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Mayoral Candidates Voice Their Thoughts and Plans on Homelessness, p. 6
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Where the Washington area's poor and homeless earn and give their two cents April 15, 2006 - May 14, 2006
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Volume 3, Issue 6
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Homeless People Hired to Evict Tenants
By August Mallory
Hotlanta’s Cold Shoulder
By Laura Thompson Osuri It’s 7:30 in the morning on a clear day in early April, and a crowd of about 35 men starts to come together on the sidewalk in front of So Others Might Eat (SOME). Most of these men are homeless, and all of them are there that morning looking for work. After about 45 minutes a large van arrives followed by a car. A woman gets out of the car and starts shouting, “Anyone wanna work? Anyone wanna work?” Several men approach her and are directed to climb into the van. Once about 15 people pile in – some sitting on crates and others on the floor – the van drives off. A few other vans and trucks pull up following the same routine: there is a call for work, a crowd piles in, and the van pulls off. While homeless people often take part in the day-labor economy working in construction, demolition and trash clean-up through similar early morning van pick-ups like these, most of the men leaving this morning are going to help with evictions -- in the end, adding to the homeless population. For at least the last six years, eviction companies in the area
On The Road
T
Homeless people helped to evict and move the belongings out of this place on Tuckerman Street in Northwest, much as they have done at thousands of others apartments in D.C.
and independent landlords have been calling on homeless people to help clear out the belongings of individuals and families who have defaulted on rental agreements. According to the U.S. Marshals
Service, the number of workers required for an eviction ranges from 10 for a one-bedroom apartment, to 25 for a house or commercial property. And on a clear day in the spring as many as 10 eviction jobs
are available, homeless people report. The companies pay between $5 and $15 per eviction job, each
See
his is the city of Atlanta, Georgia, known by many as “Hotlanta” because of the once-booming job growth and business opportunities. But these days Atlanta is not so hot, as unemployment soars and the problems of poverty and homelessness increase. When I arrive, my first stop is the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, I hear the story of how the Reverend Dr. King led the struggle for civil rights in our nation. My next stop is the Open Door Community, a soup kitchen where I meet the Reverend Edward-the”Agitator” Loring, who has spent many years fighting for the rights and dignity of homeless people. In the worship service that I attend, I am reminded of the many prisoners on death row.
EVICT page 5
NW Churches Provide Shelter to Families in Need By Diane Rusignola Imagine a shelter that is not overrun with occupants, a shelter where everyone is like family. Children are not exposed to drugs. Instead, they come “home” each night to a hot meal and do their homework. Imagine a shelter so safe and inviting that it’s literally located inside a church. Imagine this place, and discover
the Capital Interfaith Hospitality Network (CIHN.) This network of nine congregations has banded together and is committed to providing shelter and hot meals for a few homeless families in need every evening from about 6:30 pm until early the next morning. The shelter moves from church to church every couple of months and sometimes every few weeks (a schedule is set up a year in
Inside This Issue LOCAL
advance), usually occupying extra Sunday school rooms, a multi-purpose room or a church basement. Currently there are three families in the network, and new families come and go every few months. Besides providing shelter on a rotating basis, churches contribute what they can: sometimes it’s a bed or television for the traveling shelter, sometimes it’s a hot meal,
and sometimes it’s a volunteer visiting the families. CIHN follows the national model of Family Promise, which began as the National Interfaith Hospitality Network in 1989, founded on the idea that “Americans are compassionate people who want to make a difference.” “It’s about making a
See
CHURCH page 7
INTERNATIONAL
EDITORIAL
South Africa has a new online dating service for HIV positive men and women, page 9
Maurice asks, “Who is homeless?” page 17
HIV Dating Service
Taking a Closer Look FEATURES
Katrina Lessons
FEATURES
Comings and Goings
Lesson learned from the Katrina response are applied to local homelessness page 3 ,
NEW: A column of financial advice, page 15
NEW: Executive changes for homeless service providers, page 18
Saving for Change
Just down the street is the First Presbyterian Church, and I go inside. Many homeless men and women are gathered around, and stories are exchanged as to how many of them are treated in society. Atlanta prides itself on hospitality, but when it comes to the homeless, the term hospitality does not exist. After my visit at First Presbyterian, I stop at the Task Force for the Homeless shelter, a rough-and-tumble hellhole of sorts. It was around dinner time when I arrived, and while people
See
ATLANTA, page 16
2 ALL ABOUT US
Street Sense . April-May 2006
Our Mission 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-2006 Fax: (202) 347-2166 info@streetsense.org www.streetsense.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS James Davis Robert Egger Ted Henson Barbara Kagan August Mallory John Snellgrove Michael Stoops Kathy Whelpley
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Thompson Osuri SENIOR EDITOR Ted Henson ASSOCIATE EDITOR David S. Hammond AD SALES MANAGERS Jake Ashford Donald Brooks James Davis Alvin Dixon August Mallory Michelle McCullough VOLUNTEERS/WRITERS Gwen Arnold, Jake Ashford, Donald Brooks, Karen Brooks, Cliff Clare, James Davis, Michelle Gaudet, Jake Geissinger, Leo Gnawa, Joanne Goodwin, David Harris, Enoka Herat, Annie Hill, Alex Hiniker, Daniel Horner, John Kenny, Maurice King, Felicia Kung, Jessica LeCompte, August Mallory, Mike Melia, Brad McCormick, Jessica McCaughley, Michelle McCullough, Jill Merselis, Amy Orndorff, Jen Pearl, Cara Santos Pianesi, David Pike, Diane Rusignola, Patty Smith, Trish Savage, Isabel Toolan, Francine Triplett, Robert Trautman, Linda Wang, Valerie Wexler, Marian Wiseman, Mark Youssef VENDORS Jeff Barbonus, Alan Bates, Robert Beecher, Tommy Bennett, Donald Brooks, Kanon Brown, Jazz Brown, Bobby Buggs, Cliff Carle, Conrad Cheek, Jr., James Chisholm, Doug Crawford, James Davis, Muriel Dixon, Alvin Dixon El, Kerwin Dowell, Harry Glascoe Jr., Leo Gnawa, David Harris, John Harrison, Patricia Henry, Phillip Howard, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Wayne Kern, David McCullough, Michelle McCullough, August Mallory, Charles Nelson, Therese Onyemenam, Eddie Singer, Patty Smith, Tom Taylor, Francine Triplett, Lawerence Tyman, Martin Walker, Brenda Wilson, Jason Wrightson
Street Sense aims to serve as a vehicle for elevating voices and public debate on issues relating to poverty while also creating economic opportunities for people who are experiencing homelessness in our community.
Our Editorial Policy
Editorials and features in Street Sense reflect the perspectives of the authors. We invite the submission of journalism, opinion, fiction and poetry, hoping to create a means where a multitude of perspectives on poverty and homelessness can find expression. Street Sense reserves the right to edit any material.
The Story of Street Sense Street Sense began in August 2003 after two volunteers, Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson, approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions about starting a street newspaper in Washington, D.C. A street paper is defined as a newspaper about poverty, homelessness and other social issues that provides an income to the homeless men and women who sell it. About 25 street papers operate in the
U.S. and Canada in places like Seattle, Chicago, Montreal and Boston, and there are dozens more throughout the world. After bringing together a core of dedicated volunteers and vendors, Street Sense came out with its first issue in November 2003, printing 5,000 copies. Since then, the paper has published consistently on a monthly basis and has greatly expanded its circulation and vendor network. For the first year, Street Sense
operated as a project of the National Coalition for the Homeless, but in October 2004, the organization incorporated and moved into its own office space. In March 2005, Street Sense received 501(c)3 status, becoming an independent nonprofit organization. In October 2005 Street Sense formed a full board of directors and in November the organization hired its first employee, a fulltime executive director.
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Street Sense . April-May 2006
LOCAL NEWS
City, DC Providers Apply Lessons Learned from Katrina Michelle Regan Gaudet “Massive” is the term often used to describe the financial assistance and services provided to victims of Hurricane Katrina who were left homeless. In Washington, D.C., residents mobilized numerous volunteers and offered a range of resources to the disaster’s homeless victims, particularly those who ended up in the District. The public’s display of compassion was an essential component in last fall’s effort to house and care for victims of Katrina, and that response gave both government and private service providers several important lessons in how to approach issues facing the local homeless population. Those that work with the area homeless said that this response showed that publicity begets compassion, and compassion begets action. They added that the response also showed that resources can be used effectively only if programs are organized efficiently and if the homeless population is made aware of the services that are available. Both public and private services providers say they intend to apply the lessons learned from Katrina to Washington’s homelessness problem. For one thing, the city government hopes to create more public awareness of homelessness issues. “The greatest impetus for public support for the Katrina evacuees was the expansive news coverage of that disaster,’’ said Lynn French,
senior policy advisor for homelessness and special needs housing in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families and Elders. ``Of course we do not control the media, so it is not within the city’s power to produce such coverage for homeless city residents,’’ she added. “Still, we decided let’s make an effort to try and get the public as interested [in the homeless population] as when Katrina occurred.” She said that because of this effort the city has had success in finding some private landlords who are willing to rent apartments with the guarantee of city subsidies and has identified more resources for clothing and employment. French said that although the publicity about Katrina produced an enormous outpouring of public support and aid, the disaster’s homeless victims received the same support services that the city’s homeless population receives. Local homeless people, including some Street Sense vendors, disagree. Many more resources were made available following Katrina, and Katrina evacuees were given preference for housing and jobs, local critics say. They note that soon after some evacuees arrived in the District, a job fair was held at the D.C. Armory and no local homeless people were allowed inside. “We were homeless before those from hurricane Katrina became homeless. And even though it was not collective, we have all still lost everything,” Street Sense vendor Brenda Wilson said. “So if the government
“We decided let’s make an effort to try and get the public as interested [in the homeless population] as when Katrina occurred.”
Homeless families gather at D.C. Village for the city’s first service fair in December.
could find resources to take care of them why can’t they still find the resources to take care of us?” Although private aid groups in the District did an excellent job of organizing volunteers, homeless Katrina victims did not use many of the resources provided, said Tom Morris of SURGE, a Katrina-relief volunteer group organized by Career Professionals International. “Everyone that we interacted with had a lot of services available, but people either weren’t using them or didn’t know where to find them,” said Morris. Because of this low response, SURGE decided to turn toward helping the local homeless population. But while SURGE has worked with a few local homeless-services providers, Morris said it is hard to get volunteers interested in helping homeless people because they are not as exposed as the Katrina evacuees were. Meanwhile, the city government has been
responding to the lessons of Katrina on notifying homeless people about available services. The deputy mayor’s office has organized a series of “service fairs” to help connect the D.C. homeless population with the necessary resources. “By bringing together all relevant agencies and programs with a group of homeless clients, we can bring ‘all hands on deck’ and focus them upon providing services,” French said. The first service fair was conducted last December at D.C. Village. It targeted homeless families and affordable housing. A total of 185 families attended the fair - 194 adults and 380 children. The next fair will be held April 19 and will target homeless youth. Three hundred young people are expected at the fair. “We’re gonna work our way through the whole homeless population, taking it one step at a time,” French said.
