District of ColumbiaWashington
See how Washington performed on our equity assessment of its ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Fund investment strategy.
Total Equity Focused ARPA Funds
$1,699,178,780$1,699,178,780
Overall Score
High
Featured Case Study
Washington, D.C. dedicated nearly $9 million in ARPA funds to launch the Commercial Property Acquisition Fund, providing grants to help disadvantaged business owners buy buildings in the City to grow their businesses and build wealth.
ARPA Equity Assessment of Washington, DC
Overall Equity Focus
HighWas racial and economic equity an explicit focus of the jurisdiction's ARPA investment strategy?
95% of locations met this criterion.81% of locations met this criterion.86% of locations met this criterion.Equity Decision Making Tools and Resources
HighAre equity tools, frameworks, and structures in place to support equitable investment project identification, design, and implementation?
38% of locations met this criterion.The District of Columbia has identified closing historic racial income and wealth gaps as guiding points in the municipality’s pandemic response efforts.
24% of locations met this criterion.31% of locations met this criterion.51% of locations met this criterion.In March 2021, the district established an Office of Racial Equity (ORE). ORE creates infrastructure and tools for agencies to analyze policy decisions through a racial equity lens.
31% of locations met this criterion.The Office of Racial Equity (ORE) has established a Racial Equity Budget Tool (REBT) which provides various agencies with questions that encourage the allocation of funds to account for disparate resident outcomes by race and ethnicity. This tool uses disaggregated data along with community input.
48% of locations met this criterion.72% of locations met this criterion.38% of locations met this criterion.Community Engagement
HighDid the jurisdiction engage community members in decision making about the ARPA funds, conduct targeted outreach to historically excluded communities, and implement strategies to reach underserved communities?
94% of locations met this criterion.64% of locations met this criterion.54% of locations met this criterion.Equitable Labor Practices
MiddleDoes the jurisdiction use best practices for ensuring public investments deliver family-supporting jobs to residents who have faced barriers to good jobs and economic prosperity?
36% of locations met this criterion.16% of locations met this criterion.70% of locations met this criterion.29% of locations met this criterion.11% of locations met this criterion.Equity Investments
HighDid the jurisdiction make investments that have the potential to advance equity by targeting the communities most harmed by the pandemic and addressing systemic inequities?
62% of locations met this criterion.71% of locations met this criterion.64% of locations met this criterion.82% of locations met this criterion.63% of locations met this criterion.81% of locations met this criterion.45% of locations met this criterion.33% of locations met this criterion.32% of locations met this criterion.64% of locations met this criterion.64% of locations met this criterion.31% of locations met this criterion.67% of locations met this criterion.56% of locations met this criterion.50% of locations met this criterion.Transparency & Accountability
HighDoes the jurisdiction set performance goals, collect data to monitor progress toward equitable outcomes, and provide the public with information about how funds are being used?
55% of locations met this criterion.70% of locations met this criterion.64% of locations met this criterion.75% of locations met this criterion.