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STREET SENSE February 10 - 23, 2016

Seattle Shooting Draws Attention to Homeless Persons’ Safety, Deaths

By Real Change, Seattle International Network of Street Papers A horrific shooting January 26 in The Jungle, a notoriously dangerous area of homeless encampments in Seattle, has reignited debate around the city’s policies on homelessness. Five residents of an unsanctioned tent encampment were shot — allegedly over “low-level drug dealing,” according to Seattle Police Department Chief Kathleen O’Toole — and two of them died. The shooting occurred just before Mayor Ed Murray gave a televised speech on homelessness at a local shelter for women and children. Murray visited the crime scene and wondered aloud,“Did I act too late?”

The next day, at a press conference in Seattle City Hall, the Mayor defended his approach to homelessness, saying, “I hear from some advocates, and some on the council that we are not doing enough …

Their other claims have been that we are trying to conduct inhumane sweeps, where all we do is force people out of unauthorized encampments. As I said last night and I will say again, that is simply not true.”

The mayor has come under criticism for continuing to conduct cleanups of unauthorized homeless tent encampments that many advocates say make life more dangerous and difficult for homeless people,

despite declaring a state of emergency over the homelessness crisis.

Murray counters that the city has offered outreach—in the form of shelter, medical aid, mental health treatment, addiction services, and general financial aid—to everyone affected by the sweeps.

He added that many campers refused aid, citing drug addiction and mental health issues as the cause.

The city has not previously scheduled a cleanup for The Jungle, though it has existed as a popular campsite for more than a decade. The mayor cited the area’s dangers for outreach workers and the increased expense of police escorts as barriers to cleanups at the site.

In the wake of the shooting, the city plans to perform an assessment of the area, conducting a survey of the conditions and meeting with residents to discuss their needs.

Bill Kirlin-Hackett, director of the Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness, was frustrated that this approach was being taken in a particularly troubled area after a particularly horrific crime, instead of at all unsanctioned encampments.

“They could have been doing that with all these encampments but they’re just starting to do it now,” he said. “The city is figuring it out while they move here. In

the meantime, they’re sweeping camps.”

Several days after the mayor’s press conference, members of Women in Black gathered outside the Seattle Justice center to hold a vigil for the two Jungle residents who died in the January 26 shooting. Women in Black is an international network of women that calls for nonviolent solutions to conflict. The group also holds silent vigil for homeless people who have died. The two people who died in the encampment shooting will be among the first mourned in 2016.

It was clear that the shooting had sparked renewed media interest in the group’s cause. The previous Women in Black vigil was a relatively quiet affair, with no media presence and only six members of the group standing vigil. This time, there were at least 30 people participating, many who were there for the first time. No fewer than five media outlets showed up to cover the event.

Brigid Hagan, a long time member of the group, said the media presence was helpful, but wondered why it hadn’t come sooner.

“I am grateful that the media are here today,” she said. “I would be more grateful if as much attention was paid to every death of a homeless person, because every one of those people is valuable.”

United Nations Stands Against Gentrification

By Reginald Black “The Street Reportin’ Artist” Black culture in the District of Columbia has faced issues such as police violence, displacement and high unemployment for years. This January, the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Decent (WGEPAD) brought these injustices to a national stage.

WGEPAD toured the United States for 10 days, visiting Baltimore, Jackson-Mississippi, Chicago and New York City — culminating in a town hall discussion at Union Temple Baptist Church, here in Washington, D.C., to review what they’d learned.

The working group “assessed the situation of African Americans and people of African descent and gathered information on the forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, Afrophobia and related intolerance that they face,” according to a statement released by the U.N. WGEPAD’s research focused on preventing structural racism and identifying challenges that inhibit realizing the human rights of people of African descent.

The town hall, hosted by Pan African Community Action (PACA), drew attention

to many issues plaguing the nation. PACA member Max Ramone proposed community control of land in the United States.

He offered this solution as a way to stop gentrification and to promote the idea that housing is a human right. “The real problem is not gentrification. The real problem is the black community does not control its own land.”

Ramone also suggested that there be a shift of power away from the wealthy to the lower-income earners that reside on the majority of U.S. land.

“Our government has purposely destroyed our low-income housing,” said Schyla Pondexter-Moore, an organizer with local advocacy group Empower DC. “Our government, our landlord, has purposely neglected our homes. We need community control.”

In Pondexter-Moore’s eyes, everything is taken from people of African descent while Washington continues to prosper.

“I didn’t vote for anyone up there, they act like we don’t matter,” PondexterMoore said of local officials. “I hope we can do something about it.”

The meeting also featured several mothers in the region who have lost children to

violent encounters with law enforcement.

Darlene Cain described how her son was shot five times by police in Baltimore. “No one should have to go through this. We have the power to make a change.”

Tina Best compared police violence to 20th century lynching and described a barrage of bullets that riddled her daughter’s car with holes in Virginia Beach. “Our pillows are soaked with tears. We need something to change, there is nothing romantic about having your child transformed into a hashtag.”

After two hours of testimony and a 10day tour, the United Nations released a set of recommendations ranging from creating a national human rights commission to acknowledging that the transatlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity. D.C.’s own Barry Farm public housing community made the list: “The process of gentrification has a heavy impact on African Americans who are being displaced from city centers under the argument of the need for new investment and development. In particular, the Working Group was alarmed by incidents of eviction, demolition and conversion of Barry Farm public housing in Washington D.C.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Minimum Wage Vote Stalled

Efforts to increase the District’s minimum wage to $15 were stifled late in January, according to a report by WAMU. Superior Court Judge Maurice A. Ross ruled that when the a ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage was approved last July, two members of the three-person D.C. Board of Elections were serving past their appointed terms, nullifying their decision.

Had the initiative been approved legally, voters in November would ultimately decide whether the city’s minimum wage increased to $15. The initiative had also provided for a steady increase in wages for tipped workers.

While opponents of the $15 minimum wage generally approve Judge Ross’ decision, it serves as a setback to advocates such as Delvone Michael, executive director of DC Working Families.

“Today’s outrageous ruling asserts that we do not have the right to determine our own destiny in the District of Columbia,” Michael said in a statement. “But the fight for a fair, $15 minimum wage has only just begun.”

Other supporters of the ballot initiative told WAMU they plan to appeal the judge’s decision as early as it is possible.

“This ruling might slow us down, but it won’t stop us,” Michael added. “The right of the people to decide the kind of city we deserve will not be delayed for long.”

—Michael Brice-Saddler

“Super Bowl City” Bans Homeless In preparation for Super Bowl 50, San Francisco created a pedestrian-only area geared toward tourists known as “Super Bowl City,” reported the Huffington Post.

The plot was located on the Embarcadero waterfront, where several -dozen homeless people regularly sleep. During Super Bowl City’s three week lifespan, homeless people in the area were asked to leave and provided temporary housing at Navigation Center, a nearby shelter.

A coalition of local advocates believe that the city should have taken a different approach in preparing for the Super Bowl. Their first suggestion: plan ahead.

The NFL chose San Francisco as the Super Bowl host in May 2013, giving them two and a half years to establish programs to address homelessness. The city also spent an estimated $4.8 million on pre-game events, none of which went toward facilities for the homeless community.

One of the biggest struggles for the homeless in San Francisco was having their belongings taken away or ticketed. Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, believes that this only makes the situation worse. “It’s adding criminalization to an already really terrible situation and making it harder to get out of homelessness,” she told The Huffington Post.

—Abby Hershberger

Gallery Exhibition Spotlights Homeless Photographers

By Colleen Cosgriff Volunteer District Displaced held an exhibition of photographs taken by homeless photographers Lance, Glenn and Robin on January 29 at the White Room DC. Robin, who has been previously interviewed by Street Sense, did not attend the exhibit. District Displaced founder Mark Thomas explained that Robin was concerned that if he spent a few hours indoors, it would be difficult to return to the cold. Glenn also did not attend.

However, Lance was in attendance, determined to make it to the event despite being taken to a mental health center against his will during the previous week’s snowstorm. He was released three hours before the exhibition began.

Mark Thomas began District Displaced while a student at Catholic University. He revitalized the project two months ago while working as a freelance photographer. District Displaced has a strong social media presence, but the exhibition gave people the opportunity to see the physical

photographs and meet a contributor.

“Being here in person, we’re able to meet someone who takes the photos,” Jemila Morrison told Street Sense. Morrison recently moved to the District from Charlotte, North Carolina. “Everywhere I’ve visited here -- Dupont, the National Mall, Friendship Heights -- as soon as I step off the Metro there’s someone who is homeless right there,” Morrison said.

Lance served in the U.S. Navy for three years and was a cook in D.C., Maryland and Virginia for thirty years. He can usually be found in the area of Edward R. Murrow Park, near the World Bank. He spoke about his time in the mental health facility and how he was taken in against his will. Lance explained that his ministry shines light on issues people experiencing homelessness face daily.

“My ministry is 24/7. I am always preaching and teaching and showing love to the homeless,” Lance said.

Many of the people who work and live near the park bring him donations of food and water that he distributes to others experiencing homelessness. He said God

called him to the ministry in October 2014 and he accepted. Lance’s setup at the park serves as a place where people experiencing homelessness can pick up supplies as well as somewhere anyone can come to learn about God. It also attracts the attention of federal Park Police, whom Lance photographs frequently when they arrive to remove his encampment.

