09 23 2020 by Street Sense Media

VOL. 17 ISSUE 24

SEPT. 23 - OCT. 6, 2020

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Pathways D.C. operates a voter registration tent next to the Downtown Day Services Center.

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NEWS IN BRIEF DC attorney general sues 7 discriminatory landlords and property managers BY ATHIYAH AZEEM athiyah.azeem@streetsensemedia.org

Voting Rights for People Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Crisis Wednesday, Sept. 23 // Online Event starts at 3:30 p.m. The National Homelessness Law Center will host this webinar covering the importance of voting rights for people experiencing homeless and sharing tools and ideas for protecting those rights. Street Sense Media Artist/Vendor James Davis is a featured panelist. REGISTER: tinyurl.com/homeless-voting-webinar UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

TUESDAY, SEPT. 29

Help Take Down Ward 3’s Invisible Walls

DC Interagency Council on Homelessness

7:30 p.m. // Online

Emergency Response and Shelter Operations Committee Sept. 23, 1 p.m.

Ward3Vision and the Coalition for Smart Growth are presenting a forum to learn how to address the history of segregation and open up Ward 3 to a greater diversity of housing options, featuring Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh. Register: https://tinyurl.com/ward-3-forum

Youth Committee Sept. 24, 10 a.m. ***For call-in information, as well as meeting info for unlisted working groups, contact: ich.info@dc.gov.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

Solutions to DC’s Housing Crisis Summit: A People’s Agenda 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. // Online The Douglas Community Land Trust, 89.3 FM WPFW and We Act Radio are partnering to host this discussion of a people’s agenda for equity and economic justice. Register: tinyurl.com/housing-crisis-summit

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D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine sued seven landlords and property managers in Wards 4 and 8 today for discriminating against tenants based on their race, disabilities, and sources of income. Each are among the 21 traits protected by the D.C. Human Rights Act according to a press release by the Office of the Attorney General. The OAG pursues these cases in partnership with the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights. Two of the three lawsuits involve discrimination against persons using housing assistance as a source of income for rent. “The law is 100% clear, that is the discrimination based on one’s ... source of income is illegal,” Racine said in an interview with Street Sense Media. “Landlords must accept vouchers as much as cash.” These housing vouchers, also called “Section 8” vouchers help roughly 10,500 low-income families avoid homelessness. In one, prospective tenant Markita Sligh relied on the Housing Choice Voucher Program and would require approval from a landlord to use it for her security deposit. Property owner Afolake O-Shokunbi denied Sligh’s request and barred her from leasing the property in Ward 4, according to OAG. Another lawsuit claims realty group Porter House LLC and their agent Amaka “Vanessa” Akinola stated housing vouchers would not be accepted as rent on an advertisement in late July. “[Vouchers and subsidies] should be treated equally as any other form of payment,” said Michelle Thomas, Chief of Civil Rights section at OAG. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that [discrimination] doesn’t exist in the District.” O-Shokunbi allegedly told Sligh, a Black woman, that she “never had any problems with my white tenants.” Sligh accuses O-Shokunbi of ultimately denying tenancy based on her race. None of the landlords or property managers named in the suite responded to requests for comment. The press release notes that 90% of individuals using housing assistance in D.C. are African American. However, the Census Bureau estimated that less than half of the District’s overall population identified as African American last year. “There is a disparate number of voucher holders who are Black and brown,” Racine said. By fighting against housing discrimination, he believe minorities “will also have an opportunity to live in the District of Columbia.” Racine is also pursuing a lawsuit against owner KEM Associates and property manager Delwin Realty for denying accommodation to a disabled tenant in Ward 8. Delwin employees Gary Evans and Jamaal Opie are accused of repeatedly denying their tenant Artricia Morton a designated disability parking space, telling her instead to move to “another community” or senior housing. “These lawsuits once again emphasize that we will work collaboratively with our government partners to hold discriminatory landlords and property managers accountable,” Racine stated in the press release. Protection of housing assistance programs has steadily strengthened, including a D.C.’s Superior Court ruling in 2018 that clarified local housing subsidy programs are guarded by the same law that mandates acceptance of Housing Choice vouchers. OAG also proposed legislation in February to clarify that their authority to enforce the act, subpoena, and seek restitution is permanent. Tenants facing housing discrimination can ﬁle complaints at https://tinyurl. com/OAG-Civil-Rights-Intake-Form or call 202-727-4559.

4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // S E P T. 2 3 - O C T. 6, 2020

Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service Ogden, UT 84404-5402

NEWS

Notice Date: Notice Number: 1444-A (EN-SP) Website: IRS.gov/eip For assistance, call: 800-919-9835

Deadline for economic stimulus payments approaching for nonfilers Reminder

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) authorized the IRS to issue Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) of up to $1,200 to most U.S. citizens and residents.

BY JAKE MAHER // jake@streetsensemedia.org

or Americans who have not yet received a stimulus check to help them during the coronavirus pandemic, a deadline is approaching to file information the IRS needs in order to get the money this year. Although many people received this “Economic Impact Payment” already, people who don’t usually file tax returns — including very low-income people and people experiencing homelessness, in particular — may need to take extra steps to receive the payment. People who don’t file tax returns, known as “nonfilers,” have until Oct. 15 to use the IRS’s Non-Filers Tool (tinyurl.com/COVID-nonfiler) to identify themselves and claim the stimulus payment, totaling $1200 for individuals and $2400 for couples. The deadline is sooner for any non-filers with qualifying children under the age of 17, who have until Sept. 30 to file for additional $500-perchild payments. If eligible non-filers miss these deadlines, they can still receive the payment, which functions as a tax credit that has been made available in advance. But the next opportunity will not be until the 2021 tax filing period. The impact of missing those deadlines could be felt by up to 46,000 people in the District alone and 12 million people nationwide, according to a report by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Collectively, those individuals stand to miss out on $12 billion. The report also noted that a disproportionate number of non-filers are people of color, who “are being hit hardest by both the economic and health effects of the pandemic.” Now, with less than a month until both deadlines, efforts are underway at the national and the local level to reach out to eligible non-filers and provide support. Seven million people nationwide have used the NonFilers Tool so far, and the IRS is making an effort to spread the word to others who may be eligible. On Sept. 24, the IRS will begin mailing letters to the last known addresses of people who may be eligible based on the IRS’ estimate of their income. Around 34,000 people in D.C. will receive one.

The impact of missing those deadlines could be felt by up to 46,000 people in the District alone and 12 million people nationwide, who collectively stand to miss out on $12 billion. Receiving a letter does not necessarily mean that a person is eligible to file with the Non-Filers Tool, but the letter will include instructions in both English and Spanish for people who are. In D.C., local organizations and the government are also stepping in to ensure that those who qualify for using the Non-Filers Tool have the opportunity and guidance

You may need to act to claim your payment. Am I eligible for an EIP under the CARES Act?

You’re likely eligible for an EIP if you: 1. are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, 2. have a work-eligible Social Security number, and 3. can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.

How large is the EIP?

The CARES Act authorized payments of up to $1,200 to eligible individuals plus $500 per qualifying child, and up to $2,400 to married couples who file a joint return plus $500 per qualifying child.

What should I do to claim my EIP? •

If you were not required to file a 2019 federal income tax return, the best and fastest way to claim your EIP is to visit IRS.gov/eip by October 15, and click “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here.” If you provide bank account information, we’ll deposit a payment directly into your account. If you don’t provide bank account information, we’ll mail you a check.

•

If you were required to file a 2019 federal income tax return, the best and fastest way to claim your EIP is to electronically file your 2019 tax return immediately. If you already filed a 2019 tax return, you can check the status of your EIP by visiting IRS.gov/eip and clicking “Get My Payment.”

