A committee of D.C. lawmakers says that providing internet access, offering Metro subsidies, and supporting downtown businesses will help the District recover from the pandemic, according to a report the group released today.

Their recommendations are focused on helping the people and neighborhoods most negatively affected by the pandemic, according to Councilmembers Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) and Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7), who chair the committee.

“It’s been well-documented how unevenly these past two years have hit our city and our country and the gap, which is really a chasm, that existed within the district before COVID-19 only grew deeper and grew wider,” Allen said at a press conference today announcing the plan. “Going back to normal isn’t an option, because normal wasn’t working out so well to begin with for so many people in our city.”

The Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery, which also includes Councilmembers Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), Robert White (D-At Large) and Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), will vote on its plan tomorrow. If it passes, there’s still a long road ahead, with the recommendations then moving to the full D.C. Council for consideration.

The plan includes 20 specific policies the committee believes will aid D.C.’s recovery. At today’s event, Allen highlighted six of them.

1. Establish and fund a credit program that will support small, local businesses competing with larger, national chains

As part of a broader goal of supporting the recovery of small businesses, the committee is recommending a new program that would provide low-interest loans, rent guarantees, and technical support to local business owners. The program would focus on helping D.C.-native, Black- and brown-owned businesses, which are underrepresented compared to the city’s population.

Citing data provided to them by the Urban Institute, the committee says that while 43 percent of the city’s residents are Black, only 12 percent of the city’s businesses are owned by Black residents. They add that Latinx business owners are similarly underrepresented — they own 1 percent of the city’s businesses but make up 11 percent of the population. Areas of the city that are majority-white also receive far more small-business loans than areas that are majority-Black, according to the plan.

2. Expand the monthly basic income program to include more low-income residents, including undocumented people

Last year, the D.C. Council voted to raise taxes on residents making more than $250,000 a year. The money will be partly used to fund a new program that will provide parents in need with a monthly basic income averaging around $250 per month. The special committee says that doesn’t go far enough and wants it to also include low-income people without children and undocumented residents.

A monthly basic income for low-income residents has already been tested and proven in the District, during a pilot program launched in 2020 that used charity funds to help families east of the Anacostia River. Starting last fall, the city of Alexandria began sending $500 debit cards monthly to families in need.

3. Provide all D.C. residents with $100 monthly credit for public transportation

Councilmember Charles Allen is doubling down on legislation he introduced in 2020, then again in 2021, that would give D.C. residents $100 each month to spend on public transportation. Last year’s version, the Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2021, was co-sponsored by 10 out of 13 members of the D.C. Council.

At the time, Allen said it would cost between $50 to $150 million per year. On top of providing the monthly credit, the legislation would put $10 million dollars annually towards improving bus accessibility, including expanding lines and building bus shelters or benches.

Metro’s Board is also thinking about how to make public transportation more affordable and lure back riders. In March, it voted on changes that would lower fares, including flat $2 fares after 9:30 pm.

4. Take steps to bring business back downtown and expand housing

As of fall in 2021, downtown businesses were reporting a third of the economic activity they had before the pandemic. With many people continuing to work from home, the special committee wants to use incentives to encourage the development of more residential units downtown.

The committee also envisions the District as a place with multiple “downtown cores,” and points to already flourishing examples like NoMa and Navy Yard, which support a mix of residences, office spaces, and other businesses. The Skyland Town Center will soon open in Ward 7 with jobs and amenities, including a new grocery store and five new restaurants.

5. Expand internet access for D.C. residents

The shift for many to remote work and school reinforced the importance of internet access — but D.C.’s workers and students can’t all get online quickly or easily. According the committee’s report, about 90 percent of the residents of Wards 2 and 3 have internet subscriptions, compared to only 60 percent of those in Wards 7 and 8.

The committee is endorsing two pieces of legislation that were introduced last year with the ultimate goal of reaching universal access to high speed internet by 2023.

The “Internet Equity Amendment Act of 2021”, introduced by Allen, would require the city to develop a plan to make sure all residents have internet access as well as develop a program to provide affordable internet to those in need. Similarly, the “District of Columbia Public Schools Technology Equity Act of 2021,” introduced by Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), would require DCPS to make a plan to ensure all students have internet access and education on the internet and technology. Neither act received a vote.

6. Expand after school programs for low-income families

The D.C. Council upped its investment in programs for students outside of regular school hours (known as “out of school time programming”) by $8 million dollars in fiscal year 2022, to a total of $22 million. The special committee wants to see even more money spent on out of school programs for families in need, which have been proven to increase the workforce participation of mothers and improve students’ academic achievement and physical and emotional health. That money would include a pilot program that would provide subsidies for families that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch to spend on after school programming.