Poverty behind COVID’s disproportionate impact on Blacks
Wiith a minimum wage of $15.20 an hour, many Black DC residents can’t afford housing, as rent rates increase faster than working-class incomes, according to DCFPI.
Wiith a minimum wage of $15.20 an hour, many Black DC residents can’t afford housing, as rent rates increase faster than working-class incomes, according to DCFPI.
Nikki will lead DCFPI’s work to ensure that public debate about DC’s economy is informed by the research and analysis of policy experts. She brings to her role more than a decade of experience in content creation and communications for social change.
Michael joined the team at DCFPI in August 2021 and will work with the policy team to advance our research in various issue areas such as education, income & poverty, and cannabis policy.
Tazra Mitchell, policy director at the DCFPI, pointed to the changes made to the EITC with this amendment as a significant achievement. “I don’t believe any other state in the nation has a tax credit that’s worth 100% of the federal EITC.”
Tazra Mitchell, the policy director at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, said “this year’s budget is one of the most important in D.C. history.”
The DC Council passed a final vote on the city’s 2022 budget Tuesday, but not without some last-minute debate and changes — notably, an amendment that would significantly boost monthly tax credits for low-income families in the coming years.
Erica Williams, ED of DCFPI, said the two groups have a lot of work to do to address deep inequalities in the city. Williams said the budget amendment will also provide housing vouchers & raise the local EITC, a boost she says will benefit Black women.
All this has led advocates for excluded worker support like DC Fiscal Policy Institute’s Senior Policy Analyst Doni Crawford to question the zero-sum approach that politicians take when it comes to this cause.
“With a modest tax increase on D.C.’s wealthiest residents, the council will raise over $170 million each year by fiscal year 2025 to help dismantle structural barriers to opportunity for Black and Brown communities and those living on low incomes,”