Government

Bowser First Woman Mayor to Be Sworn in to Second Term

THE AFRO — It was a spirited morning as Mayor Muriel Bowser, and several members of the D.C. Council were sworn in as part of several #DCProud2019 events last week.

Published

5 years ago

January 9, 2019

Oakland Post

By George Kevin Jordan

It was a spirited morning as Mayor Muriel Bowser, and several members of the D.C. Council were sworn in as part of several #DCProud2019 events last week.

“Today I follow in the footsteps of Marion Barry and Anthony Williams and take this oath for a second time,” Bowser said to a round of applause, as the first woman in D.C. history to be sworn into a second term. “I do not view a second term as a chance to warm the seat. But to think and act boldly as we work together to take on our toughest challenges.”

Hundreds of residents and government workers gathered at the Walter E. Washington Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, DC 20001, to watch their elected officials take oaths of office to D.C.

Also being sworn in were: Brianne K. Nadeau (Ward 1), Mary M. Cheh (Ward 3), Kenyan R. McDuffie (Ward 5), Charles Allen (Ward 6), Elissa Silverman (At-Large) Anita D. Bonds (At-Large) and Phil Mendelson (Chairman). This was the first time since 2002 that all D.C. Council members were reelected, according to Mendelson.

The Honorable Karl A. Racine was also sworn into office for another term as the District’s first and at this point only Attorney General, having first been elected to the new position in 2015.

Rock Newman, executive producer and host of the Rock Newman Show on WHUT TV, presided as the master of ceremonies. He introduced the mayor as “a sister of the soul, born here, reared here. Someone who loves the city and is attempting to make it a place where all feel lifted and abundantly cared for.”

Bowser’s oath was administered by the Honorable Anna Blackburne Rigsby, chief judge, D.C.’s Court of Appeals.

With her first term firmly behind her Bowser pointed out some of the city’s many accomplishments like a balanced budget and Triple A Bond rating as signs of progress for the city. The mayor added that work still needs to be done.

“We are only as strong as a city as a ward that struggles the most,” Bowser said. “You cannot represent the District of Columbia as a whole and not reflect that in your words, actions and budget decisions.”

“You cannot lead with the District of Columbia as a whole without placing yourself at the footsteps of the immigrant living in daily fear, as the Trans woman that lives constantly with the thought that nobody cares about her life or her safety. Or the person of faith concerned about bombings or shootings in his or her synagogue or church.”

Among the key initiatives to be pushed in 2019 will be the fight for D.C. to become the 51st State in the U.S.

“We went to a tower in New York and to the oval office to tell them who we are, that we pay our own way and we want control of federal land in Washington D.C.,” Bowser said. “D.C. demands statehood now.”

“In 2016 you voted overwhelmingly to create our new constitution, boundaries and form a representative government. And my eyes have not seen nor have my ears heard any reason to stop fighting until we receive D.C. statehood and we’re going to start in a Democratic House.”

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton echoed that agenda earlier in the ceremony.

“If you pay taxes you deserve a vote on those taxes,” Norton said. “No taxation without representation. We’ll test the founder’s principle by demanding a vote on statehood for the D.C.”

Bowser said one of her biggest goals in the next term was “a relentless commitment to a fair shot for every D.C. resident period.”

That idea of “fair shot” meant several things, from reducing the spike in the city’s murder rate, closing the income disparity gap and affordable housing and better education for all.

Wanda Gattison, who works as a public information officer for the Office of Unified Communications in Ward 8 was excited to support the mayor’s efforts in the city.

“I’m here to support the mayor of course,” Gattison said. “I am so excited, as a woman. I’m so proud she was elected for a second term. I think that’s an amazing accomplishment.”

“I’m excited to see women and particularly young women doing so well.”’

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

15 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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Bay Area

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Mayor London Breed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

HUD’s Continuum of Care grant will support the City’s range of critical services and programs, including permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and improved access to housing for survivors of domestic violence

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is designed to support local programs with the goal of ending homelessness for individuals, families, and Transitional Age Youth.

This funding supports the city’s ongoing efforts that have helped more than 15,000 people exit homelessness since 2018 through City programs including direct housing placements and relocation assistance. During that time San Francisco has also increased housing slots by 50%. San Francisco has the most permanent supportive housing of any county in the Bay Area, and the second most slots per capita than any city in the country.

“In San Francisco, we have worked aggressively to increase housing, shelter, and services for people experiencing homelessness, and we are building on these efforts every day,” said Mayor London Breed. “Every day our encampment outreach workers are going out to bring people indoors and our City workers are connecting people to housing and shelter. This support from the federal government is critical and will allow us to serve people in need and address encampments in our neighborhoods.”

The funding towards supporting the renewal projects in San Francisco include financial support for a mix of permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and transitional housing projects. In addition, the CoC award will support Coordinated Entry projects to centralize the City’s various efforts to address homelessness. This includes $2.1 million in funding for the Coordinated Entry system to improve access to housing for youth and survivors of domestic violence.

“This is a good day for San Francisco,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a diversity of programs and projects that have helped people to stabilize in our community. This funding is a testament to our work and the work of our nonprofit partners.”

The 2024 Continuum of Care Renewal Awards Include:

$42.2 million for 29 renewal PSH projects that serve chronically homeless, veterans, and youth
$318,000 for one new PSH project, which will provide 98 affordable homes for low-income seniors in the Richmond District
$445,00 for one Transitional Housing (TH) project serving youth
$6.4 million dedicated to four Rapid Rehousing (RRH) projects that serve families, youth, and survivors of domestic violence
$750,00 for two Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) projects
$2.1 million for three Coordinated Entry projects that serve families, youth, chronically homeless, and survivors of domestic violence

In addition, the 2023 CoC Planning Grant, now increased to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000, was also approved. Planning grants are submitted non-competitively and may be used to carry out the duties of operating a CoC, such as system evaluation and planning, monitoring, project and system performance improvement, providing trainings, partner collaborations, and conducting the PIT Count.

“We are very appreciative of HUD’s support in fulfilling our funding request for these critically important projects for San Francisco that help so many people trying to exit homelessness,” said Del Seymour, co-chair of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “This funding will make a real difference to people seeking services and support in their journey out of homelessness.”

In comparison to last year’s competition, this represents a $770,000 increase in funding, due to a new PSH project that was funded, an increase in some unit type Fair Market Rents (FMRs) and the larger CoC Planning Grant. In a year where more projects had to compete nationally against other communities, this represents a significant increase.

Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $3.16 billion for over 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs including new projects and renewals across the United States.