Health Equity
Life expectancy in our city can vary by a decade depending on the ward you live in. This section explores D.C.'s health inequalities, and the ways residents are working to change them. This reporting is done with support from the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice.
We’re launching a health equity beat
We want to hear from you: What D.C. health stories should we tell?
D.C. will use its own money to pay for SNAP benefits amid shutdown
The Trump administration has refused to use contingency funding to pay for food assistance.
D.C. renters face record eviction levels amid dwindling aid and rising housing costs
New data shows evictions have surged past pre-pandemic levels, fueled by shrinking aid, high rents, and weakened tenant protections.
D.C. healthcare cuts set to impact thousands, hitting the undocumented hardest
Advocates say the elimination of DC Health Care Alliance, which insures 26,000 low-income residents, could have disastrous consequences.
What it's like to raise trans kids in the D.C. area right now
As the Trump administration targets hospitals and schools, parents are scrambling to protect their kids.
Which D.C. blocks bake the hottest? City officials are creating a new map to find out
The results will identify the most at-risk communities and shape how the city prepares for longer, hotter summers.
Opinion: The D.C. Council must act to save health care for immigrants
The city owes its workers better than gutting their health coverage.
Federal Medicaid cuts threaten health care for thousands in D.C.
The proposed cuts could present an existential threat to community health centers that serve the city’s low-income residents. Black residents, who make up the vast majority of D.C.’s Medicaid enrollees, are likely to be hit the hardest.
How to access D.C.'s paid family leave benefits
The program is funded by a tax paid by participating D.C. businesses and nonprofits. First, check with your employer to see if they pay into it.
Study shows Mamatoto Village’s culturally relevant care can improve birth outcomes for Black people
The non-profit's home-visiting program, Mothers Rising, brings maternal and infant care to the doorsteps of underserved communities.
Opioids are killing older Black men in D.C. at some of the highest rates in the country
Black men in their mid-fifties to mid-seventies accounted for nearly 38% of the city’s opioid fatalities in 2022, while only making up about 4% of D.C.’s total population.
How to get an abortion in D.C.
A resource for abortion seekers traveling to and living in the District.
