Letter from Deputy Mayor Nina Albert 
Welcome to the District’s newsletter focused on economic development, business, jobs and housing!
There is so much good work happening across DC that we want to keep you informed about programs, investments and strategies being advanced by the Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) and its affiliated agencies – the Office of Planning (OP), Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) and Office of Cable Television, Film, Media and Entertainment (OCTFME).
To kick us off, this week is DC Small Business Week! Now through Saturday, May 4, we invite you to celebrate the vital contributions of DC’s local and small business community. On Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser, DSLBD Acting Director Rosemary Suggs-Evans, DISB Commissioner Karima Woods, myself and others from the DMPED team announced the recipients of the DSLBD’s Robust Retail grant program along the Rhode Island Avenue Main Street.
DC is home to 12,000+ businesses with fewer than 500 employees and Mayor Bowser has invested heavily to support their stability and expansion in the last eight years. For example, since 2015, DMPED’s Great Streets programs have invested $42 million in more than 500 businesses across the District, creating more than 2,000 jobs. The Neighborhood Prosperity Fund has invested almost $20 million 30+ projects delivering retail amenities, restaurants, and job opportunities.
Between 2018 and 2021, the number of minority-owned businesses and woman-owned businesses in the District grew by approximately 7% and 22% respectively, compared to a 1% increase in the number of District businesses overall.
Mayor Bowser’s proposed FY25 budget continues these investments and introduces new ways to make it easier for new and current businesses to thrive in the District. Over $15 million in small business support – including funding for Great Streets, Main Streets, the Commercial Property Acquisition Fund, and Ward 7 and 8 Dream Grants headline this support.
We’re proud to have thriving commercial corridors throughout all eight wards, but we know we have to do even more to support our local business community. So, let’s get out there and shop local this Small Business Week!
Nina Albert
Deputy Mayor, Planning and Economic Development
Keeping together is progress; working together is success. – Henry F