10 16 2019

VOL. 16 IssUe 25

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OCT. 16 -29, 2019

Real Stories

Real People

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The Cover

The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper

mike Williams has been shopping at martha’s table Outfitters for quite a while. He has the same job he had when he became a member. it’s helped him save money and the quality is good, he said.

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 casemanagement 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.

photo By Bri Bilter

VENDORS ayub abdul, shuhratjon ahamadjonov, gerald anderson, Charles armstrong, Katrina arninge, lawrence autry, daniel Ball, Charlton Battle, reginald Black, rashawn Bowser, debora Brantley, andre Brinson, laticia Brock, Brianna Butler, dwayne Butler, melody Byrd, anthony Carney, alice Carter, Conrad Cheek, Curtis Clark, michael Craig, anthony Crawford, louise davenport, James davis, david denny, reginald denny, ricardo dickerson, Patricia donaldson, nathaniel donaldson, ron dudley, Jet Flegette, Jemel Fleming, Cornell Ford, James gatrell, Chon gotti, marcus green, levester green, Barron Hall, dwight Harris, lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, ibn Hipps, James Hughes, Joseph Jackson, Chad Jackson, david James, Fredrick Jewell, Henry Johnson, mark Jones, morgan Jones, reggie Jones, Juliene Kengnie, Jewel lewis, John littlejohn, scott lovell, michael lyons, William mack, Ken martin, authertimer matthews, Jermale mcKnight, Jennifer mclaughlin, Jeffery mcneil, angela meeks, ricardo meriedy, Kenneth middleton, amy modica, l. morrow, Collins mukasa, evelyn nnam, moyo onibuje, earl Parker, terrell Pearson, aida Peery, Hubert Pegues, marcellus Phillips, Jacquelyn Portee, angela Pounds, abel Putu, ash-shaheed rabil, robert reed, Chris shaw, gwynette smith, Patty smith, ronald smoot, david snyder, Franklin sterling, Warren stevens, James stewart, Beverly sutton, sybil taylor, archie thomas, eric thompson-Bey, Jacqueline turner, Joseph Walker, martin Walker, michael Warner, robert Warren, sheila White, angie Whitehurst, Judson Williams, sasha Williams, Wendell Williams, ivory Wilson, latishia Wynn BOARD OF DIRECTORS

mary Coller albert, Jeremy Bratt, Brian leonard, Jennifer Park, dan schwartz, John senn, aaron stetter, daniel Webber, shari Wilson

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR eric Falquero

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MANAGER OF ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS nkechi Feaster

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CASE MANAGER Colleen Cosgriff

WRITERS GROUP ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Willie schatz

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER) rachel Brody, arthur delaney

ADVISORY BOARD John mcglasson

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Bonnie Bishop, victoria ebner, sam Krizek, sean mcBride, Camille rood, Clifford samuels

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EVENTS

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News In brief Health

Synthetic drug alert activated on Oct 11 after a series of ‘K2’ overdoses City agencies warn a fatal batch of the substance may be in circulation

By Bonnibelle Bishop

bonnie.bishop@streetsensemedia.org

“Joint Sessions” Story Slam Fundraiser for Street Sense Media Wednesday, Oct. 16 // 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. // Busboys & Poets // 2021 14th St. NW Organized by the National Cannabis Festival, the theme of this story slam is “home.” Whether your story is about returning home, being displaced from a home, finding the things that represent home, or even getting lost on your way home - all stories are welcome! Hear stories of action, inspiration and healing as told by the activists, entrepreneurs, patients and enthusiasts to whom they happened. Have a story to tell? Throw your name in the pot for a chance to tell your story from our main session stage. TICKETS ($10) and MORE INFO: tinyurl.com/joint-slam-fund Friday, Oct. 18 - Sunday, Oct. 27

updates online at ich.dc.gov

29ROOMS: EXPAND YOUR REALITY immersive festival

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

DC ARMORY 2001 East Capitol St., SE

Housing Solutions Committee Oct 21, 3 pm // 1800 MLK Jr Ave SE Strategic Planning Committee Oct 22, 2:30 pm // TBD* Emergency Response Committee Oct 23, 1 pm // TBD* Youth Committee Oct 24, 10 am // TBD* *All TBD likely 441 4th Street NW

29 immersive rooms designed by local and national artists.

Representing Washington, D.C. will be visual artist, illustrator, and animator Trap Bob, known for her use of bold colors and gestures to convey both the humor and struggles of everyday life.

