VENDORS
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In 2017, we began hosting a number of different workshops aimed at helping our vendors develop skills beyond writing for our newspaper. On any given day, our vendors are illustrating, painting, recording podcasts, taking photos, rehearsing plays, organizing advocacy groups and coming together as a community.
In 2023, artists/vendors published a book of their photography,
and shared their life experiences in an oral history project!
Johnson, Invisible Prophet, Ivory Wilson, Jacqueline “Jackie” Turner, James Davis, James Hughes, Jeanette Richardson, Jeff Taylor, Jeffery McNeil, Jeffrey Carter, Jemel Fleming, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jermale McKnight, Jet Flegette, Jewel Lewis, John Alley, John Littlejohn, Josie Brown, Juliene Kengnie, Kenneth Middleton, Kym Parker, Laticia Brock, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, L. Morrow, Marc Grier, Marcus McCall, Mars, Martin Walker, Mary Sellman, Maurice Carter, Maurice Spears, Melody Byrd, Michael Warner, Morgan Jones, Nikila Smith, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Rachelle Ellison, Randall Smith, Rashawn Bowser, Reginald
Black, Reginald C. Denny, Ricardo Meriedy, Richard “Mooney” Hart, Rita Sauls, Robert Vaughn, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, S. Smith, Sasha Williams, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Sybil Taylor, Tony Bond, Tonya Williams, Vennie Hill, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ashley McMaster, Blake Androff, Clare Krupin,
Corrine Yu, Jonquilyn Hill, Matt Perra, Michael Phillips, Nana-Sentuo Bonsu, Shari Wilson, Stanley Keeve,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Brian Carome
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Darick Brown
Beginning with the publication of this issue, the cover price of Street Sense has increased to $3. Quite simply, we believe that our hardworking distribution vendors deserve a long-overdue raise and an opportunity to keep pace with inflation. This is only the second time in our 21-year history that we have raised the price, and the first since 2013. Vendors continue to pay 50 cents per copy to purchase the paper wholesale, meaning they retain 100% of the increased earnings they make selling the paper at the new cover price.
D.C. remains one of the highest cost of living communities in the nation. Housing here is 140% more expensive than the national average. Utilities are 13% higher and food 8%. And overall, the cost of living has risen more than 24% since the last time we raised our cover price (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Of course, you live here and know how hard a burden our high cost of living is day to day. And we share this news knowing your budget has also been stretched with the last few years of high inflation. But I also know you understand that for our vendors and others at the bottom end of local income earners, life is that much harder.
Our vendors live on the very fragile edges of housing insecurity. While more are housed than ever before, few are securely housed. Our hope is this small increase in monthly earnings can help keep more in their current housing situation and allow those who are still in shelters or outside the chance to end their homelessness. There is such a strong connection among housing security, health and lifespan that we are compelled to do whatever we can to help vendors move forward.
For several months ahead of the decision to raise the cost of the paper we have given our readers the chance to weigh in. Overwhelmingly, those of you who chose to do so voiced support for this decision. But moving forward, readers retain the final word here – deciding whether they can and will afford to purchase the paper. We hope you will continue to support our vendors and our newsroom – one of the last truly local newsrooms in the area.
DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT
Thomas Ratliff
VENDOR PROGRAM
ASSOCIATES
Aida Peery, Chon Gotti, Nikila Smith
VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS
Ann Herzog, Beverly Brown, Madeleine McCollough, Roberta Haber
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Annemarie Cuccia
EDITORIAL INTERNS
Andrea Ho, Margaret Hartigan,
Nora Scully
GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN
Bruna Costa
SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN
Azaria Jackson
ARTISTS-INRESIDENCE
□ The March vendor meeting will be March 22 from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. Join the conversation!
□ Street Sense follows the government for weather closures. Check the office status at opm.gov/status. If Thomas has your number or email, he can notify you.
□ Find announcements and other useful information at streetsensemedia.org/ vendor-info.
BIRTHDAYS
Our profile on Daniel Kingery in the Feb. 28 paper included inaccurate descriptions of Kingery's home and relationship to the authorities. It also cited Article 1, not Amendment 1 of the Constitution.
Our cover story on an upcoming encampment closure in Foggy Bottom stated that the whole encampment would be closed. Only part of it will be, as only part of it is on federal land.
The versions now online has been corrected and we deeply regret our mistake. For more information on our corrections policy, you can visit streetsensemedia. org/ethics.
Ibn Hipps
March 17
ARTIST/VENDOR
Patty Smith
March 19
ARTIST/VENDOR
Charles Armstrong
March 26
ARTIST/VENDOR
Read this democratically elected code of conduct, by vendors, for vendors!
1. I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity.
2. I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.
3. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor.
4. While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $3 per issue or solicit donations by any other means.
5. I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.
OPINION EDITOR (VOLUNTEER)
Candace Montague
Bonnie Naradzay (Poetry), David Serota (Illustration), Leslie Jacobson (Theater), Roy Barber (Theater), Rachel Dungan (Podcast), Willie Schatz (Writing)
EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS
Annabella Hoge, Anne Eigeman, August Ditcher, Benjamin Litoff, Cari Shane, Casey Bacot, Chelsea Ciruzzo, Dakota Bragato, Dan Goff, Grier Hall, J.M. Acsienzo, Josh Axelrod, Kate Malloy, Kathryn Owens, Lenika Cruz, Micah Levey, Miles Wilson, Rachel Siegal, Roman Peregrino, Ryan Bacic, Taylor Nichols, Zach Montellaro
6. “I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.”
7. I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.
8. I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”
9. I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
SPECIAL THANKS
Kaela Roeder
10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”
Smith learned about resources available in D.C. Now, she’s been appointed to the ICH Full Council.
Smith recently sat down with D.C.’s Director to End Homelessness and Executive Director of the ICH, Theresa Silla, to talk about the services available in D.C., and how other people with lived experience can get involved with the ICH.
The following conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Nikila Smith: I want to let everyone get information. Some of the information that I have and that you have, they're gonna be needing. So the first question is: Why did you want to be a part of ICH?
Theresa Silla: Before I joined the ICH, I was providing technical assistance to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grantees when the housing market collapsed in 2008. That was the first time the federal government shifted funding towards homelessness prevention and Rapid Rehousing on a national level.
funding would literally change the landscape of the city. You could drive around and you could see the difference you were making in people’s lives.
So when I heard the District’s ICH needed support, I was so excited to make that transition, to be able to connect directly with the people who are experiencing homelessness and to see the impact of my work.
That gives me — I already have a feel of you, but it gives me more of a feel of you. I absolutely love it. The next question I want to ask is: Why do you care about homelessness?
I don’t know. You know, I think I care about people. My first interest and love was ecology. We would be talking about conserving rainforests or really valuable ecological resources and conserving meant you had to remove people from the environment. And to me, people should be the center. We care about the animals, we care about the plants, we care about nature but people felt like they should be at the center of the work we were doing.
The other thing that’s really important to me is fairness. And to me, there is just something fundamentally wrong about all
of the resources that are available in this world, and then for me to be living in the United States, and I’m not American, but to know the kind of wealth that exists and to see there are people who do not have access to that wealth, to those opportunities — that, to me, feels wrong. And I’m not saying we need to overthrow capitalism, that’s not what I’m saying at all, but everybody deserves access and opportunity and I would like the work I do and the way I spend my time to advance that.
So can I ask you, how does it benefit the ICH to hear from the point of view of people with lived experience?
It is absolutely imperative to have the people who are at the center of our efforts in the room. Your voice matters so much because we can be planning and dreaming about the perfect vision for a program, but it doesn’t meet the needs of the people that are experiencing homelessness. I’m not walking in those shoes. I don’t have that experience. We need direct feedback, we need to know what is working and what is not working from your perspective.
