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Software Contest Seeks Ways to Present D.C. Data
The D.C. Office of the Chief Technology Officer is having a contest, Apps for Democracy, in which technology developers and the public are asked to create software applications to improve public access to D.C. government data. An awards ceremony for the winning applications will be Nov. 13. Guidelines for entries are at http:/
The D.C. government maintains a vast amount of data on its operations, including government contracts, crime statistics and economic development. The data are in a catalogue at http:/
Butterfly Pavilion Looking for Volunteers
The Smithsonian Institution seeks volunteers for the Butterfly Pavilion at the National Museum of Natural History. Volunteers assist pavilion staff members and answer visitors' questions. For information, go to http:/
Benefits for volunteers include discounts at Smithsonian museum shops and restaurants, free Imax movies, parking privileges and invitations to museum events.
Service Helps Locate Affordable Housing
The D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development has partnered with Socialserve.com, a national nonprofit organization, to develop an online affordable-housing listing and locator service for D.C. residents, http:/
The free service will enable residents to browse listings of available properties. Landlords and property managers can use the service to list properties. A toll-free, bilingual call center for people without Internet access will be available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays.
Leila Finucane Edmonds, the Department of Housing director, said the site will be available Nov. 1. Updated information on the site will be posted at http:/
"Individuals will be able to search by fields such as ward, Zip code, price, the number of bedrooms, proximity to public transportation, accessibility features and income or age restrictions," said Kathryn Howell, a D.C. strategic programs specialist working on the implementation of the site.
Free Screenings, Flu Shots At Church Health Fair
The Greater First Baptist Church, 2701 13th St. NW, is hosting a free health fair from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. D.C. residents can get free screenings for kidney disease, prostate cancer, hypertension, diabetes and HIV, as well as flu shots and hearing and vision tests. Refreshments will be served.
The health fair is sponsored by the church in conjunction with the D.C. Department of Health, Washington Hospital Center, the Lions Club, Maxim HealthCare and the Psychiatric Institute of Washington. For information, call Lynell Rawlings at 202-409-5315.
Public Comment Sought On Housing Programs
The D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development is seeking public comment on two programs.
The First Right Purchase Assistance program provides loans to low- and moderate-income renters and tenants groups. The program guidelines were drafted based on requests from anti-displacement counselors, housing counselors and intermediary lenders.The public can submit comments on the guidelines to tenant.purchase@dc.gov through Nov. 15. Information about the program can be seen at http:/
The Department of Housing is also seeking comments on its revised Qualified Allocation Plan for the District's Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, which encourages private investment in the construction and rehabilitation of low- and moderate-income housing. Project owners and investors can claim a tax credit on their federal returns annually for 10 years. However, projects generally must meet requirements for low-income use for 30 years. Comments on the revised Qualified Allocation Plan will be accepted through Nov. 15 and should be e-mailed to kathryn.howell@dc.gov. The plan can be seen at http:/
