Executive Summary The District of Columbia can use its economic development efforts to stem the tide of the city’s rising income inequality, but it is failing to do so. Instead, the District’s economic development efforts—including the enormous Wharf project—often...
Ilana Boivie
Recent posts by Ilana Boivie
The Universal Paid Leave Act Makes the Most Sense for Workers, Employers, and Taxpayers
by Ilana Boivie
Alternative bills offer fewer safeguards for workers and create more burdens for businesses The Universal Paid Leave Act (UPLA) passed last year by the DC Council guarantees that people who work in DC can take time off from work, with pay, when they need to be with a...
DC Should Not “Repeal and Replace” Paid Family and Medical Leave
by Ilana Boivie
DC’s paid family and medical leave program, adopted last year, is based on a proven model used in other states, with many strong features: a transparent system for workers, minimal administrative burden on employers, and low overhead costs. Yet before it even has a...
Testimony of Ilana Boivie, Senior Policy Analyst, At the Committee on Labor & Workforce Development Public Hearing on B22-401, Workforce Development System Transparency Act of 2017
by Ilana Boivie
Chairperson Silverman and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ilana Boivie and I am a senior policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI promotes budget and policy choices to expand economic opportunity for...
This Labor Day, a Reminder that Not Everyone in DC Has Access to a Good Job
by Ilana Boivie
In many ways, the District of Columbia is an economic powerhouse, with the fastest job growth in the region and lots of jobs with good wages. But that is not the way the DC economy looks to everyone. Many Black residents remain out of work despite actively...
Testimony of Ilana Boivie at the FY 2016 Performance Oversight Hearing for the Deputy Mayor for Education
by Ilana Boivie
Chairman Grosso and members of the Committee on Education, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Ilana Boivie, and I am the Senior Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI is a non-profit organization that promotes opportunity and...
What’s In the Approved Fiscal Year 2018 Budget for Employment and Training?
by Ilana Boivie
The FY 2018 Budget Decreases Funding Slightly for Workforce Development Programs The Department of Employment Services (DOES) is a major source of job search, training, and placement programs for unemployed or underemployed adult District residents, as well as for DC...
On July 1, a Raise for DC Workers Who Need it the Most!
by Ilana Boivie
Last Friday DC’s minimum wage increased to $12.50 per hour, a step on the path to reach $15 an hour by 2020. The latest increase is good news for thousands of workers who have already seen their wages grow as a result of minimum wage increases in recent years. Raising...
DC’s Smart New Investment In Transportation Assistance for Adult Learners
by Ilana Boivie
Next year, DC residents in adult education programs won’t have to worry about whether they have bus fare to get to and from class, because the just-passed DC budget includes money to let them use public transportation for free. Thousands of vulnerable residents will...
With Paid Family Leave Fully Funded, It’s Time to Move Swiftly to Implement It
by Ilana Boivie
The budget adopted last week by the DC Council will provide the funding needed to implement DC’s new paid family and medical leave law. This means the DC government can—and should—start moving forward, so that that workers can begin receiving benefits in 2020 as...
Economic Powerhouse: DC is Growing Faster than the Region
by Ilana Boivie
The DC economy is strong and increasingly diverse, with impressive improvements in a number of indicators over the past decade. The District is now a clear engine of economic vitality in the region, with the city outperforming the rest of the region in many ways. The...
Testimony of Ilana Boivie at the Budget Oversight Hearing for the FY 2018 Local Budget Act of 2017, DC Council Committee of the Whole
by Ilana Boivie
Chairperson Mendelson and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ilana Boivie and I am the senior policy analyst of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI promotes budget and policy choices to expand economic opportunity...
Testimony of Ilana Boivie at the FY 2018 Budget Oversight Hearing for the Department of Employment Services, Workforce Investment Council, and Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity
by Ilana Boivie
Chairperson Silverman and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ilana Boivie and I am the senior policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI promotes budget and policy choices to expand economic opportunity...
Testimony of Ilana Boivie for the FY 2018 Budget Oversight Hearing for the DC Public Library
by Ilana Boivie
Chairperson Grosso and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony. My name is Ilana Boivie and I am the senior policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI promotes budget and policy choices to expand economic opportunity...
Adult Learners Should Have Access to Kids Ride Free
by Ilana Boivie
The District’s signature “Kids Ride Free” program was created to make sure that public school students can get to class without worrying about the cost. This great program is only open to “kids,” though, not to adults in education classes who need the same help to...
Testimony of Ilana Boivie at the FY 2018 Budget Oversight Hearing for the DC Department of Transportation
by Ilana Boivie
Chairperson Cheh and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ilana Boivie and I am the senior policy analyst of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI promotes budget and policy choices to expand economic opportunity and...
Here’s Why Workers Need Paid Family Leave ASAP
by Ilana Boivie
Maya Warren recently had a baby via C-section and was back to work just eight days later—because she couldn’t afford to take time off. Her story is a powerful reminder of how urgent it is to get DC’s paid family and medical leave program underway. With paid leave, Ms....
Testimony of Ilana Boivie at the FY 2018 Budget Oversight Hearing for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, DC Council Committee on Finance & Revenue
by Ilana Boivie
Chairman Evans and members of the Committee on Finance & Revenue, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Ilana Boivie, and I am the Senior Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI is a non-profit organization that promotes...
Testimony of Ilana Boivie at the Hearing on Strategies to Improve Employment Outcomes for District Youth, DC Council Committee on Workforce
by Ilana Boivie
Chairperson Silverman and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ilana Boivie, and I am the senior policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI promotes budget and policy choices to expand economic opportunity...
A Surprisingly Simple Way to Improve DC Job Training: Transportation Aid So Students Can Get to Class
by Ilana Boivie
DC residents who try to improve their job prospects by participating in adult education programs find that transportation costs—usually bus fare—often keeps them from completing their programs and fulfilling their dreams. The recent announcement that Metro bus and...