10 07 2020 by Street Sense Media

VOL. 17 ISSUE 25

OCT. 7 - 20, 2020

Real Stories

Real People

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Real Change

OF DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 24 AT-LARGE CANDIDATES, WHO HAS A SPECIFIC PLAN TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS?

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The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper

Photos of the six at-large candidates for D.C. Council who are featured n our voter guide.

Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper: They use ﬁlm, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community. Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence. And our in-house case-management services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing. At Street Sense Media, we deﬁne ourselves through our work, talents, and character, not through our housing situation.

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EVENTS

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NEWS IN BRIEF DC newsrooms collaborate to investigate barriers and solutions to ending homelessness The 5th annual DC Homeless Crisis Reporting Project news “blitz” will take place on Oct. 15

Research 101: Naming the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Thursday, Oct. 8 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. // Online The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is the only civic building in D.C. named for the civil rights leader. Join Special Collections Archivist Derek Gray for a talk on the library’s resources that highlight Dr. King’s work in D.C. and District residents’ demand to the board of trustees that the library be named in his honor. Register: tinyurl.com/mlk-library-event

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

THURSDAY, OCT. 15

Reframing the Conversation: Offensive and Defensive Communications in the Time of COVID

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

Moving Out of Homelessness Virtual Fundraiser

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Housing Solutions Committee Oct. 19, 3:00 pm

This event, hosted by the National Homelessness Law Center, will feature media discussing the communications landscape during COVID-19. Register: tinyurl.com/nhlc-webinar

Executive Committee Oct. 13, 1:30 pm

***For call-in information, as well as meeting info for unlisted working groups, contact: ich.info@dc.gov.

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. This event, hosted by New Endeavors by Women, is an annual gala to raise money for women who have experienced homelessness. There is a suggested donation of $50. Register: tinyurl.com/new-endeavors-by-women

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LOGO DESIGN BY STEPHANIE RUDIG

s we have done every year since 2016, Street Sense Media is pooling our resources and audience with at least 10 other local newsrooms in order to assess our community’s homelessness crisis. Participating media outlets commit to coordinating coverage to avoid duplication of efforts and produce a varied and in-depth collection of stories. This year’s body of work will be released throughout the day on Thursday, Oct 15, just after World Homeless Day and while many D.C. voters are filling out their mail-in ballots, which have already begun arriving. Through this project, we aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the many complicated issues wrapped up in homelessness, by temporarily uniting our fragmented media landscape. DCist/WAMU, The DC Line, Washington City Paper, and 730DC are returning partners. And The Washington Informer, Patch DC, Street Justice, and Greater Greater Washington are joining us for the first time. Others are still considering signing-on. Links to all stories will be indexed on https://dcHomelessCrisis.press as they are published. If you have a story tip, or a question you’d like us to answer, please fill out the simple form on the project website or email editor@streetsensemedia.org. We’ll share it with all partners. As we gather and publish this information, please join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #DCHomelessCrisis or on Facebook via our “#DCHomelessCrisis Solutions” group. Connect and build community with other readers, share our findings with city officials and call for change, or let us know how we could better serve you in the future. The many complex factors that keep more than half a million Americans and at least 6,300 Washingtonians living in a state of emergency demand rigorous and sustained reporting from our newsrooms.

“street street sense” to 73224

Follow the project at https://dcHomelessCrisis.press

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STREET SENSE MEDIA FAMILY UPDATES

OTERS’ GUIDE

The 2020 At-Large DC Council Race

Aida Peery PHOTO BY RODNEY CHOICE

After publishing her Sept. 10 column, “DC is failing preschoolers and their working parents,” Artist/Vendor Aida Perry’s grandchildren gained access to daycare.

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS Clifford Samuels 1 year with Street Sense Media VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATE

Our stories, straight to your inbox Street Sense Media provides a vehicle through which all of us can learn about homelessness from those who have experienced it. Sign up for our newsletter to get our vendors' stories in your inbox.

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Our Survey

e sent the following questionnaire to candidates for the D.C. Council’s two At-large seats who included speciﬁc plans relating to housing and homelessness on their websites. Candidates were contacted using the information registered with the D.C. Board of Elections and provided with a limited timeframe and word count in which to respond. Their answers were edited only to match Street Sense Media style and for fact-checking as needed. Street ense edia is an independent, nonproﬁt, and nonpartisan news outlet that does not support or oppose any candidate.

Registering to vote You can register to vote in D.C. by mail, online and in person. The deadline for online and by mail is Oct. 13. Same-day in-person registration is available at the D.C. oard of lections ofﬁce alf treet, , uite or at any voter registration agency up until the Nov. 3 Election Day. A valid proof of residence is required, such as an occupancy statement form from a homeless shelter, a pay stub, a utility bill, or a government-issued photo ID. The link to register online and to download to the mail-in form, along with a list of acceptable proof-of-residence documentation, can be found at https://tinyurl.com/dc-voting-register.

Vote by mail The D.C. Board of Elections has already begun mailing ballots to all registered voters, with no action needed by voters. owever, if you wish to receive your ballot at an address other than the one where you are registered to vote, you can request that with this form by Oct. 19: https://tinyurl.com/dc-addresschange-form. You can track your mail-in ballot here: https://tinyurl.com/ mail-in-ballot-tracking.

Early and in-person voting To expedite collection and counting, voters are encouraged to put their mail in ballots in any of ofﬁcial DC O dropbo es between Oct. 5 and Nov. 3. The list of locations is here: https:// tinyurl.com/drop-box-sites. Voters who want to vote in person can do so on Election Day, ov. or vote early between Oct. and ov. . list of early voting centers can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/dc-earlyvoting-sites. A list of Election Day voting sites can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/dc-voting-centers. If going to a voting center, voters should bring the ballot they already received in the mail with them. They can vote at any center in D.C.

Voting accessibility Voters 65 and older or who have a disability will have the option to vote curbside. All election workers are trained to assist senior citizens and people with disabilities to read and cast ballots. Additionally, all voting machines are equipped with visual aids high contrast and oom functionality , touchscreens, sip/puff access, an audio-tactile pad, braille, and multi-language ballots.