MORE INFO: tinyurl.com/29rooms-tix

***List features only committee meetings. For issue-focused working group, contact ich.info@dc.gov.

Saturday, Nov. 9

5th Annual Friendship Walk To End Homelessness 9:30 am Registration, Fun 10:30 am Walking Begins Begins at Lincoln Memorial steps Friendship Walks is a 1.5-mile fun walk around the National Mall focused on ending homelessness in the Washington D.C. region.

All proceeds benefit Friendship Place, a nonprofit organization addressing homelessness.

REGISTER: tinyurl.com/fwalk19

Submit your event for publication by emailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

Audience exchange Charlie’s Place

@CharliesPlaceDC

Writing down our thoughts on paper helps us process our thinking and express our emotions.

That’s the philosophy behind the weekly writing workshop for our homeless Charlie’s Place clients. Thanks to our friends at @streetsensedc who make this workshop possible.

7:45 PM - 1 Oct 2019

K2 is a drug which has been responsible for numerous overdoses and deaths throughout the D.C area. On Oct. 11, 21 individuals overdosed from the drug. Of the 21 people who overdosed, 14 had to be transported to a nearby hospital.

Due to these severe incidents, an emergency alert has been released, warning individuals about the possibility of a lethal batch going around. The drug, when smoked or ingested, can cause serious health issues due to the unknown chemicals that are laced within it. K2’s unknown and changing chemical composition means that it is never certain whether a batch is laced with other substances or not. Without knowledge of all of the ingredients you would be exposed to, it is best to avoid K2 at all costs. Moreover, it is even more important to vocalize this issue and warn those who may be prone to taking the drug.

When asked for more information regarding the overdoses, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services released the following statement: “The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) in coordination with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ) activates the K2 Alert once there is a spike of 20 or more K2 overdoses in a 24-hour period.

During spikes, DMHHS and DMPSJ convene daily interagency planning calls with multiple agencies, coordinate the deployment of resources to K2 overdose hotspots, and support the Executive Office of the Mayor Communications team and agency Public Information Officers in increasing public awareness.”

It is important to note that the drug may be labeled as “potpourri” or “incense,” according to the warning flyer issued by D.C. government. Different variations of the drug go by a mix of street names including “Scooby,” “Spice,” and “Bizarro,” among many others. It is strongly advised that individuals should be aware of this and refrain from using these items. The flyer emphasizes the importance of staying hydrated to prevent or lessen the severity of an overdose.

In order to prevent more fatal incidents, it is recommended to contact the Assessment and Referral Center at 202-727-8473 if seeking help with substance abuse. Calling 911 after witnessing an individual show the indicators of an overdose (collapsing, unconsciousness, vomiting, or physical aggression) can help save their life.

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Five service providers joined forces to give resources and life coaching to low-income families in Adams Morgan

On August 17, families from Platform of Hope’s first pilot cohort gathered to celebrate their accomplishments over the past year.

Photo courtesy of Platform of Hope

By Maia Brown Editorial Intern

A

s the Adams Morgan neighborhood in Northwest D.C. has continued to gain new development and lose diversity, a number of service organizations have established themselves in the area to serve low-income residents and mitigate the effects of gentrification. Despite their presence, many families lack the resources to find what services are available. Recognizing this disconnect, five local organizations joined together to promote economic stability and social mobility.

Their initiative, dubbed Platform of Hope, launched in 2018 and specializes in helping families navigate the web of service providers in the D.C. area. The program is nine months into its pilot phase and plans to begin working with its second cohort of families in September.

“What was heard from the families was really this feeling of, ‘We know that these services exist, or we think that these services exist, but we can’t access them,’” said Judy Estey, Platform of Hope’s vice president. “Whether that be ‘we can’t get a bank account’ or ‘we can’t get a job’ or ‘we can’t get into housing.’”

A solution to this problem was to create a network of assistance providers in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, due to the area’s struggles with gentrification and its negative effects on minority and low-income residents. Centralizing these different services in one place, she says, makes it easier for those in need to find and utilize them.

“There are tons of people doing great things in this

area,” Estey said. “We’re not trying to compete with them. We’re just trying to help people access all of the amazing resources that are already out there.”

The program consists of a “collective impact model” in which organizations collaborate to provide different resources to D.C.’s low-income community. This could mean anything from financial advice to health care. For the current cohort, Platform of Hope has partnered with the Sitar Arts Center, Jubilee Housing, Jubilee Jumpstart, Mary’s Center, For Love of Children, and Capital Area Asset Builders.

When a participant first joins Platform of Hope, they meet with Family Care Lead Sylvia Stokes to identify their goals and a plan for how to achieve them.

“I meet with everyone at least once a month,” said Stokes. “But they can come in and see me whenever. I try to practice an open-door policy.”