•

After October 15, the only way to claim your EIP will be to file a federal income tax return. If you do not file a 2019 tax return in 2020, you may instead be able to claim a recovery rebate credit when you file your 2020 federal income tax return in 2021.

morecopy information, including eligibility, and PHOTO click “Economic Impact Payments Information An For advance of the letter the IRS about will begin mailngvisit outIRS.gov/eip later this month. COURTESY OF THE IRS. Center,” or call the IRS hotline at 800-919-9835.

to do so. made organizing events like this “quite difficult,” and that Catholic Charities D.C.’s Financial Stability Network DHS has had to scale back some of its outreach efforts is one such group. The network is a collection of tax due to concerns about face-to-face meetings. specialists, accountants and financial planners working The information required for the payment includes: full pro bono who are matched by Catholic Charities with name, current mailing address and an email address; date low-income people who need their services but can’t of birth and valid Social Security number. afford them. For the last five years they’ve run an official For each qualifying child during 2019, their IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. This year name, Social Security number or Adoption Taxpayer they’re using that infrastructure to help with Economic Identification Number is required as well. Impact payments. If the person has one, the following information will “Our particular focus is for those who are not on the also speed the process along: bank account number, type, IRS’s radar screen,” said the (9-2020) network’s director, Jim Department and routing number; an Identity Protection Personal Notice 1444-A (EN-SP) Catalog Number 74702P of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov Shanahan. The network has communicated with case Identification Number (IP PIN); and a driver’s license managers and staff at the shelters that Catholic Charities or state-issued ID. runs to inform them about the services they’re offering. If they do not have a bank account, their stimulus check They’ve also posted fliers and received special will be sent to them by mail. If they do not have an IP permission from the IRS to meet with clients over Zoom, PIN, they can request one on the IRS website (https:// when normally they’re required to meet in person. tinyurl.com/IRS-pin-request). And if they are missing The D.C. Department of Human Services is doing their driver’s license or other ID, they can simply leave outreach to case managers and shelters staff to provide that section blank on their request form. information about the payments and eligibility requirements Families and individuals who are eligible to receive that they can pass on, according to Theresa Silla, a fellow special tax benefits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit at the D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness. or Child Tax Credit, cannot use the Non-Filers Tool and DHS and the ICH recently partnered with Capital will instead need to file a regular return by using IRS Free Area Asset Builders to brief some housing providers in File (tinyurl.com/file-free-IRS) or by another method D.C. about the payments. And in June, DHS trained case within the same Sept. 30 and Oct. 15 deadlines. managers at youth shelters and worked with the D.C. Eligible people to use this tool include anyone Economic Security Agency to send out robocalls to about with qualifying children who receive Social Security 2500 District residents who benefit from the Supplemental retirement, survivor or disability benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. Security Income, Railroad Retirement benefits, or DHS is also putting on several resource fairs at D.C.’s Veterans Affairs Compensation and Pension (C&P) shelters, where people living in the shelters will have access benefits who did not file a tax return in 2018 or 2019. to representatives from the Financial Stability Network, the hanahan said Catholic Charities’s goal is to meet with D.C. DMV, the D.C. Health Vital Records Division, and at least two-thirds of the 46,000 people in D.C. who are other agencies to obtain different forms of identification eligible for a payment but haven’t gotten it yet. Getting and learn how to request their Economic Impact payments. the word out about the payments, though, remains an Shanahan said face-to-face meetings like this are obstacle, according to Shanahan. important because many of the people they’re serving “The big myth out there is that only people who file don’t have smartphones or computers with cameras to income tax returns should be getting these economic meet remotely. stimulus checks,” he said. “Individuals have no earthly Silla added, though, that the COVID-19 pandemic has idea that they’re eligible for these payments.”

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// 5

D.C.’s homeless advocacy organizations help homeless individuals register to vote BY ATHIYAH AZEEM // athiyah.azeem@streetsensemedia.org

lexa Jade Southwick was picking up free lunch from the D.C. Downtown Day Services Center on Sept. 11 when she saw a voter registration tent right by the door. Southwick is experiencing homelessness and recently arrived in the District by bus from Texas. The tent she discovered was run by Pathways to Housing D.C., an organization that helps connect people experiencing homelessness in the District with housing and other services. Brianna Perez, a bilingual outreach specialist with Pathways D.C., helped Southwick fill out a voter registration form. Southwick was registered in Texas. With only three weeks until presidential election ballots are mailed, and without an address in D.C., she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to vote. But Perez reassured her that she could use the D.C. Downtown Day Services Center address and pick up her ballot at their office. “I think this [program] is revolutionary,” Southwick said. “Getting an address and registering to vote was another item on my list to getting settled, so this was extremely helpful — and also encouraging.” D.C. law does not require new voters to demonstrate a minimum length of residency in order to register, only that they live in the District and do not “claim voting residence” anywhere else in the U.S. or its territories. “[Not having an address] is a huge barrier,” Perez said. “It almost feels like folks are discounted from the process because they are experiencing homelessness.” Maria Gusman, a benefits specialist at Pathways D.C., said the organization was already concerned with voter suppression in the upcoming presidential election. In the 2020 primary election in June, thousands of registrants did not receive mail-in ballots, the main medium through which the D.C. government

intended citizens to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic. The election also coincided with Black Lives Matter protests, for which Mayor Muriel Bowser implemented a 7 p.m. curfew, including on Election Day. Several in-person voters were even issued dispersal orders by police. The curfew exempted voters, although Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham said officers would check credentials to see if people breaking curfew are truly there to vote. But D.C. does not require documentation or voter identification to vote. This is essential for people experiencing homelessness who may not possess or may have lost their personal documents, or need their ballots to be delivered to a shelter or friend’s address — which may not be on their ID. To combat such voter suppression, Gusman and other organizers at Pathways D.C. created the #PathwaystoVoting program to help people experiencing homelessness register for mail-in ballots on the spot. Volunteers like Perez have been setting up tents at the Downtown Day Services Center and the Pathways D.C. office in Ward 5 periodically since early September. Volunteers help determine if individuals are qualified, consider options where they can have their ballots mailed, and clarify myths that may stop homeless individuals from voting. One such myth is that those who have felony convictions or have been incarcerated are no longer able to vote in D.C. According to a recent report by the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, 57% of people experiencing homelessness in D.C. have been previously incarcerated, and 55% said incarceration caused their homelessness. But in D.C., people with felony convictions can still vote, even while in prison. Gusman recalled being surprised to learn that. “And we realized that if we didn’t know that, then a lot of the homeless won’t know that,” Gusman said. Perez recalled several people experiencing homelessness who only learned

Gusman and Perez say they have seen homeless individuals refrain from ﬁlling out the form based on these requirements, even if they qualify. PHOTO COURTESY OF ATHIYAH AZEEM.

Alexa Jade Southwick sits at the #PathwaystoVoting tent, in front of the D.C. Downtown Day Services Center. PHOTO COURTESY OF ATHIYAH AZEEM.

they could vote as felons when they approached the tent. She said one individual, upon learning, excitedly filled out the registration form. “We make sure to let people know, ‘Hey, you know you did your time, you are out,’” Perez said. “We don’t need to keep punishing people who have already given so much of their lives.” Gusman noted how important it is for volunteers to be there in-person to help people experiencing homelessness through the registration process. She has seen multiple individuals lose confidence while filling out the form when they reach question 13, the voter eligibility requirements. For example, some may see the requirement, “I live in the District of Columbia at the address above,” and believe that they cannot check that box. But Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act encourages nongovernmental entities to serve as voter registrations agencies, including homeless shelters and drop-in shelters like the D.C. Downtown Day Services Center. As such, people experiencing homelessness who wish to seek aid or already seek aid from the center can register to vote in D.C., and use the center address. Someone previously incarcerated might misinterpret the requirement, “I have not been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote” as confirmation that they cannot vote. Yet the question has nothing to do with felons. This is a controversial requirement where a court may deem a mentally disabled individual legally incompetent to vote. In some situations, a person experiencing homelessness who is also mentally disabled may not know if they are eligible. In this case, Pathways D.C. volunteers help determine their eligibility. “One of the hardest things I’ve seen is someone … who filled everything out, got to that part, and said, ‘Sorry, I can’t do it,’ and walked away,” said Gusman. “There is the chance that … we might have been able to confirm that he is eligible, but at the same time, there is a lot of stigma around the homeless that prevent people from being able to register. And they don’t necessarily want to talk about it.” Despite the barriers in the way, Gusman and other Pathways D.C. volunteers hope that by doing in-person outreach like this and clarifying myths, they can empower people experiencing homelessness to exercise their right to vote. “It’s about re-enfranchising voters,” Perez said, “and giving them the opportunity to participate in something that everyone has the right to participate in.”

6 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // S E P T. 2 3 - O C T. 6, 2020

ANALYSIS

Homeless disenfranchisement in the United States:

State election barriers, analysis, and best practices BY KRISTIAN BERHOST & ROBERT NORDAHL // Academic Researchers

any U.S. citizens experiencing homelessness are at risk for disenfranchisement during the 2020 election, according to research conducted by two University of Southern California graduate students, presenting a barrier for them to engage in democracy and escape poverty. “Affordable homes are built with ballots every bit as much as they are built with bricks and drywall,” according to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition’s get-out-the-vote initiative. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development recorded nearly 1.1 million adults using homeless shelters throughout 2017 — the last year a year-long count was published for — and estimated there were at least 181,335 unsheltered people over the age of 18 on a single night that same year. We designed a research project to analyze existing circumstances, identify common barriers homeless citizens experience while voting, and uncover industry best practices to overcome such barriers. The research team conducted a comprehensive literature review of hundreds of journal articles on the topic to-date and semi-structured interviews with 11 social service industry and government stakeholders.