How much of each candidate’s platform is devoted to housing and homelessness? No mention Joseph Bishop-Henchman joeindc.com, @jbhenchman Calvin Gurley [no web presence found] Chander Jayaraman chander2020.com, @DC_Chander Vincent Orange vincentorange2020.com, @OrangeVo40 Ann Wilcox annwilcoxformayor.org, @AnnWinDC

Broad, aspirational goals Claudia Barragan claudiafordc.com, @ClaudiaforDC Kathy Henderson kathyhendersonfordccouncil.com Rick Murphree murphreedc.com, @RickMurphree Alex Padro alexpadro.com, @AlexanderMPadro Marya Pickering maryadc2020.com, @MaryaDC2020 Keith Silver keithsilverfordc.com

1-3 sentences Franklin Garcia franklinfordc.com, @fgarciadc A’Shia Howard howardfordc.com, @luckylady115 Eric Rogers rogersfordc.com, @rogersfordc51

Some specific steps provided Markus Batchelor markusfordc.com, @MarkusforDC Christina Henderson christinahenderson.org, @chenderson Jeanné Lewis jeannelewisatlarge.com, @msjeannelewis Michelangelo Scruggs drmicdccouncil.com, @drmicdccouncil

In-depth plans with measurable milestones (targeted for this questionnaire) Mario Cristaldo mario2020dc.com, @Mario2020dc Marcus Goodwin goodwinfordc.com, @GoodWinForDC Ed Lazere edfordc.com, @edlazere Will Merrifield willfordc.com, @willm4dc Mónica Palacio monicafordc.com, @monica4dc Robert White robertwhitefordc.com, @RobertWhite_DC

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING Access to affordable housing in the District is based on the Area Median Income (AMI). The Inclusionary Zoning and Home Purchase Assistance Programs are only available to individuals and families who earn a minimum of 50% of the AMI, or $44,100 for an individual and $63,000 for a family of four. Forty percent of units supported by the Housing Production Trust Fund are set aside for people who earn 30-50% of the AMI, a minimum of $26,450 for individuals and $37,800 for a family of four.

However, as of January, 62,000 households earned less than $25,000 per year. And a report released in March found there were only 41 housing units that are both available and affordable for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. How will you work to ensure all DC residents have access to safe housing?

Mario Cristaldo

Will Merrifield

Decent and adequate housing is a basic human right therefore the D.C. government must provide affordable housing to every single resident of the District of Columbia.

Working as an attorney at the Washington Legal Clinic for the omeless, have e perienced firsthand how the ayor s and Council’s plans put band-aids on a problem that needs to be completely reimagined. It’s already bad — and will only get worse a recent study found that , new affordable housing units will be needed region-wide in the next decade. he ayor s plan of building , in the ne t five years doesn’t even come close to addressing the current situation, much less accounting for the future of the District. My plan for housing — social housing — will allow for more housing to be built through limiting the profits of developers and creating a financial system where the building pays for itself. enters pay 30% of their income, which goes toward maintenance of the building and paying down construction costs, instead of becoming profit for politically well connected companies.

We are in desperate need of reassessing our housing policies in D.C., including our nclusionary oning . We need to increase the percentage of dedicated to affordable housing from 8% to 30% and reduce the percentage needed to qualify for the IZ program to 30% of the AMI. D.C. needs its own AMI instead of the one that is assigned to D.C. by the federal government; D.C. AMI currently is a regional one that does not re ect the reality of the D.C. residents.

Marcus Goodwin

Mónica Palacio I will introduce legislation so new affordable projects must include at least 20% of units to be designated for the 30% to of . ousing is a human right and our government, our city and communities need to begin to categorize it as such. I believe that building more affordable housing in the next 10 years is crucial. I support and want to expand on the Mayor’s plan of building 12,000 units in 10 years. I believe we can e pand to , to , more units in the ne t years that are not only affordable, but also adaptable. Adequate spaces and safety should be required when offering affordable housing to families. s the Director of the Ofﬁce of uman ights, investigated endless claims of discrimination in housing and I know that there is also a lot of work to do right now with the housing that already available but not accessible to many District residents, and am the most ualiﬁed candidate to do this work.

On the Council, I will focus on ensuring that residents of all income levels have programs available to become homeowners. We will e pand the District s ome Purchase Assistance Program, support the production of workforce housing units through the ousing Production Trust Fund, and incentivize the creation of more rent-to-ownership programs. We must also create a larger supply of rent-controlled and affordable units for that lowest AMI bracket. We can convert some of the newly vacant commercial properties into affordable housing units.

Ed Lazere

Robert White Preserving and expanding affordable housing is central to preserving D.C.’s racial and ethnic diversity, ending homelessness, and ensuring D.C. stops being the worst city in the nation in the displacement of Black residents. As a Council member, I would push to ensure that new affordable housing is targeted on D.C.’s lowestincome families, under 30% of Area Median Income. nfortunately, in ayor owser s ﬁrst term, only 3,000 units were developed for the poorest households, a pace at which it would take 40 years to meet the need. D.C. spends 3% of its budget on housing, yet housing is far more than 3% of D.C.’s problems. On the Council, would push for a resolution to a identify the need for housing for households below 30% AMI and b make a commitment to meet that need over 10 years. I would then hold us accountable to fully funding that plan.

One of the toughest parts about addressing our housing crisis is that the local government does not set our AMI levels; it is set by the federal government. So each budget cycle since I have been in office, have fought to fund local programs that help our residents access housing and prevent residents from losing their housing. n the iscal ear budget cycle, which was the first year that I oversaw a committee budget, I transferred funds out of my committee to the housing and human services committees: over $901,684 to fund 30 Permanent Supportive ousing and arget ffordable ousing vouchers, , for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. In our most recent budget cycle, despite the budget shortfall, I fought to find , to fund housing vouchers, , for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

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OTERS’ GUIDE

EVICTION CRISIS

D.C. has set aside some money for rent relief, paused evictions until 60 days after the health crisis is declared over, and prohibited rent increases during the health crisis. Has it been enough? In a preliminary estimate, the Brookings Institute found it would cost $2-5 million to cover a single month of rent for those most likely to experience displacement. How will you work to prevent the District from experiencing an eviction crisis and rise in homelessness in the wake of the pandemic?

Mario Cristaldo

Will Merrifield

ousing stability is crucial for all of us during this pandemic. Currently, the federal government has an eviction moratorium imposed until the end of this year. At the same time the D.C. government, early this year, passed an eviction moratorium in effect until Oct 8. I am proposing to extend this eviction moratorium for at least another year. We need to revise our D.C. budget and secure enough funding to mitigate any eviction and displacement issues. Technically, nobody can be evicted until the end of the wintertime next year, so, in the meantime, D.C. government has the opportunity to proactively look into new sources for rental assistance including funding from the federal government. If necessary, we need to look into our rainyday fund, which is around 1,4 billion dollars currently; this fund is a reserve fund that comes from past surplus revenues that can be used for une pected budget deﬁcits.

