It’s been roughly a year since the coronavirus worldwide outbreak. Since this catastrophe — which has seen more than 110 million cases worldwide — began, the United States federal government has issued two rounds of economic impact payments to its taxpayers. The first relief package, issued starting in April 2020, consisted of $1,200 for those with an income of $75,000 or less; $2,400 for married couples whose income is $150,000 or less; and $1,200 for heads of household whose income is $112,500 or less.

Later last year, a second act, The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, authorized another payment for Americans: up to $600 per adult and up to $600 for each qualifying child. The checks came later than expected, after former President Donald Trump held up the bill, demanding the amount of each payment be raised to $2,000. He eventually signed off on the $600 checks.

The payments came during a tough year for Washingtonians, who live in a city that has seen massive job losses due to the pandemic and is currently experiencing one of the highest rates of gentrification in the country. Wards 7 and 8 have the lowest grossing median household incomes in D.C.: about $34,000 in Ward 8 and about $41,000 in Ward 7, according to data collected between 2014-2018. We asked residents in Wards 7 and 8 to share their thoughts on the economic impact — if any — of the stimulus payment. Here’s what they had to say.

Brandy Naugher, Ward 7,  Fort Davis

The stimulus check is simply not enough. I have been blessed to maintain consistent employment through the pandemic and able to comfortably continue to homeschool my son. However, my heart aches for the working parents and other members of my community who are forced to make tough decisions given such a small amount of relief from the government. The lack of resources provided is directly related to the increase in both violent and non-violent crimes we have recently seen in the District. I’ve heard reports of people stealing basic necessities like bicycles and shovels from back porches — which is a clear indication of a community in need.

Britt Sankofa, Ward 7,  Marshall Heights

I did not receive the most recent stimulus check. I think it’s a bit embarrassing the amount that was given. I think that there has definitely been preparation for moments like this; I don’t think that we’re exhausting all that we had in place for a global pandemic such as this. For us to claim to be this large amazing country, it’s just embarrassing how we cheated ourselves. How this nation has treated us and the people who paid for it essentially. This is not a good representation of how they’re supposed to come through for us.

Timothy Hicks, Ward 8 

I have not received any of the stimulus checks. You have all of these Americans across the country that work in various jobs, various industries, and without these people these industries would not exist. The wages that the people get from their jobs is not enough. If that were fixed, possibly you wouldn’t need a government handout. Since we are in fact the people the government is supposed to serve, the government isn’t just there for themselves, the government is supposed to look out for us.

It shouldn’t be a debate about whether or not you’re going to pay people or how often you’re going to pay people or how much you’re going to pay people. Because when war or national security or national defense is an issue, millions upon billions upon trillions of dollars are spent at a moment’s notice just at the drop of a dime. I ultimately believe that we should be getting way more than we’re getting.

Again, if you can find the money when it’s necessary to destroy things, why can’t you find money for a situation like this where you have people losing their jobs, their businesses, you know what I mean? People with hospital bills that they’ve never had before because of what’s going on. People that have funeral expenses because of what’s going on. I think the government needs to correct its selfishness.

Jaha Booker, Ward 8, Anacostia Area

I received a stimulus check. I feel like the government owes us anyway. It’s not something that they’re giving us, it’s something that’s owed to us. To pay us something that’s ours, like we’re borrowing against our taxes anyway, like I mean you owe it to us and actually it should have been more. I don’t understand what the big fight is about giving it to us from the beginning. It’s ours, you owe us — period, you feel me? That little bit of money, it wasn’t nothing. People are trying to survive out here. The government owes us, it’s about survival.

I’m not talking about nobody else; I’m talking about Black survival. That’s just all of that in a nutshell. I paid my debt and put food in the crib, I still feel like it wasn’t enough. To give us a second stimulus check that was less than the first check — nah that’s just not cool. Some people had to pay back rent or whatever. The important thing is we get what’s ours without a big fucking fight from the government and that’s it.

Noelle Thomas, Ward 7

Yes, I received a stimulus check. It was helpful for me. I was able to invest. I saved some money. It was a little bit; it wasn’t a lot of money but it helped. I’m appreciative. Every little bit helps but it could have been more. I think at least $2,000 a month would be decent. That would help people play catch up, pay their bills, whether it’s rent, mortgage, or whatever. An ongoing $2,000 per month is better than a one-time payment. This should go on for about a year at least. I think that would really help people.

Jay Shepley, Ward 8, Martin Luther King Ave

The stimulus bills have not been creative enough. Coronavirus is not colorblind. The new stimulus shouldn’t be colorblind either. Black Washingtonians make up 75% of deaths [in D.C.] from COVID-19. You don’t have to look far to see the impacts around us in Ward 7 and 8.

They should be sure that the realities for families in our communities are accounted for in the relief package. If more people of color are being impacted, they should receive more relief. There aren’t any acceptable excuses for why that shouldn’t happen. In five, 10, or 20 years it is likely that people will look back on all of these stimulus packages and say that they are just another policy in a long like of policies that help white Americans amass generational wealth and are not considerate enough of the realities for communities of color.

I got my checks and I saved them and donated to some local organizations and supported Black businesses. But I’m fortunate to have a good job in the nonprofit sector and I benefit from white privilege. It’s not the case for many of my neighbors. The pulse on the street gets more desperate the longer this goes on.

For the first six months of the pandemic I saw two little kids out there every day selling hotdogs and hamburgers with a grill set up on South Capital and Atlantic. I admire their toughness and entrepreneurial spirit and they deserve a better way through this.

More Voices of Wards 7 and 8
Conflicting Feelings About The Return Of In-Person Learning
Frustration, But Not Surprise, After The Capitol Insurrection
Expectations For The Biden Administration