WIN 2012 Action and Results

In 2012, WIN renewed its efforts to engage voters in the pews, at community centers and through door knocking with a goal of engaging tens thousands of voters around the WIN agenda.  WIN trained hundreds of leaders, invested in its online organizing infrastructure – obtaining the most modern online voter engagement databases and tools in existence – and won concrete victories along the way.  Below is a summary of some of the concrete victories that WIN leaders will build upon as we organize to invest in a DC of the future where everyone can afford to live, we have a modern and green infrastructure, careers for all, and we raise our children to live up to their God-given potential.  

INVESTING IN A DC OF THE FUTURE: CAREERS FOR ALL

There is work to be done to upgrade and green our infrastructure to make DC a thriving city of the future.  This work creates an opportunity to address the poverty created by unemployment rates that exceed 25% in many of our communities. In 2012 WIN organized to create a link between needed infrastructure and living wage jobs for unemployed DC residents. DC STORMWATER GREEN JOB CREATION – The District’s water and sewer system was by and large created over a century ago and must be greened and modernized to take us into the future.  During every heavy rain raw sewage is released polluting our rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.  DC Water is spending $2.6 billion of money collected from DC Water costumers to tackle the pollution created by storm water abatement over the next decade have a positive impact on both our environment and could create up to 3,500 jobs.  WIN is organizing to ensure that this massive infrastructure project can address unemployment in DC.  In 2012 WIN trained 150 leaders on the promise and politics of water infrastructure, met with DC Water, elected officials, environmentalists, organizations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and built a base of thousands of voters for a greener watershed and jobs for our residents. DC needs to invest in modern infrastructure while providing careers for its residents.  The campaign builds upon WIN’s success greening 100+ low income residents homes decreasing their fuel bills, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and employing DC residents.  The same organizing base and ideas can apply to transportation, public facilities, and other modernization to make DC a City of the Future that provides careers for all.

INVESTING IN A DC OF THE FUTURE:  A HOME FOR ALL

In 2012, WIN built housing, our members dedicated their own land to build housing, as well as continued to organize for the political will to ensure public land and dollars are also dedicated to making DC an affordable place for all to live. WIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE 2012

LAND AND $ ALLOCATED – Capitol Commons secured public land and federal funding for 121 units, half affordable and half permanent supportive housing in Ward 6. PREDEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY – Covenant Full Potential Center 45 units of affordable senior housing and non-profit space to serve the ward 8 community.

INCREASED PUBLIC FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

On December 2011 WIN held a 2000+ person action representing over 65 organizations with 5 councilmembers.  This laid the groundwork for follow-up and action during the budget season.  WIN was one of the many worthy organizations (such as CNHED, Fair Budget Coalition etc) who made our voices heard for affordable housing paving the way for increased public investment in the Housing Production Trust Fund, Local Rent Supplement, and housing first funding for the chronically homeless.  These programs essential to increasing the number of people with access to housing they can afford. Community Benefits for Displaced Residents Ward 1 Churches won Community Benefit from the DC USA Parking Garage to allow displaced residents to continue attending their home congregations  

INVESTING IN A DC OF THE FUTURE: OUR CHILDREN

WIN is organizing to ensure that the life chances of a 25 year old who grew up in DC are the same as the life changes of a 25 year old who moves to DC from another part of the country to pursue the American dream.  DC can be a place of opportunity for all.

MAKING A HOME FOR HOMELESS YOUTH

There are 3,000 youth between the ages of 16-24 who experience homelessness every year in the District.  On any given night an average of 250+ homeless youth are turned away from needed services.  In 2012 WIN lead by its members Covenant House DC, Latin American Youth Center, and Sasha Bruce, and joined with allies the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DC AYA), to create policy recommendations to provide the services, shelter, and access to education and careers needed to help youth build a bright future, despite the hardship they face today. This year we organized to engage the DC city council, the Deputy Mayor for Human Services, the Department of Human Services, the Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness. In response to WIN’s demand, the DC Council included $1.7 million to provide wrap around services and shelter to 35 additional youth as number 5 on the revenue contingency list to be funded in case of a surplus.  In light of the recently announced budget surplus of $400+ million it is time to organize for follow-through on those promises. SAFE PUBLIC SPACES TO LEARN & PLAY – WIN is organizing to ensure that DC in public places where youth can learn, play and be safe. This year saw several successes

DOWNTOWN PLAYSPACE – Organizing won $500,000 of public funds for much needed for the many children who live, go to school, attend day care, or visit downtown. Leaders MD Dream Act Members of WIN. in coordination with our sister organization AIM (Action in Montgomery [County]) identified, trained, and mobilized Maryland residents from our DC organizations to help pass a law granting in-state tuition for undocumented youth, giving thousands of young people access to an affordable education at public universities and colleges. SAFE PASSAGE TO SCHOOL.  After gun violence along Georgia Avenue in NW DC, WIN organized local schools, churches and neighborhood organizations to win additional support from the police in the Fourth District during peak student travel time, protecting the safety of over 1000 young people as they walk to and from school.