So every time you’re in a meeting and you tell us what it feels like to encounter security when you walk up to the building, that’s critical. I remember that meeting where, from the perspective of government staff, they were saying “Well, when you go to the airport, everybody has to go through a security check, so it shouldn’t be that big a deal that everybody going to a shelter is going through a security check.”
And when you were able to stop that meeting, stop that
conversation, and say “Hey, I want you to know what it feels like to have to go through security every night just to get a bed, how dehumanizing that experience is.” That’s powerful. We don’t know what that experience looks like. We’re comparing the experience of going to a shelter to the experience of airport travel. So, it’s absolutely critical that we have the voice of someone who is living, breathing homelessness for us to understand what we are talking about.
I appreciate you for that, because it’s like everyone I talk to, they say the same thing. At the shelter, every time we go out and come back in we have to be checked. It’s very uncomfortable. And I told the staff — since we’re in this together and you all lead by example, how about you get checked every time you’re coming and going?
Not to take us off what we’re doing. Do you think ICH is beneficial to the community, and how?
I think it’s critical to the community. The ICH was enacted, like in legislation, because the community wanted an ICH. I think that speaks to how important the community thinks it is to have a planning table where the government and community come together to think about the vision for homeless services.
This is a space where we make sure every voice is heard, this is a space where data about homelessness becomes available to people who experience homelessness, right? So that it’s not just the executive directors, the program directors that have this data, but the frontline staff, the advocates, and you yourself. Before the ICH, there wasn’t a comprehensive plan to end homelessness, and the services were not coordinated in quite the same place.
I did not expect you to say that the community wanted the ICH. That’s a big thing for me because I felt sometimes people don’t really care, so that lets me know people care. I really appreciate that one.
I want to reassure you, especially because our work is so hard and it doesn't feel like we are making progress, of the power of community in the District. Homeless services, we make or break elections here in the District. The advocacy is incredible, and the attention that the mayor, the city administrator and the deputy mayor pay to homeless services is incredible — even if it doesn’t feel that way from your perspective and your seat.
While I’ve been homeless, most of my time has been spent living on the street and it was horrible. When we’re living like this, we’re cut off from the community, so we wouldn’t know what you’re fighting for. It’s hard to get information. If I didn't get into the ICH meetings or work at Street Sense I would be lost about what’s going on and that’s like really, really horrible.
How can people become involved in ICH? When I say people, I am talking about people with lived experience. How can they onboard and get in?
My favorite part of this job is that anyone can join the ICH, anyone can attend our meetings. All you have to do is sign up for the listserv, you’ll get a calendar invite for the meetings and you can participate.
There are other more official ways to participate — the ICH Full Council is made up of 16 agency partners and community representatives appointed by the mayor. But our meetings, for the most part, are open to the public, anyone and everyone can come.
I am trying to also transition us to a place where we have leadership slates for our workgroups and committees because our conversations are evolving. So it’s important that people who are participating don’t think of our space as the space
where you fly in, give all your concerns and feedback then just leave. We are trying to transform the system, which means our meetings have agendas, which means we have priorities and projects that we are working on and that we are trying to advance. So for that reason, we are also trying to cultivate leaders, people who are going to be committed to learning about the system.
I was thinking about, you know, how I first onboarded and you had to keep telling me — “Ms. Nikila, this is not the meeting for that, you have to go to this and that.” When you’re first coming to the ICH, you have all these overwhelming feelings and you want to get it out. So we don't understand you can’t just say everything out, you have to stick to the topic.
I didn't understand that for a long time till somebody sat down and broke that down to me. Is there some type of way we could work on that when we have new people coming in?
We need that, so that’s why we are hiring a special advisor to support with participatory planning and strategic communications and create the orientation materials to help onboard people.
Another part of this is as the ICH, we have to understand that when people come and they want to express themselves, they don't have the ability to track 16 monthly meetings and make sure that they show up to the right meeting, right? It’s up to us to take the feedback. So we are also trying to do our part in terms of tracking constituent concerns and not expecting people who are experiencing homelessness, people who are facing food insecurity, people who have lots of barriers to track and come to the right meeting.
Can you give me some information on the women’s initiative? I think it’s a very good idea.
So for years, people were flagging to us that we didn't have enough women involved in the ICH — we’ve had amazing women, but it was always one woman flanked by a lot of men, and they highlighted to us consistently that we needed women at the table, especially because in the family system it's mostly single mothers. What I really appreciate is that the People for Fairness Coalition, when they got funding, they decided that it was important enough for them to ensure that women were seated at our table. They said if you were offering stipends to women, there are lots of women who want to participate. They literally showed us the light.
For instance, you let us know about food access challenges, not that I didn’t know food was a huge concern for people experiencing homelessness, but I think what's really powerful is the kinds of nuances you're telling us relative to food.
If I say how much money I spend to eat when I'm outside, that's unbelievable, it could have been in my savings. And we don't get enough food stamps as singles.
This is where there is a lot of work to be done. And we need to figure out what we can do and what we are not yet able to do. Homeless services is not set up to address poverty and I don't say that to pass the buck, I’m saying that so that we have a real understanding about the limits and constraints that we are working in. And then how do we need to transform the system so we’re appropriately and adequately addressing all the issues that come along with homelessness?
Like returning citizens and housing, they run neck and neck. Once you first get arrested, let's say, hypothetically, you have two years. Once you get in the system, your plan for two years from now should be your housing, it should
start that day. So when you leave prison in two years, your housing should be put in place, and you’re moving into your place instead of moving to the street.
We are standing in a gaping gap. I am not at all discounting anything that you are saying, I hear you, I feel you. Discharge planning needs to start the day you join a program, every program needs to be thinking about what are the next steps. Every program, all the time across all of these systems should be doing this work.
What’s upsetting is every year they have the vigil. And I got really upset because I thought if I died today or tomorrow won’t nobody remember me but I’ll be a number with a name on the list as a homeless person who died. I don't want that, I want people to enjoy me while I'm here. I'm a married woman, with six kids and two grandkids, I'm just going through something right now. I have some good ideas and I want to help, I just need somebody to listen to me, and I’m willing to listen to you. If it sounds feasible and I can do it, I'mma do it. But I do know people are getting paid off of this.
So here’s the thing. I think you and I both agree if you are working, you need to get paid for that. We live in a world and things are set up in a way you need to be compensated for your work.
So when you say people are benefitting from this system — I went to Yale University, I got two undergraduate degrees and I got a master's degree. I was set up to go in a completely different direction. I chose to be in homeless services. I worked my ass off to get to a place where I am now earning almost $180,000 but do you know what I’d be earning if I was working somewhere else?
I definitely wasn’t talking about you.
It's not that. You have to believe the people who are working in our field, most of them are underpaid. It's not that we don't want systems, we just want the systems to work, and we absolutely want people to be compensated for their work. So we have to be very careful about how we’re attacking the system, because ultimately don’t you want to be compensated for your work? Of course, you do.
Don't you want to be helping and working in homeless services yourself? Of course, you do. So we got to have a real conversation about what we want out of the system, yes. But we want the system, we don't want chaos.
We want the system, we want the one that works, I don't want the one that's a Band-Aid, I want the one that’s gonna perform surgery on me and I look good after. And I have worked all my life, I believe in certain things, I don't care if I'm gonna be homeless.