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LOCAL NEWS
Street Sense . April-May 2006
Low-Income Residents Raise Concerns to DC Officials By Daniel Horner D.C. City Council members and other city officials recently met with the community to hear cases of government failures in handling poverty, homelessness, and disabilities, and they gathered possible solutions from the people who deal with those problems every day. Residents attending an April 1 event organized by the Fair Budget Coalition “put a face and a name behind the issues,” said Councilwoman Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3). She added that while the D.C. government has improved in many ways in recent years, “in the people-serving part of the government, we’re not even close.” Community member Karen Hailstock drew one of the strongest audience reactions at the meeting when she described how she and her eight children became targets for drug dealers after she told the police about drug-dealing in her community. The dealers put abusive graffiti on the walls of her house, cut her phone and power lines, and twice set fire to the house in which she was living, she said. Her 15-year-old daughter had tried to commit suicide, she said. Hailstock said she was trying to become a real-estate agent but was stymied because she had to sleep during the day, as she couldn’t sleep at night. In an interview during the meeting, Brenda Donald Walker, the deputy mayor
Councilmembers Jim Graham and Kathy Pattterson listen intently as residents tell their stories.
for children, youth, family and elders, said Hailstock’s case showed the need for “wraparound services.” Lack of funding is often a major problem in providing adequate services, but not all the issues are budgetary ones, Walker added. She mentioned La Casa shelter in Mount Pleasant, where the issue is space. The developer that bought the land on which the shelter sits has
promised a “state-of-the-art” shelter, along with the apartments and condominiums it plans to build in the neighborhood. Yet there is nowhere in the neighborhood to build a temporary shelter while the old shelter is razed and the new one is built, she said. Another speaker, Tonja Britton, described how she and her family moved out of their apartment and tried to find housing with the
In Brief
Md. Homeless Hate Crimes Bill Fails Just one vote kept Maryland’s homeless population from being protected under law from hate crimes. In late March the Maryland Senate voted 23 to 22 against the first bill in the nation that would have added homeless persons to the class of people covered under a state’s hate crimes statute. After this failure Alex X. Mooney (R-Frederick), the senator who introduced the bill, had a motion to reconsider passed but the bill failed once again 20 to 25. The bill was introduced in early March by Mooney, with a bill that would have also added veterans as a protected class under the hate crimes bill. Homeless advocates heralded the bill but Democrats were reluctant to support it. It came down to politics as the sponsor and cosponsors were all Republicans, who also opposed adding gays to the hate crime statute last year. Homeless advocates hope to educate Democrats over the next year to raise more support for a similar bill during the 2007 session. - Laura Thompson Osuri
Community of Hope Doubles Health Services Family health services are more than doubling at the Community of Hope clinic in Adams Morgan, thanks to a federal grant. Community of Hope Health Services received the grant, worth $618,000 per year for three years, through a highly competitive funding program sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services. With the new money, the clinic has increased its hours, and starting this summer, services will be provided for dental care, mental health, and substance abuse. An enrollment specialist on the clinic staff will help patients sign up for benefits. Community of Hope Health Services accepts DC Alliance, Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, and has a sliding fee scale for patients without insurance. Spanish and Amharic translators are available at the clinic, and other translators can be provided if needed. To celebrate Community of Hope is holding a Health Fair on May 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in its headquarters at 2250 Champlain Street. The fair will include free health screenings and food and entertainment for all ages. - Marian Wiseman
settlement money from their landlord,. But none of the houses she saw were wheelchairaccessible, she said. She ended up at the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center, and, through the center, was able to stay at a hotel. But because of the center’s policy of providing funding one day at a time, Britton and her family had to pack up their belongings in their car each morning, she said. She said her situation was made more difficult by her diabetes. When she asked for a refrigerator for her insulin, she was told to put the medicine on ice instead, Britton said. Audience members further questioned officials and offered ideas. Anthony Jones asked who set rules and regulations for shelters, particularly those that are not run by the D.C. government. In an interview after the meeting, he said that rules vary from one shelter to another. For example, one shelter required men to shower when they came in, but others did not, he said. Shelters may have grievance committees, but attendance at the meetings is not mandatory, he said, and so the people who are the cause of complaints often do not attend. William Taft of the DC Local Organizing Council for Empowerment suggested creating a citizens advisory council in the Department of Human Services to address such issues. Kate Jesberg, the department’s interim director, endorsed the idea.
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Two
Street Sense . April-May 2006
LOCAL NEWS
T h i r t y D o l l a r s, Fo u r Homes, One Conscience A vendor’s experience with evictions
matthew impett
Homeless men pile into a van infront of SOME, likely heading out to help with evictions or some other laborer job.
EVICT, from p .1 of which usually lasts from two to four hours, including travel and waiting time, according to several homeless people. This equates to a wage of between $1.25 and $7.50 per hour. Michael Stoops, acting director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, sees the situation as inherently negative for homeless people. “The real culprits are the people who exploit homeless people by not paying them a fair wage,” Stoops said. “And then they go a step further by using homeless people to evict people who then become homeless.” Ironically, D.C.’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness makes special note of trying to limit the number of evictions to “prevent homelessness from within the mainstream.” “More emphasis would be placed on keeping people housed when they face evictions and doing that in a smart way that invests case management support along with cash assistance so that the crisis is addressed and resolved,” the plan states. Stoops added that he does not know of any other state where homeless people are helping to evict residents. This may be because in most states the county sheriff’s office performs the evictions, while in D.C. the landlords are responsible for providing labor for the eviction. The two main companies that rely on homeless people to help in evictions are All American Eviction and East Coast Express Evictions, according to several homeless people, including many Street Sense vendors. But despite these reports, the chief executive officers of both companies deny the practice. Caroline Lansford, the CEO of All American, said her company never pays homeless people and that all of the workers performing evictions are “part of the staff.” But according to a Dunn & Bradstreet report, All American only has one employee, even though the average eviction requires 15 people on site. Since All American (and East Coast) charge landlords $165 to evict a one-bedroom apartment, to pay the required 10 people D.C.’s minimum wage of $7 an hour for a two hour job would barely be profitable for the company. (Both companies also charge landlords $200 for a two-bedroom apartment and $450 for a townhouse.) East Coast’s CEO Nelson Terry claims to find laborers to carry out its evictions through Labor Ready, a temporary service for manual laborers. For an independent landlord to hire 15 people through Labor Ready to evict a twobedroom apartment it would cost $930 -- $15.50 per person per hour for a four-hour minimum. So even if East Coast is getting a deal, the cost to hire laborers through Labor Ready would be well above what East Coast charges landlords.
Homeless people report that independent landlords also occasionally come looking for laborers, but according to Street Sense vendor Donald Brooks, these men and women usually pay better; $15 an eviction compared to East Coast and All American’s $5 per eviction average. But many homeless people don’t mind helping with evictions, because it is a way to make a little money when other day labor work is hard to come by. In fact, one homeless man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that he prefers the eviction work over other day labor jobs he has done “because you are just moving stuff all day long” and it is not dangerous or backbreaking. He said that he usually makes $20 a day for a full eight hours of work. In comparison, Street Sense vendor Jake Ashford reported that a construction company he has worked for as a day laborer paid around $50 a day. Still, other homeless people feel uncomfortable removing people from their homes. “Here it is I am living on the street and don’t have anything, and I can’t bear the thought of women and children ending up in my situation,” Ashford said. “It sickens to me to know I am helping the problem that is making them homeless. And only for $5 a day.” In D.C. an eviction, the act of removing personal property from a building and placing it on the street, can only occur 30 days after a landlord gives notice of an eviction to a tenant for violating a lease agreement. If the tenant does not leave in 30 days, then the landlord can get a writ of assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and force the tenant from his or her home. For all evictions a U.S. marshal is present to enforce the eviction order. And in D.C., since it is illegal to evict someone if forecasts predict a 50% or higher chance of snow or rain or a temperature of below 32 degrees for the next 24 hours, spring is a popular time for evictions. But just how many evictions occur in D.C. is hard to come by. The U.S. Marshals Service failed to give Street Sense an estimate on the number of evictions in D.C. during the average week, and both East Coast and All American were hesitant to give an exact number. But by looking at All American’s reported annual sales in 2005 of $62,000 (according to Dunn & Bradstreet), and the average amount charged per eviction, Street Sense estimates that the company performs around 310 evictions a year, or just under 6 a week. After saying that he could not give an estimate of how many evictions his company does a week, Terry did say that East Coast does evictions for landlords of all sizes. “We do everything,” he said. “We have helped the federal government evict from the federal embassy of Iran and we have even evicted airline terminals.” Mark Youssef and Jake Ashford contributed to this story
“Anybody want to work!” shouts a man named Butch as the little white bus fills up with passengers. Another lady and an elderly man are shouting the same as they stand before their little blue vans. These three people are standing outside of S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) recruiting homeless men and women to carry out evictions. This particular morning, a man named Butch is offering $15.00 per eviction and has two scheduled for the day. The other two people were offering $5.00 each and said they had four scheduled. I decided to take Butch’s offer. The bus finally fills up with 25 people even though there are only 20 seats. We arrive at our first house which is in Southeast D.C. near the Berry Farms projects. The property turns up empty upon inspection through the windows. When the federal marshal shows up we enter the house. The stove and refrigerator are missing. Butch shouts to one worker, who writes it down on an inventory sheet, and says jokingly that they smoked up the kitchen. This being said after witnessing all the candles, various little plastic bags and an assortment of broken glass tubes with burnt ends. We were asked to get trash bags and fill them with all the trash we could find. This is called a “trash-out”. Our next destination was a nice brownstone on Capitol Hill. The only items left behind were a large sleeper couch and a bookcase. The door had to be removed to get these items out, which was why they were probably left behind. Now it’s time to get paid. We had to drive 45 minutes to Crofton, Md., which is the main office. We exited the bus after waiting another half hour. We stood in line and received our money. We started out at 9:15 and when we got back to D.C. it was 5 p.m. This was my first day and even though it beat working at Ready Staffing, on the average with waiting and driving time I only made around $4.00 an hour. The next morning I go back to SOME and await the return of the little white bus. While I am waiting an elderly African man pulls up in front of the building in a rickety old blue passenger van. Shortly after several white vans arrive looking for new recruits. I am told by one of the men I worked with yesterday that Butch picked up his regular people on Florida Avenue for a job in Baltimore. This is when I got on the blue van. The driver said there would be three jobs: one paying $15 and the other two, $5 each. Our first stop was a cancellation because the tenant came up with his rent money as the Marshal arrived. The second stop was at a residence on 16th Street in Northwest. The house was large and was fully furnished. The landlord was outside attempting to contact the tenant one last time. Finally we were ordered to go on. We were soon joined by two more vans carrying 25 people. After about 2 hours the house and the garage were emptied and all the belongings and furniture were placed on the curb. The final place was an apartment unit on Irving Street in Northwest. As we arrived a young lady in her early 20s with her daughter, who appeared to be about three, was standing in the entrance of the hall pleading with the residence manager for more time. She claimed her grandmother was going to wire the money but the manager told her it’s too late. The woman started crying and screaming hysterically and her daughter ran back into the apartment. We were ordered to go in and start putting her things on the curb. As I approached the little girl’s room, she was standing inside clutching her dolls. The look on her face was so sad and instantly it reminded me of my daughter when she was that age. Right there and then I walked out and decided this would be my last eviction. I just couldn’t do it. Here I was homeless myself at the time about to make two more people homeless. - James Davis
o
INTERVIEW
Street Sense . April-May 2006
OUR Two Cents
DC’s Mayoral Candidates on Homelessness Street Sense is asking D.C.’s leading mayoral candidates for their positions on several important issues facing the city’s poor and homeless people in this series of five interviews. This month Street Sense gets their answers on homeless services. Next month: affordable housing.
especially when they are concentrated in one area. I support a comprehensive plan to reduce homelessness, including access to health care, temporary housing and long-term housing. I believe that services for the homeless should be dispersed throughout the District.
