As the District changes, it must ensure fairness and choice, not displacement, so that everyone shares the benefits of growth and fundamentally end disparities. As an urban planner my priority is to establish “Equitable Development” policies that guarantee justice in land use, transportation, housing, health, environment, education, and cultural preservation.

Unlike other candidates, I can tell you what I did in council, not just what I will do, to improve our lives. Over the last decade and while working as policy analyst for Councilmember Trayon White Sr. I authored, implemented, and participated in the passing of over a dozen laws.

• Steered a 4-year legislative campaign to strengthen language access. Today 43k immigrant households have enforceable rights when denied services for not speaking English.
• Included racial/ethnic bias-related discrimination in the Street Harassment Prevention Act.
• Mobilized/facilitated peer-to-peer trainings for the comprehensive plan amendment cycle. Increasing submitted amendments from 200 in 2011 to a whopping 3,000 in 2017.
• Collaborated on Fair Elections, Solar for all, Childhood Lead Prevention, Statehood Bills
• A bill defining High Risk Displacement zones and provides funds for prevention.
• Amended the Housing Production Trust Fund Affordability Levels, Act 2019.
• Single-handedly wrote 50+ text amendments on the Comprehensive Plan Amd. Act of 2018.
• A TIF-based community benefit agreement providing close to $150k to PTO’s in Anacostia.

As an immigrant woman raised in our inner-city, I know what it is like to; dance GoGo and salsa on Georgia Ave. while living paycheck to paycheck, to be displaced from the city and coming back, to sit in a public-school classroom with disparities on my shoulders and persevere, be laid-off standing at the unemployment line on Rhode Island Ave. As a brown immigrant woman my lived experience in the district drives me to improve our lives, because like the rest of us nothing was ever granted through privilege or wealth. Muchas Gracias.

I have what it takes, vote for me Claudia Barragan – please visit www.claudiafordc.com