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Editor’s Note: This is an installment of a biweekly column, “Encampment Updates.” Each edition, a Street Sense journalist will write about past and upcoming encampment clearings and closures in D.C. The government’s policies and schedule can be found at: dmhhs.dc.gov/page/encampments.
D.C.’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) fully or partially cleared four encampments during the week of June 24.
On June 25 at 10 a.m., DMHHS conducted two encampment clearings at the same time. The “full clean-ups” had been originally scheduled during the previous week but were rescheduled due to an extended heat emergency. “Full clean-ups” differ from site closures. While some or all items might be removed and the area power-washed during a “full clean-up” residents can return to the area after the cleanup is finished. In a site closure, residents are not allowed to return after clearing.
Darwin Hall, the former resident at an encampment on the corner of Florida Ave. and Q St. NE, told Street Sense that when DMHHS came to clear his tent and other items “there wasn’t a lot of talking.” Hall had been staying at the Exxon station on that corner for a couple of months before finding an apartment.
Hall said he wasn’t too upset about the removal of his tent and other items because he has somewhere else to go.“I feel beautiful about it,” he told Street Sense when asked about his new apartment. He wanted readers to know that finding housing had reaffirmed his faith.
“Don’t give up on yourself, and God won’t give up on you,” Hall said.
No residents were present at the other encampment cleared on June 25, located at an expressway underpass near 555 South Capitol St.
Nor was anyone there the previous week when Street Sense visited the encampment. According to an email from a DMHHS spokesperson, the encampment had been “classified as unsafe for encamping due to its location and safety risk” and after a month of outreach, “the residents relocated accordingly.”
DMHHS threw away all belongings at the encampment, including a tent, bedding, clothing, and a functional bicycle. A spokesperson wrote to Street Sense that “none of the remaining items were eligible for storage.”
On June 27, DMHHS conducted another two “full clean-ups,” both at 10 a.m. At an encampment on 9th St. in Brentwood, DMHHS only removed items the resident approved of for disposal. The Department of Public Works also cut down a significant amount of bushes and vines around the encampment. The resident declined to comment to Street Sense on the clearing.
DMHHS also conducted a “full clean-up” of an encampment underneath the Benning Rd. exit of 295 at the same time, closing the site due to “health and safety hazards.” When Street Sense visited the encampment the previous week, no residents were present. DMHHS officials did not respond to questions about the June 27 clearings by publication.
DMHHS publishes upcoming engagements at https://dmhhs.dc.gov/page/ encampments. Those include: July 9 at 10 a.m. at 27th and K St. NW, July 11 at 10 a.m. at Maryland Ave. NE at the Arboretum Entrance, July 23 at 10 a.m. at 228 7th St. SE (Eastern Market), and July 25 at 10 a.m. at 228 7th St. SE.
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proposed bill that would help people with pets experiencing homelessness access D.C.’s shelter system is making its way through the D.C. Council, with a public hearing likely to take place this fall. The Pets in Housing Act, introduced by At-large D.C. Councilmember Robert White, will also help D.C. pet owners who struggle to find housing due to breed-specific fees or restrictions.
ALast year more than 600 families had to give their pets to the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA), which has locations in D.C. and New Jersey, due to issues with landlords and pet-friendly housing accommodations, according to the HRA’s Chief Programs Officer Bobby Mann. For people with pets who are experiencing homelessness, there are few options because no low-barrier shelters in D.C. currently accept pets unless they are documented service animals, leading people to choose between giving up their pet and going into shelter, or sleeping outside.
White introduced the Pets in Housing Act on May 22 after working with the RHA and Animal Welfare Project. If passed, the bill would require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to offer at least one pet-friendly low-barrier shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. The bill would also cap the monthly pet rent at $25 and pet security deposit at $300, prohibit landlords from charging different fees and implementing restrictions for certain animal breeds, and ban non-refundable pet fees for low-income prospective tenants and residents living in an affordable housing unit.
“The requirement for a lowbarrier human shelter will help keep pets and their owners together, reducing the number of pets entering our facility due to owners being unable to take them into shelters,” Mann wrote in an email.
White said the bill seeks to prevent situations where a person experiencing homelessness avoids going into a shelter out of fear they will be separated from their pet. Homeless advocates often cite pets, as well as partners and possessions, as a main reason some people refuse to sleep in shelters, instead living in encampments. D.C.’s shelter hotline confirmed shelters in D.C. currently only allow people to bring pets if they have papers to prove the pet is a service animal.
“We want to make sure that doesn’t become a barrier to shelter, to making progress in one’s life, and certainly we don’t want pets or concern about our pets to be the reason somebody stays in an abusive house,” White said, referencing that pets can also be a barrier to people leaving unsafe living conditions.
White, who chairs the Committee on Housing, said his fellow committee members are in contact with people who live and have lived in shelters and provided input on the need for pet-friendly shelters in D.C. Many people experiencing homelessness or domestic violence either have an emotional support animal or a pet before deciding to go into a shelter, he said, and the bill will make sure people aren’t forced to choose between relinquishing their pet or gaining access to shelter.
“I want to make sure people aren’t thinking about pets as this luxury, unnecessary thing, and more thinking about pets the way they are in reality, as parts of our family,” White said.
Mann said the HRA, White’s team, and the Animal Welfare Project will work with other partners like D.C. Voters for Animals to gain support for the legislation.
Joan Schaffner, the director of George Washington University Law School’s Animal Welfare Project — an independent group of students and professors who research existing and proposed animal protection laws — worked with White and the HRA to draft the legislation. Schaffner, who uses ze/zir pronouns, said the part of the legislation requiring access to pet-friendly shelters was the most difficult to draft. Ze said when drafting the bill some people expressed concern about the cost of creating pet-friendly shelters and the impacts pets could cause shelter residents with allergies or fear of animals.
The group ultimately decided to request DHS provide one petfriendly shelter, which Schaffner said is a good starting point because it gives pet owners a housing option without restricting other people’s access to shelters.
“Especially if you just require they have one, then obviously it doesn’t mean that everybody has to go to that one shelter, and it’s not like we’re saying all the shelters have to have animals,” ze said. Offering a pet-friendly shelter is crucial because many people experiencing homelessness have pets with them and currently would be required to leave them if they entered a shelter, according to Schaffner. Ze said this results in more stray animals and harm to people who rely on their pets for support.
“We also do know that the relationship that one has with their pets is very important and particularly, I would say, for someone without housing, their pet is even probably more significant to them,” Schaffner said.
JESSICA RICH Volunteer Freelance Reporter
he District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) Stabilization and Reform Board passed nine resolutions relating to occupancy and admission policies for public housing, development plans, and subsidy swap operations at its monthly meeting on June 12. The meeting as a whole addressed long-term development, public housing management, tenant concerns, and Housing Choice Voucher Programs.