You know what's the hardest part about this? I'm 45, I turned 44 living in a tent, I turned 45 living in the shelter. I don’t know where I'm gonna be when I turn 46 and I’m getting older and when I get to the age I’m supposed to retire, is that when I’m gonna get some rest or am I gonna be housed or am I gonna die before that? It's really, really scary because I don't have anybody over here. I just want the system to work and I want to help. I just want to be paid too.
And that’s why we’re doing this work together in partnership. I want you to know we see you, we understand you.
Editor's note: As mentioned in the article, Nikila Smith is also a member of the ICH.
At a marathon oversight hearing on Feb. 15, dozens of public witnesses shared their challenges and frustrations with — as well as hopes for — the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF).
Together, DHCD and HPTF are responsible for creating and preserving affordable housing in the District. DHCD runs local programs such as inclusionary zoning and the Homeowner Assistance Fund. Administered by DHCD, HPTF is the special revenue fund D.C. relies on to build more affordable housing.
With budget constraints looming, tenants, homeowners and community organizers argued to the Committee on Housing that the city should strengthen oversight of DHCD and HPTF programs and expand investment in the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and housing for returning citizens.
According to the legislative mandate establishing the HPTF, 50% of HPTF’s annual funds are earmarked for deeply affordable housing for households with incomes below 30% of D.C.’s median family income, or $42,700 annually for a family of four.
However, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless staff attorney Charisse Lue testified that funds for affordable housing have been misused. In fiscal year 2021, only 27% of HPTF’s funds were put towards deeply affordable housing. This number dropped to 19% in fiscal year 2022. Lue attributed this to a lack of “aggressive oversight and intentional enforcement.” Last year’s HPTF numbers will be released in April.
Although the council took steps in 2022 to increase HPTF oversight, Lue urged the council to pass a version of the HPTF Income Targeting Accountability Amendment Act of 2021, which would increase the monitoring of HPTF fund disbursement. She also pushed the council to institute more safeguards so that HPTF funds are appropriately used for affordable housing. Misallocation of HPTF funds results in further displacement of low-income residents, Lue said, who are disproportionately Black.
Andrea Chatmon, a housing organizer with Empower DC, suggested DHCD could allocate HPTF funds for projects like social housing. Initially championed by Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George in her Green New Deal for Housing Act of 2022, social housing has continued to gain traction. Social housing is publicly-owned, mixed-income affordable housing. In social housing, higher-income tenants pay full price for rent, which, in turn, subsidizes rent for lower-income tenants.
Chatmon said social housing is still underutilized, holding up as an example a controversial rezoning proposal on U Street that would pave the way for a high-rent development. Without social housing built into the proposal, rezoning could lead to higher rents throughout the neighborhood and displacement of current residents “in an area that is already vastly unaffordable for Black families,” Chatmon said.
Other residents pushed for investments by HPTF in existing housing to combat displacement. A few public witnesses remarked that the most efficient use of HPTF funds to combat
displacement is to invest in the preservation — rather than the creation — of more affordable housing.
Many witnesses complained about DHCD’s lack of transparency, especially in programs designed to help District residents purchase and keep homes. The agency has been plagued by “substantial and unacceptable delays,” said Deborah Cuevas Hill, supervising attorney with Legal Aid DC.
Legal Aid works with residents who receive payments from the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), designed to help struggling homeowners catch up on mortgages and other housing-related payments. Cuevas Hill said that the vast majority of Legal Aid DC’s clients continue to be met with “interrupted payments with many gaps, without communication from DHCD as to when payments [would] be made and why the payments [were] delayed.”
Joanne Savage, managing attorney at Legal Counsel for the Elderly, said that HAF was “egregiously slow,” making it an “agonizing” process for homeowners. She says it takes a minimum of four months (and typically longer) for DHCD to process a single application. It then takes many more months for payments to be disbursed.
To underline the severity of delays, Hope Ndege, a Ward 7 resident, testified about her experience. Ndege applied for HAF in July 2022 and obtained approval in July 2023. Nevertheless, Ndege said she still had yet to receive any payment from DHCD, despite being previously promised payment by September 2023. As a result, Ndege said she lost her parking spot and was threatened with foreclosure.
Agency officials testified that the HAF program cut the average application approval time in half over the last year, and that continued issues are due to problems with the vendors who distribute payments. Savage recommended the Committee on Housing impose application and payment timelines on HAF and require DHCD to consult with advocates.
One of the most striking consensuses among those who testified was the importance of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). One after another, public witnesses overwhelmingly touted TOPA as the District’s most effective tool in preserving affordable housing.
TOPA gives tenants who are threatened with the sale of their building a voice in the process. Under TOPA, landlords must give notice of any intent to sell their property. Tenants then have a window of time when they can negotiate with contract buyers, seek alternative buyers or become buyers themselves, thus allowing them to prevent their own displacement.
A study by the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED) found TOPA was responsible for the development or preservation of 16,224 affordable housing units in the District between 2006 and 2020.
In recent years, landlords and developers have blamed TOPA for slowing down property sales, especially when not all
tenants in a building opt to buy it. These grievances prompted the council to pass the Single-Family Home Exemption Act in 2018, which prohibited tenants of single-family homes from exercising their TOPA rights.
At the hearing, however, TOPA was defended by an array of community organizations, who said they believed D.C. could help more tenants take advantage of the program.
TOPA advocates also said D.C. could make TOPA rights clearer to residents. Farah Fosse, a consultant for CNHED, said tenants can be pressured to sign their rights away, especially in Southeast D.C. where buildings are so rundown that tenants are convinced they should not be preserved. Emily Near from Housing Counseling Services, Inc. separately said some developers have perpetuated misinformation to prevent tenants from accessing TOPA. They called for the strengthening of TOPA, to guarantee “a seat at the table” for tenants.
Mel Zahnd, supervising attorney with Legal Aid DC, proposed two suggestions for building on TOPA’s power: First, require HPTF set aside 30% of its trust funds to rehabilitate aging housing stock; second, encourage the exercise of TOPA in more cases. Coupled with more investment in preservation projects, increased use of TOPA can prevent D.C. from losing affordable housing in avoidable situations, Zahnd argued.
Public witnesses emphasized the link between incarceration and homelessness. According to a report by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, in 2019, 57% of unhoused people in D.C. were formerly incarcerated. Returning citizens often have no savings or employment upon leaving prison. Coupled with high rates of discrimination in the housing market, which persists despite being illegal, returning citizens are often thrown into housing insecurity.
This was the case for Samuel Buggs, who, upon being released, had “no place to call home.” Testifying about his experience, Buggs said the lack of housing options forced him to sleep in laundry rooms, hospital waiting areas and unsafe environments. This desperation drew Buggs to substance abuse until Jubilee Housing, an organization that finances affordable housing for low-income residents, approached him. Buggs now serves as a member of the board of directors.
With more than 2,000 D.C. residents leaving prison each year, public witnesses highlighted the need to facilitate a transition into housing. Buggs, as well as representatives from Jubilee Housing, DC Re-Entry Action Network, Changing Perceptions and Voices for a Second Chance, called on the committee to support the Re-Entry Housing and Supportive Services Act of 2023.
This bill would create a dedicated fund and program within DHCD, support the creation of affordable housing specifically for returning citizens and connect returning citizens to wraparound services like workforce development, health care and life skills training.
“It was a transformative experience, rebirth. It was a chance to live and exist like a normal human being,” Buggs said, on receiving housing assistance from Jubilee Housing. “Safe and adequate housing is not just a privilege but a fundamental right for every human being.”
Despite promises of progress at the D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA), new Executive Director Keith Pettigrew testified at a D.C. Council oversight hearing on Feb. 22 that the agency still needs a recovery plan.