Several World Bank employees who pass Lance when they cross the park for meetings or to go to lunch attended the event.

“He always says ‘God Bless’ or ‘Have a blessed, safe day!’” said Berenike Schott.

“It’s like there’s two different worlds there, between the park and the offices.”

“We work at the World Bank and the mission is to end poverty; the paradox between the buildings and the park is striking,” said John Rennie, another World Bank employee.

“What can we do?” Julia Heckmann and Simone Balog asked Lance.

“Hand warmers. We need hand warmers and foot warmers. These are really good,” he answered, holding up a pack of HotHands that had been donated.

“Understanding the needs is important because the first thing you think about is food, and that’s not necessarily always as much of a need,” Heckmann told Street Sense.

This type of discussion is what Thomas hopes to encourage through District Displaced, though he also believes the photos stand on their own merit.

“The conversations we’ve had with Lance are meaningful,” said Berenike Schott. “The detail in each photo he explained was interesting.”

Thomas, who regularly travels with a trunk full of donated clothes and disposable cameras, is currently working to make sure every area in the District is represented through photography.

“We’re continuing to get more contributors. This project isn’t exclusive. It’s inclusive,” Thomas said. “Our contributors are mostly in the Northwest area, so we’re looking into going into other parts of D.C to find people who have a story to tell. Homelessness is happening in all eight Wards.” Exhibit photos can be seen at DistrictDisplaced.com

District Public Housing Development Fears Recognized by D.C. Council

By Desmond Austin-Miller and Reginald Black Street Sense Staff The New Communities Initiative (NCI), based in the mayor’s office, oversees conversion of deteriorating pubic housing sites into mixed income developments. It was created during the administration of former Mayor Anthony A. Williams to breathe new life into Washington’s poorest areas.

Currently, NCI’s attention is on four neighborhoods: Barry Farm in Ward 8, Northwest One in Ward 6, Park Morton in Ward 1 and the Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings in Ward 7.

On Wednesday, January 28, the council’s Committee on Housing and Community Development (CHCD), chaired

by At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds, held a public roundtable to discuss the NCI, which has struggled since its inception in 2005.

“We want to try to put... residents at ease as we begin anew with the New Communities Initiative that we have before us,” said Bonds.

The January 28 hearing included testimony from residents of public housing and representatives of homeless service organizations. Many are concerned that residents who are displaced from their neighborhood during construction will not be able to return when construction is completed. Some were afraid that if they had to move out, they would have no place to go.

“New Communities would be greatly

improved if the city guaranteed residents a nearby affordable place to live while reconstruction is happening,” said Sam Jeweler, representing Bread for the City.

Jeweler and others said guidelines are needed to ensure residents will be able to return. Transparency is needed about move-out dates, where people will stay and when they will be able to return.

“Communication is key... it’s easy to understand how people feel marginalized, because they’re not involved in their future,” said David Meadows, Bonds’ chief of staff.

Monica Kamen, representing the D.C. Fair Budget Coalition, said, “Residents should return to the same type of unit that they resided in before development, with the same number of bedrooms and the same accessibility, particularly for seniors and those with disabilities.”

Some who were present condemned the project as a way to push people from neighborhoods where they have lived and worked for decades. Herbert Evans, a war veteran and former resident of a Maryland housing project, asked “Why should I work in a city that I cannot afford to live in?

Who’s future am I building upon?”

On February 2, Bonds released a resolution that was accepted unanimously by the Council. They resolved to focus on “ensuring every resident has the opportunity to return and thrive as an important part of a new mixed-income community.” They also resolved that “[it] is critical to establish a

strategy to mitigate the disruption caused by relocation, and set specific and transparent criteria for return based on human and civil rights that would affirm a Right to Return of residents as an important principle for New Communities developments.”

Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner testified that all NCI programs will be conducted with a “one-for-one” replacement model to make sure all tenants of old buildings receive a new unit during and after construction.

The following Saturday, local advocacy group Empower DC hosted an organizing meeting at Ambassador Baptist Church in Southeast to drum-up support for their ongoing campaign to “save public housing.”

Empower DC is based on the principle that housing is a human right and public housing is an essential part of ending homelessness.

“Public housing is for people that need a home,” said Schyla PondexterMoore, director of Empower DC’s Public Housing Campaign.

One goal of the meeting was to dispel a common belief that public housing is only available to single mothers or families.

Pondexter-Moore wants anyone in need to seek housing and described several single male heads-of-households she knew who were able to receive public housing.

Pondexter-Moore alleged that recently there was an “illegal eviction” of 200 Barry Farm residents. According to her, the

tenants were relocated to other public housing locations with no advance notice given and no official paperwork provided before or after the moves. For the gathered activists, this illustrated the lack of transparency recently acknowledged by the D.C. Council. The gathered activists discussed possibilities for direct action to prevent future opaque relocations.

However, at the CHCD roundtable, Deputy Mayor Kenner testified that no one would be relocated until the project’s demolition disposition is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the next 18 months.

Pondexter-Moore promised Empower DC would lead an occupation of Barry Farm, which she described as “sacred land,” rather than leave without certainty of returning.

According to Kenner’s testimony, 100 replacement units have already been built off site for Barry Farm tenants to utilize during construction.

Three hundred and forty-four more replacement units are scheduled to be built on site, thus accounting for the 444 current units that make up the Barry Farm neighborhood.

Barry Farm sits in the “Martin Luther King Corridor” that will see “signature development” stretching from the 11th Street Bridge to the St. Elizabeth’s campus project, according to Kenner.

STREET SENSE February 10 - 23, 2016

5

NEWS

Hearing Presumes More Programming and Staff Protection Needed from DBH

Annual Poverty Radio Broadcast Comes to Washington Jeremy Alderson (left), interviews guests on the 2014 Homeless Marathon radio show, hosted in Brattleboro, Vermont.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY ALDERSON

By Abby Hershberger Editorial Intern Since 1999 Jeremy Alderson has produced a yearly “marathon” radio broadcast intended to inform listeners about the widespread homelessness problem in the United States. The 18th Annual Homelessness Marathon will take place Wednesday, February 17, from 7 p.m EST until 9 a.m. the fol-lowing morning.

“This isn’t fundraising, it’s consciousness-raising,” said Alderson, who stressed that the purpose of the marathon is not to raise money. There are no official sponsors or corporate partnerships.

Alderson conceived the marathon in 1998 when a period of homelessness in his own life propelled him toward advocacy.

He hosted a local radio show called “The Nobody Show” out of Ithaca, New York, and decided to start using the radio as a platform to call for change.

“There wasn’t much to the original idea,” he admits. “Just rant and rave for a while. I thought the first one was awful, but I was amazed at the positive response.

I realized that in its own funny way, it was a hit. People got it.”

Although the marathon will take place here in Washington, radio hosts around the country will be encouraging people in their cities to call in and share their personal experiences. The show will include contributions from homeless encampments across the country as well as art shared by local street performers, musicians, and poets. The discussion schedule will vary; each hour will have its own theme. The broadcast will include several pre-recorded reports, but the rest of the event will be broadcast live. The main radio booth will be located outside the Church of the Epiphany on 13th and G Streets NW. Despite the expanding size of the marathon, Alderson is still amazed that his first show could evolve into something as big as this upcoming event. “We’re speak-

ing to the entire nation now. We’ve got dozen of stations set up.” The broadcast will be available from a number of different sources, including online streaming. It will involve homeless communities across the country.

While most other marathons and marches would be held during warmer summer months, Alderson has specific reasons for picking February. Having the marathon in the middle of winter draws attention to the extreme cold and harsh weather that many homeless Americans face throughout a good part of the year. Alderson also avoids the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when most mainstream coverage of homelessness takes place.

“That kind of coverage is about pitying the homeless, and that’s not what the marathon is about. The marathon is about social justice.”

The year 2016 is also going to add significance to the marathon. The upcoming election has inspired what Alderman calls “the first ever homeless primary.”

He plans to poll the local homeless community on their presidential picks. “We want to show that all homeless people are different. We’re going to ask them all the same question and listen to their different answers.”

In Alderson’s eyes, the primary could reveal what he believes is the best kept secret about homeless folks in the country. “They’re American citizens!” he said enthusiastically. “They’re people with voting rights. Homeless Americans hold the same basic rights as any United States citizen, but the increasing criminalization of poverty has often led to this being overlooked.”

One way that Alderson plans to raise awareness about this issue is with a march around the White House, which will take place during the broadcast.

Along with welcoming locals to join them, Alderson is also inviting all of the 2016 presidential candidates.

“I don’t expect them to show up!” he

exclaimed. But he’s extending that invitation to try to bridge the immense gap between massively powerful lawmakers and homeless people within the city.

Reginald Black, one of Street Sense’s writers and vendors, hopes to get a speaking spot during the broadcast. He plans on talking about “social discrimination,” which according to Black, covers other categories of discrimination and can be found throughout our daily lives.

“Say you live with your sister, you’re roommates,” Black said. “The two of you get into a fight, and eventually one of you asks the other to leave. Now, one of you is homeless. We don’t think about the consequences of our day-to-day conflicts. And this can happen in families, in relationships, anywhere.”

He hopes to use the homelessness marathon to start a conversation about social discrimination.

“I want to get different perspectives about it to enhance the dialogue. I want to encourage people to think about someone who may be experiencing housing insecurity. I want them to use their voice to speak for themselves or speak on behalf of someone else. We need to talk. We need to elevate our voices.”

