D.C. Will Offer $750K In Community Grants To Prevent Gun Violence

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced that $750k will be available for community grants to individuals and any local organizations to address the issue of gun violence. Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Linda Harllee Harper is also attached to the project, according to DCist.

The announcement was made during the mayor’s press event on Tuesday, which highlighted her broader $59 million investment as a way to help reduce gun violence. Much of that will be through Building Blocks D.C., a cross-departmental D.C. government initiative aimed at addressing gun violence where it is concentrated in the city.

The Office of Gun Violence Prevention is partnering with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services and Progressive Life Center to distribute the grants, which fall into two categories.

Smaller “mini-grants” of up to $5,000 will be geared toward individuals looking to create activities promoting public safety in their community.

“The application is specifically designed for residents who assist the community everyday, and I’ve been struck by the number of residents who come out of their pockets everyday providing for their communities,” Harllee Harper said. “These grants are for you.”

Applications will be open on June 14th for these grants which are for the fiscal year of 2021. These applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the funding runs out.

When announcing the creation of Building Blocks in February, Bowser indicated D.C. would create a dashboard to track the effectiveness of the program. That still hasn’t been created.

To learn more about the Building Blocks grant initiative and how to apply, residents can visit the District’s web page.