Pettigrew took over in November, about a year after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a report citing dozens of problems within DCHA. Issues HUD raised in the report included “failure to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing opportunities” and poor oversight of the agency. Despite assurances from former DCHA Executive Director Brenda Donald that she’d turn things around in 2023, public housing residents and activists who testified during the Housing Committee’s hearing said many of the issues raised in the HUD report have persisted.
At the hearing, DCHA leadership, councilmembers, advocates and residents discussed plans to address concerns, such as crime in and near units, maintenance delays and long waits for DCHA support (the average hold time to speak to a DCHA agent on the phone is over four hours, according to Pettigrew). Two of the agency’s largest challenges include poor conditions in public housing units and inaccuracy in determining reasonable rent prices for voucher recipients, according to those who testified.
DCHA's recovery plan, Pettigrew said, will include hiring more staff and outside contractors, implementing customer service training and bringing employees back into the office (many agency employees currently work remotely). Councilmembers and DCHA leadership also discussed recent progress under Pettigrew’s leadership, including occupancy rates that have steadily increased in recent months — in part through invite-only “eligibility events” for those on the public housing waiting list, which is still closed despite promises it would reopen last summer.
In April 2023, DCHA approved several resolutions to address the issues HUD found with the agency in 2022. One resolution called for the agency to reopen the public housing waiting list in summer 2023. The waiting list — closed since 2013 — had stretched to 22,000 names when leasing began in 2022.
In 2023, DCHA hosted invitation-only eligibility events at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library for individuals already on the waiting list, intended to help potential tenants get access to housing and determine their eligibility. For the May 2023 event, invitations went to 22,000 people, many of whom had spent decades on DCHA’s public housing waiting list.
According to DCHA, everyone who is on the waiting list was invited to at least one event to complete the eligibility determination process. These sessions, along with additional meetings between the housing authority and invitees who could not attend the library events, helped 418 families move into housing so far, according to a DCHA spokesperson.
According to an April 2023 DCHA press release, these leasing events and new policies were intended to “effectively allow DCHA to reopen the public housing waiting list in summer 2023,” though the agency outlined plans to manage the list differently than in the past.
That reopening, however, has not occurred. A DCHA spokesperson wrote to Street Sense that according to current plans, the public housing waiting list will reopen sometime this year.
in preparing vacant public housing units for new residents. While the monthly average of “turned” units is 50 units per month, 122 vacant units were made ready for new residents in January. As a result, public housing occupancy rates have been increasing, from 73.89% in December to 75.17% in February.
DCHA is aiming to achieve 85% occupancy in public housing by the end of 2024, Pettigrew said.
The HUD report also criticized the condition of DCHA units, leading to a “summer maintenance blitz” last year, during which Donald said every unit would be inspected and repaired. However, residents testified last month that conditions were still poor in some cases.
Needed repairs and unaddressed maintenance requests have been sources of stress for public housing residents for years. Many residents said they have been forced to live in units with rodents and mold.
“There are dead mice everywhere, and you can smell it,” Yelenda Thornton, a public housing resident, said during the oversight hearing. “These are people, and these are people’s homes.”
For residents, the delays can exacerbate mistrust and anxiety.
“When the administration says, ‘Hey, we're going to inspect them all and then we're going to fix them’ and that does not
happen, it exacerbates this trust gap that exists between public housing residents and the agency,” Daniel Del Pielago, the housing director of advocacy group Empower DC, said in an
During the oversight hearing, Pettigrew said he and other DCHA leaders have conducted multiple “walk-throughs” since joining DCHA, during which they and resident leaders identify areas in which units are vacant and repairs are needed. Four additional tours are scheduled in the “near future,” according to the DCHA spokesperson.
Another recurring complaint relates to the “right of return” to public housing units undergoing redevelopment. One example is Barry Farm, a former public housing complex that has been slated for redevelopment for several years. Since 2016, when residents were forced to relocate, former tenants of Barry Farm have been awaiting an opportunity to return. (Construction began in 2022; the entire project is expected to be complete by 2030.)
“We need clear direction on how the city is — how the housing authority is — going to move with right of return,” Del Pielago said.
He and most of the other oversight hearing participants, including DCHA leadership, said further action is needed to improve access to — and the quality of — public housing in D.C.
“We need to hold this city — this administration — accountable for ensuring that those units get filled,” Del Pielago said. “That's a priority, along with actually fixing the units people live in."
More than 100 people gathered at the Church of the Epiphany for the Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers Assembly on March 2 as part of a day of nationally coordinated direct action to draw attention to policies that worsen poverty.
Organized by the Poor People’s Campaign, people in 32 state capitals and D.C. joined together to call on leaders to listen to poor and low-wage people.
Despite the gloomy weather in the District, the energy was palpable. As the program opened with speeches from organizers, attendees roared with cheers and applause. Although the rain did not let up, participants and organizers later walked to the Wilson Building, where the Executive Office of the Mayor and the D.C. Council offices are housed, to deliver the demands of the Poor People’s Campaign, including prioritizing voting rights, living wage laws and a robust social safety net.
“Today is not just a day. It is the beginning of 40 weeks of mobilizing poor and low-income voters in the D.C. area,” Zillah Wesley, one of the tri-chairs of the D.C. Poor People’s Campaign, told the crowd. “This primary season, we are waking up the sleeping giant.”
Engaging poor and low-wage voters around an anti-
poverty agenda has been central to the work of the Poor People’s Campaign, which Wesley said was “non-partisan but deeply political.” Each speaker emphasized the collective potential poor and low-wage eligible voters have to sway election outcomes. D.C. is home to 148,000 poor and lowincome eligible voters, who comprise 21.5% of the electorate, according to the campaign’s 2020 statistics.
Organizers, however, pointed out that this potential had been untapped because poor and low-income voters have felt discouraged from voting because of political campaigns that do not speak to issues of poverty.
“A lot of poor and low-wage people don’t vote not because they don’t care,” Liz McNichol, one of the tri-chairs of the D.C. Poor People’s Campaign, said in her speech. “The number one reason poor and low-wage people don’t vote is because no one talks to
them or includes their issues in public political debates.”
By mobilizing poor and low-wage people to vote, McNichol said “they can change election and political outcomes.” The Poor People’s Campaign aims to make its power felt through voting.
“We are not an insurrection of hate and destruction, we are a resurrection of power and purpose,” Michele Dunne, another organizer, said to rousing applause. “We are challenging the fact that poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in America.”
Dunne was referring to a 2019 University of California, Riverside study, which found people in poverty have much higher rates of death compared to wealthier people with financial stability. Organizers reiterated that long-term poverty was responsible for more than 800 deaths a day across the country, as revealed in the study.
Several organizers described poverty as a problem of “policy violence.” Madison Crum, media coordinator for the D.C. Poor People’s Campaign, called out the inequitable distribution of D.C.’s budget, which he felt neglected the harsh realities faced by poor and low-wage people.
“We often get told that the economy is strong. That unemployment is down and the stock market is up,” Crum said. “It is curious that the mayor’s office is projecting 10% cuts across the board to social services and education.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget for the 2024 fiscal year was criticized for underinvestments in housing programs and social services like the Emergency Rental
Assistance Program (ERAP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). ERAP provides relief for tenants behind on rent payments for a limited time and has been a tool to prevent evictions. SNAP offers a monthly allowance for eligible families to purchase food.
Bowser proposed to cut ERAP’s funding by 80% to $8.2 million, before the D.C. Council restored funding to $43 million. Bowser also initially refused to fund the Give SNAP A Raise Amendment Act of 2022 until the council threatened legal action earlier this year. These moves have drawn criticism, especially because Bowser wanted to set aside $500 million to keep the Wizards and the Capitals at Capital One Arena.
