Bowser Releases 2020 Accountability Report

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser today released her 2020 Accountability Report, a comprehensive look at her Administration’s priorities for 2020 and beyond.

“In 2020, the challenge for all of us – at DC Government and for community leaders across the District – is to continue building a DC that is inclusive and diverse, a DC filled with opportunity,” said Mayor Bowser. “We have a lot to be proud of, but also a lot left to accomplish. We have housing to build, jobs to create, an environment to protect – and none of it can wait. I’m fortunate to have a strong team at my side, ready to tackle these issues with a sense of urgency, and to lead a community always ready and willing to get involved and support their neighbors.”

The report outlined areas the Bowser Administration has prioritized for her second term. Highlights from the report are included below.

Education

• After 11 consecutive years of growth at our public schools, DCPS has more than 50,000 students for the first time since 2006.
• According to the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, DC continues to be the fastest improving state in the nation and DCPS continues to be the fastest improving urban school district in the nation.
• This District hit a goal of funding 1,000 additional child care slots by 2020.

Jobs and Economic Development

• In Fiscal Year 2019, 599 DC residents successfully completed a training at the DC Infrastructure Academy.
• DOES partnered with the Department of Corrections to serve more than 260 residents at its Ready Center with counseling on community-based job opportunities.
• More than $890 million spent with local Small Business Enterprises in FY19.

Environment and Resiliency

• Mayor Bowser signed the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, codifying the District as the nation’s preeminent leader in clean energy and climate action by setting a mandate of 100% renewable electricity by the year 2032.
• DC ranked #1 park system in the nation and #1 in the nation for green roofs, with 4 million square feet and counting.
• Broke ground on the DC Power Line Undergrounding Project (PLUG), a joint $500 million, multi-year project.

Public Safety

• Funded more than 17,000 private security cameras citywide through the Private Security Camera Rebate Program.
• Invested $5 million to expand the Metropolitan Police Department crime cameras program by adding at least 140 cameras to the network – a 70% expansion of the existing network.
• Trained more than 70,000 residents and visitors through the District’s Hands on Hearts CPR program.

Statehood and Good Government

• On September 19, 2019, the Committee on Oversight and Reform held the first U.S. House of Representatives hearing on DC statehood in over 25 years.
• The Washington, DC Admission Act (H.R. 51 / S.631) now has 224 cosponsors in the House, including 221 voting members (4 more than needed to pass a vote), and 35 cosponsors in the Senate.
• Achieved a AAA bond rating for the District.

Health and Wellness

• More than 12,000 residents received supplemental groceries through Joyful Food Markets and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
• Announced that Whitman-Walker Health will build a state-of-the-art health center on St. Elizabeths East Campus to provide critical healthcare services East of the Anacostia River.
• Hosted the Second Annual Maternal and Infant Health Summit.

Housing and Homelessness

• In FY19, the Bowser Administration got $123 million from the Housing Production Trust Fund out the door and into projects that supported the creation or preservation of nearly 1,000 affordable homes.
• After closing DC General in 2018, the Bowser Administration opened five new short-term family housing sites and reduced the average length of stay in shelter to 90 days.
• Since Fall/Winter 2018- 2019, 948 families have exited shelter to permanent housing.

36,000 by 2025

• In 2019, Mayor Bowser set a goal to add 36,000 new homes in the District by 2025, once again making DC a regional leader on housing issues.
• With the release of the Mayor’s Housing Equity Report, Washington, DC became one of the first cities in the nation to create area-specific goals for affordable housing and dedicate an entire initiative to examining the barriers and opportunities within each area.
• In October, the Mayor release an updated Comprehensive Plan that sets a positive, long-term vision for the District.

Back to Basics

• Through the efforts of PaveDC, 100 miles of roads were paved in 2019 and nearly 80% of roads are now in good or excellent condition.
• Launched the Fair Shot Free Rides Taxi-to-Rail (T2R) program, which provides residents in neighborhoods East of the Anacostia River with free rides to Metro stations, grocery stores, libraries, and recreation centers.
• Created high-visibility, bus-only lanes along H and I Streets, NW during peak rush hours when up to 70 buses travel through these corridors every hour.

The Mayor’s 2020 Accountability Report can be found at accountability.dc.gov.