Part Two: Getting Relief to Those Who Need It

Yesterday I wrote about shaping the District’s response to the COVID-19 crisis from the perspective of my background as an emergency preparedness planning specialist. The unprecedented steps we have taken are imperative to protect the health and well-being of our most vulnerable residents, regardless of their costs. There are, and will be, significant non-health costs, as well, that comes from closing child care centers, schools, canceling public events, and shuttering restaurants and taverns. There will be a severe economic hardship for small businesses and employees.

How we as a city rise to meet this challenge to take care of our valued employees and support our small businesses will say a lot about our priorities and our values. Now is the time to take bold action that puts money back in the hands of those who helped create the District’s current surplus.

The DC Council is expected to take up a package of emergency relief measures for small businesses and hourly workers on Tuesday (3/17). Here are some of the recommendations that I plan to submit to the Council. I hope the members will strongly consider adopting them:

Income support and guarantees for impacted workers. We must support our residents who work in the service industries and rely on sports, restaurant, events, and tourism business—23.8 million visitors generating $851 million in tax revenue—to make ends meet. The bill currently under consideration is a soft response to a potentially devastating threat. I believe that we must and can do more. The District should double the amount of weekly unemployment benefits for anyone who has been laid off as a result of the coronavirus and maintain that level of support until 30 days following the lifting of restrictions on public gathering.

Guarantees for residents. There are several provisions in the current bill that I can get behind and fully support, such as ensuring that people don’t lose public benefits, prohibiting evictions by landlords, preventing utilities from cutting off electric, gas and water services, and allowing doctors to authorize pharmacies to dispense additional doses of necessary medications.

Tax deferment for businesses. I will ask Council members to allow small businesses to defer 100 percent of their sales tax, property tax and Business Improvement District tax payments—which are due this month—with no penalty or interest until at least 90 days after the State of Emergency and Public Health Emergency are lifted. The 90 days provides for businesses to return to normal business operations before having to pay their taxes.

Grant program for loss of revenue. The proposed bill establishes a grant program that authorizes the Mayor to make grants to small businesses that have suffered economically. While I support the grant program, the DC Council must ensure that the bill will allow small businesses to recoup unrealized business losses. For instance, if a conference that was expected to generate $50,000 is canceled for the year, the grant program should allow the business to collect on the projected loss in revenue. The grant program should prioritize assistance to small businesses.

City agencies must focus their attention during the health emergency on making sure that organizations that serve vulnerable populations, such as nursing homes, and senior housing facilities are following sound protocols to ensure the safety of employees. Employees deserve to know that their employers have their backs if they are unable to come to work. City agencies must also act quickly to implement the relief measures that get enacted so that workers and small businesses can pay their rent and bills without delay.

After-action review: Once the crisis is over, we should ask our District government for a thorough and honest assessment of planning and implementation. How well did they plan? Did they train and practice? When was the last time they reviewed their plans?

Of course, the number one concern right now is the health of our residents. By taking action now and delivering on our promises, we can get ahead of a secondary crisis—severe economic hardship that will affect many residents and our city as a whole.

Please be safe, look after yourselves, your neighbors, and the elderly. Feel free to email me if you have feedback or new ideas on policies and actions the District can take.

—Chander