“ERAP and SNAP benefits are exhausted too soon, and the mayor and council obsess over downtown instead of the consistently underinvested areas,” Crum added.
After these speeches, a panel of testifiers and representatives from partner organizations shared their lived experiences of poverty and working with people in poverty. One of them was Lark Yasmin, who recounted how she had lost her job, her mother and her childhood home during the pandemic.
“It is sad to say that we call poverty such a dirty word, and I wish we would call the rich and the billionaires the same,” Yasmin said. “We are being priced out, this city is so unaffordable.”
Bringing together organizers and participants of all backgrounds under the unified cause of ending poverty, the Poor People’s Campaign was personal for many participants.
“Poor People’s Campaign, to me, embodies the positive side of the anti-war movement,” Juliana Barnet, a longtime organizer who attended the Poor People’s March on Washington that culminated in Resurrection City in 1968, said in an interview with Street Sense Media. “Not positive in that it is better, but positive as in what we want to see instead of money pouring into war and destruction”
Even against a backdrop of obstacles, attendees remained rooted in community. Organizers guided attendees in three call-and-response songs: “Which Side Are You On?” “There Is Mean Things Happening in This Land” and “This Little Light of Mine.” In canorous unison, the collective voices of
organizers and attendees reverberated, filling the air in the church with a rich echo and creating a powerful atmosphere. Music is indispensable to the work of the Poor People’s Campaign. In between speeches, attendees were engaged in protest chants and songs. In a nod to the movement’s history, attendees were taught to sing along to the song “Everybody’s Got A Right to Live,” which was first performed at the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968.
A signature call-and-response of the Poor People’s Campaign
is “Forward together, not one step back.” On the steps of the Wilson Building, participants shouted out this slogan — an affirmation of their commitment to the cause.
Disclosure: Street Sense Media rents office space from the Church of the Epiphany.
Disclosure: Barnet has written for Street Sense Media. Angie Whitehurst, who spoke at the event, is also an artist and a vendor for Street Sense Media.
What is the leading cause of homelessness in America?
Professional homelessness. That is why people are homeless in America. It's easy to find a job here. It's easy to get yourself a gig making $15 an hour at McDonald's. As long as you have all your identity documents in order. As long as you are able-bodied and mentally healthy. As long as you have transportation. A place to wash your clothes. As long as you have all of that, it's easy to find a job. A job is a no-brainer. A job that will pay you enough to get by, maybe, is easy to find.
A professional home is a different story. A professional home is a place of work that makes it possible for you to feel safe, included, wanted and appreciated for who you are. In a digital world, resumes are fired off in thousands of directions and there are countless opportunities. But there’s no real opportunity to figure out which ones will fit you before you've put the work in to get one of them. It's easier than ever to find yourself professionally homeless.
For someone like me, it's especially easy. I'm skilled. I have a degree in neurobiology. Tons of working experience. Lots of professional capabilities. A job is easy. Any job would have me. Especially if I don't advertise how overqualified I am right up front. Especially if I don't advertise my past.
I'm also female. I'm genderqueer. My body is not as able as it used to be, and while I can still get around, every day gets harder. I get stiffer and more sore. I was an emergency medical technician in my 20s. It took a toll. I grew up in poverty. I am opinionated and like the ability to express my opinions freely. I feel safest in a workplace that accepts me. I haven't found one of those yet, though. Not one that loves me all the way. Not one that respects me. My lived experience. The things it has taught me.
I've made decisions in the past that would cause some employers to judge me. I've done sex work. I've been an activist in ways not every employer wants to associate themselves with. I won't sanitize my social media for the sake of an employer not judging the fact I've had a social life and it's sometimes not always “professional looking” and I've held a leadership position in an alternative lifestyle community not everyone approves of.
If it's that hard for me, with all my qualifications, skills and abilities, how hard is it for someone who has no college education? How hard is it for someone without the writing skills to craft something like this? My struggle is mostly with having an identity not everyone respects. Most people respect my skills. My vocabulary. My intellect. It's just my identity they don't care for.
I've had a few places to work where I mostly felt I was at home. I was a part of the family. I kept some pieces of my
identity to myself, but I was open about most of my life. I like being able to be myself at work as much as I like being able to be myself at home — but employers judge who I am, rather than what I can do.
People who end up homeless are some of the best people. I'd wager that anyone could rob or lie their way under a roof if they were willing to compromise their integrity. If someone is lying on the streets, it's because they've probably chosen to be true to themselves in a society that makes that an endlessly difficult choice. Instead of looking at the homeless with condemnation, I wish people would look upon them with admiration. It takes guts to choose that over any number of other far less honest options. It takes courage to say "I will sleep on the streets before I sleep under another roof where I'm not wanted, treasured, cherished, supported and loved as myself."
The homeless population is a population people will feed. It's a population people will pity. It's a population people will direct toward this do-little social services resource or that one. It's a population people will judge.
It's not a population many people want to help. It's not a population many people want to invest in.
I found myself homeless in D.C. almost a year and a half ago. I've since gotten some help. Things are getting better in a lot of ways. I am better and healthier. I am more whole and less angry than I was then. I arrived in D.C. after a lot of bouncing around between cities. A few different shelters. Trying to get work opportunities that might make a difference. I haven't been able to find a professional home but I'm working on building my own for myself. That’s one another person can't take away from me because they disagree with who I am.
Still, I see my siblings suffering. I see a society that will invest in crypto coins and fancy pieces of artwork. I see a society that buys themselves big fancy houses and mansions. I see a society that eats at Michelin-star restaurants. I see a society that lives in $3,500 a month condos. I see a society that buys sports cars, $10,000 watches and business sharks who will invest in someone's wacky invention — but I do not see a society investing in the people who need it most.
I've invested a lot in myself. I was lucky. I had something that passed for a home when I was very young. I knew what it was to be loved. Complimented. Told I was capable. I had friends along the way who took that and fueled it with more of the same after my family stopped. I am lucky because I have the strength, drive, perseverance, sense of self and belonging in this world to keep going, even when the going got so tough I was about ready to give up entirely.
I got that from my family at one point. Before I became less than what they considered the perfect child. Before I became something they didn't know how to love and understand anymore. Before they became something I didn't know how to love and understand anymore, too, because that knife cuts
ith each road trip, our mission is to explore with an open mind and to discover and share tips for a better world. With many people talking about this epidemic of social “disconnect” and loneliness, we invite you to ask yourselves a simple question: When was the last time you recall feeling “connected”?
WThe question prompts us to think about what it means to be connected. Is it like riding a bike? When Lisa Ullven interviewed Dr. Bob Moore, a trauma incident reduction expert, as part of research for her book, Moore illustrated a simple yet significant technique that helps a person reflect on a time when they felt connected with others as part of the process to heal.
Reflecting on that feeling, Lisa’s mind leaped back to Thursday nights at 8 p.m. when it seemed every American
both ways. I had it, and having had it once, I will always be searching for it again.
But that search is always easier with a roof over your head. That search is always easier with at least enough money in your pocket to go somewhere and meet someone. That search is always easier when you have what you need to get through today and a few tomorrows too.
That search is easier when you already feel loved in the first place. Because you know that you changed doesn't mean you should be loved any less.
The trouble with a lot of people without homes is that they never knew what a loving home was. Not even a little. I've talked to enough of my siblings while living among them in the shelter systems, and I've heard what kinds of families they had. Mine isn't close to being the worst. I know I'm a difficult person for a lot of people to love. Most of them? They aren't. I am different from a lot of homeless people only because I've known love, and because I've invested in myself and been invested in by others — if I weren't on such a strange path, my life would be more stable — but I've got strengths many of my siblings without safe shelter haven't even been offered an opportunity to cultivate.