TThe resolutions primarily enabled the agency to advance with the Rental Assistance Demonstration and Section 18 programs. These controversial federal initiatives will allow DCHA to transition subsidies at select properties from public housing to project-based vouchers. Agency officials said this shift would facilitate funding for property renovations, emphasizing these resolutions mark only the initial phase of a multi-step process. The board will have to vote again in the future to approve the redevelopment projects themselves.
Much of the discussion during the meeting did not focus on the resolutions, but rather, on the agency’s broader mission. The meeting highlighted a stark contrast between official perceptions of and resident experiences with public housing and voucher programs, as residents testified about poor conditions and long wait times. Residents said DCHA’s failure to meet their needs in a timely manner, whether relating to housing voucher waitlists or recertification processes, resulted in distress and dismay.
At each board meeting, DCHA Executive Director Keith Pettigrew presents a report, highlighting key updates. The June 12 report showed an 80.8% utilization rate for public housing — up from 73% in February — and an 81% voucher utilization rate for D.C. Housing Choice Voucher Programs. Pettigrew said the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which dinged DCHA for its occupancy rates in a 2022 report, is satisfied with these improvements.
The improvements in public housing utilization rates, however, stem partially from DCHA taking many units offline for repairs, which inflates rates of utilization according to DCHA Commissioner Christopher Murphy, who cautioned fellow board members to be honest with themselves about supposed improvements.
In response to the concerns, Pettigrew said he expects another significant increase in public housing utilization by late July, following the repair of “unlivable” units.
Luelanda Williams, a Kelly-Miller and LeDroit property resident, spoke during the meeting about the toll of living in a unit with poor conditions. The ceiling in her fivemonth-old son’s room collapsed, she said, and DCHA was slow to respond and made inadequate repairs. Following the repair of her son’s ceiling, Williams said she noticed water damage recurring at the same spot where the ceiling collapsed.
“Before you all start filling up these apartments and putting people in these apartments, you all need to make sure that these apartments are well enough for people to go into. Because roofs are falling on people’s heads, okay,” Williams said.
Board members’ skepticism about public housing metrics extended to voucher utilization rates. The number of issued but unused vouchers skyrocketed from 493 in February to 728 in June, leaving an increased number of residents trapped in what Murphy described as a growing state of “voucher limbo.”
D.C.’s voucher system has been under fire for the last few years, as nonprofits and government agencies have found it difficult to distribute record numbers of new vouchers. DCHA is responsible for approving voucher applications and signing off on units people want to rent with vouchers. Board members agreed to monitor voucher uncertainty in the coming months, and watch out for an increase in the number of issued vouchers not under contract.
Voucher holders like Sarah Hernandez-Santos, who is a single mother and voucher recipient, spoke about how difficult this limbo can be. Despite having a voucher, Hernandez-Santos has struggled to find suitable accommodation for her family that is culturally sensitive and safe. She said her children have been picked on for being Hispanic in certain neighborhoods, making any housing offered to her in those areas unsuitable for them.
Elizabeth Butterworth, attorney at Legal Counsel for the Elderly, said administrative failures and delays on the part of DCHA also create significant hardships for voucher holders, particularly those who are older or those with disabilities seeking appropriate housing. “Voucher holders are suffering the consequences of DCHA failure to effectively manage the Housing Choice Voucher Program and they are in the best position to propose solutions,” Butterworth said.
Board members discussed with Pettigrew how landlord reluctance to accept vouchers may be partly to blame for voucher delays, as the board has heard some landlords are upset by the condition in which voucher recipients leave their apartments. Pettigrew said he understood the need to improve landlord relationships with DCHA and residents, and announced a landlord engagement event later in June.
Complaints, however, extended beyond vacancy rates. While according to Pettigrew, HUD appeared pleased with DCHA’s progress, resident testimony suggested residents still see many ways the housing authority could improve.
The meeting underscored a critical mismatch between available housing and applicant needs, as Commissioner Theresa Silla noted residents often decline offers for public housing due to accessibility, location, or unit type issues. Resident Paulette Matthews confirmed this in her testimony, emphasizing the need for better oversight and follow-up on maintenance work. “With things being done throughout the properties, who follows up behind them? That’s a piece of the puzzle that I think is a very important piece that’s being left out of the equation,” Matthews said.
Many DCHA residents like Matthews testify at meetings every month, sharing continued frustration and distrust toward DCHA’s services. As the city struggles with rising housing costs and persistent inequality, public housing and vouchers are one of few options for residents who continue to face barriers to accessing stable housing.
DCHA’s board will meet next on July 10 at 1 p.m. Meetings are available to watch live on DCHA’s Facebook page.
FRANZISKA WILD AND SAMANTHA MONTEIRO Editorial Interns
The Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling on unsheltered homelessness in the case Johnson v. Grants Pass on June 28. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled in favor of the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, upholding the city’s ability to arrest people for sleeping outside. The decision, which in effect allows cities to criminalize homelessness, is expected to have widespread impacts on homelessness policy.
At issue in the case is whether making or enforcing laws against sleeping on public property when no other shelter is available violates the “cruel and unusual” portion of the Eighth Amendment. Filed in 2018, the case began in Grants Pass when homeless residents Debra Blake, John Logan, and Gloria Johnson sued the city for issuing them tickets and fines of up to $295 for living outside.
The opinion, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, states that “the Court cannot say that the punishments Grants Pass imposes here qualify as cruel and unusual.” He argues the penalties Grants Pass imposed are not meant to spread fear and other cities have ordinances to prevent public camping, meaning the ordinances cannot be considered cruel or unusual. According to Gorsuch, the Supreme Court shouldn’t be dictating policy on homelessness, local governments should. “The Eighth Amendment ... does not authorize federal judges to wrest those rights and responsibilities from the American people and in their place dictate this Nation’s homelessness policy,” he wrote.
The ruling overturns the 2018 decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case known as Martin v. Boise, where the court found the Idaho city could not enforce an ordinance that banned sleeping on public property if there wasn’t available housing or shelter to accommodate unhoused people. Martin shaped how cities could respond to homeless encampments, and with it overturned, cities can now respond with more punitive measures toward those experiencing homelessness.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the dissenting opinion, where she argued bans on sleeping outside punish people for an involuntary status — homelessness — and therefore violate the Eighth Amendment.“Sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime. For some people, sleeping outside is their only option,” she wrote. Grants Pass sets a precedent that could make it easier for cities across the country to pass laws that punish the over 250,000 people currently experiencing unsheltered homelessness just for sleeping outside.