Each participant fills out a chart identifying their goals in 12 different categories, which include Adult Education, Savings, and Mental Health, to name a few. Every time they meet with Stokes, their progress is updated to provide them with a visual interpretation of their achievements.

Stokes advises her clients on how best to complete these goals and what resources exist to support them.

“If they need help opening a savings account, I will refer them to someone who knows about financial literacy. I often refer people to therapists as well,” Stokes said. “If they have a disability or anxiety condition that keeps them from meeting with people alone, I will go with them.”

For Christinah, who has been working with Platform of Hope since September of 2018, the coaching process has been instrumental. She plans to begin graduate school in the fall. “[Stokes] helped me pick out my classes and figure out what would work best with my schedule as someone who has a kid and works full-time,” said Christinah. “But the main thing she gave me was support, always reminding me that I can do this and that I will do well.”

Outside of resources, Platform of Hope emphasizes the importance of interpersonal connections. The organization holds “Family Saturdays” that allow parents from each participating family to connect with one another and develop social networks.

“One of the problems families have when they’re struggling or in and out of shelters is this sort of social erosion,” Estey said. “People are already dealing with racial and economic oppression in their daily lives, and they have nobody to rely on outside of their families.”

Research has shown that low-income families tend to have fewer social ties than their higher-income counterparts. According to the Brookings Institution, this could be due to stigma and shame associated with poverty, as well as a lack of access to social resources. Many places where people make friends, like work or higher education, aren’t available to some low-income people.

For Christinah, meeting people through the program was instrumental to her mental health.

“My family is overseas in Africa,” she explained.

“Being a single mom, without anyone to talk to consistently, is really very hard.”

According to Christinah, about half of her fellow participants are in the same situation, with the rest of their families living outside of the United States. Because of this, the group makes an effort to meet once a month.

“I have made some good friends, and more importantly, my daughter has made friends,” Christinah said. “My biggest worry as a single mom is making sure that she has kids her age to play with. We needed a sense of community, and that’s what Platform of Hope has given my family. I wanted that so much for me and for her.”

As the organization prepares to start working with its second cohort next month, Estey has high expectations for its growth and potential. The program plans to recruit additional partner organizations to match the evolving needs of its families.

“My goal is to always keep growing,” Estey said. “We meet with families regularly to figure out what issues they want to be addressed, and then we try to find an organization that will join us and provide that need. My hope is that we’ll keep adding more partners and keep being able to provide these families with everything they need.”

As for changes she hopes to see, Christinah doesn’t have many issues with the program. “It’s helped me so much. I could talk about it for days,” Christinah said. “Low-income or not, everybody needs a program like this.”

streetsensemedia.org

This pilot program is multiplying Ward 8 parents’ savings for education by a factor of 5

By Victoria Ebner victoria.ebner@streetsensemedia.org

For years, Minister Xavier Justice began each and every workday with the same ritual –– treating himself to a coffee and cookie at Starbucks.

Sometimes, he chose a green tea over his usual white chocolate latte. Others, he chose a peanut butter cookie over a chocolate chip one. But every day, he spent around $7 on his snack.

Now, because of a new program called EduSaveDC, Justice is cutting out that habit by learning how to recreate the delicacies at home.

Consequently, he is on the way to putting $2,000 in his child’s savings account by Christmas.

The initiative, which was created by Capital Area Asset Builders and the 11th Street Bridge Park Project, helps individuals like Justice — who earn a low to moderate income and live in Ward 8 with kids in the Districts’ elementary or middle schools — set up and build on children’s savings accounts. “[We’re] guided by a vision of a metropolitan region where the birthplace, the race, or the zip code we live in do not limit economic prosperity or optimism,” said Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz, CAAB’s executive director.

For every $1 saved, $5 is deposited. Participants have the entire duration of the program, which started in February and ends in August 2020, to save the maximum of $300, for which an additional $1500 is added. Participating families also develop a budget and gain access to financial coaching classes. The program is funded by Capital One. “It was a game changer for me,” said Justice, who used the program to begin saving for his fifth grader’s education. “This is the first time that I’ve got to be that forward thinking. No one’s ever put that in my mind before. And I think that will be a real good head start to get [my son] started, whatever he needs it for.”

The program has enough money for 110 families to participate but only half that many have signed up. Leitmann-Santa Cruz said one of the main factors that people do not participate is that they feel they are already stretched too thin financially. “[They say] ‘Hey, I want to do this. But I’m living paycheck to paycheck and I cannot be saving money for my kids’ college when right now I’m struggling to put food on the table,’” he explained.

“So, we definitely understand that.”

According to new data released by the United States Census Bureau las month, about 16.2 percent of the population in D.C. lives in poverty. An article analyzing the data noted that the District had the largest income gap between the rich and the poor.