When asked if the marathon can be used to bring hope to the homeless in America, Jeremy Alderson paused for a moment before responding. “The people who speak on the show tell us that they have been given a greater sense of dignity. They have something to say and are finally treated [with respect.] But the situation is dire.”

Nonetheless, Alderson remains optimistic about the role of the average American citizen in the fight against homelessness.

He believes in them. He sees the marathon as an opportunity to spread caring and understanding throughout the local community and the country.

“You don’t have to tell American people to care,” he said. “They do care and they do understand.”

The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) received mixed reviews at a February 4 performance oversight hearing.

DBH provides prevention and treatment services for 22,000 youth and adults with mental health disorders, according to the department’s website.

Some witnesses called for the implementation of more mental health programs in schools and communities, citing their personal experiences of overcoming mental health.

“No matter what a person has been through, recovery is possible,” said Rhonda Johnson, a Certified Peer Specialist for the Office of Consumer and Family Affairs. “Behavioral health disorder is still rampant, and additional funding can help.”

Johnson was among many who testified before the D.C. Council’s Committee on Health and Human Services.

Committee Chair and Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander promised to follow-up on concerns regarding the implementation of such programs Other witnesses commended DBH Director Dr. Tanya Royster for her leadership. Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed Royster last summer.

Testimony was also given by nurses and employees from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, many of whom claimed that they are being abused by their patients.

“I am disturbed by the fact that the city’s one public hospital is not observed with more scrutiny,” said Jeanette Pollard, a public witness.

Many nurses claimed that they have been beaten, threatened and verbally abused by patients. St. Elizabeth’s staff also cited issues with plumbing, electricity and other hospital maintenance.

“They have endured so much abuse in their unit, that it is a part of the daily routine,” said Wala Blegay, a Labor Specialist for the D.C. Nurse’s Association.

“Why should these nurses fear their safety every single day?”

The nurses claim that they are mistreated in comparison to peers, namely doctors and psychiatrists at St. Elizabeth’s.

“Feel free to call me,” said Alexander, who was sympathetic and promised to follow up on these allegations. “I encourage other employees to let know what their concerns are as well.”

Some felt that their concerns have not been properly addressed.

“It is unfortunate that because of the color of our skin, we have to suffer so much pain,” said Sharif Shafi, WHO IS HE. “There is no one to speak up for us.”

-Michael Brice-Saddler

Bowser Earmarks $80 Million for Affordable Housing Mayor Muriel Bowser, in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), announced 12 housing development projects at a January 29 press conference.

In total, they could provide 804 units of affordable housing in the District.

“Housing affordability is the top issue facing the District of Columbia,” Bowser said. “Everything we do is going to help more people be able to afford to live in Washington D.C.” The projects will house over 1,700 residents, which Bowser said represents her efforts to fulfill a promise that she made last year to devote $100 million to the production and preservation of affordable housing in Washington.

The new housing developments are planned for every part of the city except for the westernmost neighborhoods in Wards 2 and 3. There will be two projects each in Wards 1 and 7 to preserve existing housing and one each in Wards 5, 6 and 8. Wards 4, 7 and 8 will also see the production of new housing units.

The definition of affordability in the District is based on how much a household makes. The Area Median Income (AMI) in Washington is $109,200. If a household earns less than 30 percent of the AMI, or around $32,760, they are considered “housing-burdened” by DHCD. Twelve percent of households in the District are housing-burdened, according to a report from the DC Fiscal Policy Institute.

The announced 804 affordable units include preservation of 466 existing units and production of 338 new units.

Among those, 216 will be designated for housing-burdened residents and 83 units will serve as permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Residents who earn between 31 and 50-percent AMI will have access to 399 units, while 187 units are designated for residents making 51-to 80-percent AMI. Altogether the projects represent about $82.2 million in public funding.

The timeline for each development remains uncertain.

“All the projects being announced today are at the selection process,” said Polly Donaldson, Director of DHCD. She noted that each project must undergo several layers of clearance before construction can begin.

“They still need to go to underwriting and then closing and then construction.” Many projects are ‘in the pipeline’, meaning they are in line for funding, but as of now no developments have begun construction.

—Desmond Austin-Miller

Weathering the Blizzard of 2016 Photos by Chris Shaw

The Other Side of the Snow

By Eric Thompson-Bey, Vendor/Artist

The weatherman had been calling for a snow blizzard all week long. People were stocking up on food and household supplies at the grocery stores. The city was preparing for a shutdown. Then on Friday January 22, at about 12:30 p.m., it started while I was selling my papers on Connecticut Avenue and M streets. It snowed all day Saturday and part of Sunday, accumulating about 2 and a half feet of snow.

The untold story is about hunger, greed, sharing and extending your hand. You don’t hear about or see it if you are not part of the homeless community.

Our first blizzard of 2016 shut down our city. That includes the churches and other organizations that feed the homeless. While being snowed in at the Creative Center for Non Violence shelter (CCNV), I saw men go hungry because of the blizzard. At CCNV, where the nonprofit D.C. Central Kitchen is lo-cated, we are only served one meal per day: dinner. On Saturdays we don’t have to leave the block to be fed. Churches, nonprofits and other private organizations serve food all day long. But on the sec-ond day of the blizzard, only D.C. Central Kitchen was able to serve us.

I wondered D.C. Central Kitchen was able to serve the other shelters. I watched guys buy and sell 25-cent ramen noodles for one dollar. Some of us were fortunate enough to have food in our lockers that we shared with others.

Food was tight. Imagine being snowed in a building of over 100 hungry men with negative attitudes, limited seats, limited food and only one microwave. I really do thank D.C. Central Kitchen for extending their hand and preparing our meals in advance.

Well, as far as myself, I really enjoyed the blizzard of 2016.

I love when it snows. I spent a lot of my time out shoveling the snow around the shelter, Dupont Circle and Georgetown. Can’t wait for the next one!

Christmas All Over Again!

By Patty Smith, Vendor/Artist

I lay in my bed and saw the snow twirling and twirling around. I thought how it breaks my heart for the people who don’t have housing. That’s how it was for me last year.

However, they let us stay in the shelter when it was snowing.

The snow storm started Friday evening. Here comes the snow, I thought to my-self. Here at Woodley Towers, four staff members were ready to handle every-thing. The snow kept pouring down.

On Saturday morning, the staff in my apartment building told us we could go down to the basement to get to the back door in order to smoke our cigarettes. The staff had made a path for us. It was extremely cold and the wind and snow blew everywhere.

I put on my favorite gloves and my hat. Seeing that the weather was extremely cold sure didn’t bother me. I was in and out of the smoking porch all day long.

The staff prepared a big lunch for us. We had pot pie, hot dogs, baked beans, bo-logna sandwiches, waffles, pancakes, eggs and sausages. Then for dinner we had a nice meal with ham sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, and coffee all day long.

We had such an enjoyable time. Our good times went on for five days! It felt like Christmas all over again.

How grateful I am to have this new home!

Closed In

By Hope Lassiter, Vendor/Artist Every time it snows more than two inches, why is it that people living on the side streets or even the main streets of Southeast can’t get out of their houses?

During Snowzilla, I was stuck in my apartment in Southeast from Friday through Mon-day. I got out only because my good neighbors came together to dig me out. Before they did, I couldn’t go to work, to the store, to... anywhere!

The neighbors also cleaned out the yard and put down salt.

I was scared when the snow kept falling so hard. I felt closed in. I thought, if the snow got higher, I would fall in, and that would be IT. It was so cold, and many things can happen in that weather. I was worried that my 80 year-old neighbor, who had a stroke, might have a heart attack and no one would know. I was scared the CSX train that runs near me past would fall off the tracks and crash into my house.

Fortunately, it did not, which is why I wrote this story.

Meditation on Snow

By Jackie Turner, Vendor/Artist

As I sit and watch the snow come down I say to myself, "I am blessed to be able to sit on the inside and look out, instead of on the outside, looking in." The snow was long and heavy and it left of lot of inches and ice. The east coast had a couple of days to sit and think. Nineteen people did not make it; they died. And there was lots of damage. Just for a moment, God got a chance to speak.

STREET SENSE February 10 - 23, 2016

7

FEATURES

Remembering the Life of Concepcion Picciotto

By Abby Hershberger Editorial Intern Three days after her death, Concepcion Piccioto’s protest display still stands.

Directly across from the White House, a quiet man named Neil Cousins guards the small shelter covered by a plastic tarp shaking slightly in the wind and surrounded by tall wooden signs. Aside from a few scattered bouquets and a handwritten note reading “Concepcion R.I.P. Love, Philipos,” the 24-hour setup looks very similar to how it has for the past 35 years.

The signs have accumulated and the government critiques have shifted to fit current political issues, but the message overall is still a call for world peace. A number of proclamations and condemnations line the wooden structure of the display, most of them criticizing government violence. “Radioactive Pollution Kills” reads a paper flyer taped to a stack of milk crates. “Don’t be a lemming,” warns another, “Save yourself - renounce genocidal weapons.”

Concepcion Picciotto, who was believed to be in her early 80s, moved to the United States from Spain as a young adult. After a difficult marriage and failed custody battle, she moved to the District of Columbia to protest government violence, which Picciotto believed is the root of injustice and terror in the world. She died on January 25 after more than three decades of constant protest in front of the White House. She spent her last days at N Street Village, a shelter for women.

