Voices of The Community
DC, Maryland, and Virginia
What is VoicesDMV?
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and recent incidents highlighting the deep inequities experienced by so many, residents of the DMV region faced economic and social challenges. As we work to build a stronger and more resilient community where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive, it is critical to understand the diverse experiences of the people who live and work in the Greater Washington region.
VoicesDMV is a powerful civic engagement initiative that:
Community Insights Report
Tapped into Community Insights through a regional survey.
On the Table Conversations
Brought hundreds of residents together to discuss the issues that matter in their communities through a series of Social Justice Town Halls and small-group On the Table conversations.
Community Action Awards
And now, will help advance ideas sparked during those conversations through Community Action Awards.
Discover our Community Insights Report and Resources
Find out what issues are top-of-mind for DMV residents.
Take a deep dive into the survey data with Gallup, our research partner, to explore some of the report’s more crucial findings and how this information can be used to inform policy, advocacy, and community development work.
Data by Jurisdiction
Your Voices Matters
VoicesDMV On the Table Conversations
On October 1, 2020, we brought hundreds of residents together for On the Table to discuss the key issues impacting our region. And, ways we can work together to make our community stronger. Watch the video below to learn more.
VoicesDMV Social Justice Town Halls Presented by Wells Fargo
The Social Justice Town Hall series provided a forum for the community to learn more about the issues impacting our region - and explore ways to work together to develop and implement solutions to rebuild more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.
Insights from VoicesDMV in 2017
What is VoicesDMV?
Community Insights
VoicesDMV is a community listening and civic engagement initiative that seeks to better understand the diverse experiences of the people who live and work in the Greater Washington region. Even before the COVID-19 health and economic crisis and before the tragic and preventable death of George Floyd sparked unrest across the country, the truth is much of our region was struggling.
We worked with Gallup to conduct a region-wide survey to understand the issues facing our community. What we learned was startling. Nearly one in five of our neighbors reported they could only make it for less than one month if they lost their current sources of household income. Even more worrisome, nearly one-third of residents reported being very or slightly worried about being able to pay their rent or mortgage on a good day.
It also confirmed that the region’s African American community is experiencing economic inequality and hardship, facing discrimination in their neighborhoods, and expressing deep concerns about the quality of education and health care available to their families. We also learned that personal experiences with homelessness are widespread across the region, many residents reported inadequate access to benefits through their job–especially those in low-paying or essential positions–and parents are struggling to pay for high-quality childcare.
Everyone has a role to play in shaping a “new normal” for the Greater Washington region. As we seek to rebuild the kind of vibrant communities we can all be proud to call home, it is critical to acknowledge that returning to “the way things were” is not an option.
The community spoke. And we listened. See what they said.
VoicesDMV 2017
Jurisdictional Breakdowns