Vaughn Perry, the equitable development manager for the 11th Street Bridge Park, agreed that day-to-day limitations make it hard for people to look towards their future.

“Some folks are just struggling to pay their bills now, whether that’s rent or keeping their lights on,” Perry said. “So it can be really difficult to focus on

the future of their children or their grandchildren when they’re just focusing on how they’re gonna get past their current situation.”

Another issue is general distrust of financial institutions. Perry said people are often skeptical of the program because they think it's “too good to be true.”

Kenneth Lampkin, the senior program manager at EduSaveDC, echoed this point.

“A lot of times when you hear ‘savings program,’ people automatically think it's some type of scam,” Lampkin said.

This skepticism, Justice said, was one of the main reasons why it took him so long to commit to EduSaveDC. “It took me a long long time, believe me when I tell you, before I finally got enough courage,” he said. “I just kept thinking to myself: ‘I don’t know, what if they run off with my money? What if they put it in the stock market and I lose all my money?’”

But Justice was pleasantly surprised when he met with EduSaveDC representatives to learn more.

“Slowly, I got to ask my questions and my fears ebbed away,” he said. “It’s easy to complain and think differently when you don’t have the facts. And when you don’t have enough information, that’s how your fears and your reluctance grow... but once you have your questions answered like I did, it’s a win-win.”

Leitmann-Santa Cruz and Lampkin said that encouraging participants to come and at least learn about the policies is one of the big ways they hope to reach full capacity for participants.

Long term, they hope to expand the savings program to other wards and increase the funding.

Perry said the thinks the program just needs more time to advertise and gain recognition in the community. And for Lampkin, a native of Ward 8, building those bonds is about giving people a familiar face. Growing up in the area, his family also struggled with saving.

“My family has also went through some of the same struggles that they are going through,” Lampkin said. “Not only that, but D.C. is only so small. A lot of times what I’m finding is that somewhere along the line, I may know some of the families or somebody in that family. So that goes a long way.”

He said the program would have given him something to look forward to as a child. “[EduSaveDC] gives families the ability to put the kids' future in their hands. It gives the child something to hope for,” Lampkin said. “It definitely would have benefited me.”

Justice said he understands the worries of anyone who might be unsure of whether they have enough to put some money away or anyone suspicious of the program. But he encourages them to join anyway.

“If I can do it, I know everyone else can do it,” said Justice, who is looking past the program and now hopes to save enough to get a new apartment.

An event at with Ketcham Elementary School to promote #EduSaveDC and give away donated backpacks and schools supplies provided by Capital One. Photo courtesy of Capital Area Asset Builders

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REVIEW: Josh Hayes’s “The Invisible Class” is a film meant to inform, not entertain

By Will Schick // Editorial Intern

Josh Hayes stumbled onto the subject of homelessness almost by accident. He was working on a photography project when he came upon a novel idea. Instead of taking thousands of photos of the Golden Gate Bridge like all his other classmates, Hayes thought he could focus his project on something slightly more challenging. For him, people as subjects seemed far more interesting.

And so Hayes approached a man he saw who was homeless in a park and asked the man if it would be all right to photograph him in exchange for some money. The man agreed. They later had a talk that would change Hayes’s life.

What happened next is the subject of Hayes’s new film, “The Invisible Class.” It is the result of eleven years of research and thousands of hours of taped video and audio interviews. The film takes place nationwide over the span of one 24-hour period to explain what Hayes says are the three major causes of homelessness (substance abuse and mental illness, income inequality, and criminalization). Although Hayes will not admit to this, the story told here, in many ways, resembles Hayes’s own journey of discovery into the subject of homelessness.

It starts first with a glimpse of the facts.

Viewers learn from an advocate named Richard Troxell, who is based in Texas, how the term “homeless” was coined. The term was accepted into common vernacular around the time when single room occupancies disappeared from the housing market. As

Troxell explains, “they became condos, they became parking lots [because] the YMCA got out of the business.”

Through Troxell, the audience also learns that in the United States it is possible for someone to work forty hours a week and not make enough money to afford a place to live.

At this point, the cracks in the figurative dam Hayes has built for viewers break. And Hayes unleashes a flood of uncomfortable images of people being forcibly evicted from a makeshift tent encampment in the middle of a snowstorm.

What makes this film interesting from a

creative standpoint, is its lack of narration, and its lack of a central protagonist. The only people who speak (at length) in this film are those who are experiencing homelessness, and those who advocate for them. Although Hayes said this was not a deliberate decision on his part, it is no accident that these are the only people given real speaking roles. Since there is no overarching protagonist, the focus of this film is flipped onto the viewer, who must sit through a series of hard to watch scenes.