Picciotto adamantly opposed nuclear warfare and government violence. Despite her loud and abrasive way of protesting, Picciotto’s primary message was one of peace. She was known for feeding LaFayette Square Park’s squirrels and handing out painted “peace rocks” to visitors of her tent.

ABOVE: Picciotto’s display on January 29.

“Concepcion R.I.P. Love, Philipos” reads the sign clipped to the tent.

PHOTO BY ABBY HERSHBERGER

Willa Morris, a social worker in the District, remembers coming across Picciotto’s protest decades ago. Morris visited D.C. frequently when she was young, and seeing Picciotto outside the White House left a big impression on her.

“I remember she was very articulate about the issues at hand,” Morris recalled, “And she was very passionate.

She taught me about the power that one single person can have.” While most of Picciotto’s signs were bold and eyecatching, Morris remembers being especially impressed with several full-color pictures of exploding atomic bombs that she saw as a young person.

Morris believes that witnessing Picciotto’s commitment to peace and change may have had something to do with her own career choice. She remembers how the participation and upkeep of the tent would ebb and flow depending on the time of year and number of volunteers, but Picciotto was a nearly constant presence.

“D.C. is a very transient city,” Morris said.

“Concepcion’s tenacity allowed people like me to be exposed to her message.

Her commitment was remarkable.”

Julie Turner is another local social worker in the area who, like Morris, was influenced by Picciotto. Turner hopes that Picciotto, whom she casually refers to as “Connie,” will be remembered for her message, not her mental state. “It was clear that Connie was mentally ill, but underneath that illness was a grain of truth,” Turner said.

Most articles unfairly place undue importance on Picciotto's appearance and mannerisms, according to Turner. “Let’s stop talking about all that,” she said. “Let’s talk about the enduring peace movement that Connie stood for.” Turner emphasized that Picciotto protested more than nuclear proliferation and gun control. She opposed the violence of keeping people homeless and hungry, and used her own life as a living protest against homelessness and systemic violence.

Turner believes that reading material written by nonviolent scholars - she mentioned Thomas Merton, Ignatius Loyola, John Dear, the Berrigan Brothers, and Dorothy Day - can provide a better grasp on Picciotto’s ideas. “We would understand why Connie was there.”

Turner also offered a foil to the media’s typical portrayal of Picciotto’s personality.

“She was genuinely a kind woman,” Turner said. “She was always making sure [par-

ABOVE: Concepcion Picciotto was the face of a 24 hour, year round peace vigil that was positioned across the street from the White House.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATALIE COHEN

ticipants in the 2011 Occupy Washington movement] had enough food.”

Picciotto’s method of peace protest was very controversial. Some questioned her sanity, others criticized the way she related to people. Nonetheless, those who knew her- and even those who didn’t - can acknowledge that she was fiercely committed to her message.

“Connie was a peace activist who happened to be mentally ill,” Turner said. “A lot of people only saw the mental illness

adding new ones. But the fact that Picciotto's protest did not bring about world peace does not mean that her message should be forgotten. Turner believes that behind Picciotto's eccentricities, there is still plenty to learn. “Hold fast and steady to your beliefs,” she said. “We can’t all set up tents, but we can take other steps.

We can elect officials who can help.”

Turner also encouraged practicing nonviolence on a small scale. Not all violence comes in the form of drone attacks and gunfire. There are syst ems in place that make it nearly impossible - Julie Turner, Downtown Cluster of Congregations to get medical attention, or a good part, and because of that, they minimized education, or even enough food. “That’s her. Over the years no one took Connie’s violence too,” Turner said, “To change message seriously. She was treated like a that, we can practice nonviolence in our sideshow attraction.” daily lives. We can work to understand Picciotto defended her ideas for over what it means to live in peace.” three decades, persevering through exThe future of Picciotto's protest retreme weather, health problems, and mains unknown. Will her admirers step in verbal and physical abuse. and volunteer to keep the protest running, “Connie didn’t want a social worker, or will they abandon the tent in favor of she wanted peace,” said Turner, who had a more approachable way of protest? Curworried about Picciotto’s health and saferently, three of Picciotto's fellow peace ty outside. “She wasn’t very forthcomactivists are keeping the tent occupied 24 ing with her personal information. That hours a day, but how long will this system wasn’t important to her. It was about her last? The upcoming years and impending message. Connie was there to tell people political scandals will decide. For the moto stop blowing each other up!” ment, the D.C. community and pursuers of Picciotto did not live to see the laynonviolence alike can take Turner's advice ing down of weapons that she dreamed and help to honor the life of Picciotto, about. Instead of retiring signs and mesa dedicated peace activist who kept her sages from her display, she was constantly commitment for as long as her life let her.

“Let’s talk about the enduring peace movement that Connie stood for.”

BELOW: The broken central fountain in Franklin Square Park, across the street from the new home of the Washington Post.

PHOTO BY EMILY KAYE

Franklin Square Park Redevelopmen

By Zachary Caplette and Emily Kaye Editorial Interns

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“Really?! Will they even let the homeless in here now?” asked Rafael Caban, who said he uses the space daily. Caban noted that about half of the park’s users are long-term residents and that the park reaches its peak homeless population on the weekends. Caban said that more security is needed at night.

The current plan is to develop the park one half at a time, to allow those who use the space now to continue to use it during its development. There are at least two years until construction begins and plans often change, so people who utilize the space now may face displacement. Even if only half the park is developed at a time, loss of space is likely and there may be overcrowding that causes the homeless occupants to disperse throughout the city. Brandon Leonard, who has been using Franklin Square Park for over a year, predicted that homeless people who reside in Franklin Square Park will move to nearby parks such as McPherson Square, Farragut Square and Lafayette Park.

Dispersion of people experiencing homelessness throughout the city creates a challenge, not only for those people but also for service providers. Many groups use Franklin Square Park as a central location to distribute food, clothes, and hygienic items. Street Church, a volunteer organization located in the Church of the Epiphany, participates in the distribution every Sunday and Tuesday. They hold a 30-minute Eucharist service and then provide sand-

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years. At times the iconic building housed more than 300 people, but the city never intended that the building be used long term as a shelter, and it was closed in 2008, during the administration of Mayor Adrian Fenty.

Many people who had been taking advantage of the shelter moved across the street to Franklin Square Park. In 2011, Occupy D.C. argued that the building should be reopened for public use, perhaps again for the purpose of a shelter.

They broke into Franklin School, which was empty, and staged a sit-in that lasted three hours, until the police intervened.

The building remains unoccupied and the city is seeking a private developer to buy and remodel the property, which has historic landmark designation. A study done by the Department of General Services after the shelter closed indicated the building has lead and asbestos contamination.

Frequent users of Franklin Square Park, such as Dr. Catriona Laing, Interim Associate Rector for Church of the Epiphany, believe development of the park is inevitable. In December of last year the Washington Post moved into a building directly overlooking the north side of the square, bringing into the area a greater density of workers who utilize services during the day.

While some people who reside in the park had heard about a plan to redevelop the space, most park dwellers approached

by Street Sense knew nothing about the plan and were shocked about the news.

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Franklin Square Park is the secondlargest green space in the capital’s urban fabric. The location of this 4.79 acre plot, between K and I Streets NW, makes it a likely site for people to congregate for lunch, participate in outdoor activities and escape from the chaos of city life.

In a recently formed partnership, the District joined with the National Park Service to develop and manage this federal park land so that it serves a broader public use. The plan includes a café, public restrooms, an improved central fountain, and a children’s play area, with a projected cost of $18 million. Plans for renovating the park are being finalized and the city aims to break ground in late 2017 or early 2018.

Few passersby spend time amid the park’s crumbling sidewalks, broken central fountain and general lack of security.

The majority of foot traffic is along the park’s periphery, where food trucks set up shop during weekday lunch hours. However, that doesn’t mean the interior of the park goes unused.

Density maps provided by the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) indicate that Franklin Square Park is the area of the BID most populated by homeless people. Franklin School, a national historic landmark across the street from the park’s eastern side, was opened as an emergency shelter in 2002, after a surge in hypothermia deaths the previous year.

It functioned as a homeless shelter for six

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wiches, potato chips, fruit, granola, and, in cold weather, hot soup.

Laing is the rector for Street Church and accompanies the volunteers each week.

She described the scene: “You’ve got all the people in suits from the offices coming down to the food trucks to get their lunch and you’ve got other people gathering in Franklin Park for this Eucharist and to be given their lunch. There is definitely a tiny bit of, kind of, mixing up of those two worlds in the park.” She believes that in this way the different worlds can see and acknowledge each other. Laing recalls that some Street Church volunteers joined the group after they stopped to ask what she was doing and how they could help.

These renovation plans concern service groups such as Laing’s. With proposed new additions to the park that include a place for outdoor yoga, an outdoor movie theater, and a café, many volunteers wonder if space will be available for the distributions to continue. Laing is concerned that many homeless people may feel uncomfortable coming to the park for food if no safe space remains for them among the new activities. Although she has a permit, she feels unsure that it will be sufficient for her to continue distributing food if space is limited.

Street Church is not the only service that distributes food and resources in the park. Martha’s Table is also active there, visiting the park seven days a week, 365 days a year. They typically bring between

65 and 75 meals each night, and bring additional resources such as winter coats through McKenna’s Wagon once the weather gets colder. During the recent blizzard, McKenna’s Wagon visited all three of its stops every night to distribute necessities.