Key findings The literature review provided ample documentation of homeless citizens' common registration and voting challenges, such as obtaining voter identification and complying with residency and mail address requirements. Homeless citizens are also often purged from registration lists, face felony disenfranchisement, criminalization, and incompetence laws that strip mentally ill people of their right to vote. The stakeholder interviews revealed how homeless citizens grapple with barriers that are atypical to non-homeless citizens. Homeless voters are sometimes misinformed or confused about registration and voting rules, lack political representation or transportation, and share feelings of inferiority and doubt in the election process. The stakeholder interviews also showed how social service organizations help homeless citizens overcome barriers to registration and voting by collaborating with other organizations, utilizing technology, and providing their clients with a mail address or transportation to the polls. Finally, the research team analyzed 13 homeless registration and voting barriers in 16 states with large homeless populations. To determine the effect registration and voting barriers had on voter participation, the researchers compared the barriers included in each state’s score on the Cost of Voting Index with U.S. Census data on voting and registration rates for each state in the 2016 presidential election. The index was developed by political scientists Quan Li, Michael Pomante and Scot Schraufnagel in 2018 to quantify the time and effort required to vote in America. High barriers to registration and voting resulted in low voter turnout in nearly all 16 states. The research team assigned the states letter grades from A to F and created a voter turnout

improvement plan for the bottom five states that received Ds or Fs. The team also recommended 20 best practices to social service organizations and municipal governments, state legislatures, and the U.S. Congress to improve the registration and voting process.

The national right to vote, regardless of housing status Disenfranchising someone because they are homeless is a violation of the Equal Protection clause under the Fourteenth Amendment, according to precedent set by a 1984 U.S. District Court decision, Pitts v. Black. But homeless citizens still face disenfranchisement because of the imperfections and contradictions of political structures in the U.S., which contribute to homeless citizens' non-participation in elections. The environment for voting rights in general is becoming more hostile. Several states have enacted laws to suppress citizens’ right to vote over the last decade, and the U.S. Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder case, which encouraged state legislatures to further restrict voting and registration laws. Congressional action on rights for all voters has produced mixed results for people experiencing homelessness. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 eased the registration process for all citizens. However, 11 years later, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was designed in response to voting complications in the 2000 presidential election, established minimum national standards for all states and tightened many restrictions. HAVA required first-time registered mail voters to confirm their name and address on government-issued photo identification, check, utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck. After HAVA, 24 state legislatures enacted strict, highly partisan voter identification laws. However, it is extremely difficult for people navigating homelessness to safeguard vital records and other personal identification documentation. And just as difficult to obtain such records without possessing related documents, especially in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. A National Homelessness Law Center survey of more than 50 service providers across 16 states found that more than 10% of clients lacked a photo ID. Such laws also latently harmed African Americans (who make up 13.4% of the overall population but more than 40% of the homeless population in the U.S.), according to journal article published by the American Political Science Association.

Barriers for the homeless community Local elites maintain power and control over society by constraining homeless citizens' ability to vote in a variety of ways, which in turn reduces the homeless' political power,

voter participation, and ability to escape poverty, according to an article published in the Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness last year. A majority of government and social service sector stakeholders interviewed by this research team, 54.5%, confirmed misinformation and miscommunication were the most common barrier to homeless voting. Misinformation and miscommunication are common barriers across the social service sector. Some homeless citizens, for instance, mistakenly assume they cannot register or vote without an address. The National Coalition for the Homeless asserts in its voter registration manual that many people experiencing homelessness are unaware they can vote. And many others have previously been "given misinformation about their rights as voters,” according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s voter-engagement guide. In many states, people with felony convictions are barred from voting. In addition to confusion caused by the inconsistency of this ban from state-to-state, such laws can easily be falsely assumed to apply more broadly to those who have been incarcerated. People experiencing homelessness in the U.S. have high incarceration rates. Forty percent of all homeless people who entered a shelter in 2013 "came from a correctional facility," according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and many U.S. cities have criminalized life-sustaining activities over the last decade, such as sleeping, sitting, lying down in public, and sleeping in vehicles. People experiencing homelessness in the U.S. also have high rates of mental illness and 39 states plus the District of Columbia allow judges to disenfranchise mentally ill people via "incompetence laws." Additionally, 39 states as well as D.C. purge voters from voter registration lists, another practice that adversely affects Black Americans.

State-specific barriers not exclusive to the homeless community The research team analyzed 13 registration and voting requirements in 16 states which create barriers for homeless citizens. The 16 states represent more than 400,000 people experiencing homelessness, or about 70% of the U.S. homeless population. Together, this set of states includes relatively even representation of majority-Democrat (6), majority-Republican (5), and “battleground” concentrations of voters. The research team deducted one point for each homeless registration or voting barrier, totaled the score, and assigned grades to the states based on the total score. Colorado and California received A-s for their minimal voter purging, losing points for some of their cities' forced relocation of homeless citizens, which created barriers for homeless citizens to vote and register. Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Washington received Bs for their low barriers to homeless registration and voting. These four states purge voters from registration lists, and cities forcibly move homeless citizens, which are barriers to homeless voting and registration. Furthermore, these states require voters to register to vote 27-30 days before the election, and citizens must live in these states for at least 30 days, have a fixed address, and have identification to vote absentee. Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Georgia received Cs for their moderate barriers to homeless registration and voting. These five states purge voters from registration lists, require identification, have registration deadlines 24-30 days before the election, disenfranchise freed convicts, and require both a fixed address and 30-day in-state residency. These states also ban anyone from helping a citizen register to vote, and each has at least one city that forcibly moves

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AT A GLANCE homeless people, which are significant barriers to homeless registration and voting. Missouri, Tennessee, and Florida received Ds for their high barriers to homeless registration and voting. These three states purge voters from registration lists, require citizens to live within a certain proximity of a polling place, require a fixed address, and have a 28-day in-state residency requirement. These states also have strict identification requirements, registration deadlines 7-30 days before the election, disenfranchise freed convicts, has at least one city that forcibly moves homeless citizens, and ban anyone from helping a citizen register, which create high barriers to homeless registration and voting. Arizona and Texas received Fs for their high barriers to homeless registration and voting. These states purge voters from registration lists, have at least one city that forcibly moves homeless citizens, require a fixed address, and have an in-state residency requirement of one-six months. These states also have strict identification requirements and30-day registration deadlines before the election, disenfranchise freed convicts, restrict absentee ballot age, and ban people from helping citizens register to vote. All of the D and F states purged voters from registration lists and had strict voter identification laws, and four of the five

required a fixed address and had a 30-day registration deadline before the election. The researchers then compared the state grades for homeless voters to the general Cost of Voting Index (COVI) and to Census records of the 2016 presidential election voting and registration rate for each state. In general, the grades matched the COVI and the state voting and registration rate in the 2016 presidential election. States with low homeless registration and voting barriers had low COVI scores and had high voter turnout, and states with high barriers to homeless registration and voting had high COVI scores and low voter turnout. California and Missouri were exceptions. California had low barriers to homeless voting and registration, low Cost of Voting Index scores, but voter participation is relatively low. The opposite is true in Missouri. Missouri had high barriers to homeless voting and registration, high COVI scores, and yet had relatively high voter participation. Kristian Berhost is a Bethesda, Maryland resident and online student at the University of Southern California. H e co-designed the research project discussed in this article with Robert Nordahl, a Ventura, California resident and student at USC. Kristian and Robert are part of the Masters of Public Administration program at USC’s Sol Price School for Public Policy.

Recommendations: How to empower homeless citizens to vote The research team identified 11 best practices to overcome barriers to homeless voting in the interviews with government and social service sector stakeholders. Each interview-respondent said collaborating with other institutions or organizations was essential to overcoming barriers to homeless voting. Some organizations and government groups already incorporate this best practice. The National Coalition for the Homeless collaborates with national voter advocacy groups to hold the National Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration Drive, to "encourage greater voter participation among low income and homeless citizens." And the federal government uses its strong central organization collaboration structure to coordinate social service organizations to work together. These five primary recommendations for social service organizations are affordable, effective, feasible, efficient, and acceptable: 1. Collaborating with other organizations increases access to scarce resources. Working together is free, and helps social service organizations coordinate services such as registration, voting, and transportation services for homeless citizens. 2. Utilizing technology helps social service providers effectively communicate with homeless voters and solve misinformation and miscommunication problems. 3. Providing a mail address service. A mail address will help homeless voters receive mail ballots and vote by mail. The mail address service eliminates the lack of mail address problem, which is a barrier to registering to vote. 4. Providing homeless voters with transportation to the polls is efficient, given public transportation or rideshare services will solve the limited mobility and disability barrier, so many homeless voters have. 5. Finally, running voter registration drives increases registration numbers and voter participation. These five secondary recommendations to help social service organizations build long-term, sustainable capacity for homeless citizens: 1. Providing storage to homeless citizens will ensure they have a secure place to keep their belongings and personal documents.