Early on, the audience is introduced to a homeless man named Justin who lives in South Salt Lake, Utah. Over the span of

Still images from “The Invisible Class.” Courtesy of Josh Hayes

eight gut-wrenching minutes, Justin talks about his alcoholism, his loneliness, and his desire to be reunited with family. At one point, Justin lashes out at the filmmaker in series of expletives for having provoked him. The scene concludes with Justin apologizing for his abrupt outburst. It is excruciating to watch.

It feels jarring, emotional, almost exploitative. When I saw it for the first time, I wanted to look away. I did not want to hear about Justin’s alcoholism or see him in such a vulnerable state. It was clear to me, that Justin was not just emotionally unstable, but that he suffered from severe problems with his mental well-being. It made me wonder how ethical it was for Hayes to film him. And then it made me think of how unethical it would be for me to ignore Justin and his story.

This is precisely what makes this film so brilliant. It is not a movie you want to watch.

It is a movie that you have to see. To ignore someone’s hardship and suffering because it makes you feel bad is simply unacceptable.

Hayes’s intended viewer is not someone experiencing homelessness, but someone who hasn’t the slightest idea of what homelessness entails (which is where Hayes found himself eleven years ago). Advocates will also find the film is a useful tool for education and may offer them insight into how homelessness became ubiquitous. The film is, according to Hayes, “a call to action.” Not a film that is meant to entertain.

Viewers should keep this in mind as they prepare themselves to watch this movie. The jarring transitions between scenes might make you feel like you’ve been seized by the lapels and shaken violently. Hayes takes viewers to encampment cleanups, to family shelters, to places where people endure abuse and are often ignored. This film is an uncomfortable journey of discovery into the lives of those who live as this Nation’s “invisible class.”

streetsensemedia.org

// 7

AT A GLANCe

PHOTO BY SAM KRIZEK

DC Council voted to amend the city’s guidelines for development to insure equity By saM krizek sam.krizek@streetsensemedia.org

T

he D.C. council met as a whole on Tuesday, Oct. 8, to vote on changes to the framework of the comprehensive plan; council members voted to change the framework of the plan so that equity is emphasized over equality and the process for Planned Unit Development (PUD) is modified.

In multiple discussions Councilmembers made clear that it is critical to include equity in the comprehensive plan.

Equitable development is defined in section 213.7 of the newly modified plan.. “Equitable development holistically considers land use, transportation, housing, environmental, and cultural conditions, and creates access to education, services, health care, technology, workforce development, and employment opportunities.”

The push for equity is a response to the displacement and gentrification occurring in the city. It is an effort to enable all residents to benefit from the District’s growth. By writing this into the comprehensive plan, the council attempted to make equitable development a key focus during the development process.

Equity would allow residents in all communities to get what they need to be successful, rather than treating all community needs the same, and the plan states that equity-centered approaches are absolutely necessary. Plan amendments expounded on the District’s special responsibility to not only identify and engage communities that traditionally have been underrepresented, but also to establish direct efforts to improve services in these communities so residents are able to partake of the benefits of living in Washington, D.C., on the same level as other communities.

The amended framework also outlined changes to the PUD process. In particular, the council changed the priorities in evaluating benefits during the PUD process and ranked some public benefits over others.

The PUD process allows developers to seek zoning relief for their projects, such as building higher or denser than the zone allows or to build residential in an industrial zone.

To obtain zoning relief, developers must provide public benefits to the community. The PUD process allows community members to be a part of the development process and make their opinions known by way of a more thorough and longer community engagement process.

The nature of desirable benefits may vary according to the needs of the community, ranging from environmental benefits and historic preservation projects to employment opportunities and social services or facilities. The new comprehensive plan language that council members passed on Oct. 8 elevates affordable housing and prevention of displacement over other benefits.

Affordable housing and prevention of displacement are now to be considered a high priority during PUD evaluation to help prevent the displacement of on-site residents and allow

PHoto Courtesy oF James davis

for more affordable housing. The four high priority benefits identified can be found in section 224.9 and are as follows • The production of new affordable housing units above and beyond existing legal requirements or a net increase in the number of affordable units that exist on-site.

• The preservation of housing units made affordable through subsidy, covenant, or rent control, or replacement of such units at the same affordability level and similar household size.

• The minimizing of unnecessary off-site relocation through the construction of new units before the demolition of existing occupied units.

• The right of existing residents of a redevelopment site to return to new on-site units at affordability levels similar to or greater than existing units.

By highlighting these high priority benefits, the D.C. Zoning Commision can better evaluate PUDs for potential displacement and determine whether to issue more PUDs if they meet those high priority benefits.