All of them could be like me, I believe, if someone came into their lives and poured on the kind of love they're not getting from anyone else. The unconditional kindness. The kind parents are supposed to give their children...that's the kind of love we need to be giving people without homes. Their lack of shelter is not the issue. Their lack of self-love isn't either — if they didn't love themselves enough to leave whatever toxic situation left them on the streets, they wouldn't be there.
We don't just need houses or a job. We need someone invested in helping us find a professional environment where we feel so at home we never want to leave, or helping us to create one of those environments for ourselves. We need someone willing to invest in us as people. We need someone willing to help us get whatever education we need to do better for themselves. We don't need more blankets or food — well, we do, but we need more than that — we need choices and opportunities. We need shelters that aren't abusive and dehumanizing. We need people who are willing to invest in our humanity and the only parts of us we will always have no matter what else happens to us — the knowledge in our minds, the skills we have at their disposal, the confidence in ourselves to face a difficult task and whatever else we need to become as fully ourselves as possible.
I do believe we can help everyone in this predicament. I do believe we can save them all. We just have to stop believing having more fancy things is more important than having more of our siblings alive and well and breaking bread with us and doing the work they most love to do in this world.
Belle Ren is a writer who has experienced homelessness in D.C.
stopped what they were doing to watch the latest episode of "Cheers". The first airing was shared with family, who enthusiastically gathered together to watch the show. The spirit continued into the next day at work as co-workers talked about the show. Joking and comparing parts of the show they liked best, they laughed together, like an extended family.
To this day, when Lisa hears the sitcom theme songs, it reminds her of the joy she experienced as a kid running to the
favorite shows we loved to watch, we recall the people with us. Lisa shared how the theme song to "Sanford and Son" instantly brings back memories of watching TV with her family. She lost her father when she was only 5 years old, but she recalls her late grandpa joining in on the laughter and that incredible feeling of being connected.
As Lisa and I went down memory lane sharing stories of connecting way back in the day, it reminded me of a rare
I was alone thinking about all of the things I’d been through. How I cried so many tears thinking about all of the hurt I’ve gone through and all of the pain. Like someone cut me with a knife. But I realized I am a survivor and I can’t give up. My boys keep me going.
I am fighting for me. I have to fight for myself, learn how to get it together and make things right for me and my boys. I love my boys. They keep me strong. I am doing my best and keeping my head up like Tupac in my favorite rap song. I stand tall and come back for more and I am learning to forgive every person who hurt me, abused me and used me. I still have some healing to do from my pain. I am learning how to love and handle my emotions. I practice self-care. I am getting rest and I am taking my medications. I am keeping my focus and meditating.
Reflecting on our conversational interviews with people living in high-rise luxury suites to people living on our streets, the common theme is we are all looking for more connection and would not mind life being a tad bit simpler again. As an actionable tip, we thought, what could be easier than enjoying a TV show with a friend or soon-to-be friend? Because Lisa and I met making coffee together at the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding Immersion, I think I’ll call this tip The Java Buddies Tip. You simply watch a TV sitcom together and then chat about it over coffee.
We piloted this idea with a few Java Buddy Test Pilots, who managed to come up with an even better version. The Java Buddies immediately played the theme song of The Golden Girls sitcom on their phones and jumped into singing, “Thank you for being a friend.” In minutes, they were singing, laughing and sharing memories. Like Lisa, they recalled who they watched those sitcoms with back in the day and enjoyed sharing those cherished memories.
Interestingly, as we checked on sitcoms that seemed to inspire us to gather like "The Golden Girls" and "Cheers," we found each was filmed in front of a live audience. We think that may have added to the deeper connection experience. Just like us, the actors and actresses were vulnerable. We were all there for blooper mistakes and all. Life is messy at times, but we are in this together. We are resilient and we can do this connection thing again!
We invite you to check out our Road Trip Stories videos and tips. Even more, we look forward to hearing about your Java Buddies experience! Join us at www.youtube.com/@ GuidedResults.
adore, I was so excited when Lisa called me to tell me that Hawn and award-winning filmmaker named Tiffany Shlain are uniting to release a short film on the neuroscience of the adolescent brain. Recalling how kind Hawn was to the children and everyone she met, it is no surprise she is a champion of the MindUP Program to build mental health and resiliency for children and is now working with Shlain releasing a short film to help adolescents as they grow. The film is 10 minutes and is called "The Teen Brain" and is geared to teach teens (and the adults who support them) what's happening in their brains based on the latest research, as well as give tools to regulate and navigate the powerful adolescent years. It will be released the end of March. You can find out more at letitripple.org/ theteenbrain.
Angie Whitehurst is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media. Lisa Blackburn Ullven is the author of “Secrets to Sustainable Solutions.”
My mom gained her wings on Saturday at 1:30 a.m. when she took her last breath. I spent the day with her and my two sisters on Friday. I didn't think it was gonna be our last time seeing her. My brother and his girlfriend went to visit, and all she did was sleep all day long in a deep sleep. All she wanted was to sleep. I was very worried about her not eating and not wanting water. It was very painful to see her in pain and suffering with her mouth open and her eyes closed all day. This has put a lot of pain and sadness on us. When the angels arrived to take her up in their wings to her new home, a new resting place, there was no pain and no sadness. But there was joy in heaven when she arrived. God greeted her as well as my dad and her parents and family.
My mom is going to be missed. Her heart and soul will be missed but will not be forgotten, she is in no more pain.
Here is a playlist:
“Wholy Holy” by Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin
“His Eye Is On The Sparrow” by Whitney Houston
“God is Love" by Marvin Gaye
"A Song for Mama" by Boyz II Men
Behold! This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Faith and destiny have brought us safe thus far. And the divine hand of God is on those who trust and obey his word and his voice. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. The favor of God is upon those who trust and believe in him.
It’s a new season. It’s a new year! I am grateful for a new year I’ve never seen. To God being the glory, great things he hath done. I would be remiss if I did not give honor first to God who has kept me through dangers seen and unseen, and if it had not been for the Lord on my side, where would I be? 2023 was very trying, tedious and difficult. There were times when I felt like I was singled out to be picked on and challenged because of my present condition.
I will be 60 years young on April 29. As a young man, I was always active, physically fit and athletic. Athleticism has always a part of my DNA. Around the ripe age of 10, my journey began. The Police Boys and Girls Club was an intricate part of my upbringing and nurturing to a degree in the absence of my biological father. Back then was somewhat tragic to a point. The eighth child of nine children, five boys and four girls. My mom was a significant force in my life. God rest her soul. She’s gone on home to glory yet still her spirit is reverent within me.
I’ll always love my mom because she has always been there to protect and encourage me, come what may. Mom was a domestic worker and she worked for two prominent lawyers in the Chevy Chase area. She was a beautiful woman inside and
out and she was a nurturer. And she did not play or take any junk. She was sweet to us, but she would bust your butt! She was short but she became a giant when we got out of order. Oh, how I miss her so. Jan. 24 was her celebration of life.
To add insult to injury, my brother died not too recently, God rest his soul. Then my sister, 67 years young, my best friend, retired in the last year. Unwarranted, she experienced a tragic complication where her intestines imploded. She had to have emergency surgery. Praise God she is still with us.
This is a year of new beginnings in health, wealth and prosperity in all areas of my life. It is the beginning of the end of my foolishness I’ve entertained for too long.
My mom is truly missed and I look forward to embracing her again on that great day when God rolls me back into the sky and calls all his children unto himself. There is so much foolishness going on in this world that sometimes you don’t know which way to go. What the world truly needs is the overwhelming, never-ending love of God.