4. 5.

Pledging to register and vote and using direct communication such as phone calls, emails, or text messages allows social service organizations to engage with homeless citizens about their registration and voting struggles and overcome them. Attending “Stand Down” events helps social service organizations serve homeless veterans. Veterans can obtain identification necessary to register and vote at Stand Downs as well as valuable resources and referrals. Utilizing trained volunteers helps social service organizations communicate accurate information to their clients and get them to the polls. Finally, counting homeless voter turnout will provide researchers with information to study homeless voter patterns and make policy recommendations to legislators.

These 10 policy recommendations are for legislators. Municipal Governments: 1. Provide free public transportation on Election Day. 2. Decriminalize homelessness. State Legislatures or Secretaries of State: 3. Reduce the cost of voting with Election Day / Same Day Registration (EDR / SDR) at polling places. 4. Allow online voter registration (OVR), and establish vote centers / countywide polling places. 5. Eliminate or reduce absentee voting requirements. 6. Allow early voting, automatically register eligible state residents to vote, repeal voting restrictions on citizens with felony convictions and cognitive disabilities, and require only a signature to register and vote. 7. Repeal registered citizen purging laws. U.S. Congress: 8. Require employers to provide eight hours of paid voting leave per year to workers so they can vote without losing income. 9. Amend the 1987 McKinney-Vento Act to include direct support for homeless voting. 10. Provide greater funding to states for mental health services.

Wendell Williams PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE // CHOICEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Artist/Vendor Wendell Williams was hired as a full-time homeless navigator for the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services!

BIRTHDAYS Chad Jackson Sept. 26 ARTIST/VENDOR

Darlesha Joyner Sept. 27 ARTIST/VENDOR

L. Morrow Sept. 28 ARTIST/VENDOR

Melody Byrd Sept. 29 ARTIST/VENDOR

Anthony Carney Oct. 6 ARTIST/VENDOR

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NEWS

An emerging battleground: housing in the 2020 presidential election BY CALEB DIAMOND AND JORIS DE MOOIJ Editorial Volunteers

he COVID-19 pandemic has created and exacerbated an unprecedented number of crises in the United States, from a public health emergency to a record-breaking economic recession. Not surprisingly, the coronavirus pandemic topped an August Gallup poll that asked Americans what they considered the most important issue facing the country today. Contradicting long-standing thinking about how and why people vote, noneconomic problems have emerged as the top priority for the U.S. public this cycle; the same Gallup poll found that more respondents ranked government leadership and race relations as the most important issue facing the country today than the economy in general. The presidential campaigns of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have reflected these shifting priorities. While the pandemic continues to rage and election season enters its final weeks, the country’s need for policies and investment to support a massive increase in affordable housing is notably absent from the headlines. Adjusting for inflation, the median cost of housing has steadily increased since 1960, while median wages have not kept up since 1970, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. In August, a report by the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, estimated that 30-40 million people could be at risk of eviction by the end of the year. Issues related to poverty and homelessness have long been pushed to the periphery of presidential elections. But with the housing crisis on course to be the most severe in history, they are of vital importance to a record number of Americans. A recent series of tweets from Trump accusing Democrats of attempting to destroy the suburbs and an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by him and Ben Carson, his secretary of housing and urban development, have potentially opened a new front in the presidential race—affordable housing and homelessness. How do the two presidential contenders plan to stop and reverse issues related to poverty and homelessness, such as the rising number of evictions in the country? Like much of their campaign platforms, the two campaigns differ wildly on their approach to this issue.

The Republican platform Since even before taking office, Trump has used the image of rundown, crime-stricken cities led by Democrats to his political advantage. Last year, he threatened federal intervention in California’s homelessness crisis, telling reporters, “We can’t let Los Angeles, San Francisco and numerous other cities destroy themselves by allowing what’s happening.” Despite Trump’s rhetoric about this issue, there is little reference to it in official party and campaign policy platforms. In a Trump campaign press release that outlines 54 broad policy aims for a second term, not a single one of them addressed housing or homelessness. The Republican Party did not publish a new platform in 2020, instead re-releasing the 2016 version, which made broad gestures in support of deregulation and criticized government-sponsored mortgage financiers Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, as well as the Federal Housing Authority, as examples of wasteful federal spending rather than offering specific policy proposals to address homelessness. What the Trump administration has recently released is a report from the Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive branch charged with helping the president

Joe Biden speaking at the Presidential Gun Sense Forum in Des Moine, Iowa in 2019. PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE.

formulate economic policy. The September 2019 document offers insight into his administration’s views of homelessness. Much of the focus of the report is on regulation, arguing that it both hinders the development of additional housing to meet demand and then increases the price of homes that are built, increasing homelessness as a result. To combat this factor, the report echoes a June 2019 executive order that suggested deregulation in a range of areas, including but not limited to zoning, energy and water efficiency mandates, and rent control, among others. The report also claims that more tolerable conditions for sleeping on the street increases homelessness. While a city’s individual political environment — as well as its physical climate — plays a major part in conditions for sleeping on the street, the report calls for greater support for law enforcement. “Policing may be an important tool to help move people off the street and into shelter or housing,” the administration’s report states. To address the root causes of homelessness, it cites criminal justice reform efforts, including increased emphasis on treating mental illness and reducing drug abuse and continued support for the First Step Act, which eased federal sentencing guidelines. The report also takes aim at long-standing principles Democratic policymakers in particular have embraced in the fight to reduce homelessness: right-to-shelter and housing-first policies, which prioritize finding housing before addressing other problems, including finding employment and attending substance abuse issues. “While shelter is an absolutely necessary safety net of last resort for some people, right-to-shelter policies may not be a cost-effective approach to ensuring people are housed,” the report states, arguing shelters of a sufficient quality may present a more desirable option than long-term housing. The document also calls for federal and local governments to rethink the housing-first approach. In the Council of Economic Advisers’s view, “by reducing the number of homeless people through programs that don’t set any preconditions or requirements for their participation, Housing First policies might generate outcomes that actually increase the homeless population,” summarized CityLab contributor Kriston Capps. In short, the report calls for policymakers to reconsider these interventions and consider a deregulatory approach instead.

The Wall Street Journal op-ed co-authored by Trump and Carson similarly targeted government regulation but is a far more political document than the Council of Economic Advisers report. The op-ed extends the argument to say current policies threaten the suburban lifestyle and are ineffective for reducing homelessness. Trump and Carson take credit for rolling back the Obama-era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) regulation, writing, “we reversed an Obama-Biden regulation that would have empowered the Department of Housing and Urban Development to abolish single-family zoning, compel the construction of high-density ‘stack and pack’ apartment buildings in residential neighborhoods, and forcibly transform neighborhoods across America.” However, it is unclear whether AFFH would have resulted in such action. In reality, the AFFH regulation “tells jurisdictions that receive federal housing funds that they have to assess what patterns of housing discrimination they have and then come up with a plan to diminish them,” NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben writes. The policy was heralded as a long overdue response to structural racism in federal housing policy when it was implemented in 2015, but due to the Trump administration’s repeal of the rule in 2018, its effects were never fully analyzed. Later in the op-ed, Trump and Carson write that “it would be a terrible mistake to put the federal government in charge of local decisions — from zoning and planning to schools.” Like the CEA paper, the op-ed makes clear that the Trump administration’s solution to the homelessness crisis lies not with federal government action, but in deregulation and local government. The appointment in December 2019 of Robert Marbut to head the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), which coordinates strategic cross-department efforts to prevent and reduce homelessnesss, is also revealing of the current administration’s philosophy on public housing and the housingfirst approach, though disinvestment from public housing is not unique to the Trump administration. Marbut, who has worked as a consultant to cities desperate to find solutions to homelessness, has been an outspoken critic of the strategy. “I believe in Housing Fourth,” Marbut said in 2015. In the past, Marbut has been involved in promoting a number of controversial programs that provide a glimpse into his “velvet hammer” approach that includes a ban on panhandling.

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resilient housing. Trump’s White House plan, on the other hand, hardly mentions racial inequities, and his Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed to change an Obama-era rule that required single-sex shelters to accept transgender people. Climate regulation is mentioned in the White House report, as well as the 2016 RNC platform, but from the view that it contributes to the lack of supply and rising cost of housing. While Biden will most likely focus on Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and what many Democrats perceive as leadership failures, he will also undoubtedly hammer Trump on climate and race relations. According to an August Pew poll, registered voters trust Democrats by 31 percentage points more than Republicans on the climate, and 12 percentage points more on race relations, respectively. Housing is a potential avenue for Biden to incorporate these issues into his platform.