Marcus Goodwin

The steps the District has taken are absolutely not enough. In the short-term, we must cancel rent, and we must create an avenue for renters to work with their landlords. As it stands right now, private developers hold the future of so many residents in their hands — and their only goal is to increase their bottom line, not make sure people have safe and stable homes. We have to completely reimagine how we approach affordable housing not only in order to take us out of the current crises but to alleviate pressure in future ones. My social housing plan takes into account a renter’s current situation, but also gives them a stable place to call home while they go to work and school. That stable home helps people succeed long-term, and is a part of the answer to solving the systemic societal issue of housing.

Mónica Palacio

We have a moral and economic obligation to keep families impacted by the pandemic in their homes. If elected, I will ﬁght to e pand the eviction moratorium for all residents who lost their livelihoods from this COVID crisis. We must also do a better job educating renters on the rent relief resources that the District has made available. I support the recent legislation passed in the Council that bans landlords from posting improper and intimidating eviction notices to renters that violate the moratorium.

Ed Lazere

I believe we need more aggressive rent control laws and we must fully fund the District’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program and work with landlords to establish a moratorium on evictions. Until the COVID public health emergency began, the District had seen a consistent decrease in the homeless population over the last years. owever, given the current economic crisis we know that in the coming months, thousands of tenants will no longer be able to afford their rent. There is consensus that unless we act swiftly, the District will soon see a spike in its homeless population.

Robert White It would be a moral and policy failure if even one family lost their home because their job disappeared in the pandemic. A crush of evictions would be devastating to the D.C. economy — especially to Black and brown communities — and make our community’s pandemic recovery even longer. We can’t let that happen. Instead, we must adopt policies to keep everyone in their homes. A permanent ban on evictions or foreclosures for people who got behind during the pandemic. This means that even when the moratorium ends, a landlord could not evict someone who got behind on rent during the pandemic due to job loss. An increase in eviction prevention assistance: we must expand D.C.’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program elp for small landlords who face hardship would create a landlord relief fund, using D.C.’s still substantial rainy day fund, for landlords who can document serious hardship.

The D.C. Council recently voted to extend the public health emergency order, but with each month, it is becoming harder for residents to make rent payments. I have been publicly vocal about the need to tap into our emergency reserve funds to avoid mass evictions and rise in homelessness. We need to expand rental assistance programs to prevent any residents from becoming homeless and give additional assistance to our small and local businesses, so that they can continue to employ residents. D.C. government also has to use every piece of leverage the law allows to force lenders to give landlords a break, and for landlords to give tenants a break as we work our way through this unprecedented crisis.

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HOUSING ALTERNATIVES The District has the fourth-highest cost of living in the United States, the increasing cost of which displaced 20,000 Black residents between 2000 and 2013. More than 100,000 residents live in poverty, half of DC households are considered rent-burdened, and we have the highest rate of homelessness in the U.S. How will you work to provide safe housing for residents of all income-ranges, many of whom increasingly cannot afford the local housing market?

Mario Cristaldo ere is a list of obtainable public policy measures necessary to improve overall housing conditions of District of Columbia residents: Reclaim rent control and amend our current act to increase the number of units under rent control. The law should apply to buildings constructed before 2011 and to landlords who own up to four units or more Amend the D.C. Inclusionary Zoning Law to require 30% of the units of any housing development project in D.C. At minimum 2/3 of IZ units to be dedicated for low- and moderate-income individuals and families Set the goal of 36,000 new affordable housing units for 2030. This is to cover the broad spectrum of affordable housing needed in the city including temporary housing, rental housing and homeownership. Update and amend the District Comprehensive Plan to reflect the new impact due to the COVID-19 Pandemic - Increase the number of public housing developments to 20,000 in total to include renovated and new construction units. - Increase by 10,000 units affordable housing exclusively designated to seniors for independent and assisted living.

Will Merrifield Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m promoting a plan called social housing, which strictly limits the profit motive for developers, instead reinvesting rent money back into the maintenance of the building and paying down construction costs. It is non-means tested and is open to anyone; each household pays 30% of their income. This creates a mixed-income, inclusionary form of housing that pays for itself while also not overburdening renters with extortionary housing costs, allowing money to recirculate into the economy instead of lining the pockets of big developers.

MĂłnica Palacio I propose that the District take the position that housing is a human right. There is an ongoing crisis in affordable housing development in the district and the region. This crisis threatens the safety net for many people in poverty or who are at risk of being pushed into poverty because of the current economic crisis. ousing must include human rights standards. Standards that adopt and incorporate human rights standards would require that housing be affordable, accessible, and habitable. Affordability means that housing costs should not force people to choose between paying rent or paying for food, Accessibility means that housing is both accessible for individuals with disabilities as much as to historically marginalized groups. abitability means that housing includes adequate space and safety.

Marcus Goodwin s mentioned earlier would e pand the District s ome Purchase Assistance program to provide affordable homeownership opportunities for residents. I also want to create a larger supply of rent-controlled and affordable units for that lowest AMI bracket. We can convert some of the newly vacant commercial properties into affordable housing units and ease the height limits for buildings in some parts of town to make the buildings more unit and cost-effective. Lastly, we should modernize our zoning laws so more affordable units can be built across the city.

Ed Lazere The District must take advantage of all tools to develop affordable housing throughout D.C.. We need increased investment in the ousing roduction rust und, the ocal ent upplement rogram, ousing reservation and more. he District should invest in community land trusts to create permanently affordable rental and homeownership opportunities. The District should expand support for the First Right Purchase Program to help low-income renters buy their buildings through the TOPA process. We must also take steps to increase the income of D.C. residents to help them afford housing. This includes raising the tipped minimum wage, enacting fair scheduling requirements for retail stores and restaurants, requiring developers of D.C.funded projects to pay their workers living wages with benefits, and creating better connections between training programs and job opportunities. D.C. also should increase disability benefits for residents unable to work.

Robert White We have to tackle the housing crisis by accelerating the building of more housing for people with lower incomes. I have been working on how we can create new types of housing that we can control the affordability levels for. I have been pushing for us to get serious about working with office building owners who own older, vacant office buildings to convert them into affordable housing, and for D.C. to transfer unused government properties to organizations that can develop affordable housing. We also have to work on this massive problem as a region since weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all facing the same issue. As Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government, I worked with officials from Maryland and Virginia to pass a historic resolution committing the region to build 320,000 new housing units over the next ten years to relieve the pressure for people with low and moderate incomes.