Love covers a multitude of sins. At times, I feel like I’m imploding from within and all hell seems to be breaking loose. It feels like at times I just don’t know which way to turn. Seems like the more I try to do good, evil is always lurking around in an attempt to abort the mission and call God has upon my life. But to no avail, victory shall be mine despite and just because.
Although the war is waging and raging within me, I refuse to give up in the fight because the stage has already been set and conclusively all God’s children win. Fight on with the good fight of faith. Get your mind right. That’s where the battle is waged. The battlefield is the mind. We must be so careful of what we take into our eye sockets and our ear gates. Keep those
uniforms on. If God is here for us, we can stand up and fight.
Do you ever feel ill will is directed towards you even when you are truly trying your best to do what’s right? A lot of selfdestructive behaviors I’ve been acquainted with in the past are no longer relevant yet still the struggle within me persists regardless of all the good I do and will do.
Truth be told, now and again I question God because he is in control over all and us all. If God knows the beginning to the end, why does he allow not-so-good things to befall us, especially when some of us are striving to be the best we can be? I have to just accept what God allows. I hear it said that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Yes, that may be true to an extent, but that internal struggle is real and leaves one broken and down and that feeling of losing it. Adversity builds character. I’ve heard it declared and in the same breath also tears one to shreds emotionally, spiritually and physically.
Right now, I am in my process and it does not feel so good. I am having to bite down on my mouthpiece, silencing me to not reciprocate the attacks against me. It’s a hard thing to do when your offense is turned on. My natural response is to fight back but in a way God is changing me, to differ from past actions and it doesn’t feel good, especially when you know what you know. It’s difficult and tedious, but I do believe I am ready to be processed into who and what I’m becoming.
If I miss the mark and I know at times I will, please don’t charge it to my heart but to my mind. I am only human. And I am trying to be the best me I can be. We have to strategize when dealing with life. Help us, Lord! Help me be a better version of me. I am powerless, but God has all the power!
Although I have a deep love for D.C., I am disappointed by the lack of support for the Washington Wizards among its residents. I have been a loyal fan since they moved from Baltimore and have been proud to support my home team in the nation’s capital. It would be a great loss if the Wizards leave D.C.
Of all the cities to be homeless in, Washington, D.C. is the best. The weather is mild in all seasons and public transportation is reliable. I'm surrounded by history and never get bored exploring the sites. Not to mention there are a multitude of groups and organizations that service the homeless. I'd say on a scale of one to 10, I'm a 10 today.
DIARY
The greatest man on Earth is the Black man. Why do I say that? Because my father is a Black man. Actually, he is more than that: He IS Black history. Who would you say the greatest Black man is? I hope you say your father. Spread love.
My dad Marvin is still ever so amazed to see and believe God is at our dinner table. Should we serve him soul food, cold food or no food at all? Is God starving? I know my dad Marvin is starving and me too!
So many questions for my dad Marvin. How can we eat knowing that God is with us here at the table?
When this world was broken
When this world was in pain
When she mourned
When she was in grief
She still loved us
She protected us
She sheltered our souls
And now we pray
Now we know that it wasn’t just her children that were lost I pray every day for the fallen
I grieve, I mourn
My pain, I will speak about it till the day I die I know what she went through
I understand her loss was real
So I pray now that the love she has for us as her children
Her loss
Her pain
She remembers
BRIANNA BUTLER Artist/Vendor
Embrace the talents God has given you. Embrace these special gifts that enable you to share the real you with everyone. When you embrace these things you express love, care and enthusiasm can be reflected onto other people. Showing your gifts is important in today’s world.
Everyone’s gifts are unique to one’s means of living on this great Earth. Create with your mind, your hands, your feet, your mouth, your legs, your spirit and your soul to tell what you stand for in your story of life. Your creation will be beautiful if you let yourself be free.
God created Earth so you can embrace your talents through it all with the fullness of being somebody worthy of blessings, grace, power and the next level of closeness next to him. So go out there and paint, read, sing, play a sport, make someone laugh, write what you see and feel, design clothes, plant something, sew curtains or play an instrument. Let your fingers hit the keyboard on a computer and let’s dance.
Joy! Joy! Joy!
You know that’s love too
And you —
You make me wanna learn
How to love, so I can Love right
You put the love in “love life”
And even when you make me Mad, I’m still flattered
Thinking the worst case, but Still have faith, that things Get better
Or whatever
No love lecture
Just love lessons
Love message
Forgive me for my dysfunctional love letter P.S. I’ll holla when I holla
The word “no” holds so much authority it makes some men feel like they lost power. Children hear the word no for the right reasons — no running, no talking in class, no fighting, no disrespect to teachers or staff. When I was a child I used to hate the word no. That word made me mad, sometimes sad, because there might be something I wanted, but something that had no value in my life.
The word no does a lot to a child and a man when they hear that word. I see men today get mad and act out, and children be in their feelings. Being in different places like jails, hospitals and institutions, you hear — “No sir, I don’t have a cell phone,” “No, I can’t spare change,” “No, I don’t have time to listen to your sorry story,” “No, I don’t have time.” So now I accept the word no and put a smile on my face. It’s a funny word to me when I’m out selling Street Sense Media newspapers. People say no before I even say anything. They say “No, I don’t want to buy a newspaper.” One time, I said “Have a nice day,” and the person said NO!
If the world is nice everything will be beautiful
If people are nice they will talk to you in a good way
Food expenses will not be high
Clothing expenses will not be high
Health expenses will not be high
Telephone calls will not cost so much
Rents will not be so high
Hospitals will be less expensive
Prescriptions will not cost so much
The world will have changed
Thank you, Street Sense, for challenging my mind, for the opportunity to put together what I like to write, to create the art I love and to learn more every day.
I am what motivates me. I take a look at myself and I analyze things and come up with ways to move step-by-step… then I move.
Hunger motivates me. Getting what I need ignites my greed. I think about my style. I enjoy looking good while doing what I do.
Across
1. Some Muslims
5. Tumbler
10. Juilliard deg. (abbr./initialism)
13. Ltrs. associated with old roadside root beer stop-offs (1,3,1) (incls. initialisms)
15. Kind of drip
17. One-named singer once married to Xavier Cugat
18. Ogling (2 wds.) (7.2)
19. "Dear" one
20. Jewish mourning period
21. Heads out, as on a long trip
25. Medicinal syrups that are designed to cause vomiting (ICECAPS anagram)
29. Skosh (of) (3 wds.) (1,4,3)
31. Magical cure-all drink
32. Blackout
33. As snug as a bug in ____ (2 wds.) (1,3)
35. January, in Mexico (Sp.)
36. Multi-colored stuffed animals of the ursine persuasion that became a hot 80's fad item (2 wds.) (4,5) (BRA CREASE anagram)
39. Was admitted (to) (2 wds.) (3,2)
42. Dis + dat to one who speaks Brooklynese?
43. Printer problem or toast topping
46. Butler of Tara and namesakes
48. Makeshift items (PGA STOPS anagram)
51. Title for a retired female professor (Lat. fem. ending)
53. Make hard to read
54. Sixteen ozs. (2 wds.) (3,2) (incls. abbr.)
56. Court ploy
57. Something soldiers go out on
61. Didn't sleep ___ (2 wds.) 1,4)
64. Like some racehorses
65. "I don't want to ____ your bubble, but..."
66. Mont Blanc, e.g.
67. "Cómo ___?" ("How are you?," in Spain)
68. Smartphone predecessors, for short - or "Get a room" prompters (abbr./Initialisms)
Down
1. Squid's ink holder
2. "A likely story!"