In her dissent, Sotomayor said despite the ruling, cities have no obligation to pass laws banning outdoor camping or sleeping. She outlined other legal pathways to limiting the constitutionality of laws that seek to criminalize homelessness. For example, the due process clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments can place limits on antihomelessness ordinances. The decision also does not determine whether the ordinances in Grants Pass stand under new Oregon state laws that limit the cities’ power to criminalize sleeping outside.
In a press conference held by the National Homelessness Law Center, Ed Johnson, the attorney who represented the plaintiffs in the case, emphasized there are effective approaches to homelessness that avoid criminalization. “The court specifically said that there’s nothing in their holding today that requires cities or states to ban camping at all, much less ban it everywhere at all times,” Johnson said. “My hope is that states will follow the wise policy of investing in housing and services and accessible shelter for people, and not attempt to police their way out of this crisis.”
“We are the swing vote:” Poor People’s Campaign assembles in Washington
Thousands of people gathered in front of the Capitol building for the Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March to the Polls on June 29. Ahead of a contentious election year, attendees from religious organizations, social justice groups, and unions traveled from over 30 states and D.C. to call on elected officials to address poverty, according to organizers.
Despite the sweltering heat, attendees were energized as speeches by faith leaders, labor organizers, and people with lived experience with poverty rang out over the crowd. Through a sea of yellow and black signs and purple union t-shirts, onlookers could feel the energy of the moment.
“Poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in our country.” Liz McNichol, one of the tri-chairs of the D.C. Poor People’s Campaign, told Street Sense in an interview ahead of the march. “This is basically a national emergency. It’s not being addressed by our politicians and by our elected officials with any of the level of urgency that something so dramatic should be.”
McNichol was referring to a 2019 University of California Riverside study that found people living in poverty have higher rates of death than wealthy or middle-class people. Speakers reiterated throughout the day that 800 people die each day as a result of poverty, according to the study.
Organizers, speakers, and attendees argued poverty is a policy choice made when the power of poor and low-wage workers is discounted. A clear theme at the assembly was generating the political will to address poverty. Nationally, the Poor People’s Campaign aims to turn out 15 million poor and low-wage infrequent voters for the elections in November.
“In this time, poor people, low-wage workers, religious leaders, and moral advocates are bringing our voices together to tell America that we’re ready for protest and agitation in the street; litigation in the court and legislation in the suite; and we’re bringing our massive swing vote to the ballot box,” Bishop William J. Barber, II a national co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign said in a speech.
Helene Freeman traveled to D.C. the morning of the rally with fellow members from the Newark, New Jersey chapter of the National Alliance of HUD Tenants.“We need to rally the masses, there’s a bit of apathy in Newark. People are run down, they’re tired, and other people are being harvested for their votes,” she told Street Sense.
Freeman was one of many attendees who traveled to D.C. because the Poor People’s Campaign’s emphasis on ending poverty and ensuring housing for all is personal to her. She spoke with Street Sense about the difficulties of finding affordable housing in Newark, and how she hoped mobilizing people to the polls could change that.
“Public housing was supposed to be a leg up for people when it was invented. That’s not the case anymore,” Freeman said. “It’s important to rally masses. There’s strength in numbers: you can’t put us all out.”
In addition to the nationwide lack of affordable housing, the issue of homelessness brought marchers from as far as the Midwest and California. Marty Jansing, who was holding a sign that read “Being Homeless Does Not Mean Being a Criminal,” told Street Sense about his experience with homelessness — and the laws that criminalize it — in Louisville, Kentucky. Recently, lawmakers in Kentucky passed a set of laws banning street camping.
“It’s a common problem, the police essentially in Louisville — the U.S. Justice Department just came down on them last year — they would go after homeless people, any excuse,” Jansing said, referencing findings that the Louisville Metro Police Department engaged in various civil rights violations, including unlawful stops and searches of pedestrians.
Homelessness and the need for quality and affordable housing also motivated Junail Anderson, the founder of Freedom from the Streets in Minneapolis, to travel from her home state of Minnesota for the rally. Anderson founded Freedom from the Streets after seeing how other organizations aimed at helping people experiencing homelessness lacked input from people with lived experience.
The day before the assembly, the Supreme Court ruled in the case Johnson v. Grants Pass that cities could outlaw sleeping outside — the decision allows jurisdictions to effectively
criminalize homelessness. Anderson reflected on the ruling in an interview with Street Sense.
“Criminalizing homelessness — you should not criminalize homelessness because anybody could be homeless at any given time,” she said.
Metric Giles, the executive director of the Community Stabilization Project, which advocates for renters in Saint Paul, Minnesota, traveled with Anderson to D.C. Also an advocate for equitable housing, Giles highlighted the need to generate political will for quality affordable housing.
“As organizers, we need to teach people to retain power through the vote. People need to know they have power through the vote,” Giles said. Centering intersectional approaches in his work, Giles also spoke to Street Sense about the overlap between housing justice, racial
justice, and environmental justice — something the Poor People’s Campaign highlights in their 17-Point Agenda.
The Poor People’s Campaign has its roots in the 1968 Poor People’s March on Washington, led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Much of what King fought for, including housing for all, has yet to be accomplished, Giles said.
Even against the backdrop of an almost 60-year struggle, the rally centered on the community and the hope created by collective power. Organizers handed out cold water and snacks to anyone who needed them; at one moment, everyone danced to Go-go music while singing “Go-go to the polls.” Throughout the rally, chants of: “We will rise. We will vote. We have power” echoed off the walls of the Capitol building.
D.C. suffers record-high temperatures, cooling options are still limited for people
FIONA RILEY, FRANZISKA WILD, AND SAMANTHA MONTEIRO
Editorial Interns
call it a hell on earth, but it’s preventable and avoidable,” Thomas said.
It was 90 degrees outside, and Thomas was sitting at a table on the first floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, referring to how he handles the heat while experiencing homelessness.
Thomas, who asked to be referred to by a pseudonym to maintain his privacy while living outside, spends his days in the library and his nights just outside its doors. He told Street Sense he’s tried staying in shelters, but they negatively impacted his mental health. “That’s why I stay at MLK during even the coldest and hottest nights,” he added.
The MLK Jr. Memorial Library is one of the sites D.C.’s 2024 Heat Emergency Plan identifies as a cooling center in
the event of a heat emergency, when the heat index (how it feels when taking into account air temperature and humidity) reaches 95º or higher. The plan is meant to address the risks faced by people experiencing homelessness during extreme heat, with cooling centers opening to provide refuge. That resource may be especially important this year — eight heat emergencies have been declared since the start of June, and D.C. has seen some of its hottest temperatures on record.
The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) develops the plan each year and incorporates feedback from D.C.’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), which consolidates input from community members on the previous year’s plan. The District implements the plan through the Department of Human Services and HSEMA.
When the District announces a heat emergency, cooling centers around the city, including low-barrier shelters — shelters with minimal requirements for entry — recreation centers, public libraries, and public pools, are supposed to provide people with relief from high temperatures. In the past, Street Sense has found only a fraction of the listed cooling centers were open during heat emergencies.