Street Sense: The last few years have seen big changes in the city’s network of emergency homeless shelters, with some facilities closing, and new shelter beds in new locations. Will you continue the current trend of opening large emergency shelters on the east side of the city ?
SS: And will you pledge not to close any emergency shelter until an equal number of replacement shelter beds have been made available in the same neighborhood?
Michael Brown: No one ever wants anything that’s perceived as bad in his or her neighborhood. Just like moderate-income housing — it shouldn’t just be in the eastern part of the city, it should be all over the city. When you go to Manhattan, there are homeless shelters right off of Central Park West. That’s the culture of the city, and it’s “okay” — people who live in those high rises in Central Park West are totally comfortable with what is downstairs and around the corner, because that’s part of living in the city. You can’t just put whomever you consider the “undesirables” in a certain part of the city. So, no, I would not continue that trend.
Cropp: I will seek to ensure that no emergency shelter is closed until replacement beds are available. I will look at their location to ensure that they are accessible to those in need of emergency housing and to supportive services to assist in transitioning to permanent housing.
Linda Cropp: Large shelters are not the ideal way to provide services to those who are homeless and they should not be concentrated in any one section of the city. District shelters must be dignified places for emergency assistance, not destinations. The best way to address the needs of persons who are homeless is through smaller manageable housing where persons can receive services to help them get and maintain stable housing. This means locating shelters and other types of housing in reasonable proximity to supportive services. Look at the face of the homeless. They come from all walks of life. Many are employed, or were previously employed. Many are now homeless largely because of economic hardship often coupled with physical or mental health issues. Adrian Fenty: I think the District has made a mistake by closing too many downtown shelters and replacing them with shelters that are harder to access and farther away from services and jobs. I will continue to press the Williams administration to honor its commitment that the Franklin Shelter will not close before the Gales Shelter has been reopened and there are enough beds in the downtown area. Marie Johns: As Mayor, I would continue the best practices surrounding homeless services. These include moving toward smaller housing facilities that are neighborhoodbased and which have the appropriate support for homeless individuals so that they become a part of the community. The search for more appropriate housing is the answer. The more appropriate housing we have the less the need to rely on larger emergency shelters. The answer depends on what type of housing is available. I will work to ensure an appropriate mix of housing. Vincent Orange: I do not support opening large shelters,
Brown: Absolutely.
Fenty: It makes no sense to me to close a shelter without providing an adequate number of shelter beds at another location nearby. Johns: Decisions about closing any emergency shelter would be made on a case-by-case basis. Each consideration would be assessed based on data provided by the Council of Governments and other sources on the homeless population. The demand for shelter is a continuing challenge. Orange: [No response.] SS: Tell us about your plans for the Homeless Services Reform Act (HRSA) (which became law in the fall of 2005 and mandates uniform standards for city-funded homeless services.) What are your top goals and timelines for implementing HSRA? And if those goals are not met in a timely fashion, what consequences will there be ? Brown: A bill it is a good first step when you’re trying to create a law, but it doesn’t go far enough. Some folks don’t mind living in the street — they’re fine, they’re comfortable, they just want the services. But there are also reasons why folks end up homeless in the first place. And how did that happen? Was their house too expensive? They couldn’t afford their property tax? They didn’t have the right job? They lost their job? What happened? I think we need to get in on the front end, rather than back end, and I don’t think this bill goes far enough. I believe you have to make sure that people can attain the goals we all set for ourselves, but I don’t think the penalty should be “well if you don’t meet them you lose your money.” We have to get out in front of the curve and say, “let’s make sure you achieve the goals.” But I don’t think these goals should be the standard for whether people get their funding or not. This particular bill doesn’t have all the nuances that you’re discussing now — if the goals are attainable, what happens to the funding if the goals aren’t reached? All those kinds of things aren’t addressed. I would just scrap that bill, and probably introduce a new one. Cropp: My plans are to ensure that HSRA is full implemented. This law is a major step in creating a continuum of services to move our homeless citizens into permanent housing. Along the way, it ensures that people are treated with the respect they deserve and are given the opportunity to receive the services necessary to help resolve the circumstances that led to their homelessness. Among my top goals are to facilitate the creation of
affordable housing, including apartments and single-room occupancy housing, emphasize transitional housing with supportive services (shelters should not be viewed as a form of permanent housing), and to work with the public and private sectors to emphasize educational and training programs to improve employment opportunities. As Mayor, I will hold every government employee charged with implementation fully accountable and will take appropriate steps if goals are not met. Contract services providers will be held accountable by the agency with appropriate oversight. I will be held accountable by the public. Fenty: I’m proud that, as chair of the Committee on Human Services, I was able to guide HSRA through the Council and into D.C. law. The law has been in effect since October, and now it’s important for the Interagency Council on Homelessness to convene and begin working. The first order of business for the Interagency Council will be to determine where the District can locate shelters in critical areas. Franklin is scheduled to be closed soon, but it would be irresponsible to close the shelter without a replacement in the downtown area. La Casa Shelter in Columbia Heights is about to be closed while a permanent replacement can be built in the same place, but there is still quite a bit of uncertainty about where the temporary site will be. HSRA also establishes clear standards for shelter providers, and they should meet those standards as soon as they possibly can. The District simply should not spend public dollars on substandard shelters. Johns: I would seek to fully implement all requirements of HSRA, including apartment-style shelter for homeless families and the adoption of uniform standards and planning. My top goal, as mayor, would be having the funds in place to make sure we can address these requirements immediately. I will ensure accountability and will be committed to effectively involving current and former homeless individuals as part of my accountability structure. This will be achieved in part by the HSRA provision calling for an inter-agency council on the homeless. I look forward to working with its members to solve the issue of homelessness in Washington, D.C. Vincent Orange: I fully support the Homeless Services Reform Act, and in an Orange administration, I will make it a top priority to fully implement and comply. As mayor, my goal is to connect education, to employment, to economic development. All students are not going on to college. I support vocational education, so that you can learn a trade and make adequate wages to support yourself and your family. I will do all that I can to create a prosperous economy, so that we can provide emergency shelters, short-term and long-term housing, and affordable housing. Compiled David S. Hammond along with Donald Brooks, Michelle Gaudet, Diane Rusignola, and Trish Savage.
Street Sense . April-May 2006
LOCAL NEWS
Church, Nonprofit Team Up to Build Affordable Housing By John Kenny The residents in the Eckington area of northeast D.C. may be getting some new neighbors. St. Martin’s Church and Catholic Community Services have teamed up and are seeking approval from the D.C. government to construct 184 new apartments at 116 T Street in Northeast with 120-140 underground parking spaces. However, they have to go through the city’s Office of Planning and the Zoning Commission first. This nonprofit partnership is prepared to invest more than $28 million to build one and two-bedroom affordable housing units that will cost between $500 and $1,000 per month.
And many local residents who have seen plans for the housing project are optimistic about the new units. In an online blog about this neighborhood housing project, (http:// bloomingdaleneighborhood.blogspot.com), Karen Cotton wrote “I own a home in this neighborhood and want to make certain that my property value is protected. I am glad St. Martin’s is making this investment in improving our community.” Similarly, blogger Alice Turner looks forward to the project’s completion, in the hope that the new population will attract more retail stores to the area. A Neighborhood Steering Committee comprised of community members and area church representatives has been active in the planning stages of the proposed units, and may manage the project if it continues. The planned construction would create 50 small, one-bedroom units, 33 larger, one bedroom units and 101 two-bedroom units. Beyond paying the rent, tenants will be
required to either have jobs, or be retired and receiving a pension. Additionally, renters will have to meet certain income requirements. Residents of smaller apartments must make at least $18,000 a year, while tenants of larger units must have incomes between $30,000 and $54,000 per year. And as plans move forward, St. Martin’s and Catholic Community Services continue to meet with the residents and the area’s Advisory Neighborhood Committee to discuss the issues that surround this project, and ensure that local residents have a chance to express their concerns. The partnership has tracked the community’s wishes and goals: most of them want a 25% reduction in density, increased parking, and a redesign of the apartments’ façades to resemble
townhouses. Still, before any of these ideas come to fruition, the D.C. Office of Planning and the Zoning Commission have to review the plans and discuss them at a public hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. As area residents and D.C. officials weigh the pros and cons of the planned housing units, members of the partnership try to draw attention to St. Martin’s positive influences on the community in the past. In the community blog, Father Kelley wrote, “For more than 100 years, St. Martin’s has been an integral part of the community and led the fight to rid the neighborhood of undesirable activities and blight. Through our partnership with community leaders, we succeeded in reducing prostitution, crime and drug activity in the community. Now, we want to give residents who helped make this a safer neighborhood an opportunity to remain in it.”
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Holy Trinity Catholic Church is one of nine churches providing shelter to families.
CHURCH, from p.1 connection with another human being,” said CIHN Director Julie Murphy, the organization’s sole paid administrative staffer. With a small office located near Tenleytown, CIHN has been around for eight years, but with a budget of less than $100,000, it remains fairly obscure. Although it does not yet have a website, one is in the works and should be operational soon. Hot meals are brought in every evening by volunteers -sometimes retirees, sometimes families, and sometimes single, young adults. They may stay and eat dinner with the families they are serving, and they may even play with their children. “I try to tell volunteers to be understanding, and to enter the experience without any expectations. Sometimes people are tired, or not gracious. Sometimes they don’t want to say thank you 1,000 times over,” Murphy said. “It’s about being as open as possible, and changing your expectations. Providing meals each evening for these families is what it is, and the truth is, it’s wonderful, and they are grateful and appreciative.” CIHN also has a 12-person board of directors, including one representative from each congregation involved: Church of the Annunciation, Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, Business and Professional Women of Chevy Chase, Church of the Pilgrims, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Machar Congregation (a Jewish organization), Metropolitan Memorial Methodist, National Presbyterian, and St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church. Murphy said that “sometimes I have two to three calls a week, sometimes two to three a day, from people who need assistance. I don’t
know how they hear about us. I wish that we could take them directly, but we can’t.” Rather, the process begins at the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center, the central clearinghouse for all homeless families throughout the District, which is run by the city. Virginia Williams refers potential clients to a variety of places, including the Capitol Hill Group Ministry (CHGM). With about 25 member congregations, CHGM is involved in a broad scope of projects (providing shelter, emergency assistance, job training, and food), and CIHN is one of a few shelters to which it sends people. CHGM will also write up a full medical and family history on potential clients during the screening process and remain in regular touch with CIHN, although it keeps all social work issues confidential. CIHN does have strict guidelines on curfews, and no drugs, alcohol, or guests are allowed. Murphy said that not everyone is always willing or able to adhere to the rules. “There are times, and there are tensions. Getting back on your feet is hard,” Murphy said. “There are times when people are not happy, but I’m in constant touch with the social worker at CHGM. We all want this to be a good thing for everybody.” Currently, the shelter is located at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase. It will soon be moving, but not before one of CIHN’s occupants and her 5-yearold daughter get the chance to move into their own apartment this month. After eight months with the network, this single mother has graduated from culinary school and is back on her feet.
“Sometimes I have two to three calls a week...from people who need assistance. I wish that we could take them directly, but we can’t.”
For more information about CIHN, contact Julie Murphy at (202) 363-5198 or via e-mail at juliecihn@verizon.net.
