At First Vote, Council Budget Leaves Vulnerable Residents’ Lives Hanging in the Balance
DC Council gave initial approval to a fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget that makes improvements over Mayor Bowser’s proposal but as a whole fails to provide vulnerable residents shelter from the coming storm.
Double Standard of Evidence for Economic Development Incentives Comes at the Expense of Residents’ Wellbeing and a Stronger Economy
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Undocumented Immigrants Make DC’s Tax Base More Resilient
As the Mayor and the federal government escalate attacks on immigrants, DC should not overlook the many ways these residents contribute to the communities they live in and the local economy, including through their tax contributions toward DC’s shared […]
Federal Layoffs Increase DC Unemployment and Threaten to Exacerbate Racial Inequity
DC’s unemployment numbers are beginning to reflect the harm of the cuts to the federal government. The District’s unemployment rate rose to 5.8 percent in April 2025 from 5.3 percent just a few months ago in December 2024, according to BLS data.
A First Look at the Mayor’s Budget: An Inequality Agenda
Just as DC is set to enter a local recession and Congress is advancing historic cuts to health coverage and food assistance, Mayor Bowser proposed a fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget and financial plan that abandons residents with the fewest resources to fend for […]
Raising Revenue Is An Urgent and Practical Approach to Reducing the Harm of DC’s Recession
DC lawmakers need a balanced approach to the recession that includes raising revenue to minimize budget cuts
US House Details its Cruel Plan to Take Food and Health Care from the Poor to Give to the Rich
The US House Budget Committee punted on a vote today to very literally take from people who are poor to give to the rich—a plan which, if successful, will do massive damage to the health and well-being of people, communities, and economies all across the […]
Mayor’s Economic Playbook Full of Disproven Ideas that Could Worsen Inequality
Mayor Bowser’s new economic agenda funnels more than $1 billion to the corporate class and doubles down on ineffective strategies while stripping away legal protections for tenants and wages for workers.
Raising Revenue Could Help Stabilize DC’s Credit Ratings
This week, Moody’s Ratings downgraded slightly DC’s triple A bond status. In the face of federal threats and slowing revenue growth, DC lawmakers should make use of a key policy tool well within their control—the ability to raise revenue.
Nearly Half of All Renters and More Than Half of Black Renters in DC Struggle to Afford Rent
An estimated 44.7 percent of District renters are “rent burdened,” meaning they pay more than 30 percent of their gross income to rent according to one-year estimates from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). Rent burden among renters […]