Preserving affordable housing and protecting the rights of the tenants of redevelopment projects were seen as key points by the D.C. council. The framework addresses the fact that the District’s housing stock is in a state of disrepair and affordable housing units are sorely needed. It also acknowledges that an increase in population is an important factor behind the hike in housing prices.

In section 206.10, the amendments brought to light the uneven distribution of affordable housing in D.C.. “Affordable housing is unevenly distributed across the District. The Rock Creek West area has fewer than 500 subsidized affordable units, while areas east of the Anacostia River provide over 25,000,” which only adds to the challenges of this affordable housing crisis.

The final change to the comprehensive plan was the Future Land Use Map and the methodology for defining and measuring a building’s density. Rather than determining a building’s density by the building height or number of stories, D.C. will determine density based on the Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The FAR compares the amount of floor space in a building to the size of the lot. A high FAR indicates more living space. This change is an attempt to better understand how a building works in the space where it is built. Stories and height alone cannot define that.

After almost three years of debate and rewriting, the council was finally able to integrate these changes into the comprehensive plan. The consensus from the council is that these changes are critical as they try to attack the affordable housing crisis head on. All amendments were passed unanimously by the council.

“Caucusing on criminalization of the homeless, and encampments, at the Capitol building with National Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Meghan Hustings.”

James Davis, Artist/Vendor

BIRTHDAYS Darlesha Joyner Sept. 27 ARTIST/VENDOR

Martin Walker Oct. 19 ARTIST/VENDOR

Vincent Watts Oct. 19 ARTIST/VENDOR

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NEWs

Martha’s Table’s no-cost clothing boutique is now available to DC’s returning citizens

By Brianna Bilter Editorial Intern Photo by Brianna Bilter

E

arlier this year, local nonprofit Martha’s Table announced a new partnership with the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs to open its Outfitters program to returning citizens who are coming home to D.C. A credit card to Martha’s Table Outfitters is now included in the welcome home package MORCA provides, with no extra referral step or application process required.

Martha’s Table Outfitters allows members to shop in their boutique at no cost with a $40 credit card that reloads automatically each month. The shop offers baby items, children’s clothing, and professional adult clothing, with most items priced between $1 and $6. The card reloads indefinitely, so customers can continue to shop there long after they secure a job.

President and CEO Kim Ford said having a support system is one of the most important resources for men and women returning from the criminal justice system.

Reentry is always a trying experience, but because many of D.C.’s returning citizens have served their sentences far from home, they have been further isolated from their family and social network.

“Phone calls and video conferences are one thing, but really being able to see your family member, your child, that’s hard for a lot of D.C. residents because you’ve got folks as far out as Hawaii,” Ford said.

She described one man she had met while he was shopping for his grandson at Outfitters. The man’s daughter gave birth while behind bars in Texas, and he had dropped everything to drive down, pick up the child, and raise his grandson until his daughter was released. “[The man] talked about how great and what a resource Outfitters was for him,” Ford said. “Because here he was, not expecting to be this needed, if you will, during this baby’s life.”

Along with the baby clothes, workforce attire, diapers, wipes, and childcare supplies provided at Outfitters — which first opened as a “clothing closet” in 2004 — Martha’s Table was founded in 1980 and has grown to provides early childhood education centers, no-cost healthy food markets, a daily hot meal service called McKenna’s Wagon, and other programs geared toward supporting strong children, strong families, and strong communities. Last year, they moved their headquarters to Southeast D.C. from their previous location on 14th Street NW, in line with a place-based

strategy to serve in the neighborhood in which their services are most needed.

The Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs provides services such as workforce training and case management and helps returning citizens obtain necessary documents, such as a driver’s license. But MORCA’s executive director, Brian Ferguson, said a number of men and women had voiced concern to case managers in the past about not having appropriate apparel for interviews and jobs.

“There’s a tremendous talent pool,” Ferguson said. “But they face a lot of stigma and that stigma is compounded when

Assistant Director of Retail Operations Tony Washington shows off a shopping bag. Every step of the experience at Martha’s Table Outfitters is designed to replicate a traditional shopping experience rather than a philanthropic program. Photo by Brianna Bilter

Martha’s Table Outfitters member cards reload with $40 of store credit every month, indefinitely. Photo by Brianna Bilter

they’re not able to present well going into job interviews, and even when they’ve already started work.”

Wards 7 and 8 have plenty of thrift stores, said Tony Washington, the assistant director of retail operations at Martha’s Table. Outfitters used to be a thrift store as well, but Washington said it is now deliberately designed as a “boutique.”

The organization has strict quality requirements for donated clothes and return or repurpose what doesn’t meet those standards. The store is spacious, well-lit, and organized.