LOCAL NEWS
Street Sense . April-May 2006
StreetPolitics By David S. Hammond
On the Hill
Redefining Homelessness The Minimum Wage: “If It’s on Oprah, It’s Huge” “New Rule: Don’t blame illegal immigrants for driving down wages – blame Congress!” That’s what political commentator and comedian Bill Maher recently said on his HBO program. And while the effects of immigration are still open questions among experts, Maher put his finger on an issue that appears to be picking up speed: the minimum wage, which Congress has not raised in almost ten years. Maher made a passionate case that the minimum wage is just too low. An overwhelming majority of Americans agree, according to public opinion polls. That’s because the federal baseline of $5.15 an hour has actually lost purchasing power, and concern is spreading about the hardship, maybe the impossibility, of living on wages of around $11,000 a year. As Maher put it, “Five bucks an hour, in an America where the luckier ones spend that on a coffee, is a cruel joke.” It’s been a hot topic among those who either earn, or pay, minimum wage, but it hasn’t added up to America talking about the issue. And although candidates at every level mention it, action has been limited to some state legislatures raising the minimum wage on their own. That’s a growing trend in its own right, but the issue has still been seen as playing only a limited role. That may be changing. In 2004 Nevada and Florida, while supporting President Bush’s re-election, also approved ballot questions to raise their states’ minimum wages (Nevadans vote a second time this year on final approval). Similar efforts are underway in several other states, said Oliver Griswold of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which supports liberal ballot questions nationwide. And when voters have a chance to cast a straight yes-or-no vote on a minimum wage hike, Griswold said, the issue suddenly moves higher on a state lawmaker’s agenda. “It puts conservative legislators in a tough spot” when a minimum wage hike appears on the ballot, Griswold said. “Do they pass the minimum wage [in the legislature] in order to keep an initiative from appearing on the ballot with them ... or do they come out in disagreement with an overwhelming majority of their voters, in opposition to the minimum wage?” The prospect of that choice pushed the Michigan legislature earlier this year to dust off a long-ignored proposal, and approve a hike in the state’s minimum wage. In Maryland, a convergence of public opinion, lawmakers’ positions, and election-year politics was enough to raise the minimum wage. The legislature opened the 2006 session by overriding Governor Ehrlich’s veto of a wage hike, bringing the state’s minimum wage to $6.15 an hour. Supporting an increase should not be hard, said Sean Dobson, deputy director of Progressive Maryland, a grassroots advocacy group. Progressive Maryland’s canvassers, who knock on thousands of doors a year, hear the same thing from a broad variety of Marylanders: support for the minimum wage, and for the idea that it should be enough to live on. So candidates who favor raising the minimum wage might pick up some support, Dobson said. “It’s not the most important issue in the election, but it certainly helps.” And “supporting it won’t lose a candidate any votes” they’d otherwise receive. And there’s one sure way to measure this issue’s importance in the public mind. Oprah Winfrey’s website promises an April 14 program that will go “Inside the lives of people living on minimum wage. ... For millions of Americans, this is a reality. No credit. No savings. Living paycheck to paycheck.” When Bill Maher and Oprah Winfrey get this exercised about the same issue, it must mean something. And as Griswold said, “If it’s on Oprah, it’s huge.” “That vicious cycle of staying in the shelters.” Without income or effective help, it’s hard to break, says Donald Ford, who spoke to the City Council’s Committee on Human Services in March. “Being in the shelter system for over five years, it wasn’t until I ran into Green Door that I was able to find a residence to get out of the shelter,” he said. “The shelter is not helping people to move on with your life. And unfortunately, for some of the people in the shelters, this is a way of life. But the majority of them don’t want to be there. They don’t know how to get out. They can’t get out because there’s no help for them to get out. And there’s this situation where some of the residents have no income whatsoever, so with no income whatsoever they can’t go anywhere. And if you can’t go anywhere, you’re stuck in that vicious cycle of staying in the shelters. What’s on your mind? E-mail StreetPoliticsDC@aol.com.
The Bill The Homeless Assistance Consolidation Act of 2006 (HR 5041) Purpose Introduced in March 2006 to reauthorize and re-define terms in the existing McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, HR 5041 would create a unified and performance-based process for allocating and administering funds to step up local planning to house the homeless, prevent homelessness and encourage transition from homelessness. Background The bill would encourage comprehensive local planning of housing and service programs for homeless people. It would also provide funds to assist individuals and families in transition from homelessness, and to prevent people from becoming homeless. Additionally, the bill would consolidate several existing homeless programs into a single program with specific eligibility activities. These existing homeless programs include safe havens demonstration programs, a shelter care plus program, Section 8 assistance and the rural homeless assistance program. The bill says, in part, that an effective plan for reducing homelessness should provide a comprehensive housing program including permanent housing,
We
care.
We
help.
transitional housing, homelessness prevention and emergency shelters. It adds that faith-based and other community-based organizations play an important role in providing housing and supporting services for the homeless. The bill also suggests redefining several terms including “chronically homeless person.” Its says this term means “an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation or in an emergency homeless shelter for a year or more, or who has had at least four episodes of continuously sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation or in an emergency homeless shelter in the past three years.” Homelessness, it says, is a symptom of many neighborhoods, and a solution requires a comprehensive local approach with the integration of all available resources, including involving homeless people in the decisionmaking process. Sponsor Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) Status The bill was introduced on March 29 and is in the House Financial Services Committee. - Robert Trautman
We
heal.
Quality Primary Care Services for D.C. Medically Underserved and homeless Individuals……
For information on medical services in homeless shelters call 202-255-3469. For an appointment at any of our community health centers call 1-866-388-6489
We want to help. We want to help you.
Street Sense . April-May 2006
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Dating Service Brings Together South Africans with HIV By Laury Desmond In 1998 Gugu Dlamini was stoned to death by her neighbors in Durban after disclosing her HIV status. In 2000 Mpho Motloung was shot dead by her husband in Soweto after testing positive for the virus; affixed to her body a note read: HIV Positive AIDS. In 2003 Lorna Mlosana was gang raped in Cape Town, and then beaten to death by her assailants after informing them that she was HIV positive. Although extreme, such cases illustrate South Africa’s ‘deep denial’ surrounding HIV, resulting in an increasing trend of stigmatization and exclusion. It is precisely this type of marginalization that prompted Capetonian Ben Sassman to set up ‘The Positive Connection’ an Internet dating service for the HIV positive community, thought to be the first of its kind in the world. Sassman, who is HIV negative and married with three children, was disturbed by the isolation and stigma experienced by HIV positive friends. ‘I met up with two buddies who told me they were both positive and they were having problems dating,’ says Sassman. ‘Once they disclosed their status they would never get a second date. I came up with the idea for The Positive Connection when I saw that there was no online dating site that asked members for their HIV status,’ he continues. Therapist David Patient, co-founder of Empowerment Concepts, an HIV training and development company in Nelspruit,
advised Sassman on the initial set up of the site: ‘One of the keys to any new relationship for those living with HIV is the whole issue of disclosure,’ he says. ‘When do I disclose? Before we have sex? After we have sex? On the first date? Do I wait until I can see the relationship is going somewhere? Do I risk a period of time before I disclose, and, if so, how long do I wait? What
“One of the keys to any new relationship for those living with HIV is the whole issue of disclosure.” if I get emotionally invested in this person and they reject me?’ Patient, who was diagnosed as HIV positive in March 1983 and has been widowed twice by the virus, is well acquainted with the pitfalls of re-entering the dating arena: ‘Nine times out of ten,’ he says, ‘it was a case of rejection.’ [Dates] would kiss the air around me and flee into the night upon hearing my status. Rejection is hard enough based on looks,
personality or culture but the whole HIV thing had to be tabled and this was always a huge risk to my emotions. What [Sassman’s] service does is remove the sting of disclosure. Sassman pitched his idea to Web’s Business Solutions Office in Johannesburg, who provided a set-up package for the project. Next, he enlisted the help of Patient, motivational speaker Richard Yell and Dr Venter of the Johannesburg Hospital in order to bring him up to speed with current HIV and AIDS information. ‘As well as the dating side I also wanted the site to have an equally strong resource side,’ he says, ‘where people could access information regarding support groups, places for treatment and research results [on the latest Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) developments].’ In September 2003 the site went live, allowing members to register and search for potential dates free of charge. Currently 354 members have joined, from within South Africa and as far a field as the United States, Europe and Asia. Sassman says that among his registered members approximately 95 percent have not yet disclosed their status to family and friends. Since the site’s launch he has also been carrying its cost, as the marketing men have been slow to respond. ‘The companies that I have approached for financial assistance have all turned me down,’ he says, ‘they do not want to associate their brands with my site. There is nothing dirty about my site; my
members are normal, everyday people.’ Now forced to launch a major marketing campaign to attract online advertisers, he is hoping the site will generate its first revenue in the coming months, of which 10 percent of all proceeds will be donated to a different AIDS related charity each month. However, it is not only advertisers that has expressed reservations; the site has also attracted criticism from those that label it as ‘separatist.’ Thanduxolo Doro, spokesman for the National Association of People with HIV/Aids, claims that the site isolates the HIV community at a time when greater acceptance is needed. But Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) Policy Co-ordinator Nathan Geffen disagrees: ‘I do not understand the criticism that such a service is separatist,’ he says, ‘Those who join do so for a variety of reasons. Maybe they have found it difficult to meet people due to their status, experienced discrimination, or want to meet others that can empathize. Whatever the reasons it is a personal choice. I cannot see how such a service can be harmful.’ Sassman also remains adamant he is providing a necessary service: ‘Society has isolated people living with HIV and Aids,’ he says, ‘I am opening a door which allows them to find the one thing we all want - true love. I hope that one day I will be able to close my site down entirely as society will have learnt to accept those living with the virus.’ Reprinted from the Big Issue, South Africa,
Opinions from Homeless Collected to Decide Portland’s Future February to create a roadmap for the city’s development. It includes several organizations that will be targeting the perspectives of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Among those working on the front lines will be Laura Stirewalt, who Some of Portland’s homeless live at the Dignity Village encampment. has experience with homelessness and By Joanne Zuhl is now working with the Civic Action Group, Richard, who vends Street Roots, said what a project of Sisters of the Road. Stirewalt said, “I definitely felt like, when I he fears most about the future of Portland, Ore., is more camping restrictions and petty was homeless, that you started to feel like you complaints about transients, and fewer were outside of society, and people started to permanent jobs and public restrooms. He listen to you less.” She added, “I just feel that says in the future he sees the city’s population it’s really important to tell as many voices as becoming more divided economically, possible so people will start listening more.” Her group received a $4,900 city grant to between the rich and the poor: “The middle class is kind of thinning out and you don’t collect the testimonials of 700 people with experience with homelessness. Others also see them as much downtown.” Perhaps Richard’s views will make it all the received grants to gather views of Portland’s way to City Hall, along with those of hundreds future. The city’s vision project will continue of other people living in the margins of Portland’s economy. Collecting those views is through the summer and by spring 2007 the work of the city’s new Community Vision Portland officials expect to then prioritize Project, launched by Mayor Tom Potter in funds and resources.