This year, Street Sense reporters found 38 — just over two-thirds — of the listed cooling centers are confirmed to be open during a heat emergency. Reporters called the 53 lowbarrier shelters, day centers, senior and youth centers, and recreation centers included in the plan, and, after identifying themselves as reporters, asked whether the public could come in to cool off.
Another eight centers are open for cooling during heat emergencies, but either have shorter hours than listed in the plan or limit the amount of time someone can come in to cool off.
Staff at three locations listed in the heat plan told Street Sense reporters they were not open as cooling centers this year, and another four did not respond to multiple phone calls or redirected reporters to a number that could not confirm the information in the plan.
Eight of the 38 cooling sites Street Sense confirmed to be fully open are only open to seniors or youth aged 18-24, narrowing the options for adults experiencing homelessness. The nine low-barrier shelters, while open to adults, are usually only available to people who already have a bed there, and shelters have been nearly full in recent months.
In addition to the seasonal cooling centers, 26 public libraries are open for cooling seven days a week. The plan also includes public pools and spray parks, but reporters did not contact those sites because they do not have options for cooling beyond water.
The number of places to cool down shrinks on the weekends and after 7 p.m. On Sundays, there are only six cooling centers open throughout the city — and of those, one only serves youth, two only serve women over 18, and two only serve men over 18. The public libraries listed on the heat plan are open on Sunday, but only between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. and heat emergencies often last far beyond these hours.
There are also disparities by ward: Ward 5 has 12 cooling sites in contrast to Ward 3, which has only two, neither of which are open after 9 p.m. or on Sunday. Only Ward 4, Ward 5, and Ward 7 have over five open cooling centers. Ward 1, Ward 2, and Ward 3 have three or fewer centers Street Sense could confirm were open.
D.C. is around 68 square miles large, so with 38 open cooling shelters and 26 public libraries, the city has around one site to cool down at for every square mile. Willie, a vendor with Street Sense, spoke about the issues the geographic distribution of cooling shelters can create for people experiencing homelessness.
“I’ve seen the map, there is a lot of space between the cooling centers,” he said. These distances can create difficulties
for people who face mobility issues or cannot access public transportation to get to a center far away.
“Walking, especially if someone is [disabled], older — three to five to six streets — a couple of blocks in this heat is a lot, with the cars, just with it being in the beginning of the summer,” Willie said.
The 2024 plan states transportation is available to shelters, but a person will only be picked up if a bed is available. People can call 311 or the shelter hotline at (202) 399-7093 to request free transportation to a shelter.
The plan also says that during an extended heat emergency — a protocol HSEMA implemented this year — the District may deploy “additional accessible transportation” to cooling centers and shelters.
Beyond limited availability, the District’s plan does not account for the specific challenges faced by people who are currently unhoused. Many facilities have limitations on how many belongings someone can bring with them. For example, public libraries, while reliably open every day, have a strict two-bag limit. Thomas copes with this rule by leaving his possessions outside the MLK Jr. Library underneath a tarp. They’ve been lost, stolen, or thrown away multiple times.
Brett Schuster, an outreach specialist at Pathways to Housing, explained many people who live outside or in encampments are faced with the difficult decision of suffering in the heat or leaving their possessions behind.
“I’d say the most prominent challenge is for people who live outside, their belongings are really everything to them, and it can be a choice of going into a cooling center or staying at your spot to make sure your belongings aren’t stolen or anything happens to them, and I think that’s really an underrated aspect that goes unnoticed in the unhoused population,” Schuster said.
Other safety recommendations for heat emergencies listed on the ReadyDC website, like drinking water, wearing light clothing, and paying attention to signs of heat exhaustion, can be impossible for people currently experiencing homelessness.
“The District’s recommendations are very common sense, but to our unhoused population they are not afforded the luxury of being able to follow those guidelines,” Schuster said.
The availability of cooling centers is only half the challenge — communication also poses another hurdle. Schuster noted the city often provides only short notice for pop-up cooling centers, transportation services, and extended hours. If these sites could be standardized, he said, it would help unhoused residents know where to find them. Willie agreed and said it was on the city and other providers to do active outreach about the availability of cooling shelters and other resources.
“Communication is key in all sorts of emergency events, always more communication. And accountability, check in with people, it doesn’t just stop with setting it up, checking in once. Do you guys need more supplies, is anyone there with you, understand the issue more completely, and act accordingly,” Willie said.
When asked about how the city could improve its cooling services, Thomas stressed that in some ways, cooling centers are a band-aid trying to treat the much larger issue of homelessness.
“It’s not just a one-season thing,” Thomas said.
Each year, HSEMA and ICH ask for feedback from community members who used or worked at spaces designated as cooling centers to improve the plan for the following year. ICH then reviews a copy of the plan in the spring and provides further advice, said Theresa Silla, ICH’s executive director.
This year’s plan implemented a new protocol for an extended heat emergency, which is activated when the National Weather Service (NWS) expects the temperature during the day to reach 95 degrees for at least four days straight. The extended heat emergency can also be activated if NWS issues a heat warning for the District or expects an overnight heat index of at least 80 degrees.
Silla said HSEMA “proactively developed” the extended heat emergency plan while implementing cooling buses, unused WMATA buses with the A/C on, in 2023. During an extended heat emergency, the District may deploy cooling buses to specific locations, extend hours for cooling sites, and deploy other support resources, the 2024 plan states.
“HSEMA was thinking about, what are overnight temperatures that might be dangerous and that we need cooling support around,” Silla said. Street Sense found there are only nine sites open past 9 p.m. listed on the heat plan, but the extended heat emergency section of the plan notes the city could extend the hours at other sites if needed.
During the extended heat emergency in June, for instance, the city operated six cooling buses and had extended hours at some day centers.
Residents can sign up for text or email updates on heat and other inclement weather on the AlertDC website.
Residents should be alert for signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Muscle cramps are an early sign someone is too hot and should be treated by finding shade, resting, drinking fluids and electrolytes, and gently stretching the area of the cramp, according to the CDC.
Heat exhaustion is more severe and can look like headaches, nausea, dizziness, sweating, weakness, thirst, irritability, elevated body temperature, and pale, ashen, or flushed skin according to both the CDC and ReadyDC. If someone is suffering from heat exhaustion, they should move to the shade or inside, drink water, and remove extra clothing. They should also monitor their symptoms and call 911 or visit an emergency room if they lose consciousness, become confused, or are unable to drink water.