As the plan for Franklin Square Park develops, many homeless people are unaware of the potential changes and how they will be affected. Many are shocked to learn how drastically the park will change and how little space will be left for them.

The city has a record of not informing homeless people about forced relocation in the past; an example is the recent closing of the Foggy Bottom encampment near the Watergate building. During that closure, in autumn 2015, people living in the encampment did not know if they would have anywhere else to stay besides the shelter system they refused based on its condiitons. As a result, many were dispersed throughout the city with their belongings and tents thrown out.

The development is scheduled for two years from now, and the plans do seem subject to change. People living in the park and surrounding areas hope that officials will consider adding construction of public bathrooms, open 24/7, to the plan, since bathrooms built for the café may only be open during café hours and a person may be required to make a purchase to have access to the bathrooms.

Dr. Laing hopes that there will be a place where caseworkers can meet with clients.

9

COVER STORY

Many people see the redevelopment as an opportunity for D.C. public officials and the National Park Service to improve the park in a way that helps all residents living in the area, whether in the apartment buildings or on the park benches.

Jack Evans is the council member for Ward 2, which includes Franklin Square Park. Evans favors making improvements in the park and attributes its current state to the fact that it is managed by the federal government. “Federal control through the National Park Service, of what should be a local park, has led to the lack of maintenance of Franklin Square over the years.

As I understand it, the NPS has over $11 billion in deferred maintenance, and with the National Mall and monuments in the District, it’s not surprising that Franklin has been forgotten,” Evans said.

While he suggests that the “federal government should transfer ownership of the park to the District of Columbia [to] provide local care and maintenance for [the] local park,” this appears to be aspirational. Focusing on the present proposal, Evans told Street Sense that “better utilizing the space to accommodate multiple groups at the same time will benefit everyone who wants to use Franklin Square Park.”

Photos by Emily Kaye unless otherwise credited.

OPINION

The Quiet Revolution in Homeless Policy

By Michael Allen

Homelessness has been with us since Biblical times when, we were told, “the poor you shall always have with you.” For too long, we have accepted that as a prediction that we would never solve this intractable social problem, especially for people whose homelessness is chronic -- that is, long-term and accompanied by a mental health or substance abuse disorder (or both).

For much of the last four decades, America decided to “manage” chronic homelessness through the use of shelters, transitional housing and punitive measures to require homeless folks to comply with programmatic requirements. Unless they presented themselves clean and sober, took psychotropic medications and complied with strict behavioral contracts, many homeless programs turned people away. As the evidence has shown us—and as anyone who walks down the street of a major city can tell you—this approach has not been very successful.

But the arrival of Pathways to Housing DC in 2004 signaled a dramatic turnaround. By developing personal relationships with people living on the streets, and working on the root causes of their homelessness, Pathways DC, slowly but surely, ended chronic homelessness for more than 650 people. Its not-so-secret formula is -- with support from the District’s housing voucher and Medicaid programs — to offer permanent supportive

housing, together with voluntary wraparound services that have been individually designed for each person.

There are no prerequisites or treatment requirements; quite literally, Pathways DC offers the housing first, knowing that a stable home will allow a person to begin to address mental health, addiction, and other challenges. Each program participant is assigned a team of professionals and formerly homeless support

in all eight wards of the City. Pathways DC also provides street outreach services that have been successful in engaging and housing people who have been on the streets for decades, seemingly unreachable by other providers. Perhaps more importantly, Pathways DC was the catalyst for a revolutionary change in District policy and funding decisions, which are unequivocally focused on the housing first approach. Most homeless services provid-

For much of the last four decades, America decided to “manage” chronic homelessness. workers who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide whatever support is needed to allow clients to succeed. Peer-reviewed studies -- and Pathways DC’s own lived experience -- show that this approach prevents a return to homelessness for nine out of ten clients.

A success rate twice as good as the oldfashioned approach.

The success of Pathways DC’s “housing first” approach is evident in at least two ways. Over the past decade, it has moved individuals that some social service agencies label as “the hardest-to-serve” homeless people in the District into their own apartments, under individual leases,

ers in DC now proudly identify themselves as supporters of the philosophy, and have the positive outcomes to show for it.

Because it works, the housing first approach boasts supporters across the political spectrum, and draws strong support from the District’s business community.

A concerted effort to keep an individual housed and supported in the community makes sense because it costs significantly less than neglecting those needs and having that person end up in an emergency room, jail cell, psychiatric hospital or homeless shelter (the costs of which are borne by taxpayers). Recent support from the Bowser administration has helped

Pathways DC double its street outreach capacity and to act as a lead agency in a new coordinated entry system designed to serve homeless people more quickly and more effectively.

I’ve been a District resident and civil rights lawyer for 30 years, with much of my career devoted to poverty, disability and discrimination issues. And I serve as Chair of the Pathways to Housing DC Board of Directors. No single effort in which I have been involved -- in litigation or policy advocacy -- has been as successful as the quiet revolution wrought

by Pathways DC and the District government over the past decade.

Not so long ago, skeptics and insiders labeled the idea of providing housing and services to chronically homeless people a utopian idea, destined to failure. Now, we stand poised at the brink of ending chronic homelessness in the District of Columbia. We have gotten here by upending conventional notions about homeless people, deploying programs that work, and because of stalwart support from the District’s elected officials. Just think of the other problems we could solve with this same commitment.

Michael Allen is partner in the DC-based civil rights law firm Relman, Dane & Colfax, PLLC. He has served on the Board of Pathways to Housing DC since 2004.

Black Conservatism is the New Progressivism

By Jeffery McNeil

I think somewhere in the battles for social justice African Americans became misguided about what’s considered liberal and progressive. When you look up the word “liberal” you’ll see it defined as “not opposed to new ideas or ways of behaving that are not traditional or widely accepted.” Therefore one has to ask the question, should today’s black activist be classified as liberal and progressive?

You hear the media portray blacks as overwhelmingly liberal and progressive.

However, what is radical about giving 90 percent support to one party for 50 years?

What is open-minded about not criticizing a black president because his race is more important than his ability? What is revolutionary about needing a Great White Father, the government, to lord over you and supply your every need?

I used to believe African Americans such as Ben Carson, Herman Cain and Allen West were race traitors. But today I consider them the real revolutionaries.

They’re saying let’s move on from Freedom Rides and mass protests and devise new ways to uplift African Americans. It’s

the old school preachers who want you to remain on the plantation of bitterness and aggrievement. I’m not saying that racism doesn’t exist, but I refuse to let racists determine who I am.

I believed, when Barack Obama was elected, that he would be a great role model for African Americans, because when I was a child if you said you wanted to be president they would have you institutionalized. Today I think he wasn’t ready for primetime. He makes excuses and blames everyone but himself. That’s not what I want in my leaders. I think of Cam Newton who faces the meanest white people on the football field, 300-pound men who want to knock his teeth out. He doesn’t make excuses about why people don’t want him to score. He figures them out, then throws touchdowns. The president is the leader of the free world. If he can’t defeat the opposition, what good is he to the black race?

Some people say I’ve moved too far right. I disagree. I think I became right in my thinking. I’m not impressed by shiny objects such as a black president. I don’t sip the wine of leftism, which is the

most ancient and conservative philosophy known to man. There is nothing radical or revolutionary about being ruled by an allpowerful state. Socialism has been tried, and every time it’s been a disaster.

What is open-minded about not criticizing a black president because his race is more important than his ability?

Some of us believe in freedom, not socialism. Freedom is scary for many African Americans because that means you’re on your own. There’s no one there to help you. You don’t care who’s in charge: Republican or Democrat, liberal or racist.

You don’t care because you know how to survive, not because of government but in spite of government.

I think it would be therapeutic if white people quit feeling guilty and slammed the lever with force for Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. White Guilt has destroyed African Americans and the only prescription to heal the races is a “don’t give them crap” approach. This would ween African Americans off of government and allow African Americans to tap into their Godgiven instincts of independence and selfreliance. Progressivism is self-help and not welfare, and if either gets elected, I will do my best to fulfill the dreams of our Founders to form a government that serves best when it governs least.

I vote Republican not because I like what they stand for, I do it because the only way to change things is to make a coin two sided instead of one. There’s nothing wrong being a Republican because someone has to challenge the status quo and the only way to do that is to get people out of the group think mentality.

Jeffery McNeil is a columnist and vendor for Street Sense.

Have an opinion about how homelessness is being handled in our community? Street Sense maintains an open submission policy and prides itself as a newspaper that elevates community voices and fosters healthy debate. Send your thoughts to opinion@streetsense.org.

STREET SENSE February 10 - 23, 2016

1#1

OP-ED

Remembering Concepcion

D.C.’s Invisible Youth Deserve to Be Seen

The William Thomas Memorial Peace Vigil has lost its oldest volunteer: Concepcion Picciotto. Thomas’s dear dear friend from Spain worked for 33 years at THE stance for Peace, No Nukes and Human Rights. Concepcion sat in front of president after president at the north end of the White House, acting as the Statue of Liberty for Thomas’s dream of a better world. A world with wisdom, honesty, peace for all peoples, without the threat of nuclear radiation poisoning or human rights violations.

For decades William Thomas’s wife, Ellen, handled Prop1’s online presence while Concepcion manned the trenches winter, spring, summer and fall.