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OTERS’ GUIDE

SYSTEMIC RACISM

As recent acts of police brutality have called attention to the issue of systemic racism and prompted a nationwide protest movement, activists are increasingly highlighting the connection between racism and homelessness. While Black Americans make up 46% of the District’s overall population, 86% of homeless adults are Black. o t e te t i you support?

do o see o si

d omeless ess polic

Mario Cristaldo

tool to fi

t s stemic r cism

The racism in housing policy is not a new problem at all, but m glad to see it gaining national attention and bringing problem-solvers forward to help end it. I do believe progressive, inclusionary housing policy can help combat systemic racism, and I know my social housing plan which creates mixed-income communities can do that. Diversifying neighborhoods and helping people learn about their neighbors is a good step toward creating communities of inclusivity and understanding, instead of prejudices of hate and suspicion.

Mónica Palacio

Both policies, but especially housing, are essential to ﬁght systemic racism. D.C. has the largest racial wealth gap in the country — the median white family owns 81 times more wealth than the median black family. The best way to address that inequality is to enable more black families to own a home. Homeownership is the best vehicle for generating wealth accumulation. Past practices such as redlining have prevented many black and Latino families from getting those opportunities. Furthermore, we must expand affordable housing units and provide better tax relief for longtime residents to prevent further gentriﬁcation and displacement.

Ed Lazere

t specific me s res do

Will Merrifield

We need to mobilize every single one of us against police brutality, showing up and being counted as part of the black lives matter movement. Creating more housing units for affordable housing will get more low- and moderate-income individuals and families into affordable rental and even homeownership opportunities. Adequate housing is a human right and nobody should be left behind by any reason.

Marcus Goodwin

Yes, I believe that lack of affordable housing, inequitable education and lack of health care are central to systemic racism. If we are serious about ending homelessness and achieving equity, we must center racial justice. I want to close gaps that will in return reduce homelessness in the District. his is why these are my top priorities as a Council ember 1. Funding for residents to pay their rent and mortgages during this economic crisis. 2. Invest in an equitable school system where all students needs are being met 3. nvest in high uality health care for all District residents in every ward 4. nd police brutality and ensure that all District residents feel safe in the hands of the government.

Robert White Systemic racism has resulted in enormous inequities in income and wealth between Black and white D.C. residents. acism in housing policy and the private housing market kept many Black families out of homeownership opportunities and left them subject to the challenges of the rental market. The combination of denied wealth and denied access to homeownership has left lack D.C. families most affected by gentriﬁcation and rising rents. ost people e periencing homelessness in D.C. are lack or brown, and D.C. ranks as the worst city for the displacement of Black residents. his means that addressing D.C. s housing and homeless challenges is a matter of racial justice. Creating more affordable housing throughout D.C. will support family stability and opportunity. The District also should e pand and strengthen ﬁrst time homebuyer programs as a tool to build wealth among Black residents.

We haven t done enough to close the gap between those who are beneﬁting from the District s economic resurgence and those who are being left behind, and it has caused instability for Black residents. When I ran four years ago, I promised I would be a bridge for those being left behind and seek racial justice by focusing on the foundations of economic progress education, affordable housing, and employment. These are the three policy areas that I believe will help us address the wide disparities and inequalities between our Black and white residents. During my ﬁrst term, have introduced over bills that are centered around improving the education system by providing additional support to students of color, leading the fight to create new units of affordable housing, and creating long-term careers through our workforce program, not temporary jobs. If re-elected, I will continue to prioritize racial justice work.

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// 9

PERMANENT HOUSING In 2019, 42% of families who left D.C.’s homeless services system but returned again for help were those who had used time-limited rapid rehousing vouchers. And during a count in January, 29% of homeless adults were chronically homeless, meaning they have experienced homelessness for at least a year—or repeatedly—while struggling with a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability. W

t specific ll

ill o do to move more people e perie ci

Mario Cristaldo

omeless ess i to perm

e t o si

apid rehousing is a failed program that subsidi es a broken system. Time-limited subsidies will not work in this housing market because rents are too expensive and wages are too low. We must create truly affordable housing options for people by building housing units that are outside the private market in order to achieve a human right to housing. y housing proposal, social housing, is based on a proven model that can actually get us to where we need to be by eliminating the profit motive and taking developers out of the equation. It is time to put people over profits- that is what my campaign is about.

Mónica Palacio

As I have mentioned before, I will expand rapid rehousing programs and create more job opportunities, especially in light of the recent pandemic. oreover, I want the Council to double down on its commitment to preserve and create affordable rental housing units. We will invest in Permanent Supportive Housing and the ocal ent upplement rograms to address the growing housing demands of the District. side from youth homelessness, I want to protect the elderly from being evicted from their long-time residences. With a growing senior population that is living longer, it is essential that we expand programs that allow seniors to use the equity in their homes to finance projects to make their homes safe to age in place. I will also fight for expanding mental health resources for all residents.

Ed Lazere

istrict

Will Merrifield

he D.C. government is building up some transitional housing as part of the Short-term Family Housing Program. We need to enhance this program as well as allocating more units to temporary housing in D.C.. ousing is the first step to stabili e any person experiencing mental illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability.

Marcus Goodwin

i t e

I will invest in permanent supportive housing programs and long-term rental assistance for individuals who are experiencing homelessness. This will include services for families with individuals who are experiencing chronic illnesses, disabilities, mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and who have experienced homelessness more than once. While I believe that voucher programs are important to provide low-income households to assist them with housing payments, I believe that with those vouched, we also must invest in providing these families with the support and services they need to reduce the risk of homelessness.

Robert White t s a shame that the District s rising prosperity has come at the cost of rising homelessness and a growing number of people who have only a tent for a home, nearly all of them people of color. As an advocate at the D.C. iscal olicy nstitute, was part of he Way Home Coalition and supported its call to end chronic homelessness. As a Council member, I would push the Council to commit to ending chronic homelessness — by funding and implementing the targets set by The Way Home Campaign — over 4 years. This will create clear markers to hold the Council accountable. For families with children, the main obstacle is the gap between earnings from minimum wage work and the cost of family-sized apartments. The long-term solution to family homelessness is creating more affordable housing, as described in previous answers.

The last two budget cycles, in addition to the $1.8 million to fund permanent supportive housing vouchers, have transferred , each year to the human services committee to fund outreach to residents experiencing homelessness. This year s , is especially important because it restored funds that were cut in the mayor s proposed budget. I felt strongly that this was not an acceptable cut, especially during a year where we are trying to get more critical information and resources out to those experiencing homelessness. I will keep fighting for longer housing for residents who are able to get on their feet with time, and more wrap-around services for residents who need a little more than housing to stabilize.