Portland received more than 140 applications for funds for this project, and recently allocated money to survey Native Americans, Asians, and the gay, bisexual, transgender communities, among others. With the funding, the Civic Action Group will train people to go out on to the streets to ask questions decided by the city, along with their own questions specific to the issues surrounding homelessness. The goal is not only get the view of the street, but also to involve street people in civic action. Dan Newth, who co-chairs the Civic Action Group with Stirewalt, said he doesn’t know what people will have to say about Portland’s future, but he’s willing to make a guess. “I think they want jobs that pay enough to afford housing — that combination of affordable housing with a job,” said Newth, who himself has been homeless. Monica Beemer, executive director of Sisters of the Road and a member of the city’s committee that developed questions for interviews, said it’s important to ask people experiencing homelessness not just about the future, but the present. To avoid questions about the present, she said, would just be “insulting.” Recovery Association Project, a nonprofit organization working with people in recovery from addiction, is partnering with Central City Concern to reach the people who are recently homeless, in recovery and now living in transitional housing units. RAP members, themselves in recovery, will go door to door in CCC’s alcohol- and drug-free housing projects to gather stories and encourage the
people to tell them publicly. RAP co-chair Gary Cobb, formerly homeless, said “I just find it ineffective to try to have bureaucrats who haven’t experienced homelessness to dictate how that goes and line up a model from that. I think they should be taking direction from the people with the experience. The direction should be based on those stories.” Cobb, who was recently awarded the city’s Spirit of Portland award, said the city is good about listening to people, but resources are limited and getting more restricted at the state and federal level. Cobb singles out the demise of the Oregon Health Plan as one of the problems undercutting success for people working to get out of addiction and homelessness. Today, the integrated system of housing and treatment, which he said enabled him to get sober, faces a backlog of people who need services but who don’t have OHP or other funding to pay for it. Another group, Human Solutions Inc. received nearly $5,000 from the city to gather the opinions of up to 160 low-income clients. Its survey will include recent immigrants from European countries. Fran Weick, a Human Services coordinator, said she expects that peopled surveyed will be surprised at first that they are being asked questions about Portland’s future. She expects to hear a lot about affordable housing. “It’s a huge issue,” Wieck said, “If they can’t afford their housing, then everything else falls apart.” Reprinted from Street Roots
10 PHOTOS & POETRY
Street Sense . April-May 2006
Spring Twenty mornings ago I woke among drifts of crystal snow. The heaven I found this morning was mythical and fabulous; a gentle hand had swept away the chill mantle of winter, revealing a soft breeze like an embrace, brazen pink and yellow blossoms, colors of a world that’s come alive.
This guy’s face is great. There’s so much detail and character.
Through A Vendor’s Lens
Twenty mornings ago, my eyes were greeted by stark fields of white, peppered by dusky lacework of lifeless branches; this morning, the branches wear soft and fragrant robes of white; warm breezes scatter ivory petals across the earth which bears a coat of iridescent green; the world has come alive; I woke to heaven this morning. - David Harris This is Ben Franklin in Franklin Square. I really like the contrast of natural verses man-made here.
STREET SENSE STREET SENSE - the homeless advocacy force, a voice of the poor in the form of a newspaper, STREET SENSE - the people’s champion, friend of the neighborhood, a facial expression of unconditional good, A branch on the heavily rooted tree of love, an open door, an open hand, an ear that understands pain, struggle, a shoulder that understands change, hardship, and keeping on, Stay tuned to STREET SENSE - The Movement, soon there will be STREET SENSE the book, STREET SENSE the DVD, STREET SENSE the play, STREET SENSE the album, STREET SENSE the clothing line. STREET SENSE, not just a newspaper it’s a Movement.
- Dewayne Harrison BrotherDewayne@yahoo.com
One man’s trash is another man’s art? This is my lovely view from CCNV.
What do you get wh feisty homeless man a camera? A very intere of the city. Cliff Carle h dreds of photos over th Capitol Hill to George readers a glimpse into beauty and energy in
PHOTOS & POETRY 11
Street Sense . April-May 2006
Turtles and Snails Carrying the weight of our existence on our backs how much of one’s life can be contained in a knapsack? slow in our travels because we have to calculate just like the scientist do with distance, time and space to our next destination whether it be a soup kitchen, shelter or our own private place like turtles and snails we go unnoticed by those who go through a regular day but for those who have a little time they pick us up with a smile or a kind word to say yet we are human so you say how can this be? ironically, one day the turtles and snails could be you and me. - James Davis
I like to say this bird posed for the camera. As I got closer and closer he just sat there perfectly still.
As I Stand Alone
hen you put together a and a top-of-the-line esting and intriguing view has been taking hunhe last few weeks from etown. His hope is to give o his life, as well as the the District.
This time Cliff turns his attention to depth of field and perspective.
The Kennedy Center on a bright spring day. I love how the golden columns seem to go on forever.
This is one of my generous givers. He comes down with a group every weekend to pass out food in front of CCNV.
I sit and watch for your acknowledgement, Yet there is no reply. No notice to my being there. As you pass me by without a word, I might ask why. Do you see me as dangerous, do you see me as a threat? What is your fear, what do you hear? As I stand alone on that lonely corner, As I seek your smile. I say hello but you turn your face away. I might ask why as I stand alone. I am alone. I see you walking, I see you talking to your or on your cell phone. I only ask to be recognized. As I stand alone you pass me by without a word. Again I ask, what is your fear what do you hear? Yes I am homeless, but not hopeless. I am needy, but not greedy. As I stand alone, I hear your whisper, But it is not in kindness. And as I stand alone, you avoid me like the plague. But as I stand alone your prejudice is ever lasting. I will not cry, I will not hate. As I talk to god, I ask for strength in this cruel and wicked world. And this I concentrate on as I stand alone.
-August Mallory
Street Sense . April-May 2006
12 FOOD
My Turn At the Table By Jake Ashford
Georgia Brown’s: Southern Style Done Right
The bar area of Georgia Brown’s, where you can get tasty gumbo in a great atmosphere.
On a weather-wonderful Wednesday I was given the “task” to do the Street Sense restaurant review. So I remembered one previous customer’s suggestion that Georgia Brown’s deserves to be reviewed. After entering the restaurant I chose a seat
Cook’s Corner
at the window on a high chair. Within seconds of my arrival a waiter was there to serve me. This is indeed great customer service, I said to myself. I was asked if I would like some sort of beverage while looking over the menu, and I asked for water and iced tea.
Chicken Spring Rolls
On the menu—glory and behold!—I found one of the greats: Carolina gumbo. Ingredients included okra, rice, shrimp, sausage, chicken, and duck. Those ingredients, plus more, make the gumbo great tasting, and the generous servings are designed to really fill an empty stomach. The gumbo tasted so good I would not and could not put the spoon down until it was finished, even though I was full. The taste lingered on the tip of my tongue and how I wished that I had room for more, as other items on the menu looked good. Something else I cannot forget to turn you on to is the different shaped rolls—small and delicious—that came with the gumbo. One was round, and the other was in the form of a freshly baked mini loaf. The portions were so big, and I was so full, that I did not even have room for dessert, though everything on the dessert menu sounded wonderful. Finding Georgia Brown’s was indeed a shock because I never even noticed the place until three months before writing this article.
Speakers
This is what goes on when you interact with the community—you communicate and good things happen for the better well-being of everybody. There will be another visit to that restaurant by me sometime in the future. Georgia Brown’s is located on 950 15th Street, NW, across from the McPherson Metro Station on I Street. It was roomy inside. I estimate that the restaurant’s capacity would be about 90 seated at one time. The average meal cost is about $18. With drinks and dessert, I would say $30, which is really a great price considering the quality of the service and quality of the food. I guarantee you after an encounter at Georgia Brown’s you will not have any problems giving the staff a well-deserved tip for their services. Georgia Brown’s offers a great setting for a romantic encounter for two, or for coworkers to enjoy a rendezvous after work. What I am saying is that I think anytime would be a great time to eat at Georgia Brown’s.
Presented by the Equal Rights Center
Ingredients • • • • • • • •
12 oz. plain cooked chicken 12 spring roll wrappers 1/2 cup shredded carrots 4 oz. soft cellophane noodles, prepared 1/4 cup bean sprouts 1 tblsp. soy sauce 1/3 cup Chinese barbeque sauce Vegetable oil
Preparation • • • • • • • • • •
Shred chicken into small pieces Combine chicken with noodles, carrots, bean sprouts Add soy and barbeque sauces; mix together Cut spring roll wrappers into squares Place heaping tablespoon of mixture into each wrapper Fold in the sides and roll up the wrapper Put on greased baking tray, and brush with oil Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, turning after 10 minutes After turning, brush with oil again Serve with peanut dipping sauce or soy sauce
This recipe was created and prepared by Tyrone Thompson. The runner-up was Melanie Stewart with her Peanut Butter, Apple and Bacon Crusted Chicken. Tyrone and Melanie are students at Community Family Life Services culinary arts training program. These students work at Third and Eats Restaurant and at the U.S. Tax Court cafeteria. Many also work for New Course Catering. New Course caters all events from corporate lunches to weddings to 500-person galas. For more info visit www.newcoursecatering.com or call (202) 347-7035.
Stephen Bradberry ACORN New Orleans
Shelter from the Storm Wade Henderson Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Race, Class, and Fair Housing in America Join us as we examine how the realities of race and class impact where we live.
Margery Austin Turner The Urban Institute
James Perry Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center
Janis Bowdler National Council of La Raza
For more information or to register, please visit www.equalrightscenter.org or contact Arlene Corbin Lewis at 202.234.3062.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Kellogg Conference Hotel Gallaudet University 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. $75 includes breakfast, lunch, panels, and parking.
LITERATURE
Street Sense . April-May 2006
Marvin Hammerman A mystery novel in parts BOOK 3, PART 4
By August Mallory
I
t is a rather brisk and chilly day in Decatur, Ga., just 10 miles outside of Atlanta. At the office of D. Morgan Slater Esq., attorney Whitman Jordan has just finished speaking with the brother of William Joseph Biddle. “Ms. Ramsey, I have just finished speaking with Mr. Robert Biddle,” Jordan says. “He will be arriving in two days from Phoenix. I need to get all the information possible on Mr. Biddle’s brother.” “Very well, I have that. Also, Mr. Marvin Hammerman will be arriving later today,” the receptionist replies. “Oh, yes, I recall now that we came across some paperwork of his in Mr. Biddle’s possession.” Meanwhile, Delta Airlines Flight 7224 is en route to Atlanta. “Marvin, I have been thinking about this new case. Do you think it could be another missing person’s case?” Anna Jackson asks her boss. “I am not sure, Anna, but I do know that when people fall into a homeless situation, sometimes they end up disappearing for no reason at all,” Hammerman says. “Usually, they fall prey to another homeless person or group.” “Marvin, have you ever asked yourself why you bother with all of this homeless business?” “Almost every day, Anna. But you must understand one thing: we are dealing with people who cannot fight the system for themselves. Everywhere they turn, the door is being slammed in their faces,” Hammerman answers. “It’s sad but true. The homeless need our help, and if we can’t fight for them, then no one can. “Society has to realize that the homeless are human beings just like everyone else. They are constantly ignored and rejected on every level. This needs to stop.” Down on the ground, the man who whacked Billy Joe Biddle is lurking about. As he goes through his pockets, he pulls out cash that he stole from Biddle and counts $35. He quickly folds it and stuffs it back in his pocket. He then heads toward the Atlanta Union Mission to get a bed for the night. Somewhere in a dark alley, the body of Biddle is discovered. Police are summoned to the scene. Officer R.J. Stanley is the first to arrive. He calls for his supervisor and additional units to join him. As Delta Airlines Flight 7224 touches down at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Hammerman and Anna prepare to leave. They make their way through the terminal. Suddenly, Hammerman gets a call on his cell phone. “This is Marvin Hammerman.” “What’s new with you, sharp shooter? This is Jamison,” the caller says. “Well, well. Just the man I want to see. Where are you?” Hammerman asks. “I am in New York, wrapping up a cheater’s case. I can meet with you in Atlanta tonight. So, what’s the big case?” “Well, Russ, it’s like this: an old case from years past just jumped up in my face, and that person is now missing. I will give you all the details as soon as you arrive.” “I am en route, Hammerman. Talk to you soon.” Jamison hangs up the phone. As Hammerman and Anna head for the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel, Hammerman makes a call to D. Morgan Slater to get an update on news about William Joseph Biddle. Hammerman learns that Biddle has a brother in Arizona who will be joining them soon. Hammerman is relieved to know that a next of kin has been notified. Next month: Hammerman and Jamison start a new case together, and Anna will work closely with D. Morgan Slater to search for Billy Joe Biddle.