If heat exhaustion is ignored, it can turn into heat stroke, which is life-threatening. The signs of heat stroke include extremely high body temperature, loss of consciousness, confusion or slurred speech, seizures, vomiting, rapid or weak pulse, and rapid or shallow breathing according to the CDC and ReadyDC. If someone is experiencing heat stroke, they should call 911 and immediately apply a cool compress. Do not drink water while experiencing a heat stroke.
DANIEL KINGERY
The general opinion is government is too complex for the average person to comprehend. This article is about to blow that myth completely away.
What makes government unnecessarily difficult to understand is the everincreasing list of resources ‘scholars’ tell us we must know.
So what’s the perspective for viewing government that makes it so simple to comprehend? It can be found in Emer de Vattel’s book, “The Law of Nations.” He frequently refers to the government as a corporation.
To understand this we use a 1756 dictionary commonly available for our nation’s founding generation to define the following words. The word choices only make sense after we see their definitions.
Corporate: United in a body or community.
Corporation: A body politick, authorized to have a common seal, one head officer or more, able by their common consent, to grant or receive in law, anything within the compass of their charter: even as one man.
Community: 1. The commonwealth; the body politick. 2. Common possession.
Politicks: The science of government; the art or practice of administrating publick affairs.
Government: 1. Form of community with respect to the disposition of the supreme authority. 2. An establishment of legal authority. 3. Administration of publick affairs.
Each definition uses one or more of the other four words as part of its definition, emphasizing governments are a form of corporation. Seeing the government as a corporation simplifies the search for the correct documents to understand the country.
Many more people are familiar with what paperwork to look for in commercial corporations. This is taught in nearly all business and investment courses. The founding charter is the contract and enforceable law among the owners and controllers of the corporation they are creating. Any one or more of them can hold the other members accountable.
The second charter is the bylaws. This is the contract the owners and controllers use to measure the qualifications and performance of the key corporate officers, who either campaign for the position or accept the nomination to their post.
If we see the government as a corporation, the above charters simplify our search for what documents do those same things in our government.
The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America is the founding charter, the private law, among the people of the United States. It has never been replaced. It has never been amended.
It has only been forgotten about, except for fireworks on July Fourth. Even then, the declaration is seldom talked about. In fact, the fictitious name “The Declaration of Independence” makes it much easier to forget and ignore. After all, the politicians tell us, “What do we need that old thing for? We haven’t been under British rule for over 250 years!”
So, the people have all but forgotten about the most important
contract among ourselves as citizens: our proof of being co-owners and co-controllers of the government. The clause “consent of the governed” in the declaration makes the unified majority of the total body of registered voters the sovereign authority over government.
The Constitution of the United States of America is the by-laws. These are generated by the governed people, as the sovereign authority, to bind their key corporate officers in government.
The Constitution is the primary job description sheet the people are supposed to use to qualify candidates based on whether their promises support or violate the Constitution. Once a government officer is legitimately elected, the Constitution is supposed to determine if they need to be stopped, recalled, or removed from office before the end of their term.
When we use the definitions in play for the words in the documents, we quickly realize that these documents cover modern issues.
The link https://www.cleanhonestgov.com/glossary-of-oldword.html takes you to a glossary of screenshots. This way, you can check my accuracy on the definitions the Founding Fathers went by. For the entire downloadable dictionary, visit www.cleanhonestgov.com/older-dictionaries.html.
Daniel Kingery owns and runs CleanHonestGov.Com; a website that teaches others, in a matter of hours, what it took him 25 years to discover about our government. If anyone wishes to debate or challenge any content within, please email Daniel Kingery at danielmkingery@gmail.com.
KHADIJAH WILLIAMS
n the most challenging budget year the District has faced in over a decade, Mayor Muriel Bowser found herself in an unenviable position of having to balance raising revenue against supporting the needs of D.C. residents. But cuts to critical human services and social justice programs reveal a harsh reality: our most vulnerable communities can be sacrificed in times of bureaucratic hardship. Under D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson’s leadership, the council reversed some of the mayor’s cuts and signaled a commitment to reducing poverty by establishing a $15 million local Child Tax Credit (CTC). This move aligns D.C. with the U.S. House, which voted to pass a $78 billion bipartisan tax package to temporarily expand the child tax credit, and over a dozen states that have adopted similar legislation.
INow, D.C. has the chance to become a national model for eliminating family poverty by strengthening the CTC with an opt-in coaching component, changing the trajectories of both parents and their children, so all families — regardless of income – can stay, live, and thrive in D.C.
As a commissioner on the Mayor’s Commission on Poverty, I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges that D.C. families face. I also grew up in poverty, and I understand the constant struggle parents face to balance the demands of raising children and striving for economic stability. Child tax credits have been a lifeline for many families across the U.S., and I am heartened
to see a tax credit of our own included in the budget.
This local CTC legislation is critical for D.C. families, especially with the expiration of pandemic-era federal tax credits, soaring food insecurity levels, and a rebound in child poverty rates. These tax credits are not mere policies; they are potent instruments for dismantling systemic barriers and carving transformative pathways out of poverty. But for the CTC to have its full impact, it must include an opt-in coaching component that not only provides immediate relief and financial breathing room for families in poverty, but also supports longterm economic mobility.
Through my work at LIFT, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing two-generation economic mobility, I have seen the profound difference a cash-meets-coaching model can make for parents and children. Quarterly cash payments from LIFT’s Family Goal Fund alleviate financial stress. Then, LIFT pairs parents with coaches to design action plans, breaking down long-term goals into manageable steps, like applying to college or securing financial aid.
In LIFT’s coaching program, 96% of members improved their overall financial health, and 95% boosted their income or furthered their education, with an average income increase of over $20,000 annually. This success is rooted in LIFT’s comprehensive support system, which combines financial, educational, and career coaching to help parents increase their earnings, reduce debt, and build savings. Stories like Mellie Harris, a Ward 8 resident and mother of two, highlight the
transformative power of this approach. “I wouldn’t want anyone to give up on their dreams for shortage of people who are able to rally around them or the chance to be supported in their goals,” Harris said. “If there was some way to duplicate the experience [of coaching] for more residents in D.C., I believe it would be an impactful program.”
Under Bowser’s leadership, we have also seen the potential of this model through Career MAP, which employs a twogeneration coaching model to create sustainable economic mobility. Currently, this is only available to the 600 families in the program, leaving tens of thousands of families living in poverty in the District without access. Expanding coaching to every family benefiting from the CTC is the key to extending transformative support where it’s needed most.
Now is the moment to propel D.C. families from crisis to stability, serve two generations at once, provide a basic lifeline toward economic mobility for our residents in need, and set the agenda for how cities can eliminate poverty. As Ayanna Mackins Free, Ward 4 resident and mother of four children put it, “Including coaching keeps the legislation honest…If the District is serious about having tax legislation in such a way that provides resources to families and pathways to the middle class, it needs to include coaching.”