She became famous for her stance all over the civilized world. She is an icon among the Spanish-speaking. Her passion for a better world for the children to come is paralleled by maybe none. She was our friend and compatriot. God forgive her lies and prejudices. No one is perfect.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser made news in January, announcing $50,000 in grantfunding to support adding more beds and supports to community-based providers serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning youth experiencing homelessness. The funding came after an increase last September of $1.3 million in city funding, bringing the total annual budget for homeless youth programs to more than $5 million.

Almost half of all youth in the District who at any given time are experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ. This year marks the first time that we have such an educated estimate of LGBTQ youth who are homeless, and the importance of this cannot be overstated. We need only look back a few years to a time when these youth were a doubly invisible population —first because they were homeless, and second because they were LGBTQ. Young people who are housing insecure are mostly couch-surfing from place to place, and not being seen as a visible street population meant there was little public awareness or political urgency to be found for taking critical and timely action, as recently as 2013, even though the handful of shelters serving youth were reporting double-digit waitlists. In 2011, the D.C. Alliance of Youth Advocates and several community-based providers surveyed homeless youth over a two-week period in so-called hub sites throughout the city.

But without strong legislative support and public funding, the census was relatively limited, and drastically undercounted youth who identified as LGBTQ. Despite its limitations, the survey was the most thorough effort up at that time to bring the issue to light, and turned out to be a major step in the right direction. It led to more people taking notice over the next several years, and in May 2014, the D.C. City Council passed the End Youth Homelessness Amendment Act. The Act required a new youth drop-in center and a street outreach program, a new intake system to ensure that there is no wrong door for youth seeking support, more beds for youth in crisis and a publicly-funded Homeless Youth Census to be completed annually. In another important step, legislation passed earlier that year required that any count of homeless youth in the District must include an accurate census of LGBTQ youth.

Now that we know that some 43 percent of youth ages 18 to 24 who are homeless in D.C. identify as LGBTQ, what is to be done with that knowledge? The National Coalition for the Homeless identifies the causes of youth homelessness in three categories: family conditions, economic problems and residential instability (particularly for youth in and out of foster care). Clearly, these factors contribute to

By Craig S. Thompson, Neil Cousins and Philipos Molaco-Bello She paved the way for us smaller protester types.

I asked Concepcion on several occasions what she hoped for the future of Prop1 over the next 50 years, but never got an answer. I only know her commitment to the future of the children yet-to-be-born and the dream of a world without the need for her fight. May this country and this world wake up to your dreams before it is too late for us. Fukushima should have been our first clue. It was for Germany, but not all other countries in the United Nations.

God bless you and yours, Ms. Picciotto. May our peace vigil stand firm until it is no longer needed in this sick, sick world, to fight the good fight in your and William Thomas’s honor.

Craig S. Thompson and Neil Cousins are volunteers and Philipos Molaco-Bello is Volunteer Coordinator with The Peace Tent.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CRAIG S. THOMPSON

Open Letter To Redskins Owner Dan Snyder

By Leonard C. Hyater Jr.

I have been a Redskins fan for years and out of those years I have seen some things, but the offensive line didn’t give Robert Griffin III the protection he deserved. What makes a good quarterback?

In order for a quarterback to be successful, he has to have a good offensive line, and they didn’t do their job.

I have seen some games where Griffin was quarterback and the offensive linemen were not giving him the protection that he needed to make something happen, just based on what I saw on televi-

sion watching the games.

Mr. Snyder, I used to work for you when you had a communications firm in Rockville, Md., and there’s one I can say about you -- that you are a fair man and it was an honor working for you at that time. And with all due respect, if you and the organization decide to trade or release Robert Griffin III, in my opinion, the organization will be making a big mistake.

Leonard C. Hyater Jr. is a vendor and writer for Street Sense.

By Joseph Gavrilovich

the experience of homelessness for LGBTQ youth as much as they do for any young person, and much has been made known about homelessness resulting from family rejection specifically due to a youth’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

But it’s important to know too that economic conditions and residential instability affect LGBTQ youth in more and different ways than they do their straight and cisgender counterparts. For example, they are subject to overt discrimination when seeking alternative housing, and federal law offers no protections. And particularly in the case of transgender individuals,

Yo u n g p e o p l e w h o are housing insecure are mostly couchsurfing from place to place, and not being seen as a visible street population... discrimination applies not just to seeking housing but also to finding overnight shelter. Employment discrimination offers similar barriers – it’s not simply a matter of unemployment; it’s a matter of not being welcome in much of the workforce (and here again, with no federal protections).

Equipped with our newfound knowledge of the homeless youth population and with the inclusive values held by many in our city, D.C. has an opportunity to lead by opposing national trends and doing much better for LGBTQ youth who are experiencing homelessness. This year as the mayor, members of council and officials with the Interagency Council on Homelessness draft and adopt a comprehensive strategy for ending youth homelessness by 2020, it is vitally important that the strategy integrates both an informed narrative about the causes of homelessness specific to LGBTQ youth in the District and action steps that are precisely intended for them, too: promoting family acceptance and reunification, broadening employment opportunities and adding housing and shelter options where non-discrimination is mandated and safety is ensured.

Such action would dynamize our already steady momentum. Investing in a few more crisis beds is always a start. But particularly for LGBTQ youth, it is by no stretch any means to the end.

Joseph Gavrilovich is a Senior Policy Analyst with the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates.

The Street Sense Writers’ Group is led by writing professionals and meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The group’s goal is to develop ideas and collaborate on the next great issue of Street Sense.

My Neighborhood Lightning Bug Johnson

By Ken Martin, Vendor/Artist

Growing up in my neighborhood there were many colorful characters— mostly functional, sometimes not so much—with equally colorful names: Hog Jowls Sweet Pete Shoebooty Stringbeans Sonny C (before there was Sunny D...fitting, no?)

Empty Pockets Hopkins Panhandle Poordevil Postman and The Geezer One of our most memorable figures, and the first I recall, was Lightning Bug Johnson, a/k/a LBJ. He was a little guy with a mouth as big as the outdoors (and twice as filthy). When LBJ came round, mothers would scoop up their young and hold them close to their bosoms. Young ladies would brace themselves for the anticipated insults to their pulchritude, while their male escorts grudgingly withheld their rage.

Anyone who beat up that little man would lose their street cred forever.

However, I recall a time that he was on crutches for 18 months, though, of course, no one ever claimed to be the proximate cause of his misfortune. We never knew whether alcohol, malnutrition or repeat offenses prevented him from healing.

But we always knew LBJ had a heart as good as it gets. When he was sober, he was the neighborhood's trim painter. People would trust him on ladders to decorate their homes.

Though they were risking tidiness and neatness with his work, they knew they could live with his price. (Let us recall, however, that those were far less litigious times.)

Lightning Bug died from alcohol poisoning at 46 years young. An astonishing number of mourners came to his farewell, a tribute to the boisterous, churlish irritant who, against all odds, became a cult figure.

And though few knew the true story behind his pain, deep down he was one of the best-loved people in our neighborhood.

Support System

By Marcus Green, Vendor/Artist At my weakest point, my sister Trina opened her home and her heart to me, when I needed her most. My sponsor, Michelle, has always been there for me when the chips were down.

Paul and George of Narcotics Anonymous call to check on me every day or every other day. My customers have been supportive. Life as I know it will never be

the same. The bright side is the blessing in the lesson.

Day by day, I keep pushing forward, never complaining. Because life has never been fair. You accept it, pray on it and still help someone on your way back to the top.

Praise God.

Keeping Quiet

By Latishia Graham Vendor/Artist My place in Forestville is quiet. I am usually in my house. I do not talk with my neighbors very much. I live around the corner from Forestville Mall. It is pretty convenient to take the number 20 bus, which takes me to Addison road station on the blue line. That bus also takes me home.

I Am

By Angie Whitehurst, Vendor/Artist I am I am a human being I matter I am living proof Of how far we've come, And how less-far we have yet to go.

Treading and wading through the water Closer to footing and walking the shore To the welcome of More perfect union.

We must stand for humanity’s sake, Keep living and toiling hard for it.

And yes, black lives matter, All lives matter, Regardless of color and creed.

And yes, we are past, present and today's lamb, For all of those yet to come.

A time when all humans will stand as one.

STREET SENSE February 10 - 23, 2016

13

VENDOR WRITING AFTER KATRINA: A Ten-Year Roller Coaster, Part 14 de Episoa) # 1(

By Ivory Wilson Vendor/Artist INT-WASHINGTON, DC-UNION STATION– DAY

Bill drops Larry

The big fat rat and his crew lived in the sewer deep down under Union Station.

Dean ran a big operation some people say was the largest in the nation. He sat on a comb that he made into a throne, sharpening his teeth on a brick, getting ready for his next big feast.

Bill: What is your name, mouse?

Larry: Larry Bill: Where did you hear this from?

Larry: From Pee Wee the Flea.

Bill: Isn’t Pee Wee working for Dean?

Larry: Not since Dean’s crew hosed him with pee.

Larry (his legs shaking): Does this make you and I friends?

Bill: For now, mouse.

EXT–UNION STATION–DAY–UNDERGROUND Dean and his crew are sitting around a table made out of a hubcap, on chairs made of matchboxes, discussing a heist they are planning on the mice.

Larry takes off back to his hole, running across the lawn like a rocket. Mick the tick pops up next to Larry.

Dean: Boys, there is a big meal up on Capitol Hill.