13
bOOK rEVIEW Slaves Who Sided with the British And Their Journeys The heroism and destiny of the many slaves fleeing their southern masters via the Underground Railroad has often been told. Less well known are the stories of those who fled to the British just before and during the American Revolution, hoping that siding with Britain might win them freedom. This lack is corrected by Cassandra Pybus’s Epic Journeys of Freedom, Pybus tells of how runaway slaves joined British naval ships in waters off the southern states or fled north to join British forces there. Pybus, a scholar and author at the Australian University of Tasmania, gathered her facts from archives worldwide, including runaway slave notices, ships’ logs, records of prisoners “transported” to Australia for punishment, data of the Loyalist Claims Commission in London and from records of adult black baptisms in parish churches in London. Much of Pybus’ sourcing comes from the Book of Negroes, a compilation of the names of 3,000 escapees evacuated from New York in 1783, most of whom held certificates of freedom signed by a British general. The quest of the slaves was freedom, but in order to remain free, she writes, “they had to leave America and face a problematic new life in far-flung corners of the British Empire.” Their stories include details of the escape and ultimate fate of some 30 runaways, including Ralph Henry, owned by Founding Father Patrick Henry, and Harry Washington. George Washington purchased Harry Washington to join an enslaved work force clearing the Great Dismal Swamp, and later to serve at Mount Vernon. Pybus
Epic Journeys of Freedom By Cassandra Pybus (Beacon Press, 2006)
writes that in the manor house, “passionate chatter about liberty and despotism, which animated the dining tables and drawing rooms of Virginia plantations, was not lost on the footmen, cooks, valets and maids, who were as much a fixture of the plantation house as the furniture.” She adds, “the message Harry extracted from all this heady revolutionary tumult was that if King George III was now the master’s enemy, then it was to the king’s men he would entrust his aspirations for freedom.” When the runaways were able to flee successfully -- many didn’t make it -- they found their new lives far different from what they might have expected. In many cases they did have freedom, but also uncertainties they had never experienced. Many were relocated to London or to British colonies such as Nova Scotia or West Africa, or to a penal colony at Botany Bay in Australia.
When the British conceded defeat, a few escapees with needed skills remained in the free United States and pursued successful careers. But thousands were evacuated to the streets of London where many were forced to beg and steal to survive. Some ended up in prison in London. Many others were sent to Botany Bay, where they were to serve their sentences and then farm the undeveloped Australian land. But their conviction records often arrived in far-off Australia years after them, so many served years beyond their release dates. They lived in Spartan huts and on tight rations. When hunger forced them into stealing food, they were unmercifully lashed. The life for the escaped slaves who were shipped to Britain’s “Province of Freedom” in Sierra Leone was equally hard. There they fashioned their own huts in a totally inhospitable land. Farming was difficult. Wild animals invaded their spaces. And they lived and worked in close proximity to the slave traders, raising fears that any day they might be captured and enslaved once again. In an appendix of brief but poignant biographical sketches of some of these early Americans, Pybus writes that Harry Washington was born, date unknown, “probably in the region around the Gambia River,” and after being enslaved, was purchased by George Washington in 1763. Following his escape from Mount Vernon, he became a corporal in the British Army’s Black Pioneers. He might have resettled in Sierra Leone. “His death,” she says, “was not recorded.” - Robert Trautman
Students from local universities, advocates and formerly homeless men and women were out in Dupont Circle On March 31 for the National (Non) Sleep Out to raise awareness about homelessness. Similar rallies and sleep-outs occured in other cities throughout the United States.
14 PUZZLES
Street Sense . April-May 2006
Cryptogram
Leo’s Planet Puzzler
Solve the message below to discovery a famous, meaningful quote on poverty and homelessness.
Leo apologizes for the error in the last puzzle that made it unsolvable
Fill in the blank spaces in the grid so that every vertical column, horizontal row and every 3x3 box contains the name of each of the 9 planets in the solar system.
RZ K ZBPP NWSRPOV SKD-
Leo has been a vendor since November 2004
DWO CPJQ OCP FKDV UCW KBP Mars
QWWB, RO SKDDWO NKAP OCP
Earth Saturn Pluto
Mars
Mars Earth
3
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13
5 14
17 20
21
Jupiter
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11
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48
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61
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52 59
53
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63 66
www.CrosswordWeaver.com
Win a Free Street Sense Subscription! Complete two of the three puzzles above and mail this page back to Street Sense by April 14 and you will be entered into a drawing to win a free subscription.
Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________ State:_______________ Zip: ___________ Mail to: Street Sense, 1317 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005.
1 5 10 13 15 16 17
Island West Coast Fl. city Wager Honeys In progress Cutting tool Talk show host on minimum wage 18 Cook meat 19 Short-term memory 20 Limited (abbr.) 21 National capital 23 Fable writer 25 Vendor Restaurant Critic 26 Leia’s pursuer (2 wds.) 28 Michelle’s editorial topic 31 Completely 32 Squashed circles 33 U.S. Department of Agriculture 34 Sun’s name 37 Lassie 38 Boredom 40 Protocol 41 Fast plane 42 _____ Budget Coalition 43 Game “__ Says” 44 What a ghost does 45 Who you give gifts to 46 Mayor of a Spanish town
Neptune
Saturn
Mars
ACROSS
16
32
Jupiter
Jupiter
Venus
15
30
Mars
Mercury
April Crossword
46
Pluto Pluto
Poverty must not be a bar to learning and learning must offer an escape from poverty.” --Lyndon Baines Johnson
29
Venus
Saturn
Last Month’s Solution:
Venus
Earth
Hint: Z = F
28
Mars
Jupiter
-- HWCD Z. YPDDPMV
2
Earth
Jupiter
ZPU UCW KBP BRSC.
1
Saturn
Pluto
Saturn
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Combust Movies Bare Bomb Kimono sash Colder Deduce Arbiter Canidate who talks about La Casa Radio set Pixy Rustic Essence
DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 22 24
Movie star September (abbr.) Fat Time period Defer Hairdo Cow sound Luau dish August’s April destination Operatic bass Glorify Bpm Shallow river areas Heavens Vane direction
March’s Answer Key
D A L I S O M E M E S A
E X A M
P L U M
25 Tim’s wife on “Home Improvement” 26 Dampen 27 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (abbr.) 28 Mists 29 Car rental agency 30 K-__ 31 Liquid measure 34 Pickup place for evictions 35 Smell 36 Telescope viewer 38 Data transmission rate 39 Waiting place 40 Church shelter network (abbr.) 42 Fudge (not candy) 43 _______ Sense 44 Actor 45 Possessive pronoun 46 Before 47 Charge falsely 48 Vendor who is a vegan 49 Transparent gem 51 Allot 52 Member of an Arizona Indian tribe 53 Experts 54 Fresh 57 Executive director 58 Writing liquid 60 Made a hole
T I E C R D H O I N E N O B E Y T R U C K R E S S I O P D L L E S E L Y R I C A E R A S A D M E N T U I D O O O T A L P S E L E
N C H E D O W T O T T W V E E B I R E R E S OW I S M L O F W O O K A N G Y L E L E Y E S
A L B E R T A
G O A L
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FEATURES & EDITORIALS 15
Street Sense . April-May 2006
Saving for A Change
What our REaders are Saying...
Taxes Down to the Wire
Dear Street Sense Staff, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Alvin Dixon outside Starbucks on the corner of 13th and U Street on Saturday, March 25, 2006. He did a wonderful job explaining the purpose of Street Sense to my son, my friends and me. Sincerely, Maria Daugherty
Have you filed your tax returns yet? If you still owe income taxes for 2005, the deadline for filing federal and District of Columbia tax forms is Tuesday, April 18. So, if you are reading this before that date, there is still time.
Dear Street Sense and Michelle, I was very disappointed that Michelle chose for her current restaurant review one of the Hooters chain restaurants. Homelessness is a great problem in this country, but so is sexual abuse of women and the financial disparity suffered by female workers. By treating and displaying its female employees as if their bodies are for sale, the Hooters chain contributes to both of these problems. I was particularly sad that Michelle and her husband took their son there. Her son is at the age where he’s ready to absorb the message that Hooters serves up — that the only way women can make a decent living is by selling their bodies. In a nation where statistics show that one in three women will be raped, and in which women’s salaries are still far less than those of men for comparable work, no one with a social conscience needs to patronize or support Hooters (even if the chicken wings are good).
Where can I still get free tax help? Throughout the filing season, there are more than 45 locations in DC that offer free tax preparation help. If you have been dragging your feet and need help completing your tax forms, call “211” or go to www.takethemoneydc.org today to get a list of volunteer tax centers that are open after April 15. Of course, you should be prepared to wait in line with all the other people who waited until the last minute to file. What if I have already missed the deadline? If you miss the April 18 deadline and need help filing your taxes, call Community Tax Aid at (202) 347-4811. If you do not owe income taxes for 2005 but think you might be due a refund, the April deadline does not apply. The government is patient when it comes to returning money it owes taxpayers; you have up to three additional years to claim a refund for any given year, which gives you until April 15, 2009 to claim a refund for the 2005 tax year. But why wait -- do you really want to give the government a no-interest loan with your hard earned dollars? Probably not, but maybe you are one of the thousands of DC residents who fail to claim their refund each year because you don’t realize that you are owed any money. Whether you owe taxes or are owed a refund, it’s a good idea to file on time – ideally in February or March. If you owe taxes, it will give you a little more time to come up with the money so you won’t have to pay a penalty and interest on late payments.
Sincerely, A Street Sense Reader Note: The MCullough’s son did not accompany them to Hooters. Their guest was associate editor David Hammond.
Vendors aBout Town
Brenda Wilson
Jim Chisholm takes a rest in Caribou Coffee after a hard day of selling.
matthew impett
matthew impett
Francine Triplett lends joins in on a chant at DC’s (Non) Sleep Out.
David McCullough shows off his sign and the latest issue in DuPont Circle.