Competing visions

Donald Trump speaking a rally in Prescott, Arizona in 2016. PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE.

Most famously, he created a shelter complex called “Haven for Hope” in San Antonio, where people had to sleep on the ground until they passed drug tests. Although much of the intellectual framework of the Trump administration’s policy toward homelessness is coming out of the White House, Marbut in his role as the homelessness czar plays a significant implementation and coordination role. He will undoubtedly impact the formulation of policy in a second Trump term.

The Democratic platform Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic Party offer a starkly different approach to the homelessness crisis. The 2020 Democratic Party platform affirms support for the housing-first approach and argues that “government should take aggressive steps to increase the supply of housing, especially affordable housing, and address long-standing economic and racial inequities in our housing markets.” Biden’s election platform offers more detailed proposals than the broader Democratic manifesto. One of his major proposed reforms in terms of housing is the establishment of a $100 billion Affordable Housing Fund to construct and upgrade affordable housing. This reform would increase funding for the Housing Trust Fund by $20 billion, expand HOME grants for affordable housing investments and rental assistance (which Carson tried and failed to cut), expand the Capital Magnet Fund, provide money to make homes more energy efficient, and offer incentives for local authorities to build affordable housing. Biden argues for reimplementation of the AFFH rule that Trump suspended. He also promises to invest $300 million in “Local Housing Policy Grants” to give local governments the technical assistance and planning support they need to eliminate exclusionary zoning policies and other local regulations that limit high-density housing. As far as addressing homelessness specifically, his platform echoes the Democratic Party’s call to take a housing-first approach. Biden says he will work to pass Representative Maxine Waters’ (D-CA) Ending Homelessness Act. The bill would invest $13 billion toward addressing the homelessness crisis, including $5 billion for McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants — the U.S. government’s largest homeless assistance program — as well as create, in theory, 400,000 additional housing units for people experiencing homelessness. Like Trump, Biden references the need for criminal justice

reform and reducing recidivism as a crucial factor in sustainable housing solutions. Other noteworthy proposals include providing Housing Choice vouchers to every eligible family; expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which incentivizes the construction of affordable housing; enforcing regulations on financial institutions that employ discriminatory lending practices; and expanding transportation options. Looking beyond the proposals, Biden’s platform is peppered with references to the racial disparities inherent in the housing crisis, the civil rights of LGBTQ individuals and victims of domestic violence, and a need for energy-efficient and climate-

Like on so many topics this election, the two candidates offer vastly different views of how to address homelessness in the United States. Trump’s record and statements show he is skeptical of government fiscal intervention and the housingfirst model and supports a deregulatory approach, whereas Biden advocates for the federal government to play a much larger role through greater funding and rulemaking. With so many flashpoints leading up to the election, it is still unclear whether affordable housing will receive much attention as the campaign season enters the final stretch. Just two of the 11 Democratic Primary debates featured in-depth conversations about housing policy. But with politicians employing increasingly politicized rhetoric about the suburbs, this issue may bubble to the surface. Regardless, these competing visions on housing policy will have tremendous consequences for the millions of Americans experiencing homelessness or without access to affordable housing.

Since Trump took office during fiscal year 2017, congressional appropriations have far outpaced HUD’s requested discretionary spending.” DATA COURTESY OF HUD. GRAPHIC BY JAKE MAHER

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OPINION

A man walks through a street in the town where about 10,000 residents were evacuated as the fire continues, in Molalla, Oregon, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA

How the climate emergency exacerbates homelessness BY KATHRYN MCKELVEY

The increasing influx of natural disasters is more than a warning of the impending climate crisis. The canary in the coal mine is long dead; the climate crisis has already arrived. Not only are temperatures steadily rising, but every year disasters strike with increasing frequency and intensity. According to data from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT), reported natural disasters in the United States have been steadily increasing in the past 40 years. As I write this, smoke still lays heavy in Oregon as the West Coast suffers from an onslaught of wildfires. These fires are the deadliest of the year in California and are causing over 500,000 Oregonians to be placed under varying orders for evacuation and evacuation readiness. In 2007, a flash flood ripped through my home in a rural Oregon town. We had 20 minutes to get out and move to higher ground. The house we fled was overcome with river water, trapping us on the top floor overnight wondering if anyone knew where to find us. As the water slowly receded, volunteers from neighboring cities helped us clean the destruction. Of around 800 homes affected, 600 did not have flood insurance. We were one of those families that couldn’t afford any such coverage. At 15 years old, I was thrown from living barely above the

poverty line into homelessness. In the initial days and weeks, volunteers from the nearby towns brought supplies and helped clear debris. Eventually, they stopped coming but the destruction remained. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) surveyed land for emergency trailers but members of unaffected neighborhoods campaigned against them claiming they would lower property values. We had nowhere else to go. Nearly a year after the flood, 21 trailers were finally placed on a lot—not nearly enough for everyone affected. They smelled like formaldehyde, gave us headaches, and were soon infested with mice. In 2009, barely a year after moving into the trailers, residents were evicted from the small trailers. The lucky ones were given cash incentives. My father didn't receive his check until 2014, seven years after the flood. For those seven years, my father lived in an RV on the land where our house once stood. He was a general contractor and handyman who had now lost his tools and workshop, with no funds to replace them. He couldn’t find work and relied on food banks and clothing closets. People soon forgot how he had come to be that way. He was an outcast - kids made fun of him and friends stopped

calling. He had always worked sunup till sundown to provide a life for us, but lost everything to the river. It was not his fault. He did not deserve this. Houselessness is the result of extenuating circumstances. Whether it be addiction, poverty, racism, lack of healthcare, or a natural disaster. No one deserves to live without shelter. There is no reason people in the richest country in the world should live on the streets. Over the past 40 years, despite high national GDP, the United States rests in the median on the scale of those that become homeless due to natural disasters in the western hemisphere. In the United States, over 600,000 people have become homeless due to 853 natural disasters since 1980; to be more specific, the average number of people that become homeless as a result of a single natural disaster is 765. In Canada, for comparison, around 20,000 have become homeless as a result of 65 total natural disasters; the average number of people that become homeless in Canada as a result of a single natural disaster is 320. These numbers are based on available data and are likely undercounting individuals that are homeless. The United States experiences natural disasters at a higher frequency and is less prepared to relocate and rehouse its citizens after disasters. Outside of the hundreds of thousands of displaced families, the financial burden of disasters is immense. Fiscal damages caused by natural disasters are steadily increasing over time and the exponential burden can only be curbed by immediate adoption of sustainable practices and renewable resources. The United States, and the entire world, needs to face facts: we are simultaneously living through a climate crisis and a housing crisis, the two of which are inextricably linked. More refugees, specifically climate refugees, will come from poverty stricken, disaster ridden countries. Families and children will indiscriminately be at risk of homelessness due to events outside of human control. Structural and social factors such as poverty, class, and racism have a compounding factor: the less resources one has at their disposal, the more likely they are to become homeless after a disaster. Similarly, our already unsheltered neighbors will be far more affected by disasters. If we don’t improve our disaster relief systems and curb climate change immediately, it will be too late to protect the homeless and the countless at risk of becoming so. Kathryn McKelvey is a homeless advocate for change, working in analytics. Analyses of interest are primarily those surrounding housing and healthcare. She wrangles two toddlers, not only just in her spare time, but all the time due to the COVID-19 stay at home orders, and attends OHSU’s School of Public Health, pursuing her Masters in Public Health in Health Systems Management and Policy. Follow Kathryn McKelvey on Twitter @KatMcKelvey. Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP.ngo)

The danger of diesel BY AYUB ABDUL

Diesel gas is an invisible killer. Why are most companies’ trucks and buses using diesel gases? They’re tearing up the environment and atmosphere. Homeless people live in the streets and can’t escape and, as a result, could die faster. They can’t escape it, they’re right there. When is the government going to step up and get involved?