Every step of the process is designed to replicate a traditional shopping experience rather than a philanthropic program, from the use of a credit card to the simple design on the paper shopping bags.

“They deserve boutiques,” Washington said. “And that brings a level of pride, being able to walk into a storefront ... [and] not have that [stigma] attached to it.”

Martha’s Table Outfitters had previously only been accessible to caregivers of children age 8 or younger. The new partnership with MORCA waives this caregiver restriction so that every adult and juvenile who goes through MORCA will receive a credit card. Kim Ford, The Martha’s Table CEO, said her organization is aware of how vital it is for returning citizens to be able to secure a job immediately.

This partnership means the Outfitters program won’t just be annexing the 1,800 to 2,000 people who return to D.C. from the federal prison system each year, but also people who are returning from jail and those who have already returned to D.C. but continue to receive support from MORCA. According to Ford, Outfitters could see an increase of around 4,000 members, a tremendous expansion from its current monthly membership of 1,200.

Since Outfitters has predominantly relied on clothing or monetary donations, in addition to some partnerships, Ford expects they will have to pursue other opportunities to sustain the quality and quantity across the size range needed. MORCA will be looking at grants, according to Ferguson, the executive director, because they want to see Outfitters expand.

But those are conversations the two organizations will have in the future. For now, the assistant director of retail operations thinks Outfitters can handle the increase in numbers.

Outfitters is less than a mile from the Martha’s Table headquarters, and conveniently one block away from MORCA. Now that the partnership has been announced, Ford said her organization hopes to continue to expand Outfitters’ reach even further.

streetsensemedia.org

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What’s next for Hope Village and its residents?

The only halfway house for men in DC will close its doors Oct. 31

By sam krizek sam.krizek@streetsensemedia.org

Illustration by Cammi Rood

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s the last halfway house for men in D.C. prepares to close its doors on Oct. 31, many questions remain unanswered regarding the impact this will have on the community. The facility’s contracts with the Federal Bureau of Prisons that were set to expire in 2016 and 2017 were extended but not renewed following reports by the D.C. Corrections Information Council (CIC) and the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) that highlighted poor conditions and poor services at Hope Village.

D.C. does not have a federal prison of its own, so those who are placed into federal custody can be sent to prisons as far away as California. This makes the role of a halfway house that much more important for incarcerated District residents who are returning home. With no plan in place to either renew Hope Village’s contract or construct another halfway house for men to replace it, men from the D.C. area may be sent to halfway houses in Baltimore or Delaware before returning to the District.

Hope Village did not provide any additional information on the situation.

“It’d be like you have to re-enter twice,” said Tara Libert, the co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Free Minds Book Club. “And it is critical that they begin reintegrating as fast as possible.”

Free Minds works with young inmates throughout their incarceration and reentry to provide mentoring and connections to supportive services.

Federally incarcerated citizens can become alienated when they are sent to prisons far away from the District. This alienation can lead to prisoners becoming disconnected from their communities and families.

Halfway houses provide a bridge for these returning citizens to transition smoothly back into the community by helping them secure employment, receive services they need to

basic life tasks, such as taking the Metro reintegrate, and connections to past support or bus and navigating their way around the systems. With just over 4,000 D.C. men in District, along with more complex tasks such BOP federal custody as of September 2018, as housing, employment, and reentering a halfway houses play an essential role in the community they have been distanced from,” reintegration process as about half choose to according to the 2013 CIC inspection report. finish out their sentences at one.

There have been no subsequent inspections By closing down the only halfway house of Hope Village conducted by the CIC. for men in the District, an additional step is The Council of Court Excellence cited created for returning citizens as they are sent and reinforced the CIC’s findings in the to Baltimore and Delaware for reintegration.

2016 report identifying challenges that all They may become further alienated from returning citizens face, not just those who their community, families, and other support were federally incarcerated. The lack of systems. In addition, connections or contacts affordable housing, employment, and access they make during their stay would not be of to physical and mental care much use in their return to were challenges that were D.C. after their stint at the among the reports findings. halfway house is over.