How do you know if you’re owed a refund? If you are a single filer with no dependents and you earned less than $11,750 last year, or if you’re a parent and you earned less than $35,000, there’s a very good chance that you qualify for an earned income tax credit (EITC), which usually comes back to you as a refund on both your federal and DC tax returns. The amount of your combined federal and DC credit can be as much as $538 if you are a single filer with no dependents, and almost $6,000 if you are a parent with two or more children. The average EITC is about $2,500. The EITC is a unique tax credit for the working poor. It supplements income and helps to lift about 5 million Americans out of poverty each year. In the District alone, nearly 50,000 residents claim the EITC. But one of every five or six people who qualify for the EITC doesn’t claim it – either because they don’t know about it or they can’t or don’t want to file their tax returns. Even if you don’t qualify for the EITC, you might also be due a refund because you qualify for other credits and deductions or had too much taken out of your paycheck during the year. Many people who aren’t required to file should file to get a refund. The only way to know for sure if you are one of these people is to complete your tax forms. It might be worth the time, and don’t forget you can get free help: call “211” or visit www.takethemoneydc.org to find a free tax service in your neighborhood. - By Colleen Dailey
This is the first edition of what will be a regular column on financial issues hosted by the Capital Area Asset Building Corporation (www.caab.org). In next month’s column, we’ll talk about effective saving strategies. Send your questions or thoughts on this topic to saving@caab.org and we’ll publish a few of the best.
16 EDITORIALS
Street Sense . April-May 2006
through a vendor’s eyes By Donald Brooks On The Road By August Mallory
Spring Cleaning
ATLANTA, from p. 1 are being served, a commotion starts. Two men argue and begin fighting, exchanging profanities, swinging fists, and throwing chairs. A chair just misses my head as I immediately take cover. Right away a shelter staff person intervenes, and both men are barred from the shelter. When Monday rolls around, I go to Renaissance Park in downtown Atlanta and chat with a few homeless folks. Some have been on the streets for years. One man tells me how he lost everything he had due to a fire in his home and has been trying to get aid for a very long time. As I go from shelter to soup kitchen and back to shelters again, I have to keep checking through security screening, taking everything out of my pockets and then putting all of that stuff back in my pockets again. That gets to be a real pain in the neck. Monday evening, when I go back to the Task Force for the Homeless shelter to check in for the night, I’m not allowed to carry my bags with me and have to leave them in a special holding room until the next day. I object to this, but I have to comply if I want to stay there, so I allow it. But during the night while I am asleep, someone makes off with my bag with all of my belongings in it—my change of clothing, toiletries, wallet, with ID, credit cards, checkbooks, and my Greyhound bus ticket back to Washington. The only way to get another Greyhound ticket is to have a ticket confirmation number, which I do not have. I am now stranded in Atlanta. So, the first thing to do is file a police report on what items were stolen. The next thing I do is talk with Travelers Aid and tell them my situation. This is a total waste of time. I am referred to a place called the Gateway Center, a drop-in center for homeless men, women, and children, and I am directed to another Travelers Aid office. This, too, is very slow, and I leave with no progress made at all. I have to get a message back to Washington, so I talk with a case manager by the name of Mr. David McCord. I would like to thank him for his assistance—I will be forever grateful. He allows me to get in touch with Street Sense, and I am able to get through to Laura Osuri, our executive director. Arrangements are made to get me back to DC, but I need to call back Mr. McCord, and he has left for the day. The only way to reach him is to go to a pay phone, and the only pay phones are in hotels, so I go to the Westin Peachtree Center Hotel in downtown Atlanta. I contact Laura again and wait for a return phone call. I was not aware that many hotel payphones do not have return call access. As I am waiting for the call, a hotel manager passes me. Twice, as a matter of fact. He does not say a word to me, but calls security and tells them that I am loitering in the hotel, which is not true. After this encounter I am rushed out. I have sent the general manager of the Westin Hotel in Atlanta a chewingout letter. A public telephone is a public telephone, and I have just as much right to use a public telephone as anyone else, be it in a hotel or on a street corner. But I managed to reach Greyhound and get a confirmation number for a new ticket. Once again, thank you, Mr. David McCord. This is my story from Atlanta. Talk to you next month. August Mallory has been selling Street Sense since it first appeared in November 2003, and he now serves on the board of directors. Please e-mail August Mallory comments at carriergroup2009@ yahoo.com, .
W
ell, it’s tax time, which coincides with spring. Strange as it may seem, spring and taxes are becoming as inseparable as life and death. Spring reminds us to spruce up our homes, our businesses, and our wardrobes – and perhaps our minds and hearts. We may notice that more homeless people spring from their hibernation places, so we see more of them around the city. And we really tend to ignore those less fortunate, in part because of the nice weather. Those of you who are preparing your taxes regret this time of the year – unless you are waiting for that refund check. Many others are wondering why taxes are so high and why our taxes are being wasted. And just like those so-called taxpayer assistance businesses and programs, other organizations that are supposed to assist and help the homeless instantly come alive. They brag about helping the less fortunate, but they are usually not found until a major issue comes to the forefront or if it is fundraising time. Many homeless organizations tell the public that they “carry the banner” to assist the homeless. They love for agencies or the media to come to them as a spokesperson or for statistics, but don’t actually perform the assistance needed. They usually say they are just advocates. Heck, most homeless people can speak for themselves and don’t get the media attention and the funds these organizations get. Just give the homeless the funds and watch many of them succeed. A lot of these organizations and agencies do not have the qualifications or experience to handle such a task. Remember FEMA? (“Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job.”) We have local, national, and international organizations claiming to assist the homeless, but where are they when you really need them? If you want a quote they appear out of nowhere! The D.C. Coalition for the Homeless may be one of the
few exceptions. They are always on the scene at shelters and provide services for the needy. Since D.C. is not a state we may fail to receive certain privileges granted to states. I wish certain organizations and agencies would return many citizens’ taxes so that many unfortunate individuals can really receive the services they need, because the money goes for administrative needs. Since taxes and spring are joined together perhaps taxpaying citizens can start demanding some bang for their bucks. But that would probably be un-American. At least the president knows what to do with your dollars – he has put them to use for a war or spreads them out to his foreign friends. So as we hunker down for the ritual of paying our dues, let’s spring into action and demand some results from these self-serving organizations. Let’s hold them accountable no matter who they are or claim to be. If they are unworthy of your tax dollars then cut them off and make them earn their own keep. In keeping with the theme of spring cleaning, which includes our elected officials, be sure to register to vote, so we can remove many individuals who have been a tax burden on us. So until I am able to separate fact from fiction again among our ever-changing society, return to your tax-preparing sites, your computers, your headaches, while preparing those tax returns, and enjoy this season called spring! And I wouldn’t mind if some of you would use some of those refund dollars and buy a paper. That would be a great spring forward.
“ Let’s spring into action and demand some results from these self-serving organizations.”
Donald Brooks is a longtime vendor for Street Sense, and can often be found at Metro Center. If you have any questions or comments, e-mail him at DLBrooks54@hotmail.com.
CONVERSATIONS By Phil Stead
www.philipstead.com
EDITORIALS 17
Street Sense . April-May 2006
MAURICE SPEAKS
We are Family By Michelle McCullough
Taking a Closer Look
A
tourist once asked me if I ever get out to see the sights of the city. I replied that most of them usually come to me. That ended our discussion rather quickly, with the tourist probably assuming that I meant it as some sort of a snide remark. But I was quite sincere in what I said. The people I encounter in a day’s time are most often far more entertaining than inanimate objects that I could see from a tour bus. These people make up the dynamics of what is happening today in the United States. The world of the homeless is incredibly diverse. It includes people of various ethnic and national backgrounds as well as varying educational levels. Assuming that every homeless person is poor, uneducated and an ex-criminal or drug addict is very wrong and does not explain the people from middle-class families with college degrees who found themselves homeless for one reason or another. And there are more such people around than one might imagine. One thing that I keep hearing discussed by the groups of volunteers that come to the Center for Creative Non-Violence is the difficulty of overcoming negative stereotypes. I know that such negative stereotypes have made it very difficult for me to find a publisher or agent for my novel. The topic of homelessness has negative appeal for most readers,
or so the publishers and agents seem to believe. Consequently, many shy away from the topic quite readily. Certainly there is nothing particularly attractive about being homeless, and nobody in his right mind would choose to be homeless. Yet for those who do become homeless, this world is filled with paradoxes; the stereotypes that people associate with homelessness become meaningless rather quickly. What kinds of people become homeless? They can be virtually any type imaginable. I know doctors and lawyers who have occupied shelters for significant periods of time. So the assertion that only undereducated people who are incapable of finding or sustaining employment end up homeless falls flat. Anyone can become homeless, and once someone becomes homeless, it is very difficult to come out of that state. It is virtually impossible to do so without help from some outside source. Whether that source be government assistance or private charity is immaterial, as long as the assistance exists and generates a sufficient change in the person’s life to get her off the streets. It was the late Mitch Snyder who said, “The next time you see someone on the street, don’t pass them by. Say hello, ask them how they are doing, get them something to eat. Just tell them that you care. Tell them that they are human beings.” If you stop to pay attention to the homeless people, to get to know them instead of passing by them, you may discover things you never expected. Just remember that the homeless are human beings, too. It really is that simple.
Maurice King has been writing editorials for Street Sense since January 2004, and is also in the process of publishing his own book. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail him at benadam@cyberdude.com.
The Institution of Homelessness
H
ave you noticed how much money people contribute to charities that help the homeless each year and yet the homeless situation only gets worse and worse? As a whole, there are millions upon millions of dollars that are donated to different charities throughout the community to keep the number of homeless from growing, but we have found that somehow the resources end up only partially helping. If you follow any report of money raised for the homeless community and who it goes to, you best believe the large majority of the recipients are not homeless. Premier example: hurricane Katrina evacuees who are still having problems receiving any help. If you doubt my words, do an interview with anyone that lived through Katrina who is now back in New Orleans trying to get settled in. Katrina is a great example of how money meant to be used to help people only ends up in the hands of the very ones that are designated to give money to the eligible recipients. I also know from experience that the government does not give a straight answer on how close you are to getting housing. Instead, they give you an abstract answer. For example, if you do not have a place yet and you ask, “what number am I on the housing list and how soon will I come up,” their response is there is no way of telling when you will come up on the list. So I am on the streets and the shelters are great, but I’ve been turned away from a few. I am glad that I know where to find a grate that produces heat from beneath the city.
By Jake Ashford
Community groups hand out plenty to eat on the weekend, but it would be much better if they helped people on the street find a job. But employers must pay more than $7.00 an hour so no one will be driven deeper into depression, feeling they’re being used. Here’s an idea: offer people who are interested the opportunity to take a position working for a corporation or a small business 40 hours a week. Ask the company to pay their rent (up to $800 each month for a studio room). In turn, the government could give the employer a write-off for every homeless person they employ. Before a person is hired, he or she must have a case worker to insure that the individual being hired is medically and mentally fit. For a man without a place to rest his head, I can not imagine good things happening to me. As I look at my situation right now I can not wait for anyone to help me or any luck to happen to me so I am giving myself six weeks to get into a place. Even if the government or a charity has the money to help people find a place to live, the officials you must face to ask for any help tell you you’re not eligible anyway. It has got to get better because we as a community will not be able exist in another 100 years at the rate we are separating.
Jake has been a Street Sense vendor since July 2004, and now works in the office one day a week. You can often find him selling in Tenleytown.