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OPINION

The Supreme Court vacancy BY ANGIE WHITEHURST

By “Here come dah judge”—the familiar song and adage has come true once again. The saliva-dripping politicos can’t wait to undo Roe v. Wade. Such disrespect for the court! As a woman, let me say: What part of you does not understand that I am a human being and a whole person in America, no different from any other human being? Did you skip the part that all of us are created equal and that we hold these rights to be self evident? I am a whole person, not an organ or controlled piece of property. It’s my body, as a woman. It is my business, not yours. I am the owner, keeper and supervisor of myself, an inalienable

Tributes to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg outside of the United States Supreme Court. PHOTO BY BENJAMIN BURGESS, KSTREETPHOTOGRAPHYDC.COM

right. Regardless of personal feelings, there is no consensus I hear or see that says the government or anyone else has the right to subjugate and criminalize any woman. So, get out of my orb (as one of my poems says). Stop trying to impose power politics in the name of a one-sided ruling party that has sold its soul to the deal of winning by any means possible. And shoved the last court appointees down our throats. A number of Supreme Court sitting members were seated not for the value of their acumen, but for their political, biased religious, cultural environmental

disdain for women regardless of race, color, creed and gender; sworn in to reduce women, my chosen gender, to a horriﬁc status as chattel. here is no fairness or justice in purposeful suppression like that. We should not go along with discriminatory norms of past ignorance. Take Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s advice: Wait until after a new president takes ofﬁce to nominate and seat another Supreme Court justice. No matter what: The time is now! Y’all vote! Angie Whitehurst is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

The storm clouds are gathering BY JEFF TAYLOR

I fear what is coming. Donald Trump will lose his bid for reelection and will refuse to peacefully cede power to oe iden. he specific possible scenarios are unfortunately too many and too easy to imagine, but make no mistake, Trump is going to lose. Attorney eneral William arr can be counted on to stand firmly at Trump's side defending his every move. So how will he be removed from the Oval Office o what e tent will both the military and the now severely undermined Supreme Court play a part? There will be an attempted coup d'etat. The question is, how long will it last? A day or two? A week? A month or more? How much blood will be shed before all is said and done? And will the coup in fact be defeated, as it rightly should be? The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Will it bend soon enough to save us? Many of you certainly think I'm being a crazy alarmist, but look at what's transpired so far. Look at what we already know about Donald Trump. He has no moral compass whatsoever. He is only concerned with his own desires. He never really wanted to serve the people of the nited tates in the first place. his has all been just a reality TV show for Trump, and we're all part of it whether we wanted to be or not. Consider also that Trump has been advised that as soon as he leaves the Oval Office that even should he

escape jail time, his former life as a fau rich guy is over. The con game will be over. So when Don the Con talks about being entitled to a second and third term or considering the idea of "president for life," he is not joking. Not one bit. n some broad strokes here and ﬁner strokes there, here's how I see things playing out this coming fall of 2020. First of all, I see, as Dr Anthony Fauci has

So when Don the Con talks about being entitled to a second and third term or considering the idea of "president for life," he is not joking. Not one bit.

predicted, a resurgence of COVID-19. Suddenly Trump will become a true believer in the dangers of the virus he once played down and will use it as an e cuse to attempt to postpone the November elections. But as it turns out Trump played that card early and got pushback even from

his own party. Of course he can't legally do so but that doesn't mean he still won't try. When that fails, Trump will simply call the election results to be in his favor, regardless of the overwhelming loss he is destined to incur and leaving hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots uncounted. He will declare fraud where necessary and ballots will be counted and discounted in whatever way required to eke out a bare electoral college win. Trump and the entire GOP machine will do whatever it takes to claim at least another four years and, unless adequately challenged, will wash, rinse and repeat in 2024 to either remain in power or get a new administration in place that will guarantee to pardon him and his cronies for all their many crimes. Folks, I wrote several months ago that for a number of good reasons the 2020 elections will be the most consequential in modern, if not all of, U.S. history. Add to that list the current situation with the Supreme Court. New York Times columnist Tom Friedman said in a recent interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper that he sees the United States as being on the brink of a potential second civil war. Unfortunately, I see it too. People are going to need to be prepared. What are you prepared to do? Jeff Taylor is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

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/ / 11

If Congress can’t give us checks, stop giving them checks this November BY JEFFERY MCNEIL

efore the coronavirus pandemic, I considered myself an apolitical person. I never went to community meetings or city council hearings. Nor had I spent time reading an enormous bill such as the HEROES Act or something as wonkish as the D.C. budget. However, with the lockdowns stretching on for seven months, I became more active. Every morning, I check Twitter or watch CNBC and L.A. Late for updates on stimulus relief. I also regularly tweet at or email Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to see if there’s any movement with our stimulus checks. While m not someone that denies the e istence of the coronavirus, I can question the generals leading us into battle. I have a constitutional right to question whether lockdowns are necessary. nd many statehouses are ﬁghting back, uestioning whether these restrictions violate our Constitutional rights. Like in Pennsylvania, where a district court ruled against Governor Tom Wolf and his lockdown orders During the month of September, D.C. recorded 1,281 new cases and 20 new deaths. While that sounds like a lot, the trend is essentially a at line. et we are still under strict lockdown provisions. If the coronavirus is such a threat to humanity, then why is it less risky to go to Walmart or shop at Target with minimum restrictions, but restaurants and small businesses still have to seat people outdoors Why are big bo retailers considered essential when anybody trying to pay their rent or feed their family should be considered essential? Because of these draconian restrictions, many small businesses could potentially go out of business if Congress does not pass another stimulus package. Since March, more than 70 local businesses have closed their doors, according to a Washington Post analysis. While Maryland has increased its indoor dining capacity at its restaurants from 50 to 75%, restaurants in Washington D.C. are still in phase two, despite the rate of new cases decreasing and plateauing in recent months. When will people be trusted by our politicians to weigh the risks of getting sick, and trust us to take the right precautions to protect ourselves? While I’m not happy with Mayor Muriel Bowser and these insane lockdown restrictions, my real ire is with Washington lawmakers—from the president all the way to Pelosi. feel like m just a pawn where nobody cares if m sacriﬁced. My longtime girlfriend of 10 years died due to the unintended consequences of the coronavirus lockdowns: depression, isolation, and poverty. I was furloughed from my restaurant job in Georgetown. I’m unable to sell newspapers because everything is shut down and there aren’t enough customers. And I’ve lost eight weeks of potential Lost Wages Assistance funds while Congress bickers. My savings is slowly dwindling away.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at a press conference in 2019. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES / FLICKR

Other nations put the partisan bickering aside and did what was best for the country, not special interests. They don’t see those affected by the coronavirus as leeches living off the government. Germany pays almost 70% of net wages for unemployed workers, while Canada pays about $1,500 per month to those who lost their source of income through the pandemic, whether due to job loss or the need to stay home and care for others or quarantine. Our politicians get paid handsome salaries while they argue that paying the unemployed $400 to $500 a week creates a disincentive to return to work. Many Americans have received one stimulus check, but others, such as the homeless or gig workers, haven’t received any stimulus checks because of technicalities such as not having a home address or not knowing how to ﬁle. t s abominable. The richest, most powerful nation in the world refuses to do the right thing—to make sure those impacted by the coronavirus get relief—and have instead been dragging their feet for political reasons.

