THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) SOLICITATION NO.: 0023-2020
BASELINE SERVICE PROVIDER The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is accepting applications for Baseline Service Providers for services available throughout various DCHA properties. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS will be available on DCHA’s website at www.dchousing.org under “Business” and “Solicitations” beginning Monday, July 13, 2020. DCHA will accept proposals on a rolling quarterly basis, beginning August 2020 through November 2021 for as long as DCHA has capacity. SEALED PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE 12:00 p.m. noon on the first Thursday of the quarter as follows: Thursday, August 13, 2020 Thursday, May 6, 2021 Thursday, November 5, 2020 Thursday, August 5, 2021 Thursday, February 4, 2021 Thursday, November 4, 2021
LINE DO NO T CROSS P OLICE LPIONLEI S S O R C T O N O D E N I L E C I L PO
Email LaShawn Mizzell-McLeod, Contract Specialist at LMMCLEOD@dchousing.org with copy to business@dchousing.org for inquiries or additional information.
The Old Man of Anacostia Solving the Code of Silence
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by Philip Pannell
everal years ago I decided that I would stay home on the Fourth of July because I cannot distinguish the sound of fireworks from gunshots. This year in many east of the river neighborhoods the Independence Day celebrations started a week early and many of the fireworks resulted in loud explosions that went on all night. This Fourth of July was not celebratory for me. I am still a second-class citizen because DC is not a state, COVID-19 has me self-isolating and homicides have increased east of the river. These murders have become more brazen with many of them occurring in broad daylight and most of them unsolved.
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E a s t o f t h e R i v er D C N e w s . c o m
The high number of unsolved homicides in our city is unacceptable. Unfortunately there is a code of silence in our community that contributes to it. “No snitching” has emboldened some folks to shoot people down with no fear of consequences. I am reminded of Denzel Washington in his film American Gangster when his character is having lunch with his nephew and leaves the restaurant, goes outside, kills a man in front of a crowd of people and returns to continue his lunch assured that no one would say anything. In my opinion, a snitch should be considered a criminal who is willing to “drop a dime” on another criminal in order to receive lighter time or a shorter sentence. That should