Keeping It Together
I
have to start by saying that this has been a very difficult month for us. I’m sure that this editorial is going to reflect that, and I hope that I don’t offend anyone who doesn’t deserve it. As a homeless family trying to make a life here in the District of Columbia, we have been let down and mistreated by the very systems that were put in place to help us. I am hurt and disappointed on behalf of my husband and my son and I’m scared to think how many more families will be devastated if we don’t act now. Families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. We need a plan in place to keep these families together, not a system that robs children of the only thing they still have their family. The same people who made the decision to separate my family could have used their considerable resources to help us stay together. Instead they chose to spend five times more to tear us apart. I can’t begin to describe the emotional toll this is having on my family and especially on our son. It’s time for people to speak out and let the government know that it’s not right to punish families who fall on hard times. Loving your children with all your heart and doing the best you can with what you have, should count for something. Our son was taken away from us in July without anyone having to prove that we ever did anything wrong. I don’t believe that we are the only family going through this and I’m certain we won’t be the last. I’m not sure how to fix this problem, but expressing my outrage has to be a start. If we let this continue, we risk a very scary future, where these angry kids grow up to be angry adults. Thank you for letting me vent. If you have any ideas or questions please contact me at mdmhome@aol.com.
Michelle and her husband David are the only couple selling Street Sense. They have been selling since September 2005 and Michelle is also on the Steering Committee. Michelle, David and their son Matthew are pictured above.
Street Sense . April-May 2006
18 COMMUNITY PAGE
Comings and Goings
Vendor Notes Street Sense is happy to report that vendors David and Michelle McCullough may soon be moving into a place of their own. At the end of March the couple, who have a son Matthew, were informed that the District had an apartment in Southeast for them that qualifies for Section 8. After more than two years living on the street and in the homes of generous friends, they are looking forward to four walls of their own, and hopefully having Matthew join them in the near future.
Executive changes at local homeless service providers
New Leadership at Neighbors’ Consejo Last month Street Sense made a small move into the Baltimore area. Through two dedicated volunteers that are distributing the paper and training vendors, we now have five vendors canvassing Charm City. And more are reportedly planning to join. These new Baltimore recruits include: Eddie Singer, Doug Crawford, Wayne Kern, Jazz Brown and Tom Taylor. And if you were out and about downtown during lunchtime on April 12, you might have been wondering if the city was suddenly flooded by homeless teenagers who discovered Street Sense. No, it was just a group of students from Northwestern University’s Civic Education Project that were learning the tricks of the trade from some of our seasoned vendors. After getting a rundown on Street Sense, these 18 high school students from across the country were trained as vendors (with temporary badges and all) and then went off with vendors Jake Ashford, Allen Jones and Donald Brooks to attempt to sell the paper. (All the money made went back to these vendors.) The students said that despite being discouraged at times, they had fun selling the paper, and really gained a new respect for these homeless newspaper vendors.
Carlos Vega-Matos recently joined Neighbors’ Consejo as executive director. Carlos -- who was born and raised in Puerto Rico -- brings to the organization more than 20 years of experience working on issues important to our community as well as those on the state- and national- level. Carlos’ first task at Neighbors’ will be to guide the organization through the development of a five-year strategic plan. He replaces Najiya Shana’a, who will return to her professional roots as a licensed clinical social worker after leading Neighbors’ for eight years.
CCNV Shakeup The Executive Board of Community for Creative Non-Violence in March removed Melvin “Skip” Watkins from the position of interim executive director. Peter Garvin and Susan Frazier earlier this year resigned their posts citing Mr. Watkin’s “habitual insubordination and lack of financial accountability” as “deeply frustrating.” Abdul Nurriddin – who formerly oversaw Community’s drug rehabilitation program -- was appointed interim executive director for 90 days while the board searches for a new director.
Changes at Dinner Program for Homeless Women
Talking to Street Sense vendors is good publicity that some candidates cannot pass up. Above is a photo of longtime vendor Phillip Howard and mayoral hopeful Adrian Fenty walking and talking in front of Whole Foods on P Street in Northwest. But this is not a photo taken by a Street Sense volunteer or vendor. Instead, the Fenty campaign sent it to a Street Sense writer a few minutes after she requested an “action photo” of Fenty.
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Kari Kirwin Bedell in March stepped down as executive director of the Dinner Program for Homeless Women after more than three years of service. The announcement comes four months after Christine Moore was forced to retire as program manager after more than eight years in the position and more than 20 years of volunteering for the organization. Many women who frequent the program consider Kari and Kristine friends and confidants and say they are missed. The program currently is hiring a new executive director, and Yolanda Morris -- who worked as a prison guard for many years -- recently was hired as the new program manager. Christine will continue to help homeless people in other cities.
PUCCER UP
The Pocketsize Universal Cordless Cellphone Recharger is possibly the last cellular phone charger you will ever need. It was designed to be small, lightweight and carried in a pocket or purse. It can replace your lost or broken home chargers, and will provide at least 2 spare charges, per day, while you are on the go, for years to come. When you change cellphones, there is no need to change the PUCCER. It gives you the freedom to recharge your cellphone while lying on a beach, or walking up the street, sitting on a flight, or on the town at night.
If your cell phone loses power, be prepared to PUCCER UP! Please send $80 money order for this limited edition model (patent pending) to Puccer Enterprises Inc. P.O. Box 15879, Wash, D.C., 20003-0879 or call (703) 577-9730. Or talk to vendor Conrad Cheek Jr. about it when you see him selling the paper as he is the inventor of the PUCCER.
Street Sense . April-May 2006
Community Service Index SHELTERS
SOUP KITCHENS
Calvary Women’s Services 928 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 783-6651
10th Street Baptist Church 1000 R Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202-232-1685
Central Union Mission (Men) 1350 R Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 745-7118
Charlie’s Place 1830 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-3066
CCNV 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-1909
Church of the Pilgrims 2201 P Street, NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 387-6612
Community of Hope (Family) 1413 Girard Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-7356
Dinner Program for Homeless Women 945 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 737-9311
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker (Family) 503 Rock Creek Church Road, NW Washington, DC 20010 (202) 882-9649
Eofula-Spanish Senior Center 1842 Calvert Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 483-5800
Franklin School (Men) 13th and K streets, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 638-7424
McKenna’s Wagon 2114 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-6608
Gospel Rescue Ministries (Men) 810 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 842-1731
Miriam’s Kitchen 2401 Virginia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 452-8926
House of Imagene Shelter 214 P Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 518-8488
So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 “O” Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 797-8806
House of Ruth: Madison Emergency Shelter (Women) 651 10th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 547-2600
Washington City Church of the Brethren 337 North Carolina Ave, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-5924
John Young Center (Women) 117 D Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 639-8469 La Casa Bilingual Shelter (Men) 1436 Irving Street, NW Washington, DC 20010 (202) 673-3592 N Street Village (Women) 1333 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 939-2060 New Endeavors by Women 611 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 682-5825 New York Ave Shelter (Men) 1355-57 New York Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 832-2359 Open Door Shelter (Women) 425 Mitch Snyder Place, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 639-8093
Zacchaeus Community Kitchen (“9:30 Club”) 10th and G Streets, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-9144 EMERGENCY FOOD Bread for the City 1525 Seventh Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 265-2400 AND 1640 Good Hope Road, SE Washington, DC 20020 (202) 561-8587 Covenant House of Washington 3400 Martin Luther Ave., SE Washington, DC 20032 (202) 610-9630 Father McKenna Center 19 Eye Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 842-1112
SERVICE PROVIDERS & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 19
Food and Friends 219 Riggs Road, NE Washington, DC 20011 (202) 269-2277 The Welcome Table Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347-2635 MEDICAL RESOURCES Christ House 1717 Columbia Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-1100 Community of Hope 2250 Champlain Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 232-9022 Unity Health Care, Inc. 3020 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 745-4300 Whitman-Walker Clinic 1407 S Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 797-3500 OUTREACH CENTERS Bethany Women’s Center 1333 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 939-2060 Georgetown Ministry Center 1041 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20007 (202) 338-8301 Martha’s Table 2114 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-6608 Rachel’s Women’s Center 1222 11th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 682-1005 Sasha Bruce Youth Work 741 8th Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 675-9340 Friendship House 619 D Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 675-9050
Catholic Charities Homeless Services of Washington, DC 924 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 772-4300 Catholic Charities Emergency Center 1438 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 526-4100 Coalition for the Homeless 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347-8870 Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness 801 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 543-5298 Downtown Services Center 945 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 393-5400 Catholic Charities NE Community Services 1438 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 526-4100 Community Family Life Services 305 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 347-0511 Hermano Pedro Center 1501 Park Road, NW Washington, DC 20010 (202) 332-2874 JHP, Inc. (Jobs and Housing) 1526 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 544-5300 Jubilee Jobs 1640 Columbia Road, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 667-8970 Samaritan Ministry (job training & support services) 1345 U Street, SE Washington, DC 20020 AND 1516 Hamilton Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 202-889-7702
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Travelers Aid Union Station (train level) 50 Mass. Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 371-1937
Byte Back (computer training) 815 Monroe Street, NE Washington, DC 20017 (202) 529-3395
Virginia Williams Family Resource Center 25 M Street, SW Washington, DC 20024 (202) 724-3932
Capital Area Food Bank 645 Taylor Street, NE Washington, DC 20017 (202) 526-5344 x223
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U Street, NW Washington, DC 20009 (202) 328-5500
PHOTO FINISH
A Glimpse from Above By Linda Wang
A woman peers out of a second story window at the Community for Creative Non-Violence shelter.
StreetFact
Income among D.C.’s poorest families remained virtually unchanged between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, rising just 3% to $12,700 (adjusted for inflation.)
VENDOR PROFILE Cliff, 57, grew up a military brat with three sisters, moving from place to place every two years. He said that his favorite places were Maine - because of the peaceful cold – and Guam – because of the tropical beauty. But when he was 15, his father died and when he was17, his mother died. Shortly after this tragedy, he moved to D.C. to live with his aunt and uncle and ended up getting a mathematics degree from Federal City College, which is now the University of the District of Columbia. After college, he taught martial arts for seven years, and then became a driver for Metro. But after breaking his back and neck in two separate accidents, he decided to get a desk job and signed on with the Republican National Committee. Though he hated his work most days, he worked as a fundraiser for the RNC for 10 years, but then quit the day after watching Fahrenheit 911. He then had two other jobs in fundraising before becoming homeless in July 2005. He now lives at the Community for Creative Non-Violence Shelter, which is the same building where he went to college. “It’s strange because I am living on the same floor I took mathematics on, but this is a different school – the school of hard knocks,” he said. He recently took up photography and his photos now run monthly in Street Sense. How did you become homeless? I was living with some coworkers in Virginia and I was giving them my share of the rent, but the rent was not being paid and a few days before the Fourth of July the sheriff came to our door and told us we had to get out in three days. Then on July 12, I lost my job. I was accused of stealing some checks, but was just returning ones I found lying around. Why do you sell Street Sense? I like the independence. I don’t have to worry about some guy telling me when I can or can’t take a break. I also get to meet lots of people and I have always been a people person. What advice would you give someone who is homeless? I remember this cartoon of a snake swallowing a frog and just at the last moment the frog strangles the snake, and below it says ‘never give up.’ And that’s my advice. Where do you see yourself in five years? I want to have my own photography business, doing something I love and that is fulfilling. Geographically, I don’t know, but I won’t be in the shelter. Favorite Music? I have very eclectic taste -- from Bob Marley to Beethoven. I will listen to anything so long as it does not talk about body bags and killings and beating women and children.
Soure: D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute
April - May 2006 • Volume 3 • Issue 6
Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 Mail To:
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Favorite food? I have been a vegan for 34 years, so either Morningstar Farm Grillers or Worthington hot dogs.
Cliff reminds customers to only buy from badged vendors and not to give to those panhandling with one paper.
Favorite Movie? Equilibrium
Don’t forget to fill out our First Annual Readers Survey. Pick up one from your favorite vendor starting April 18th.