I feel like I’m just a pawn where nobody cares if I’m sacrificed.

The president is not blameless for the dysfunction in Washington. He says he’s sitting on billions in cash but hasn’t used it to save small businesses or the millions that are unemployed, many that live in swing states he needs to be re-elected. He says he wants to see the American people get money. But if that’s what you believe, follow through: Either force Congress to do a deal or ﬁnd a way to send stimulus payments through e ecutive order. But I’m angrier at the Democrats. Grow some spines! Nancy Pelosi is one person, but there is a moderate wing lead by Steny Hoyer, a bi-partisan Problem Solvers Caucus, and a Blue Dog Coalition. You don’t need Pelosi’s Heroes Act; you can ﬁnd moderate epublicans that are in tough elections to do either piecemeal legislation for stimulus checks, enhanced unemployment, or save the airlines and small businesses. y ta es pay these people, and every time turn on the news they seem to be on vacation.

This November, if I don’t receive another check, I will make sure many of these long-time corrupt politicians receive no more checks from us. It’s not just the Democrats. The Republicans have done nothing to protect the people that voted for them. They hold up the Constitution, yet what is moral or legal about allowing Walmart and Amazon to make record profits when small businesses have to operate at reduced indoor capacity? Or why are mass protests OK during these lockdowns, but politicians threaten to fine or jail you if you congregate at a church here are a lot of double standards. I’m not letting President Donald Trump off the hook either. He surrounded himself with cheapskates and “trickledown” theorists. ut he also issued an e ecutive order to provide additional unemployment assistance after the C ct benefits were not e tended, and he banned evictions nationwide through the end of 2020. This while Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer turned down an offer from the White House to e tend enhanced unemployment at for one week, then another offer to e tend it at for four months because my so-called advocates needed the unemployed for strategic reasons. Democratic South Carolina Representative James Clyburn, openly said this pandemic was a “tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision at a time people were starving and facing eviction. The truth is, I don’t want to pin everything on the Democrats and Pelosi. There are many Republicans that need to be voted out. I don’t want to get rid of Pelosi and Schumer and replace them with McConnell. I wish we could rid them all and put term limits on career politicians. While there are times I’m upset with Trump, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is still not an option. I don’t want a return back to the Bush or Obama years. The system needs to be burned down and we need new ideas and new thinking. merica is in an e istential battle between those who want the government to control all aspects of their life and those who want the power to make their own decisions. Hopefully, freedom wins over oversight that’s been packaged by elites as progressivism, when their true intentions are not to give you “free stuff” but to make you either serve the state or be ridiculed and canceled. Jeffery McNeil is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

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ART

This is how I became me, Peaches BY RENEECE BRINKLEY // Artist

I have come a long way, thank God I’m still here. Well, most of me is. People always say, “God don’t put anything in your way that you can’t handle.” I guess I just love pain, because ... I can take anything God puts in my way, anything. I was brought up in what you might call a blue collar home. My mom was rich to the people in our hood. I remember she always had a hustle and was on many moves. We would go to the farm and pick watermelons, vegetables, and peanuts—then sell them back in D.C. My great cousin, Brooks, used to be a madam. She had a house full of women dedicated to making her money. She died and left my mom everything: about eight houses and a lot of money. My mom loves to gamble and go to bingo, too. She was good at it: We had everything from go-karts to Sega Genesis. Even though my mother spoiled us, she also beat us everyday. Most days, she would lock us in the house and we had to tie sheets up together to the bunk bed and climb out the window. You might call that crazy but when you get whooped every day of your life, you wouldn’t let being locked in the house stop you from getting away. My mother used to make us jump in the shower, then line us up laying on the oor with her foot in our back and whoop us. e and my adopted brothers then started to run away. I was finally brought into a group home because cried out for someone to help me, to get me away from this crazy lady. The same lady that said I was a mistake; the same lady that can’t even look at me without whacking me in my face with her hand full of gold rings. s laid in my group home bed on the first night, one of the adults came to my room and instructed me to go to sleep. I then replied, “the only way I go to sleep is when rest in peace. he took me to her office when said that. I guess it was because of my history. Cutting myself, overdosing off my mother’s meds, jumping out the window at my school, laying in the streets waiting

to get hit by a car, and writing a letter addressed to GOD or THE DEVIL praying for them to take my life—I was in a lot of pain.. When I got to her office, she asked me a lot of questions. The one question that got me sent away was, “If you wanted to hurt me, what would you do?” I then replied, “I would pick up this stapler and hit you in the head until you start bleeding, then I would take the knife off that cutting board and keep hitting you with it.” That’s all it took. Within the next couple of hours, I was at St. Elizabeths. I spent like 18 months there before they let me out and sent me to another group home. Now they had me on depression and bipolar medication. At the group I was at now we would go on rides in the van. A lady that was driving the van left us unattended and the boys in the van raped me. hat wasn t the first time got raped and it definitely wasn t the last. y mom then found out and tried to take me out of the group home. The next day I left out the group home window to get away. I was walking down the street and a boy pulled me over and asked me if I wanted to smoke. He was light skin with long hair. I was 15 but told him I was 16. We smoked and then he asked me if I wanted to go to his hotel room to smoke more. I said yes, of course, and went with him. fter we finished smoking, him, me and these other girls that were waiting at the hotel then got in the car and left. As we was driving close to my mom’s house I dozed off and when I woke up I was on a big long bridge with bright lights. I panicked but didn’t say anything. I didn’t know where I was. We then arrived at an apartment building. I thought to myself, where am I?? The boy that took me then wanted me to work for him. He wanted me to have sex with people and give him the money. He said this is my new family now. I was so scared. hen he finally let me use the phone after three weeks. I didn’t want to call my mother because I know I was going to be in trouble. If I called my father then he would tell my mother. So I called my grandmother, Grandma