We’re putting our children on the bus, and they’re smelling the fumes. Many children also have asthma, which diesel exhaust could play a role in. There’s a lot of construction going on in the city now, and there are a lot of trucks coming in that are using

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM EPODOI / UNSPLASH.COM

diesel. We use diesel to transport food, and we use it to power firetrucks and ambulances, too. In America, we’re so far behind. We need to get the politicians to stop

and do something. We need to take care of the environment before something drastic happens. Why do we have to wait for something drastic to happen and then address it after the fact? Ayub Abdul is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Give Americans their money BY ANGIE WHITEHURST

How cold can a cold heart be? Is it that complicated? What makes a heart go into auto flight, fright, and freeze -- all at the same time? This is an attempt to write it out with bias for an understanding, that seems not to exist. Stymied by an arrogance not seen since olden times of yore, built upon the mortar of mindless loyalty to an absolute power, that would ignore and abrade the existence of the rarest, most precious exotic species. Is this mess really happening in the United States of America? This is a paradox: The American people are 330 million human beings. They are the employers of the heartless ones elected, sworn in and duly seated. Our proxies, our trust, blocked by inane political party bacchanalia. The Opera Carmina Burana could not be this horrible. Perhaps we should see them as actors on a stage. Humanity cannot have let itself go this far off the path, with the intent of the Constitution eroding into a staged play of bad script-writing. But these actors’ money, benefits, offices, and life survival comes from the people's coffers, the U.S. Treasury. The Senate’s one-sided Stag Party (no disrespect to the female senators) needs to pass a bill to feed the body, mind, spirit, hearts and life-blood of millions of people. The executive must sign the bills and order the distribution to all people regardless of any restrictive criteria, in order to save the union. A system currently based on supply and demand trade, also known as a capitalist democracy, dependent on 30 pieces of politically manipulated silver to pay mortgages, rent, health care, childcare, elder care, city state federal income tax, banking, credit card and other mandatory fees. The Federal Reserve under Michael Powell has done its part and will hopefully not force rate increases every six weeks in the name of the 2 percent inflation theory. Hopefully, former Fed chairs Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen can be the cheerleaders, advocates for reality and economic compassion for human beings. On top of everything else, the drive to win in November has tabled the business of the welfare of the nation. This includes the ever important visual of the kitchen sink: the death of close to 200,000 Americans nationwide, from nursing homes to jails, to states and communities in non-compliance with transmission practices, to nurses, doctors, firefighters, health and sanitation personnel, grocery store cashiers, truckers, teachers, students facing the opening of schools, universities, restaurants, pharmacies, and U.S. Postal Service employees, not to mention the crisis of systemic racism and the need for jail and prison reform. There are many more plates to add to the sink. I stand with feet on the ground and the slogan: "Kentucky Mitch, give us our money." He actually needs money circulation more than any player in America. If no money circulates, his poker game will go bust. He needs to decide to save his piggy bank and or save the people. The sabbatical of inertia must come to an end, if we are to survive. On September 20th, 2020, take a minute to remember the 200,00 people, who have died as a result of covid-19. And remember to care, be human, and speak within, outside and through the oppression of political silence. Vote in November 2020. Angie Whitehurst is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

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Housing is an election issue — most Americans want the same thing BY GLENN HARRIS, MICHAEL MCAFEE AND DORIAN WARREN

We are facing a new stage in our decades-long housing crisis. Over the past few weeks, the president has spread racist fears about the destruction of white suburban neighborhoods. The Republican-led Congress has failed to protect families who can’t pay their rent. And a national grassroots movement to cancel rent and mortgage payments is growing. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to stay home and left millions without jobs, worried they will be evicted. As Americans ready themselves for the November presidential election, housing may be more important than it has been in any recent election. Those who work to make housing safe and affordable for everyone predicted that local and national housing justice movements would make housing part of the national conversation in a way that it hadn’t been in recent history. The results of housing research led by our three organizations - Community Change, Policy Link and Race Forward - came to the same conclusion. With more than three-quarters of adults saying we need to fix the crisis, America is ready for a national conversation on housing and we dug a little deeper to find out where the public interest lies in addressing the issue.

People see a clear role for the federal government Most affordable housing policies in this country have been enacted or enforced by state and local governments, making access unequal and dependent on your zip code. Our research shows that most adults think the federal government should play a stronger role in making sure everyone has a place to live. Even more agree that we should guarantee affordable housing for all. Growing support for the Homes Guarantee movement proves this point, with more than 70 candidates for federal and local office taking the pledge to help realize a goal of building 12 million housing units, end homelessness, reinvest in public housing and protect renters.

Most Americans believe housing is a basic human need As our homes turn into temporary offices, schools and daycares, more Americans are realizing how important it is to have a safe place to live. And as unemployment skyrockets to levels previously unseen, they are also seeing how precarious housing security can be. So we were not surprised to find that a strong majority of adults, 72%, consider housing a basic human need, like air to breathe or food to eat. They believe that everyone deserves safety and stability no matter where we come from or where we live.

Race matters Divisive tweets and Facebook posts would have you think that bringing race into the conversation divides Americans -- but we found over and over that is just not true. More

A banner hung by residents of the Meridian Heights apartment building calls for rent cancellation in Columbia Heights, May 25, 2020. REUTERS/ERIN SCOTT

than eight out of ten people agree that no one should be denied where to live because of their race, family status or a disability. And more than three out of five people say that decades of racist or discriminatory housing policy makes it hard for working people of color to afford a roof over their head. Coupled with the sentiment that everyone deserves a home, regardless of their background, it is clear that growing majorities of people want to join together to solve housing problems for all of us and are uninterested in racist narratives that defend harmful segregation.

Families link their housing security to their jobs and the economy Among the top election issues, jobs and the economy consistently rank highest for people regardless of race, age or political affiliation. So, it should not go unnoticed that eight in ten people say that the inability for people to find affordable housing has a large impact on the economy. When you don’t have a stable home, it is difficult to hold down a job or get quality education for your children. Millions of families end up stuck in this cycle. Even as housing costs have risen to make market rate rent unaffordable in every state in this country, wages have stagnated. Unsurprisingly, we found that one of the most favored housing solutions is increasing the minimum wage. Housing is an election issue and the majority of Americans believe it is a basic right for all of us — regardless of our race, family status or zip code — to have a safe and affordable place to live. Come November, expect people to come together to elect leaders who promise to pass laws that fulfill that right. Dorian Warren is president of Community Change and vice president of Community Change Action, national social justice organizations that build the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to change the policies and institutions that impact their lives. Glenn Harris is president of Race Forward, an organization that builds strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture. Michael McAfee is the president of PolicyLink, a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity by Lifting Up What Works. Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP.ngo)

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ART

The coronavirus has gutted downtown DC BY SYBIL TAYLOR // Artist/Vendor

Dealing with COVID-19 — the virus, wearing a mask, social distancing, everything shut down or remote — has destroyed everybody. Even the people on TV are working from home. Children are out of school, not learning. You can’t use the restroom or sit down at restaurants, which is very upsetting. It’s been really bad for me. Why? I can’t sell my papers downtown. My papers used to be sold instantly during the busy rush of people. The only way I make it work is by selling at the Dupont farmers market on the weekends and otherwise receiving some money through the Street Sense Media app. I’m grateful for the love of those who help me out. But I’m struggling. And I am sure that other vendors are dealing with this, too. Please, to all customers, help out the vendors, we need it. Wearing a mask is so miserable. I can’t even breathe through it too well. Downtown is very empty, a ghost town. Nobody is in the buildings to buy our papers. I miss the friendly “hello,” “good morning,” “good afternoon,” or “good evening.” I miss the smiling faces. And I miss the Monday - Friday

rush. From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. there used to be a flow of energy and of money. And if there wasn’t, some customers used to give an extra donation or buy me breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s affecting everyone. Many people are out of work, having lost their jobs. Some never received their stimulus checks or unemployment checks. It is very upsetting not getting either one. If you lose your job, soon you can’t pay rent or other bills. Some people are receiving checks, but many people in need are not getting that help, which is not fair. Everyone should get some help. Being isolated, quarantining for months, is the worst. It was a nightmare at first, when the toilet paper, Lysol wipes, rubbing alcohol, and hand sanitizer were sold out. You couldn’t find that stuff anywhere. Meanwhile, you’re afraid to breathe the air or touch anything. But as this drags on, eating, sleeping, bored, sad, upset, sometimes crying, making no money. 2020 has been terrible. I hope it will get better for everyone. This is history in itself, a year nobody will ever forget. Let us believe things will get better.

Remembering Claude Aston, family man and gospel singer

Unpredictable paper sales BY CARLTON JOHNSON // Artist/Vendor

The return to Street Sense Media has been up and down on the streets. I haven’t had to try no new sales locations, I just go where people are spending money. Fewer customers are on the streets with less people working downtown. The customers I encounter are more generous because of the COVID-19 pandemic and some of the people that I’ve reconnected with I haven’t seen in some time. Things have been looking up. I would have to say that I’ve had two customers hand me $100 on my moves up and down the streets. Dude says, “You’re with Street Sense. I saw you before out here selling papers. Today’s your lucky day.” And he gave me $100. And I was lucky to find some money with the hope of getting a place and getting off the streets.

A Home

BY ROCHELLE WALKER // Artist/Vendor

We fall down but we get back up again a sinner Just a sinner who fall down but we couldn’t stay there A shelter is just a shelter but we couldn’t stay there A home is where we get back up again A room Is just somewhere we can stay A shout out to Mayor Muriel Bowser. We say thank you! Girl, get those shelters open. A woman’s place is not in the streets, being scared of everybody she meets. Life in the streets is no place to meet your enemies, rapists, or street ﬁghters.