Khadijah Williams is the director of policy and advocacy for LIFT, a nonprofit that partners with families to create conditions for economic success. She is a commissioner on the D.C. Commission on Poverty.
ANGIE WHITEHURST AND LISA BLACKBURN ULLVEN
he idea of toddlers being homeless ignited three local Florida leaders to draft one of the first pieces of legislation to advocate for children. The intense drive for change started in 1945 when troubled and dependent minors and children as young as three and four years old were housed in adult jails with no place to go. A judge, an attorney, and the founder of the St. Petersburg Junior League put their minds together to champion legislation to protect children in need of someone to look out for them.
TThe three champions (Juvenile Judge Lincoln Bogue, St. Petersburg Junior League Founder Mailande Holland Barton, and attorney Leonard Cooperman) drafted the Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) Special Act. On Nov. 5, 1946, Pinellas County, Florida citizens voted to be the first in the nation to create an independent board charged with guarding the rights and needs of children. Along with the six governor appointed members, the board has five expert roles (state attorney, public defender, juvenile judge, county commissioner, and school superintendent).
Together, they guide community investments in partnerships, innovation, and advocacy to strengthen Pinellas County children and families. The six strategic result areas include early childhood development, school readiness, school success, prevention of child abuse and neglect, strengthening community, and organizational capacity. They also partner to address childhood hunger, grade-level reading, and preventable child deaths. In 2023, their 100 quality programs have strengthened the lives of 70,000 children and families.
As we talked with a sampling of the 53 nonprofit agencies as well as the families they serve, a common theme was a focus on keeping families together. A first-time mom who faced domestic violence now has a fresh start with her baby girl. A man, once
labeled as homeless, is building a career and has regained custody of his two young children. Today, they are quite happy in their new home. When a single grandmother suddenly found her half dozen grand-children in need of a home, the kinship program of the Children’s Home Network was there to offer them the support and services to stay together as a family.
The improvements made over the 75 years that followed are a reminder of the possibilities ahead. Prevention is a key focus to strengthen communities. In the 1950s, JWB established a marriage and family counseling program as a preventative service to help children by stabilizing their families. In the 1960s, JWB was one of the first organizations in the U.S. to fund foster care and adoption services for children with disabilities. Their success in community engagement inspired statewide change. In the 1970s, JWB organized its first annual legislation workshop for community dialogue. In the 1980s, Florida passed a bill to enable other counties to establish Children’s Services Councils, similar to the JWB. In the 1990s, JWB paved the path with the creation of a network of eight Neighborhood Family Centers (NFCs) to serve the unique needs of their community. While the city of Largo offers tutoring and social opportunities for hearing impaired children and parents, the Tarpon Springs Citizen’s Alliance for Program offers youth development and cross-cultural programs.
In the 2000s, public defender Bob Dillinger and state attorney Bernie McCabe joined JWB with a quest to contribute their skills to further help children. This year’s 2024 DillingerMcCabe Putting Children First Leadership Award, created in their name, has special significance as the Pinellas community grieves the recent loss of Dillinger. The speakers teared up as they shared how he spent his final days preparing for the ceremony. The screens lit up as Carol Cook of the Pinellas School Board received the award for her five decades of being a champion for children.
Born in the nation’s capital and raising my daughters here, I have been through many trials and tribulations I wouldn’t wish on the people who hate me or love me. It’s like this… whatever you want to do, you do it, you go through it, and then let me know how you handled it, if you even survive it.
I am thankful I survived so much in my life. To still be here, I don’t take that for granted. I was born in difficult circumstances. My mom went through so much that she had to press the button so she would die. It was a horrific labor. It’s a lot just to process that, but I was also born with a hole in my heart. I will say this, though, I don’t have a hole in my soul.
So what gives anyone the right to judge, push their opinions, or make policies about parents?
I don’t put my children in harm’s way but I can only speak for myself. I am a woman with disabilities. When it was just me and my children, I had to learn and advocate for me and mines. I work hard to be the best woman and mom I can be. Yes, I have multiple disabilities, but I also have rights.
I don’t have a service animal or emotional support animal right now and it’s tough for me.
I know my heart and intentions, so it’s messed up for someone
who can’t grasp my life to have a problem with how I do things and raise my children. They’re not paying any of my bills or giving me opportunities to teach my children.
My children know I have disabilities, whether they understand or not. I do my best to explain and let them know I love them. I have to apologize for the bullshit of other people who think I don’t raise them right. It hurts when people think they’re doing you a favor but they prejudge and assassinate your character. When you bully people or speak badly about someone, you don’t have integrity.
Whether I have support or not, I don’t want anything happening to my children. My children know I don’t keep them in danger. All that extra stuff about policies against children and liability is a metaphorical slap in the face.
What I am saying is, who makes the rules?
Nobody should tell a person how to parent their children. I am fully in my children’s lives all the time. Yes, we are in a housing program, have been in a shelter, and face housing insecurity. But to say children aren’t allowed in certain places isn’t fair. If it is fair to say no children are allowed, then it should be fair for me to speak up...right?
The award event took place at the historic St. Petersburg Coliseum. There were elegant strings of lights spanning the entire ceiling, a visual of the power of connection. And in the center of it all, a bright-eyed baby girl sat silently at a table as a reminder of Dillinger’s litmus test, “Is it good for the kids?”
During the ceremony, JWB honored nominees from parks, police, schools, camps, faith organizations, and various other community-minded organizations, illustrating how each does their part to do what is “good for the kids.” Nominees like Family Support Services Vice President Jennifer Pendergraph and STEPS Family Advocate Corey Givens Jr. represented a focus on case management and family support. It was inspirational to listen to how advocates are leveraging their strengths for children.
It almost seemed that JWB assigned seats to encourage connection. At Lisa’s table, preschool leader Tabree Fort was recognized for “Inspiring excellence and a love for learning in children.” Dina Ramos, an organizer of Clearwater Hispanic Farmers Market, was recognized for “Creating a safer and more nurturing environment for Hispanic youth.” When Lisa was recognized for “Protecting and empowering the world’s children and families through strategy and prevention,” Ramos and Fort were inspired to brainstorm with her on ways to magnify their positive impact on children.