Rags (Dean’s second-in-command): But boss, Bill lives on Capitol Hill and he’s one big mean tomcat! Remember what he did to that mouse at the White House.

Dean (hitting his fists against the table and shouting): Bill! Bill! Bill! I want Bill knocked off!

Epidemic (Dean’s enforcer): Boss, why don’t; we have the Anacostia crew knock him off?

Dean: No! That crew moves too much cheese through the city for their operation to be interrupted.

Mick: Slow down Larry. Bill’s gone. I saw the whole thing. You are lucky Bill didn’t eat you.

Larry (knees shaking): I know Mick. It’s my nerves. I can’t stop shaking. Why are you here on the hill?

Mick: It’s Epidemic. I’ve been working at Metro Station and he wants to take over my operation. He’s crazy. Epidemic has killed 30 of my best tricks. That’s over half of my crew and the rest are hiding.

Larry: Have you seen pee wee?

MICK: Pee Wee is also hiding from Epidemic. He’s a maniac killer. Pee Wee is planning on going to the Feds.

EXT – CAPITOL HILL – DAY

EXT–UNION STATION–NIGHT UNDERGROUND

Bill sat in a tree waiting for his next meal. Larry, a mouse popped his head out of his hole, looking for Bill and starts running across the lawn. Bill grabs Larry.

Larry: Wait! Wait, Bill. I have something to say. Dean and his crew are planning a hit on you!

(to be continued)

By Gerald Anderson, Vendor/Artist

PREVIOUSLY: I was comin’ from the BP station where I got me a pack of Newport cigarettes. This unmarked gray Impala pulls up with a white boy and a black boy in it. They jump out. I know immediately they’re undercover police. They tell me to come and put my hands on the car. Me being so high—I knew I had the cigarettes in my hand, but I forgot I also had ten bags of heroin in my hand. Soon a paddy wagon came around the corner...

It was a nice warm April day outside, but inside the paddy wagon, it was dark and shadowy. I was seated in the cage behind the two cops—one who was driving and the other his partner. They had my hands cuffed in front of my body and locked shackles around my ankles.

We rode for around 10 or 15 minutes to the 5th District Precinct. After we got there, they asked me my name, date of birth, and took fingerprints—all that stuff they always ask and do when they booked you. And they ask me did you ever be in prison before.

They also make me change into prison clothes. They give me an envelope to put my watch and wallet and things like that in.

They escort me to a cell with around 20 other guys in it, all waitin’ to get transport through the system. When I first hit the cell, a few of them knew me. They were like, “Damn they got my man Orleans. We saw you on the news!”

I told them, “I don’t feel like talkin’ to nobody right now.” I was mad about bein’

Coexistence

By Barbara Pollard, Volunteer There were two frogs in the street, hopping around with their belongings in bags, looking for peanuts and a slice of bread.

The husband frog was crying, while the wife frog tried to cheer him up.

The frogs didn’t have a place to live. No diamonds, pearls or luxury of any kinds.

With no other options, the wife frog took matters into her own hands. She sought out a powerful giraffe in town, an established financier, and stated her case.

The giraffe was taken aback by how bold she was. “I know you’ve got all the leaves you need,” the wife frog said to the giraffe. “We just need a place to stay.”

And her honesty won his affections.

The giraffe reached his neck down, let the frogs jump up to sit on his ears, and lifted them up. It was a completely different view up here. They could see for miles, not like the swamp they’d been in before.

The giraffe had the compassion and self-reflection to realize his own mortality. To realize that he was not almighty.

“We all can live together in this beautiful wonderful world,” he said to the frogs.

caught so what I got to talk about?

Around one o’clock in the morning, they got homicide police detectives coming to the cell, askin’ people do they want to talk about the crime in they neighborhood. Like askin’ us to be snitchin’.

One of the detectives asked me, “What you in here for?”

I told him, “Conspiracy and drug traffic.”

He said, “We need to talk to you. This is what we got causin’ a lotta crime on the street.” Police always tell you that drugs causin’ all the trouble. Really, though, some of the trouble come from people commitin’ crimes, like stealing. And, sure, some commit crimes to buy drugs, but some commit crimes to take care of they family.

I told him, “No. If I did know anything, I wouldn’t tell you.”

He say, “I bet if you get two or three life sentences you would tell.”

I told him, “Man if you only knew. I got more time bein’ in prison than you got bein’ in that suit. I never was a rat. Never gonna be a rat.”

That’s when he say, “Oh yeah? You gonna be a smartass?” (to be continued) My book, “Still Standing: How an ExCon Found Salvation in the Floodwaters of Katrina, is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle form.” It’s a tough story but also good, because I’m still standing, so it makes a nice Valentine’s gift!

A Little Valentine

By Michael Craig Vendor/Artist

Valentine’s Lovelist 2016

By Ken Martin, Vendor/Artist What is life without music? What is love without a soundtrack? This playlist is my Valentine's gift to you, dear readers. I hope this music brings you and yours the pleasure it has brought me and mine.

Mountain Dance by Dave Grusin Lisa by David Sanborn Night Song by Noel Pointer Loran's Dance by Idris Muhammad Here's to Love

by Sadao Watanabe ft. Roberta Flack Happiness Is by Vince Guaraldi Corcovado by Vince Guaraldi Angel Eyes by The Montgomery Brothers Bright Eyes by Charles Fambrough Invitation by Joe Sample Balladina

by Earl Klugh After All by Al Jarreau Just Love by Ronnie Laws Autumn by Pat Metheny and Gary Burton If I'm Still Around Tomorrow

by Sadao Watanabe ft. Roberta Flack Harlem Nocture by Kofi [First Song] by Stan Get and Kenny Barron At the End of the Day (Grace)

by Quincy Jones The Answer in Your Eyes

by Grover Washington Jr. Listen now on StreetSense.org!

I was floating somewhere between dreaming and awake when I felt a touch as gentle as a snowflake on my hand in an instant my soul warmed to her plan and love so sincere burned and ached on our skin could this be happening again? it was time for work but how berserk that seemed at the time. it was Valentines Day! we decided to stay home and play for just one more day.

Message From My Father

By Sybil Taylor, Vendor/Artist

February 20, 2015 was the day my father passed away. At 10:41 a.m. This is in honor and memory of a legend. A soldier who fought for America. A brave father, husband, and grandfather. My father took on a challenge.

He is remembered with high honors and flags and love. This is my family's first visit to see him at the cemetery. We’ll lay flowers on his grave and shed heartfelt tears of loss. A soldier is gone forever, until one day we will all reunite as one family. This day is hard on us and we thank everybody for their prayers.

A message from my father was sent from heaven: “Always remember me in your thoughts and dreams. I live in your hearts forever. I fought in the end. I miss everyone. I was not here to share the moment of the first snowfall of 2016. But I am with you in spirit.

I am present. I miss shoveling the snow and

putting down salt. I miss everybody. I am in heaven, in peace, watching over you all. I left you in my sleep on February. That morning, you heard the singing of the birds praising me on the way home to heaven. I was very sad to leave you all: Hedy, my wife; Dorian, my son; Tracey, my sister-in-law; Sybil, Sean and Bridgette, my three daughters; and Darlene, my granddaughter. I was so sick and very ill. I could not hold on any longer. I was getting very weak. The cancer took over my body. I could no longer fight, no longer speak or eat. But cry and cry.

Heaven is my new home away from home.

Valentines Day will be sad because I am no with my wife or buying her a box of candy and flowers and a card of love.

“Snow came down on the day I passed and this is my eulogy, my life story. I got the best Army salute from the soldiers who came to the cemetery. The casket was covered with a flag. The last salute,

the last horn blown. Everyone that arrived to see me at my funeral, I thank. I was at peace, resting. I reached out to my wife.

I love you. I cried so much. It was the last goodbye before my body was buried and I came to my new home. One day, you'll come and join me. There is a plot for each of you – we will all reunite as one, one day. Here, golden gates sparkle and twinkle. Angels play a golden harp with golden strings and glitter. Beautiful angels dance all day and beautiful birds--some green, some blue, some pink, some yellow--all sparkle and sing beautiful songs all day.

“I am wearing my beautiful robe, my halo, my. I am free and relaxed: no sickness, only peace. This is my story, my life history. I love everyone. I greatly miss you all, like you miss me. I am at peace. No suffering. Peace.

We will all meet again as one family. I love you, Henry Matthew Taylor.”

PERCEPTION OR REALITY: Humane Love

By Robert Williams, USMC, Vendor/Artist I have come to the conclusion that there is more than one homeless community. For example, the Humane Society of the United States represents some homeless cats, dogs and other animals, most of which have been mistreated, abused and neglected at some time. Some may have lost jobs (as racing dogs or guard dogs), some were in shows, and some just special pets. Fortunately, they have been rehabilitated and nursed back to health; efforts have been made to find them suitable housing.

There is another ignored and forgotten community that still exists in 2016.

Although the Humane Society of the United States doesn't represent them, someone should. This community, approximately 8,000 of them, is right here in Washington, D.C., and they are called PEOPLE, more commonly known as the

homeless. They are human, which is what you get after dropping the "e" from humane. Wouldn't it be humane for us to show some love for humans?

Too much money is wasted in our society. I am not saying anything is wrong with the Humane Society. I like what they do.

