Within the last few years, D.C. lawmakers have made progress in decreasing the poverty rate in our nation’s capital by passing numerous progressive policies that have assisted residents, including investing in childhood education and expanding housing assistance. Recent analysis by the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute shows that the overall poverty rate in the district declined to 13.3% in 2022 from 16.5% in 2021. Although these figures are encouraging, more work is needed particularly to address the longstanding racial inequities for those who experience poverty in the District.

Despite some last-minute chaos, a late-night December 2024 Congressional deal finally authorized transfer of management of the RFK campus to the District. And President Biden’s signature on it this week officially cleared the way for the DC government to repurpose the largely vacant 174 acres into something more valuable and appealing.