Elle. “Grandma,” I said in excitement, “this Reneece. I’m in New York.” Then my phone call was over. Then he took me to get my hair and nails done and said, “You going out tonight. Cool, thought, am finally going to get away. So later that night he let me and this girl out on a corner. As soon as I took a couple of steps this car pulled up. The man in the car instructed me to get in his car. I then felt like was finally rescued and was about to go back home. “Please help me,” I asked. He then replied, “Shut up, you pimped arrested.” “Pimp arrested”—I wasn’t really sure what that was. But he then asked me for my pimp number. I took the paper out my pocket the first man gave to me and gave it to him. When he called him he said I got your girl, if you want her back you got to give me . he first man said, “She didn’t make me no money, you can keep her.” Right there I just felt so low, I felt like nobody couldn’t hear me cry out for help. I got what I always wanted, was finally about to die. he second man took me to Connecticut, he pulled up to a storage room where he had a bed and I spent two and a half weeks there. Every day I remember him raping me, telling me I was his and was never going to leave. We finally left the storage room and drove to this hotel. Across the parking lot was a big grocery store. We went to the room and I turned the on and ipped through the channels. he is not working,” I told the man. He said, “Call downstairs and tell them.” I picked up the phone and lied. “The phone is not working either.” The man got mad and left out to tell them to fi the and the phone. s soon as heard the elevator ding, I then ran out and ran down the stairs. I ran out the hotel across the parking lot in the big store. “Help me please, help me!” I cried. “I want to go back home.” The people in the store called the police, the police called the , and the ew me back to D.C. y mom finally won her case now and got me back from the system. ow was finally back home with my sister and two adopted brothers. One week later my mom left us. Now it was just us four kids surviving alone. Lights started to get turned off, we was hungry. So I found a skirt and started walking the streets to make money. Now that is the first time went on a date.

The Rejected Stone BY JENNIFER ORANGE // Artist/Vendor

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake : for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matthew Ch: 5). “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In life you’re faced with many challenges, but throughout all the trials and sufferings there is a greater reward at the end. Family, friends and society might look upon you as an outcast or a rejected stone.

But in God’s eye you’re a jewel created in his image. Your spirit is designed with many facets of energy which reflects your inner person. In life we try to fit into different social cliques, but sometimes we just don’t fit. You were chosen before the foundation of the world to be different, to stand out from the crowd and to be a voice for the world. Be of good courage, you’ll overcome the world.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Love

// 13

Thank you, Thomas BY DANIEL BALL Artist/Vendor

BY KIM PARKER Artist/Vendor

Love is one of the strongest sisters. She shows us all that it’s out there for all of us. The warmth and kindness of others show you their truth She gives us all what we want. Is it all pure? She shows us what we need.

The time is now BY MARCELLUS PHILLIPS Artist/Vendor

There will always be a now, today, what we all consider the present Most focus on what was in the past, yesterday, which will be deﬁned as a lesson Once thoughts have processed and begun to turn into words from the mind and heart Reality strikes and rips through the world and begins to tear things apart My eyes see the world in the way I want things to be But what you feel in your soul will be your final perception of me The time is now Because the thought of never will not be an option My motivation comes from the thoughts of helping other people get things popping.

Yesterday I sat on my bench, and I really worried about getting something to eat before the night ended. Even though the case worker gave me some snacks to eat that day, I still felt a little weak. But I will never, never forget how my friend Thomas reached in his pocket and gave me $2. “Thank you, Thomas,” I said. I cried a little bit. And my mind said it’s good to have a good man like Thomas around. He warms my heart. And that’s that. Yesterday, two people went past and both of ‘em gave me $1. That really touched me, too. I got on the Blue Line this morning. Sometimes I ride the Orange Line; sometimes the Silver Line. That’s about all I do on the weekdays. Sometimes the Salvation Army truck come, sometimes it don’t. The Salvation Army truck comes to the park near 18th St. NW. Most of the time, I like going there because the staff gives out the good soup.

Who’s Zooming whom? BY JAMES DAVIS Artist/Vendor

If you’re wondering why I’m rolling around on the floor This is my third Zoom meeting in a row. It seems like one meeting bleeds into another. In one I thought I saw my twin brother I was talking to a group about racial equity When someone yelled loudly, “Hey kitty, kitty!” Then there’s that mute/unmute thing driving me insane Makes us wonder if we have water on the brain. How about right before it’s over some guest comes on, When the meeting was about housing they’re talking about porn! Some people monopolize and just won’t hush That’s when I go in the bathroom with my phone and flush! Sometimes it feels like a hundred people in the room And like Aretha said, it makes you wonder “Who’s Zooming Whom?”

Sometimes, before I go to 19th Street, I talk to my friend Carlton. Miriam’s Kitchen don’t give lunch but does give out breakfast and dinner. I went there one or two times in my life. My friend who works in the 1900 building, Mac, helps me sometimes, especially on Saturdays. I think he worked late last night. I had a hard time sleeping last night. The guy who sleeps on the next bench, sometimes he likes to hoot ‘n holler. And he says, “F*** God.” Sometimes he even gets up and walks around while he’s hootin’ and hollerin’. That’s why I have a hard time sometimes, but I don’t say nothing to him. I don’t try to tell him what to do because I don’t have a right to tell him what to do; those are public benches.

After the storm comes the sun BY MARCUS GREEN Artist/Vendor

My perspective on 2020 is that it’s been a real trying year. My spirituality, mental and financial wellbeing were put to an extreme test. COVID-19 changed the way I think, clean, even save my money. I’m behind on emergency funds, retirement, etc. Some historical things happened with the March on Washington, the protests about the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The officers who killed her still need to be held accountable. With all that’s happened this 2020, we at Street Sense Media haven’t been sick, and that’s the angels watching over us. Check on your family and pray for them. This year is almost over; and 2021 got to be a better year. Thanks for your support and stay safe. Don’t give up the fight. God Bless.

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FUN & GAMES Challenging Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 20, Book 45

Sudoku #5

The Killing Field

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

1 9

4 3

4 2 8 1 ©720196KrazyDad.com 5 9

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

Sudoku #4

If you use logicFill you in can solve the puzzle without guesswork. SUDOKU: 2 4 1 6 9 8 5 7 3 the blank squares Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle. each the row, Usethat it to identify next square 7you3should 2 the8 answers 8 so 5 solve. 1 4Or use 9 6page if you really get stuck. each column and 6 each 3-by-3 block 8 6 9 7 3 5 1 4 2 contain all of the 3 3 1 8 2 6 9 4 5 7 digits 1-9.

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

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

LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION >>

Up against the wall!

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

8 2 BY ANGIE WHITEHURST Artist/Vendor 1 9 4 2 1 3 5 Challenging Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 20, Book The 45 killing field is nothing new. The loss of life employer 6Sudoku #2 9 authorized, certified, accepted, 8 2 3 5 9 7 6 and duly noted is older than 6 2 3 7 16 32 9 everyone living on this Earth. No edict, order, or law is necessary. A 6 5 94 7 8 4 3 generically approved right. 4 7 8 1 6 A conscious, visible sighting is as rare and far away as the Loch 6 5 2 35 3 2 6 1 4 8 Ness monster, time travel, and 2 1 5 9 3 science ﬁction. 8 17 5 99 8 4 2 Something is there, too, illusively grand, blurred, and too stealthy to 5 4 6 1 3 1 8 7 grasp, capture and verify.