And what they do cannot be done without you. What's needed to eradicate the homeless epidemic cannot be done without you. Look at the money that's wasted. For example, consider DC's street car. Someone, inform me of its purpose. The streetcar, yet to be utilized, travels about a mile. Does anyone benefit from this? Let's open our eyes and change our mindset.

Let's not be selfish. This year, let's live self-less. We can still live life, have a good time and still be a blessing to someone. As a matter of fact, during my jour-

ney through Dupont, I've met many kind and interesting people. Let me suggest a couple of places to pass the time. For pizza lovers, try Vapiano. Introduce yourself to the assistant gen-eral manager; she will ensure you stay is a good one. For happy hours, enjoy the sounds and discounts at 1831 Bar & Lounge on M St. NW. Nicole and Whitney are as friendly as they are lovely, and with expertise and professionalism, they will be more than glad to serve you, as Sammy spins the sounds to your delight. For some good laughter, check out the Improv. You know, laughter is good for the soul. We need to be wellrounded and build some unity in our communities and work to-gether to raise the consciousness of one another. Perception or reality? Let's love someone today.

15

STREET SENSE February 10 - 23, 2016

COMMUNITY SERVICES Housing/Shelter

Food

Clothing

Showers

Outreach

Medical/Healthcare

Transportation

Laundry

Education

Employment Assistance

Legal Assistance

Academy of Hope Public Charter School: 269-6623 | 601 Edgewood St, NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City: 265-2400 (NW) | 561-8587 (SE) 1525 7th St, NW | 1640 Good Hope Rd, SE breadforthecity.org

Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Jobs Have Priority: 544-9128 425 Snd St, NW jobshavepriority.org

Covenant House Washington: 610-9600 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE covenanthousedc.org

John Young Center: 639-8569 119 D Street, NW

Calvary Women’s Services: 678-2341 1217 Good Hope Road, SE calvaryservices.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless: 347-8870 1234 Massachusetts Ave, NW dccfh.org

Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Father McKenna Center: 842-1112 19 Eye St, NW fathermckennacenter.org

Charlie’s Place: 232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave, NW charliesplacedc.org

Christ House: 328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd, NW christhouse.org

Church of the Pilgrims: 387-6612 2201 P St, NW churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach food (1 - 1:30 on Sundays only)

Friendship Place: 364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave, NW friendshipplace.org

Community Family Life Services: 347-0511 | 305 E St, NW cflsdc.org

Food and Friends: 269-2277 219 Riggs Rd, NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

Foundry Methodist Church: 332-4010 1500 16th St, NW foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities ID (FRIDAY 9-12 ONLY)

Georgetown Ministry Center: 338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave, NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Gospel Rescue Ministries: 842-1731 810 5th St, NW grm.org

Martha’s Table: 328-6608 2114 14th St, NW marthastable.org Miriam’s Kitchen: 452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave, NW miriamskitchen.org

My Sister’s Place: 529-5991 (24-hour hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village: 939-2060 1333 N Street, NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Ave Shelter: 832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave, NE

Open Door Shelter: 639-8093 425 2nd St, NW newhopeministriesdc.org/id3.html

Samaritan Inns: 667-8831 2523 14th St, NW samaritaninns.org

Samaritan Ministry: 1516 Hamilton Street NW | 722-2280 1345 U Street SE | 889-7702 samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork: 675-9340 741 8th St, SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) 797-8806 71 O St, NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center: 333-4949 3655 Calvert St. NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC: 737-9311 1525 Newton St, NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care: 745-4300 3020 14th St, NW unityhealthcare.org

The Welcome Table: 347-2635 1317 G St, NW epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St, NW | 745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave, SE | 797-3567 whitman-walker.org

CELEBRATING SUCCESS! Conversations on Love

Thank You!

Me and my girlfriend were talking about how you can tell if a guy likes you. Well, we brain-stormed this idea for hours. My opinion is that when you meet him, he might come on strong in the beginning, but will he be that way all the time?

My guess is maybe not.

He might even be a shy guy. A little too easy for his own good. Will he be there to protect you? Well, we talked and talked.

She had good points too. Is he affectionate? Is there too much attention shown, or no attention shown? All can be disconcerting, so you need to decide what kind of man you want.

Hello from Donald Brown I'm Donald Brown, vendor 510, wanting to thank the people at Farragut North station for getting a Street Sense newspaper during the blizzard. I appreciate it and I wish you all a Happy Valentines Day and Happy New year.

By Patty Smith, Vendor/Artist

By Donald Brown, Vendor/Artist

VENDOR PROFILE: PATTY SMITH, THE EARLY YEARS

By Charles McCain, Volunteer

Polina Bakhteriarov, Ryan King, Andy Shallal, Gerald Anderson and Marc Carr.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPITAL INNOVATION

LAST WORD: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE INCARCERATED

By Marc Carr, Volunteer

Everyone deserves equal access to affordable housing, a quality education and gainful employment.

The D.C. criminal justice system is accustomed to dealing with a myriad of social problems, including homelessness, mental illness and poverty. According to a 2014 report by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee, 60,000 District residents— about 10 percent of the population—have criminal records. Approximately 8,000 residents re-enter society after incarceration each year.

The collateral consequences of involvement in the criminal justice system often means a lifetime ban from employment, housing, and educational opportunities.

A significant segment of the population— mainly African Americans—thus find themselves excluded from social and economic mobility. For many, this creates an unfortunate cycle of re-incarceration, poverty and homelessness.

On January 31, Social Solutions hosted this year’s first Capitol Innovation Forum: “Gentrification: The Good the Bad and The Incarcerated.” The Capitol Innovation forum is a monthly event that empowers attendees to advocate for reform in the criminal justice system. January’s panel included Street Sense vendor Gerald Anderson; founder of Busboys and Poets

Andy Shallal; Ryan King of the Urban Institute; and economic development specialist Polina Bakhteiarov.

Anderson’s unique perspective on the intersection of incarceration and gentrification is shaped by first-hand experience.

His perspective lent a human face to the 65 million Americans who, because of criminal records, lack access to equal opportunities.

“At the forum I talked to more than a hundred people about how I came into D.C. and they wouldn’t let me get housing or employment because of my criminal history,” Anderson said. “It made me feel good to be up there with some celebritytype people. It showed me how much my life be changing.”

Ultimately, Anderson illustrated that we are more than our worst mistakes. As he told his story, he was viewed in the full context of his humanity: an author, a Katrina survivor, a hero, and—like all of us—a flawed human being.

Visit capitolinnovation.org to hear the podcast of this event and to get updates on future Social Solutions events and initiatives. Gerald Anderson will be part of Street Sense’s own panel discussion “Locked Out, Locked Up: Uncovering Criminalization of Homelessness” on Thursday, February 11. Learn more at StreetSense.org/forum.

February 10 - 23, 2016 • Volume 13 • Issue 7

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Interested in a subscription? Go to page 15 for more information.

“Join the military.”

This is the advice Patty Smith has for young people who are floundering in life.

If you are a member of the armed forces, they feed you, house you and are responsible for your medical care. Most importantly, being in the military “provides a future,” Patty says. She spent six years on active duty in the U.S. Army and is proud of her service to the nation.

By age 29, she had spent some years working as a “full-time” temp with no benefits—a harbinger of the world to come. But her aunt strongly advised her to find a job with benefits and stability.

Patty’s desire to join the military didn’t come out of the blue. Of her two younger brothers, one had served in the U.S. Army and one in the U.S. Navy. They encouraged her to join up.

Then living in Pittsburg, Patty says she went downtown to the Federal Building and the first recruiting office she came to was that of the U.S. Air Force. She walked in, talked with the recruiter and walked out. At age 29, she was one year too old to join the Air Force. Next door was the Army recruiting office. She wasn’t too old for them.

During her years of being homeless, Patty evinced a truth about homelessness few Americans seem to know: over 10 percent of the homeless are veterans who have honorably served our nation.

A few months ago, another Street Sense vendor summed this up for me: when America asked for his help to fight our wars in the Mid-East, he joined the Marines and served his country for five years.

But after he was honorably discharged and later become homeless, America offered him no help.

Concerted efforts by the White House, homeless advocacy groups and the Veterans Administration has seen homelessness among veterans decline by 35 percent from 2009 to 2015. Unfortunately, in spite of this laudable progress, almost 48,000 veterans remain without a roof over their

heads. America has a long way to go to end homelessness among those who have served the nation in the armed forces.

First Lady Michelle Obama even adopted reducing homelessness among veterans as one of her personal missions.

Given the nature of the military, with its rules, discipline and emphasis on order, it seems veterans would fit well into civilian working life after they leave the military. However, “in addition to the complex set of factors influencing all homelessness – extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care – a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks,” according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

These days, Patty Smith enjoys reminiscing.

She was born in a small town. A town of less than 600 people in northeast Mississippi. Her earliest memory comes from age three and is of eating red dirt from the road in front of her house. What she doesn’t remember is something her mother told her some years later. She was almost hit by a car while playing in the dirt road and her mother had to pull her out of the way.

Around age six Patty and her family moved to Pittsburg. There, both Patty’s mother and her aunt secured work at a steel mill and became members of the steelworkers union. They learned the value of benefits such as healthcare and pensions. This was the reason her aunt was so insistent Patty find a job with those benefits.

Patty did the usual things as a kid in Pittsburg: climbed trees, whooshed down a big sliding board in the park and played with her friends whom she still remembers with great fondness. Then she grew older and discovered boys. But that is another story.