BY PATRICIA DONALDSON // Artist/Vendor

My uncle Claude Aston passed away last month. He was a fantastic gospel writer and singer. I tried to learn to sing one of his songs. He was always practicing in the house with his three children down in the basement. He gave them a wonderful show and was great with his kids. He enjoyed himself in church, too. People would jump up and clap with his music. I know that my Aunt Maylou must miss her husband. I’m trying to see how she and the family are doing. I tried to reach out, but her cell phone was not on. I always had trouble staying in touch with Uncle Claude because his cell phone was never on. You were the best uncle in the world and it makes me sad that I will not see you sing anymore, Uncle Claude. I will pray for my Aunt Maylou and her family. PUBLIC DOMAIN ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF PIXSY.COM

My stimulus check was seized BY HENRY JOHNSON // Artist/Vendor

Today’s protest is against unemployment. Residents who are offered their old jobs back simply may not accept them, choosing instead to continue tapping into the generous unemployment aid. The $2 trillion congressional coronavirus relief signed by President Trump in March greatly added to weekly benefit checks for out-of-work Americans and some people may be earning more than they did previously. The court wrote me a letter saying, “Thank you for your check.” I got a letter with the other checks too. My entire stimulus check instantly went back to pay for child support. I didn’t receive a % of it. I can’t get no food or nothing. I had to go to the food bank for two boxes of food. I was in arrears, so I owed a substantial amount. So I went to Al Sharpton’s march on Washington to sell my papers!

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// 13

Keep the Door Shut Are you good or evil?

BY JENNIFER ORANGE Artist/Vendor

You approach me as if you was heaven-sent, but you was a counterfeit.

BY KAYODE “TIM” MOSLEY Artist/Vendor

You thought you could blend into my world, but you was not created for me.

I believe we are missing the core of the problem. Are we caught up in so many arguments and debates that we as a people are overlooking the solution to all the problems we face under the sun? It can be Jacob Blake, marching, the election, even us, the homeless, our lost sales to provide you our stories through the Street Sense Media newspaper. Therefore, with our imagination so focused on what? What core issue are we missing focus on? What is it that the march, pandemic, fire, murders ... distract us from? Did we not all vote over the centuries to get to 45? How many votes were cast since November? Now another argument to vote; is this also a distraction from the core of the world’s issues? As we are all being channeled to and fro, tossed backward and forward? You will never be able to escape the core issue, an eternal

I let you into my world, I became your friend, your bread, and became intimate with you. But your personality drove me insane. You approach me as an opportunist, and attach your spirit onto me to grow. I was never supposed to cross your path. You was sent to me by your god, but not by your master. You was Satan; You accuse me, the brethren day and night, of cheating. But you didn’t have no confidence.

reflective core question. Regardless whether you accept it or not, the answer is the core of the problem. At this point you might be wondering what is the core of the problem under the sun? A simple question everyone should ask themselves first. A question even a little child could answer for you if you can’t or don’t know. The core question is, are you good or evil? Not Him, Her or It. Are YOU good or evil? There is no in-between. Everybody has a responsibility. If you’re Evil, you got a responsibility. If you’re Good, you got a responsibility. Maybe, if each person reckons with this core issue, as time has shown, Light will shine. So, which one are you? Turn in next time for: “Have we made Good, Evil?”

You thought I would never leave, but Christ broke the chains.

Worth the Wait BY REV. JOHN LITTLEJOHN // Artist/Vendor

First of all, what is the definition of “to wait”? One definition is, “to stay in the same place.” The Holy Bible talks about “waiting”, in the Book of Isaiah 40:31. It says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not be faint.” Outside the Shibuya train station in Tokyo is a statue commemorating an Akita dog named Hachiko. Hachiko is remembered for unusual faithfulness to his owner, a university professor who commuted from the station daily. The dog accompanied him on his walk there in the morning and came back to meet him every afternoon just as his train arrived. One day, the professor didn’t return to the station. Sadly, he’d died at work. But for the rest of his life—more than nine years—Hachiko showed up at the same time as the train. Day after day, regardless of weather, the dog waited faithfully for his master’s return. The Bible talks about waiting again in the Book of Proverbs 20:22, and it says “Say not thou, I will recompense this evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.” It is truly a blessing when we can give cheerfully to those

in need and receive cheerfully from those who just might have more than they need. Amen! The Holy Bible talks about waiting in the Book of Psalms 27:14. It says, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he

What’s being delayed in our homelessness is not being denied — it’s just being delayed.

shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.” Amen! Paul commended the Thessalonians for their faithfulness, citing their “work produced by faith”, “labor prompted by love,” and “endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Despite harsh opposition, they left their old ways “to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). The Holy Bible talks about waiting once again in the Book of Psalms 25:5. It says:

“Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation’; on thee do I wait all the day.” As we wait for the Lord’s son Jesus Christ to return, I encourage you all to hold on. I know the road seems long but, once again, I encourage you all to hold on. What’s being delayed in our homelessness is not being denied—it’s just being delayed. Maybe we need to examine ourselves and decrease some evil in our lives so we can show an increase of good as we wait faithfully for Jesus Christ to return and end homelessness for good. Amen! These early believers’ vital hope in their Savior and his love for them inspired them to see beyond their difficulties and to share their faith enthusiastically. They were assured there was nothing better than living for Jesus. How good it is to know that the same Holy Spirit who emboldened them still empowers us today to faithfully serve Jesus as we await his return! The Holy Bible talks about waiting once again as it says in the Book of Philippians 3:20: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen!

1 4 // ST REET SENS E ME DI A / / S E P T. 2 3 - O CT. 6, 2020

FUN & GAMES

Challenging Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 20, Book 45

Sudoku #4

7 3 9

Answers3 5

6 9

4 5 7 5 8

Sudoku #1 4 8 2 5 7 9 6 2 3 5 1 9 5 2 8 6 6 3 9 1 1 4 7 3 2 6 3 7 8 1 5 4 9 7 4 8

8 1 4 5

5 7

4 7 9 2 8 5 6

6 9 7 1

1 7 8 3 6 8 7 4 4 5 5 2 9 1 2 9 3

6 5 1 4 2 1 3 7 8 6 9 8 4 3 7 2 5 9

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each Sudoku #3 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

SUDOKU: Fill in 7 1 the blank squares so that Need a littleeach help? row, The hints page the puzzle. 3 shows 6 1a logical 9 order 5 2 7 4to solve 8 Use it to identify next square you should solve. Or use the answers page each columntheand if you really get stuck. 9 7 5 2 1 8 4 3 6 each 3-by-3 block contain all of the 2 9 6 7 4 1 8 5 3 digits 1-9.

8 puzzle 6 3 9 4 without 2 5 guesswork. If you use logic you can solve the

LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION >>

7 5 1 3 4 2 6 8 5 1

8 3 2 9 1 6 4 4 8 5 6 2 9 7 9 1 3 7 6 8 5 3 4 9 5 7 1 2 7 6 8 2 3 4 9

Sudoku #5 5 3 7 4 2 6 1 5 4 8 9 7 8 1 4 6 9 7 6 2 3 2 5 9 6

7 4 8 1 9 3

1 8

Sudoku #7 4 8 1 5 3 9 5 7 2 7 6 8 1 4 2 6 8 3 7 4 6 5 9 2 5 1 4 9 9 6 8 3 7 2 3 1