3. Spiraling or twirling around, say (3 wds.) (2,1,4)
4. "Rocky" role
5. A.M.A. members
6. Gobs
7. Beverage brand founded in Osaka
8. Pool ball type
9. Tearful whiner
10. Chinese food additive (abbr./initialism)
11. SeaTac Airport watchdog agcy. (abbr./ initialism)
12. Cockpit abbr.
14. Fret
16. Some caffeinated nonsteroidal pain relief tablets
21. "Little..." application portion suggested in old Brylcreem jingles
22. In-flight info, for short (abbr./ initialism)
23. Alpine transport (1-3)
24. Begot, especially as a thoroughbred stallion
26. Can
27. Geom. figure (abbr.)
28. B'way hit sign (abbr./initialism)
30. Down the ___
34. "Beau ___" (pre-WWII Hollywood classic adventure flick about 3 bros. who join the Fr. Foreign Leg.)
36. French auto brand no longer marketed in the U.S. (NOT RICE anagram)
37. Like protesters whose resistance is prompted by the Chernobyl and Fukushima incidents
38. Long, long time
39. Coll. senior's test (abbr./initialism)
40. Man with a law
41. Summer wear
43. Naked as a ____ ... or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's circled words
44. Software program, briefly (abbr.)
45. Colo. clock setting (abbr./initialism)
47. Computer technology entrepreneurs Jobs and Wozniak
49. Techie training site (2 wds.) (2,3) (incls. abbr./initialism)
50. "Put on your big boy pants!" (2 wds.) (4,2)
52. Type of warning found in "Vlad the Impaler took down your name!"
55. La ___ Tar Pits
57. Entrepreneur's deg. (abbr./initialism)
58. Y'___ (Deep South collective pronoun)
59. Tuck's partner, perhaps 60. 1960's radical grp. (abbr,/acron./ initialism)
62. Code-cracking org. (abbr./initialism)
63. Gold units (abbr.)
This crossword puzzle is the original work of Patrick “Mac”McIntyre. It is provided to us courtesy of Real Change News, a street paper based in Seattle, Washington. Learn more about Real Change News and the International Network of Street Papers at realchangenews.org and insp.ngo.
Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento
Case Management Coordinación de Servicios
Education Educación
Food Comida
Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE 202-373-0246 // 421 Alabama Avenue SE aohdc.org
Bread for the City - 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 - 1700 Marion Barry Ave SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org
Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Marion Barry Ave SE calvaryservices.org
Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp
Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org
Charlie’s Place // 202-929-0100 1820 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org
Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org
Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach
Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org
Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 4 Atlantic Street, SW communityofhopedc.org
Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org
D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org
Care Seguro Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo
Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 900 North Capitol Street, NW fathermckennacenter.org
Ropa Transportation Transportación Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal Showers Duchas Laundry Lavandería
Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org
Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org
Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW foundryumc.org/idministry
Identification services
Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org
Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org
Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9096 1526 Pennsylvanis Ave, SE jobshavepriority.org
Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org
Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Road SE
2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE
Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org
My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org
N Street Village // 202-939-2076 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org
New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE
Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW
Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org
Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org
So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org
St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-363-4900 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org
Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org
Unity Health Care unityhealthcare.org
- Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500
- Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699
1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3946 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 850 Delaware Ave. SW, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 1151 Bladensburg Road, NE, 4515 Edson Place NE
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org
The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable
Whitman-Walker Health 1525 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 1201 Sycamore Drive, SE whitman-walker.org
Woodley House // 202-830-3508 2711 Connecticut Ave., NW
Cook
Wegmans // 41 Ridge Sq. NW
Full-time
Package and assemble meals and follow recipes and cooking techniques when prepping ingredients and menu items.
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: tinyurl.com/wegmanstenleytown
Store Associate
CVS // 1100 4th St. SW
Full-time
Provide customer service, operate the cash register and restock shelves.
REQUIRED: Lift up to 35 lbs.
APPLY: tinyurl.com/cvsstoresw
Cookie Crew
Insomnia Cookies // 1924 8th St. NW #115
Part-time
Greet guests, bake cookies and handle the cash register.
REQUIRED: Lift up to 40 lbs.
APPLY: tinyurl.com/insomniacrew
More people need to know the wonderful things local businesses and people are doing for the community. I want to see D.C. become a city of unity and have support for all its residents. It's time for the government and community leaders to step up and recognize the efforts of businesses that are making a difference in the lives of the homeless and the community. Let's come together and support these businesses in any way we can, whether it's through tax credits, promotion or simply spreading the word. Together, we can create a brighter and more inclusive future for D.C.
In the heart of the nation's capital, the National Coalition for the Homeless stands as a beacon of advocacy and compassion. This organization, dedicated to addressing the needs of those experiencing homelessness, recently compiled a poignant list of 90 individuals who tragically lost their lives on the unforgiving streets of the city. This roster serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by those on the margins of society.
The National Coalition for the Homeless has been at the forefront of the battle against homelessness, tirelessly working to raise awareness, advocate for policy changes and support those in need. By compiling the names of 90 individuals who perished while homeless, the organization aims to humanize the crisis and prompt action at local and national levels.
The list is a somber testament to the harsh realities faced by those without stable housing, shedding light on the urgency of finding sustainable solutions to homelessness. As communities grapple with the complexities of this issue, the National Coalition for the Homeless serves as a critical ally, pushing for systemic changes that address the root causes of homelessness.
March is a moody month of weather changing. Some days are cold, the next day is warm. It happens every year. Spring starts on March 19, which is when cherry blossoms are blowing in the wind. People go to parks and festivals and walk around the city.
People are wearing green outfits to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Me and my girlfriend will be watching the parade on TV. We will be wearing green. The cherry blossoms will be blowing in the wind. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Love you all and stay safe.
The color is green. A celebration of Irish culture. It recognizes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint who brought Christianity to the country, though he was born a wealthy Englishman!
It is always celebrated on March 17, the date St. Patrick is believed to have died in the late fifth century.
At 16 years old, St. Patrick was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland, where he was sold as a slave and forced to work as a shepherd. He later had a dream in which God told him to leave Ireland by going to its east coast. He did that, escaped and returned to his family. Later, he went back to Ireland as a missionary.
He loved Ireland
He loved his family
He died on March 17
He became a priest
He became a shamrock, a symbol of love
We love the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Amid the challenges faced by the homeless population, there are individuals like me who embody the spirit of community and resilience. I am a D.C. native and I have devoted my life to giving back and creating positive change to the community.
I actively engage with local initiatives, offering support and encouragement to those in need. My passion for community service extends beyond the streets of D.C., as I take my message of hope and empowerment to colleges across the nation.
My story is a testament to the transformative power of positivity and perseverance. From facing personal challenges to becoming a beacon of hope for others, I am passionate about sharing my inspirational journey with audiences nationwide. Through motivational speaking engagements, I encourage people to overcome obstacles, pursue their passions and make a positive impact in their communities.
In addition to this community service, I am the proud founder of Fortune500WorldCruises&Tours LLC. This travel company has garnered recognition for its excellence in the industry.
As the National Coalition for the Homeless honors the lives lost on the streets of D.C., I exemplify the spirit of compassion and community engagement that is essential in addressing homelessness. Through advocacy, personal initiatives, and motivational outreach, my positive influence continues to inspire change, leaving an indelible mark on both the local community and the nation as a whole.
I would like to thank all of my readers and customers along with the people who supported and believed in me from the very beginning — you know who you are. I also want to thank the people who came up to me to tell me that they admired me for being me. Thank you for being genuine.
A business Maurice wants more support for.