Accomplishments
NEIGHBORHOODS FIRST
2002 WIN launched the Neighborhood Investment Campaign on July 29th, before 800 leaders. Mayor Anthony Williams and 9 City Council members agreed to establish a $200 million Neighborhood Investment Fund to revitalize 6 DC neighborhoods.
In December, WIN, Mayor Williams, City Council Chair Linda Cropp, and Tax and Revenue Committee Chair Jack Evens announced a partnership to capitalize the $200 million Neighborhood Investment Fund.
2003 WIN leaders identified investment priorities in 9 neighborhoods, and worked with Council member Jack Evans to pass legislation dedicating 15% of personal property tax paid by the city’s largest businesses to capitalize a $100 million Neighborhood Investment Fund. More than 100 WIN leaders wearing blue “Neighborhoods First” t-shirts packed the Council hearing room on three occasions.
WIN led the fight against the Mayor’s plan to spend $400 million to build a new baseball stadium to persuade the Montreal Expos to DC. Because of WIN organizing, the council finance and Revenue Committee rejected the Mayor’s $400 million subsidy proposal and embraced WIN’s plan to create a $200 million Neighborhood Investment Fund.
2004 WIN secured $550 million to rebuild DC neighborhoods.
In January, the DC Council voted unanimously on legislation introduced by Councilmember Evans to create a $100 million Neighborhood Investment Fund, dedicated to the revitalization of 9 target neighborhoods where WIN had organized.. Councilmembers Allen (Ward 8) and Ambrose (Ward 6) amended the legislation adding three neighborhoods (Bellevue and Congress Heights in Ward 8 and H Street, Ward 6), bringing the number of target neighborhoods to twelve.
In March, 500 WIN leaders rallied at Paramount Baptist Church to celebrate the commitments of Council Chair Cropp and Councilmember Jack Evans to seek $200 million for a Neighborhood Investment Fund and announced WIN’s intention to raise the bar to $1 billion dollars. WIN looked to secure $500 million through applying Tax Increment Financing on development related to Anacostia Waterfront Initiative.
In December, the council created the $450 million Community Benefits Fund to finance library and infrastructure repairs in the city’s poorest neighborhoods using revenue from a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district in the area to be redeveloped around the new baseball stadium. WIN secured this fund by fighting for an equivalent investment in neighborhoods if the city committed to funding a new baseball stadium.
2005 Raised private funds to hire The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), a nationally recognized community development financial institution to assist WIN in developing comprehensive plans in WIN neighborhoods to implements the $100 Neighborhood Investment Fund.
2006 WIN and TRF prepared neighborhood development strategy and an implementation plan for city officials
WIN negotiated with the city for allocation of the first $20 million for NIF in FY in FY 2006. This appropriation included funds for a variety of school, recreation and other neighborhood improvements and funds to establish a $20 million Land Acquisition and Planning Fund to acquire property and start development in target neighborhoods, managed by The Reinvestment Fund.
2007 WIN leaders secured an additional $104 million for New Neighborhood Investments in the FY 2008 budget, and $468 million Affordable Housing Fund for FY 2009 – FY 2012, bringing the city’s total neighborhoods first commitment to $1.22 billion.
VOTE NEIGHBORHOODS FIRST
2006 NEIGHBORHOODS FIRST becomes VOTE NEIGHBORHODS FIRST. WIN organized a non-partisan Vote Neighborhoods First Get-Out-the-Vote efforts for the Mayoral and Council elections.
After nearly one year of planning, WIN announces its VOTE Neighborhoods First Campaign before 850 leaders at Asbury United Methodist Church in May. This campaign focused on the question, “Who Will This City Be For?” More than 800 WIN leaders met with all of the mayoral candidates in May, asking them to commit to WIN’s $1 billion VOTE Neighborhoods First Campaign agenda, while at the same time introducing the candidates to WIN’s 400 leader blue army that would walk precincts across the city informing residents of the mayoral candidates commitment and encouraging them to “VOTE Neighborhoods First.”
In June on the hottest day of the year, WIN’s 400 leader blue army embarked on the first of city-wide precinct walk action to educate voters and encourage them to “VOTE Neighborhoods First.”
In July at Mt Lebanon Baptist Church, next to Dunbar High School, 300 WIN leaders met with At-large DC Council candidates, successfully seeking their public commitment to WIN’s “VOTE Neighborhoods First Campaign” agenda. With Dunbar students and coaches present, WIN demanded an initial investment in DC Public High Schools, starting with fixing the condemned track and dilapidated athletic facilities and Dunbar and several other high schools.
In August, after WIN’s 400 leaders walked neighborhoods around their churches, WIN completed its second city-wide precinct walk.
During the week prior to the September primary election, WIN leaders conducted a phone bank, calling registered voters whom they visited during precinct walks, reminding them to go to the polls and “VOTE Neighborhoods First.” On election day, WIN’s blue army was out in force again, calling, meeting voters at polling places and assisting voters to get to the polls. The result of WIN’s VOTE Neighborhoods First Campaign - Raised voter turnout in 27 target precincts an average of 15.15%, while citywide turnout only increased 5.56% over 2002.
2007 As a result of WIN’s political victories, Mayor Adrian Fenty and his Deputy Mayor for Planning and economic Development Neil Albert meet with WIN leaders monthly to develop short- and long-term plans to fulfill the mayor’s commitments to WIN.
In March, Mayor Fenty met with 850 WIN leaders at Asbury United Methodist Church, his first public meeting with WIN since winning the election and publicly restates his commitment to the people’s agenda, WIN’s $1 billion VOTE Neighborhoods First Campaign agenda and submitted a written report to the assembly on how he would keep the commitment.
In June, Mayor Fenty comes to Dunbar with Superintendent Janey and Allen Lew to announce his first action toward fulfilling the $350 million investment in youth part of WIN’s VOTE Neighborhoods First agenda, $21.5 million to renovate athletic facilities at six DC high schools before the start of the 2007 – 8 school year.
In July, before 600 leaders at Covenant Baptist Church and Councilmember Barry, Mayor Fenty submitted his second accountability report, outlining his plan to identify $117 million per year during his administration to fulfill the housing requirements of WIN’s VOTE Neighborhoods First agenda.
Before 600 leaders at First Rock Baptist Church, Mayor Fenty submits his third accountability report, outlining improvements to housing code violation enforcement, identifying Nehemiah affordable housing sites and outlining funds for Neighborhood Investment Fund projects in three target neighborhoods.
2008 WIN continues to work with Mayor Fenty and DC Councilmembers to implement WIN’s $1 billion VOTE Neighborhoods First agenda.
Mayor Fenty submits his fourth accountability report to 300 WIN leaders and Councilmember Bowser at the Emory United Methodist Church, stating his commitment to preserve affordable housing at Parkway Overlook, providing additional details on Nehemiah affordable housing sites around the city and outlining his commitment to deliver 2500 units of permanent supportive housing and his response plan to eliminate homelessness.