Reflecting on how nearly 80 years of change started with the initiative of three people is a reminder of the power of “We the people.” Our nation and history are built by the actions of forward-thinking people who combine their strengths to stand up for what is right. This story is a great example of how we have the power to spread good within our community or state. For the video stories, please feel free to check out https:// www.youtube.com/@GuidedResults
ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor
One’s opinion turned into poetry, intelligence, and common sense is not something learned but believed a blessing from the Lord if you believe in the unseen
The truth that never told a lie the evil of poetry that some poets glamorize
If we allow propaganda will you believe the science of words or poetry
The Book of Proverbs is written so eloquently while the 19th Surah in the Quran sounds like poetry being sung to me so beautifully
Was Abraham not a soothsayer, speaking poetic words to set his people free from the ignorance of things they believed and from opinions written like poetry, intelligence, and common sense
That’s not something you can learn to read like a line of poetry
If we were to turn all the oceans into ink do we really think we could exhaust the words of the Lord
The universe is just like pure poetry, a word the Lord told to be
In how many words and how many languages can you speak poetry if I could remember to recite perfectly something made easy to remember and to learn to have the intelligence and the common sense
Common sense is a blessing from the Lord for those who believe in the opinion of words written in poetry
IVORY WILSON
Artist/Vendor
News fans. I received my U.S. patent a week ago. I contacted a manufacturer to produce a cane handle sample so I could pitch it to all retail stores and companies. The manufacturer sent me a price of $3,000. I’ve already spent $2,300 and now I have to pay $3,000 more.
Without financial support, it will take me five long months to raise the money for the sample cane. I rub elbows with a few million people on 7th and E Sts. One of them lives on that corner and is a great guy I call Frank Sinatra. I’ll try to get in touch with him.
I’ve raised $500 so far. Y’all stay tuned. My cane will be sold upscale.
ANTHONY CARNEY
Artist/Vendor
Everyone has a father, either present or not. We also all have a father of the universe, the father of us all. I believe he watches over all of us, though I know not everyone believes. I believe he makes the trees, the flowers, the rivers, the mountains, and everything else — our Father, who art in heaven. Spread love.
JACQUELINE TURNER Artist/Vendor
To see someone die.
There he was, lying on his side, in front of the Pret A Manger at 1701 K St. NW. A few people stopped and looked but kept on keepin’ on. But I’m not one of those people. When I stopped and looked I didn’t see his chest moving. Why?
Because he WASN’T BREATHING!
I shook him, then poured a little water on his neck and head. He moved a little, then seemed to go out once more. A restaurant employee said he had seen this person, who he called Brian, many times, but never in this position. Someone from the store next door and another woman said the same thing.
Brian was in a fetal position with his arms curled as though he had experienced a stroke. Despite that, the pedestrians that came by just stopped, looked, and kept it moving as though nothing was happening. The other woman and I decided to pour more water on Brian. But he still didn’t move.
I called 911.
The dispatcher told me an ambulance was on the way. In the meantime, a crowd had gathered and someone in it said, “I should call 911!” I called 911 again and the dispatcher told me, “If you can’t see Brian breathing, try either CPR or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”
No one in the crowd wanted to try that, and I told the dispatcher I certainly didn’t because I wasn’t qualified to do either one and I was afraid I might hurt him. Then everyone in the crowd said they had to go to work. It was me and the woman once more.
By now the fire department personnel had arrived, and they gave Brian an electric shock.
No response.
Then my lady companion began to pray, “Please God, let this man who isn’t that old and looks a little down and out live.”
The people from the fire department gave him another shock. This time, he moved a little! We could see his face.
Then the ambulance arrived. I asked where they were taking him.
The EMT said, “Any hospital that would accept him.”
When the ambulance left, Brian was breathing. He was alive!
The other woman and I cried and prayed again. I didn’t get her name in all the chaos and she didn’t speak English all that well, but I understood enough to know Brian had been sprawled on the sidewalk for at least an hour. But no one stopped to help until I had called 911.
Why! Why! WHY can’t people care about each other enough to stop their lives for a minute and help someone in distress? What it will take to make them realize life is the Most. Important. Thing!
KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor
I wake up in the morning and pray to God she hears me this violence must stop we have in this world so many doubts and killings.
Gun violence knows no boundaries it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are violence hurts everyone violence is a form of ignorance our spirits and our souls cry.
She hears us she knows our pain she knows our grief and she is healing us now as we speak.
Violence is wrong violence is a part of the devil and Satan violence shows the ultimate evil of people when you think about gun violence you think it couldn’t happen to you but it does.
Violence kills no matter the race no matter the age no matter the skin tone we all die we all feel pain we all feel grief and we know praying to her will take it all away.
I was watching television and it said the District is the murder capital of our planet that means we need to ask her for help she will hear us and heal us we need change in this world.
When you beat your wife that’s violence when you bully others that’s violence when you do harmful things that’s violence.
We need to know we will all have peace no more war no more hunger.
SYBIL TAYLOR Artist/Vendor
Every Father’s Day is painful because of your absence in my life. Dad, I wish I could turn back time and re-live every day of my childhood, teenage, and adult years with you. You are rewarded with great honors and big ribbons sent to you by me. I also send balloons and big ribbons to you in heaven. I love you, Dad, and I miss you every day.
This year, Mom is with you in heaven. She’s sharing this special day with you. There will be a special candlelight dinner filled with lots of love, and beautiful smiles for these two love birds, forever.
GRACIAS GARCIAS Artist/Vendor
Like it or not Riddles of you Are not Meant to exist… It’s simply Impossible to sort out… If you created me, who Am I to judge? If “you” need “me” to Exist, let it be… We meet with all Certainty in life and death.
ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor
To the tune of “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” by Beyoncé:
This is not Texas. This is Washington’s Street Sense Media paper. Read all about it.
This is not Texas, read all about it.
Street Sense, Street Sense, help the homeless, read all about it. Street Sense paper. We going down, down, on the corner street. We are uptown, up up, uptown.
This is not Texas. We are in Washington, D.C. selling our papers on the street.
My name is Rochelle Walker. I like to sing and dance when selling my papers. I have been a poet since 2000.
This is June, hot, hot, the seasons have changed.
This is not Texas, it’s cool, cool. We are not going down, down, down on the street.
If D.C.’s mayor and city council do not see homelessness in their backyard, they are being willfully blind. If our representatives do not recognize an epidemic when it is in front of them, how are they serving the needs of the people? Their negligence can be proven by the systems implemented in Finland. An article by Invisible People founder Mark Horvath and his team inspired me to summarize the necessary steps to achieve a local-level implementation of Finland’s efforts.
First, those with the power and the authority over the legislative processes need to begin making a change by 1) admitting these crises exist and 2) starting to develop methods congruent with systems that have proven successful. Those in positions to declare it a right to be housed need to look at the cost of the support systems established and the type of economic growth that comes from having all its citizens in a stable situation.
Second, repurposing current derelict infrastructure will reduce the cost of building low-barrier shelters. These shelters are the foundation to getting people off the streets. This first step reduces crime and raises the quality of life and life expectancy of our most vulnerable population. On a single night last year, 653,104 people were homeless in this country, according to 2023’s PointIn-Time Count. These are American citizens, the same as politicians. They’re without the title and income yet still human beings. The federal government’s 2025 budget doesn’t prioritize ending homelessness enough. This is a shameful decision by those whose lifestyles are maintained by our taxes.
