Promises Made, Promises Kept

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC RESPONSE

PROMISE MADE: Lead an effective and equitable response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

PROMISE KEPT:

  • Aggressively pursued the earliest possible vaccinations for educators, critical Arlington Public Schools staff, and essential workers.

  • Successfully lobbied the General Assembly to authorize additional unallocated state funding streams for COVID response for public education, public safety, human services, transportation, and other core services.

  • Voted to provide over $7 million in rent support to keep 2700 households from being evicted due to COVID and job loss.

  • Emphasized registering people through Vaccine Equity Partnerships with the Arlington Free Clinic and Neighborhood Health and advocated for targeted outreach and vaccination efforts in hard-to-reach communities.

  • Introduced virtual COVID Townhalls in Spanish that provided education and information and answered questions on testing, COVID-19 prevention, and vaccination.

  • Worked on the ground with CVC partners and community activists to register hard-to-reach Arlington families for the COVID-19 vaccine, addressing many in their native languages.

PROMISE MADE: Provide Small Business Support and Economic Relief

PROMISE KEPT:

  • Advocated for emergency financial and technical assistance for 393 small businesses through the G.R.A.N.T. program and expanded that into the Re-Launch program to provide a lifeline for additional small businesses.

  • Provided FY22 budget guidance for a second round of G.R.A.N.T. funding and a transition to a revolving Arlington Small Business Microloan Program to support small businesses during the pandemic recovery and beyond.

  • Assisted small business owners, BIDS, and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce in complying with and expanding the Temporary Outdoor Seating ordinance.

  • Supported $216K in emergency Arts Grants to 23 organizations.

PROMISE MADE: Deliver quality constituent services during COVID-19

PROMISE KEPT:

  • Supported an accelerated-but-safe re-opening of the Shirlington and Westover libraries.

  • Continues to advocate for library staff re-hires necessary to allow additional hours for safe browsing and additional library re-openings.

  • Opened the new Lubber Run Community Center first as a third vaccination site, and soon-after as a full-service Community Center.

KEY VOTES

  • Voted to accept $382,489 additional funds for Housing and Urban Development Housing Choice Voucher activities in the FY2021 CARES Act, including funding the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment and cleaning and medical supplies; providing supportive services to families and incentives for owners, and more supportive services for Housing Choice Vouchers staff.

  • Voted for sustained emergency appropriations for rent relief and eviction prevention. Invested over $7.2M to keep 2,700 moderate- and low-income households in safe and stable housing. In addition, pursued financial support that provided food to more than 4,100 families.

  • Voted to approve a new Food Security Coordinator position in the Department of Human Services and the start of a pilot program to distribute grocery gift cards to families experiencing food insecurity due to the pandemic through the County’s non-profit network.

  • Voted to raise the income cap for the County’s Grocery Card Pilot Program. The new cap is $52,400 for a family of 4, i.e., 200% of the federal poverty level of $26,200.

  • Voted to accept a $140,000 Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Emergency COVID-19 grant to support 2 full-time peer recovery specialists.

  • Voted to accept a $240,665 rapid response grant from the Virginia Community College System to prevent and/or respond to layoffs at the Washington Reagan National Airport. Arlington will administer the grant, which will support residents and businesses in Arlington and Alexandria.

  • Voted to approve five satellite offices to enable early voting for the November 3, 2020 presidential election and the provision of safe ballot-boxes to ensure safe early and absentee voting

  • Voted to provide $500,000 of additional funding to Arlington Public Schools to purchase broadband subscriptions for students in households with no or limited broadband access. 

  • Voted to fund and deploy additional public internet hotspots to support families and students in areas with prevalent low- and moderate-income households and low broadband penetration.