1 3 6 7 5 8 9 2 4

9 1

4 7 5 3 6 2 8

6 9 2 4 8 7

3 5 2 1 3 4 4 7 6 7 8 1 6 9 5 5 2 7

8 1 4 3 6

6 3 2 8 3 9 9 5 1 6 8 7 7 2 4 1 5 4

7 6 1

2 4

4 3 8 7 5 6 9 1

BY MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

"My Father had a profound influence on me. He was a lunatic." -- Spike Milligan

1 5 1

Wake Up Call Challenging KrazyDad, Volume 20,time Book 45lied. She always told me what I needed to hear, not what I’m 30 yearsSudoku old andby just got the picture that I wanted to hear. is to be valued and not taken for granted. They say Sudoku #2 My cousin Lakeashia and my mom tried to give me a some people get that calling in life to step up and take 2 4 3 of5a lifetime, 9 7 6to lead 1 or be real lesson about life. But at a young age, I did not want to advantage of the8 opportunity hear that sh** about being responsible for my actions and a leader. Well, it1 sure me 9 a while 3 enough 7 6 took 4 2 8 5to really life as an adult. When I was young, I was on a quick dollar: understand that.6 I can preach the ghetto gospel of the 5 9 1 7 8 3 2 4 clothes, shoes, and girls. If only my dumb a** would have everyday struggle young men and women face each day 4 trying 7 8 to9keep 3 the 5 lights 2 1on 6 taken their advice about life. to feed their kids, at home, “Hard heads make soft a**es.” Whoever came up with or just try to be 5 a law-abiding 6 1 But 4 what 9 3 2 citizen. 7 8happens that one hit it on the money, because when I wrote this I when your hands call for desperate measures? You bite 2 1 6 7 8 4 5 9 3 was sitting in River’s Correctional Facility, a federal prison the bait, dive in way too deep, just to get a piece of 6 1 5 9 3 8 4 2 in Winton, North Carolina. I didn’t even have money for the good pie. I 7 wasted all my adolescent years and my a canteen or to buy good hygiene products. twenties chasing just 5 4 I2 thought 6 1 was 3 real, 9 an 8 illusion 7 I had to wait till they call chow since I had no money. trying to make 3ends meet. Instead of doing what was 4 2 8 1 7 6 5 9 It was a true wake-up call, because if something really bad planned for me, I went against the plan. I did not listen happens to me in prison, my emergency contact is… no one. when people told me, “Boy, life is hard when you do Did you get that? The Department of Justice and the not have a great education and you depend on someone Sudoku #4 Federal Bureau of Prisons wouldn’t have known how to to hold your hand, show you what needs to be done in 2 4 up!” 1 6 9 8 5 7 3 locate next of kin if something happened to me. That’s a your own life. Wake 7 3to rewind 4 years 2 8and9 time 6 of my 5 1 the hard realization. I should have taken that advice, which If I had the power was given to me by people who love me. life, everything would be so different. I really would have 8 6 9 7 3 5 1 4 2 I was released on June 26, 2020. That was three months finished school and gone to college. It took for me to step 3 1Jail 8for the 2 fi6fth time. 9 4 5 7 ago! I want to get into Philemon Mission transitional back over into D.C. I was in my 20s 6 to9the2Reentry 5 7Services 4 3 Division. 1 8 Then housing in Northeast because I’m homeless with no every time I went address, job, education, or income outside of selling this I turned 30 in a cell over the jail. Life has a funny way of 4 5 7 8 1 3 2 6 9 paper. WAKE UP CALL! getting your damn attention. 6 to8show 1 “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you Me, 30 years9of 2 age 3with4 not5 a 7 thing for it. 1 7used4 to 3say,8“Boy, 5 have a 6 you 9 2 want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Or like my mother don’t — Abraham Lincoln. pot to piss in or 5a window to throw it out of.” She never 8 6 9 2 1 7 3 4

Sudoku #6 6 1 7 9 3 9 8 5 2 4 5 1 4 6 2 8 5 7 1 6 8 3 9 2 7 2 6 4 9 8 4 3 1 5 3 7

8 2 3 7 4 5 9 1 6

Sudoku #8 9 3 2 8 4 8 7 6 1 6 5 2 6 2 3 9 8 7 4 1 5 9 1 4 7 4 8 3 3 1 9 5 2 5 6 7

4 5 6 7 1 9 5 2 7 3 4 8 5 7 8 1 2 6 3 9 3 8 2 6 6 1 9 5 8 2 7 4 9 4 1 3

4 1 6 6 9 7 8 9 5 3 1 3 2 8 9 1 6 4 7 8 1 5 3 5 7 6 2 2 8 9 4 7

1 3 9 4

5 7 2 6 8

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

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COMMUNITY SERVICES

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

(202) 399-7093

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

(202) 547-7777

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE Línea directa de violencia doméstica

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

1-800-799-7233

1-888-793-4357

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

Education Educación

Health Care Seguro

Clothing Ropa

Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal

Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Food Comida

Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo

Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

All services listed are referral-free Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City - 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 - 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.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 ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Road SE

2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Laundry Lavandería

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

JOB BOARD Resident Monitor Community of Hope // DC 20032 Full-time and Part-time available; Benefits include insurance, retirement, paid leave This position ensures the safety of the building and enforcing resident rules. Experience working with the homeless population preferred. REQUIRED: High school diploma or equivalent; Computer proficiency with software such as Microsoft Office and Google Mail. APPLY: tinyurl.com/COH-monitor-2020

Youth Engagement Specialist for minors ages 11 - 18

Sasha Bruce Youthwork Inc // Multiple locations St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care 3020 14th St., NW // unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699

$16/hour // Monday - Friday 7 am - 3 pm or 3 pm - 11 pm. Provide on-site supervision, while maintaining professional boundaries, and crisis intervention and counseling services to youth in residence. Must learn and apply positive behavior modification techniques and model effective de-escalation and problem-solving skills. REQUIRED: High school diploma or equivalent; 2-3 years relevant experience. APPLY: tinyurl.com/SBY-specialist-2020

Program Assistant Catholic Charities DC // Washington, DC Full-time

1500 Galen Street SE, 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, 555 L Street SE, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, 1717 Columbia Road NW, 1313 New York Avenue, NW BSMT Suite, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 828 Evarts Place, NE, 810 5th Street NW

Oversees daily shelter activities; enforces program rules and regulations; performs intake process and log entries; Provide a safe and orderly environment; addresses client behavior issues; and maintains cleanliness and safety of the facility. REQUIRED: High school diploma or equivalent; 6 months relevant experience; Basic computer skills with software such as Microsoft Office OR a willingness to be trained in such skills. APPLY: tinyurl.com/ccdc-assistant-2020

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

Peer Support Specialist

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

// 15

For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

Pathways to Housing DC // DC 20036 Pathways Outreach staff works to build trust with those experiencing homelessness first by helping to meet some of their basic needs. Then, they partner with each individual to access housing, employment, medical care, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and other services. The Peer Outreach Specialists have the unique role of providing recovery services, health and wellness self management education, as directed by the Team Leader. REQUIRED: High school diploma / GED; Peer training with certification; 1 year relevant work experience; Be a consumer of mental health services, Lived experience of homelessness preferred. APPLY: tinyurl.com/pathways-peer-2020 Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org

Real change is coming BY AYUB ABDUL Artist/Vendor

Joe Biden really did it this time. He picked a woman — but not just any woman. He picked Kamala Harris, a Black woman. Biden worked with Obama, so he knows how to work with Black Americans. I believe this is why he was able to pick her. He knows America needs a change. Harris is a former attorney general of California who will be very hard on crime. She’s going to be tough on criminals to end gang violence and probably to end a lot of the drug trade, too. As a servant for the people, she will address foreign and domestic affairs. She’s been a senator for a while, so she knows how to do the job. Harris has a history in Washington, D.C.: She’s a Howard University student and she was in a sorority. She’s also the one who really got under Biden’s skin at the debate. Picking her means he believes she’s the one he needs the most. He needs a partner he can depend on and who he knows will do the job. America needs a change and Kamala Harris will make it happen. She’s definitely the right choice.

Election fraud is a myth BY COLLY DENNIS Artist/Vendor

It’s selfish, disingenuous, yellow media propaganda to even suggest and support the president’s assertions that the 2020 election is going to be rigged. This coverage of his bogus claims should not be aired on national television or quoted and printed for all the public to read. It’s wrong for the leader of the free world to stoke hatred against undocumented immigrants. He has convinced the gullible that such people, who are receiving no federal relief during the pandemic, can go out of their way to cast millions of votes on Election Day. This is just more slag designed to fuel bigotry and division in our communities. This rhetoric is what leads to situations like the shooting of Jacob Blake: building up the false picture of certain people as threats. It’s not fair for the mainstream media to give this president’s lies any airplay. In all honesty, it takes a lot to rig an election in all 50 states. The process of registering to vote is like going to the DMV to get a drivers ID. If you have all the paperwork, it can be straightforward. But you can’t fake it. The president has a duty to tell the truth to the people who give him or her power. The Federal Election Commission should be able to stand up to the president and to the public and fully declare that they haven’t noticed any sign of election rigging. The lies and misinformation being spread to influence how we cast our ballots are the real danger.

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

The importance of voting

Spread love in the 2020 election BY ANTHONY CARNEY Artist/Vendor

I plan to vote for the president of the United States. It’s very important, it’s your right in this country. I will vote in person. It’s going to be a close election. Hopefully there will be no tricks. May the best man win. I want to see this country become united. May we stand together and spread Love.

From your vendor SEPT. 23 - OCT. 6, 2020 | VOLUME 17 ISSUE 24

BY JEMEL FLEMING Artist/Vendor

I do plan to vote in the next election. My polling place is at the library on the D8 bus-line by the school there. I vote for elections with big races, like when Bernie Sanders was also a candidate for president against Donald Trump. It’s tough when you move around a lot to vote for mayor or governor — you have to show you live in that city or state. But you can vote for the president in every state in America.

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