Lastly, I want to remind all parties involved in these contemptible actions of this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence: “That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
We, the PEOPLE, deserve to have our representatives representing our will. To solve homelessness, we must begin trying.
Across
1. Clock std. (abbr./initialism)
4. Kings’ and Krakens’ org. (abbr./ initialism)
7. Bygone bowling alley employee replaced by mechanization
13. Outdoors outfitter with a Seattle-based flagship store (initialism)
14. Hawaii’s Mauna ___
15. Cute, in modern slang
16. Fearless (I PRINTED anagram)
19. Do the bathroom over, maybe 20. “Night” author Wiesel
21. First-person counterpart of “You won” (2 wds.) (1,4)
23. Growl like an angry dog (RANG anagram)
24. Meir of Israel
26. Agent on swimming goggles
28. ___ Strauss & Co.
30. Four: Prefix
31. “The Racer’s Edge” (abbr./initialism)
34. Got big laughs in response to a standup comedy set
36. Island rings
37. ____ Jima (W.W. II battle site)
38. Former Seahawks Coach Carroll
39. January, in Mexico (Sp.)
41. Elementary particle
42. “Gimme ___!” (start of an Iowa State cheer) (2 wds.) (2,1)
43. One nautical mile per hour, to a seaman
44. Most obvious feature of thoroughly strained orange juice (2 wds.) (2,4)
46. Even the queen, in chess
47. Abruzzi bell town
48. Big first for a baby
49. Biblical figure known for living large and being ‘stoned’?
52. The one in “one for good measure”
55. Blockheads
57. Crook
59. Amazes
60. Gillette’s first twin-blade razor (2 wds.) (4,2) (incls. Rom. num.)
62. It’s close but gets no cigar (2 wds.) (4,4) (SEMINARS anagram)
64. Harangue
65. God in the Vatican (Ital.)
66. Olympic gold-medalist miler Sebastian who is now the IAAF President
67. Met productions
68. Wily
69. Buffalo’s summer hrs. (abbr./initialism)
Down
1. “Peer Gynt” composer
2. ___ Park, N.J. (site of Thomas Edison’s laboratory)
3. Like R- and X-rated films, say (2 wds.) (11,4) (FAIL AT LITTERING anagram)
4. Mets’ and Nats’ div. (abbr./initialism)
5. Arizona Indian
6. Boxer Ali who retired undefeated
7. Some room dividers (RATION TIPS)
8. Suffix with chlor, glycer-, or sulf-
9. Decline to attend (2 wds.) (3,2) (GOT ON anagram)
10. Renews a once-tabled motion for consideration... or what each answer to 3-, 7-, 18-, and 29-Down does (4 wds.) (6,2,2,5)
11. Lead-in to “-di” or “-da” in a Beatle’s song
12. WW I battle line river found in “...site of many very serious injuries”
17. Fly-by-night?
18. Primary goal of many a draft dodger? (4 wds.) (4,3,2,2)
22. Animal in a roundup
25. “___ Maria”
27. Catholic priests, for short (abbr.)
29. Targets for many modern-day thefts
32. Second-year law students, briefly (2 wds.) (3,1) (3-1)
33. Partner of circumstance in Elgar’s graduation ceremonial classic
34. ____ blocker (email account feature)
35. Songstress Horne or actress Olin
40. “CBS This Morning” anchor O’Donnell
41. H.S. test that can generate college credits (2 wds.) (2,4) (incls. abbr./initialism)
43. Actor Penn who played Kumar in the Harold & Kumar series
45. A central feature of impotence?
50. Academy Award
51. Obeys
53. Cover anew, as a plot
54. Money in the bank, say
55. “A Man Called ____” (2022 Tom Hanks film)
56. Not give ____ (be indifferent) (2 wds.) (1,3) (PAIR anagram)
58. Without ____ (having no exceptions whatever)
61. Ore-____ (Tater Tots maker)
63. The first Mr. Rogers to have millions of kids watch him religiously?
Not That Again! Puzzle by Patrick “Mac” McIntyre
This crossword puzzle is the original work of Patrick “Mac”McIntyre. It is provided to us courtesy of Real Change News, a street paper based in Seattle, Washington. Learn more about Real Change News and the International Network of Street Papers at realchangenews.org and insp.ngo.
Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento Case Management Coordinación de Servicios
Academy of Hope Public Charter School
202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Pl. NE
202-373-0246 // 421 Alabama Ave. SE aohdc.org
Bread for the City 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 1700 Marion Barry Ave., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org
Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Marion Barry Ave., SE calvaryservices.org
Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp
Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org
Charlie’s Place // 202-929-0100 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org
Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org
Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach
Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org
Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 4 Atlantic St., NW communityofhopedc.org
Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org
D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org
Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 North Capitol St., NW fathermckennacenter.org
Food and Friends // 202-269-2277
(home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org
Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW foundryumc.org/idministry
Identification services
Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org
Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org
Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9096 1526 Pennslyvania Ave., SE jobshavepriority.org
Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org
Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Rd, SE
2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE
Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org
My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org
N Street Village // 202-939-2076 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org
New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE
Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW
Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org
Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org
Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org
So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org
St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-363-4900 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org
Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org
Unity Health Care unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699
1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 850 Delaware Ave., SW, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 1151 Bladensburg Rd., NE, 4515 Edson Pl., NE
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org
The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable
Whitman-Walker Health 1525 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 1201 Sycamore Dr., SE whitman-walker.org
Woodley House // 202-830-3508 2711 Connecticut Ave., NW
For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide
Cashier (Front End)
Costco // 2441 Market St. NE
Full-time
Cashiers processes member orders, collect payment while providing a high level of member service, and perform clean up, department set-up, and closing tasks as necessary.
REQUIRED: Must be comfortable working on feet for entire shift. Must be able to lift 10+ pounds.
APPLY: tinyurl.com/CostcoCashierDC
Restaurant Busser
Hamilton Hotel // 1001 14th St. NW
Full-time
Take orders from guests, clean tables, assist host answering phones, waiting staff duties.
REQUIRED: One year of experience and ability to lift 50 pounds.
APPLY: tinyurl.com/HamiltonBusser
Paint Prep Technician
Aerotek // Washington, D.C.
Full-time
Help paint aircrafts and contribute to an aviation manufacturing line.
REQUIRED: Must be comfortable with different painting equipment, paint prep, and taping.
APPLY: tinyurl.com/AircraftPaintPrep
Service Technician
Westminster // 2101 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Full-time
Performs electrical and plumbing maintenance. Also performs painting, carpentry, HVAC, and masonry wok.
REQUIRED: Minimum of 1-2 years of previous experience in property maintenance, other building maintenance or related trade. Own a driver’s license.
APPLY: tinyurl.com/WestminsterMAINTENANCE
Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org