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

No one wants to kill the Loch Ness monster. The accepted practice of intentional and unintentional killing of Black is an accepted social norm; an unregistered global sport with no moral compass. The plow of cheap labor is absolute. Tinges of any hue of skin color. For the authors of the terms and the upholders of the divide, a cost-cutting tool of economic control to be processed, recycled, trashed, and left to the erosion of time s inﬁnite nothingness. nside the inner pod of digested gray

matter, the bumper sticker motto: “At the end of the day, no use for you. Now, why don’t you just die.” (That’s what the author thinks you think, short of pandemic genocide). The anger, disgust, punitive revengeful hate, seething with intolerance, has raised its ugly head within the scarred emotions of Black versus White. Either or, no in-between with no compromise, truce, or peace. Gone is the wait-and-see of what happened. Gone is the balance of the beneﬁt of the doubt given with the blackboard erasure and excuse of “the intent was harmless and no malice intended.” “It was just an accident on the job or a PTSD stress moment.” “It all just happened too fast to pinpoint logical common sense reasoning. I thought he had a gun, a knife...it looked like…” So sorry, too late, neither side can take it back. Black while dead gets no more parties, smiles, hugs, and kisses with a birthday cake. No more. Heads or tails decide.

New construction not helping the poor BY JOSHUA FAISON Artist/Vendor

I believe construction should be done to combat homelessness more often, and buildings should be built for poor people who have vouchers. I truly feel and believe that the poverty rate in Washington D.C. would decline if this were done. Construction companies are not building any new buildings for people experiencing homelessness. Instead, big business owners believe it is more important to build businesses that cause gentrification which makes it even harder for the poor. We need more apartment buildings and rooming houses in order to stop the rise of ongoing poverty and homelessness.

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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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

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

JOB BOARD Advocate Friendship Place // D.C. 20016 Advocates are part of the La Casa Permanent Supportive Housing team. Advocates work to ensure resident and building safety, security and optimal operations. They warmly greet residents and maintain a safe and secure building. This role may conduct wellness checks on certain residents. REQUIRED: Individuals with life experience with homelessness who meet other ualiﬁcations are encouraged to apply. APPLY: tinyurl.com/friendship-place-advocate

Package handler NFC Amenity Management // Washington, D.C. Part-time // 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. The package concierge will work in a Luxury residential building, overseeing the front lobby, concierge desk, and event amenity spaces. REQUIRED: Ability to handle packages up to 50 pounds. APPLY: tinyurl.com/package-handler-job

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

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

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

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

Bank teller Citibank // McPherson Square, 20036 Full-time The teller will manage the cash supply for the branch, incoming andoutgoing cash deposits, and maintain the branch’s vault cash. The will serve as the first point o contact or iti clients and provide a positive first impression through riendly and e ficient customer service. REQUIRED: High-school diploma or equivalent APPLY: tinyurl.com/McPherson-square-teller

Clerk assistant United States Postal Service // Capital district Temporary position The clerk assistant provides a variety of sales and customer services at a retail window or lobby, which may include selling postal products and services, accepting and delivering packages and mail. REQUIRED: Applicants must successfully complete the Virtual Entry Assessment. APPLY: tinyurl.com/usps-clerk-assistant

Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.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

May the best crook win BY QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE Artist/Vendor

In my kitchen nook, watching TV, Watching broadcasts about political crooks, trying to believe and not just dump that Trump, Because Democrats too can be rats—oh well. \My dearest reader, let’s keep praying for a United States of America. Vote, vote, vote— And may the best crook win!!!

IN MEMORIAM: It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of community member, vendor, writer, and friend, Dan Hooks. His family released balloons into the heavens in his honor on Saturday, Oct. 4. Memorial service information will follow. If you knew Dan and would like to submit a memory of or a tribute to him for publication, or if you would be open to being interviewed about his life, please email ericf@streetsensemedia.org.

Life in the neighborhood BY JEMEL FLEMMING // Artist/Vendor

I try to stay peaceful as a neighbor and enjoy entertainment in my apartment in the Kennedy Street NW area of Washington D.C. There are a lot of stores in my neighborhood within walking distance: Two Chinese restaurants, three liquor stores, a Walmart for major food shopping, a breakfast place and two Spanish lounges that sell food within a 10-block radius. Like other neighborhoods there are many apartment complexes owned by different landlords. There are two gas stations in my

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

Treading the Waters, Part 30 BY GERALD ANDERSON Artist/Vendor

In this 30th installment of “Treading the Waters,” young Gerald, who had been running the streets of New Orleans with his friend, Minew, caught an 18-month sentence for gun possession... Lay back, then I come home. Minew was doing his thing up out there. I be hearing a lot of wild shit about him out there on the street. He was going hard without me around him. I’m talking about, he like, “They took my dawg. They took my man. I gotta go hard now!” He was smashing. What I mean smashing, he putting in work. I kick him on the phone sometimes from the jail, “What’s up w’ich you, boy?” Minew was the type of guy…He remind me of Bozo a little. He a clown. But he pull that trigger in a minute. That’s the funny thing about it. He will laugh with you and trap you at the same time. It’s hard to be aware with a killer like that. He’ll crack a joke with you, and

neighborhood that stay open 24 hours that sell snacks. I ﬁnd that strange in a good way. There is also a dollar store. There are four different bus routes. The neighborhood is very convenient to travel from the 70 bus, is close to Silver Spring from there and Gallery Place metro stations and the E-4 E-2 to Fort Totten metro stations and Friendship Heights area.

From your vendor hit you at the same time. That’s why I always say, “He a killer.” Don’t get me wrong, that’s my man. But there was plenty of time where you should be shaking, because dude loved the trigger. He played with the trigger like you give a baby candy. But I learned a lot from him. He learned a lot from me. We hold our neighborhood down. So sit back, come home after doing them 18 months. We clink-clink back together. We ran for about two or three years. Then Minew’s mother passed away. And I got busted. That’s when I went down hard. That’s when I met back up with my man, Greg. But Greg was coming out of the Penitentiary as I was going in. To be continued. Anderson’s ﬁrst book, “Still Standing: How an Ex-Con Found Salvation in the Floodwaters of Katrina,” is available on Amazon.com.

OCT. 7 - 20, 2020 | VOLUME 17 ISSUE 25

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