Justice

What Cities Get When They Offer Free Tech Support to Residents

Computer repair isn’t cheap—so D.C.’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer is lending its own technicians to help residents fix their devices for free.
D.C. technicians Menelek Kebede (front) and Melehik Desta repairs a resident's computer during the first All Hands on Tech event, at the Anacostia Library.D.C. Office of the Chief Technology Officer

Marjorie Allen can’t imagine going about her day without her MacBook.

“I just need it for everything—making my appointments, talking to my doctor, finding out what’s going on with my neighborhood,” says the 73-year-old retiree, who lives in Washington, D.C. “I get alerts from D.C. about the snow or whatever else is going on in the city. It keeps me on top of things.”