To address these “I think people don’t challenges, the CCE recognize the true impact that gave recommendations closing Hope Village has,” to the District that would Libert said. likely make the most The biggest obstacle that significant impact. One such Libert pinpointed is the fact recommendation was not that these men will lose out on to renew Hope Village’s job opportunities and sources contract under the BOP. for potential jobs by being “Instead, it should use the sent to a halfway house that updated statement of work is not in D.C. Employment Tara Libert to hold a new halfway house is a big portion of the parole provider accountable for offering high-quality process and if they fail to be employed within services,” according to the CCE’s report. a certain time, they violate the parole and get The nonprofit, CORE DC, had plans for sent back to prison. a new halfway house in D.C. after it was While Hope Village fills a critical need, the awarded a federal contract by the BOP last halfway house has been nicknamed “Hopeyear. Those plans were met with backlash by less Village,” by many former and current residents from the surrounding community residents. Some prisoners have chosen to finish and Hope Village, thus causing Douglas their sentences in federal prison rather than go Development to back out of the lease with through D.C.’s halfway house. This information CORE DC for the property. There has not is part of what prompted the CIC to do its first been any additional information given by ever inspection of a facility in D.C. CORE DC or the BOP regarding the situation.

During that inspection, current and former “I felt like it would’ve been bad for me residents told the CIC that the halfway house to go there.” said Davon Benton, a formerly lacked quality drug aftercare and substance incarcerated 23-year-old man who receives abuse prevention programs. These were not services from Free Minds. “I had only heard the only services reported to be unhelpful. bad things about Hope Village. People would “Residents feel unprepared to complete

“I think people don’t recognize the true impact that closing Hope Village has.”

come back to the prison from there upset because they weren’t getting the help they needed. So when I was given the choice to go there, I said ‘no.’”

Benton said that when he was eventually released, without time spent in a halfway house working with a case manager and pursuing work opportunities, he struggled to connect with services that could help him get back on his feet.

“They told me that this place could help you with this and then this other one could help you with this other thing. Never did I get any directions of how to get these services, just where to go to.” Benton said. “And a lot of them just gave me the run around.”

According to the CCE report, agencies like the D.C. Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs are unable to serve everyone who needs their assistance because of a lack of funding. Another recommendation in their 2016 report was to fully fund MORCA so that it could function as a hub for re-entry services rather than referring clients to resources scattered across the city. This would mitigate the confusion and frustration that Benton described.

“We can’t measure the emotional impact it takes on these men.” Libert said.

Benton partially credited his success to his will power and ability to achieve whatever he sets his mind to. “Even with this strong mindset though, I still needed help. Some people don’t have that mindset, so when they don’t receive the help, it’s easy for them to just quit.

“Free Minds gave me that direction and taught me how I could actually access these services. That was the biggest help to me,” Benton said.

“We need a halfway house here in D.C.,” said Rev. Graylan Hagler Hagler, who has been a prominent voice advocating for the construction of a new halfway house in the District and has been a longtime activist.

“These halfway houses play such a critical role in returning home for these men.”

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Opinion

The coming storm for D.C.’s citizens with disabilities

By Barbara Merrill

Operating a hand drill at Vultee-Nashville, woman is working on a “Vengeance” dive bomber, Tennessee. Photo by Alfred T Palmer,

courtesy of the Library of Congress

Will Black and poor people be left out of the future of work?

By Angie Whitehurst

My friend in Atlanta sent me a text one morning about the lack of jobs and moneygenerating opportunities for Black people in America because of technology and lack of needed workforce training. I think Black women will fair a little better in the changing economy, as the aging population will require job skills many of them already have: nursing assistance and home health aide skills.

But I agree that there will be difficulty, as historically we have been last to have access and the first to be ignored and dismissed.

Unfortunately, it is probably the majority of humans in the United States—regardless of race, color and creed—who will feel the effects of a changing economy. The low-end labor will likely be in other countries, in the assembly lines at Alibaba, Amazon and other online retailers. Those workers definitely won’t be here in the USA. Of course Black people and poor people are affected socioeconomically in the severest ways! Technology is a tool—we have to look around and identify where it is used, how it is used, and what jobs and educational opportunities it can bring to young people, adults and seniors alike.

I’m worried though that Black people and the poor will be excluded from labor-intensive jobs — like teachers, doctors, farmers, and policemen. In order to get and keep housing, money is definitely needed! Now let us do something to insure housing and the end of homelessness, before we are erased from being employable.

Angie Whitehurst is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

The $15 per hour minimum wage in the District can more involved than a minimum-wage job, and cannot be lift all ships, but only if the DC Council takes action treated as such. The proposed legislation aids in solving this session to support people with intellectual and this crisis with successful strategies used in neighboring developmental disabilities—and forestalls a crisis facing Montgomery County to raise reimbursement rates and the fragile, embattled workforce of dedicated caregivers keep the direct support professional workforce ahead of who support them. a typical D.C. minimum wage worker.

One of the most important decisions on the DC Council’s All 13 city councilmembers recently stood in unison plate this fall is to pass the Direct Support Professional against the District’s announced closure of a 14-year Payment Rate Act of 2019, initiated by Councilmember contract with Georgetown University that provides medical Brianne Nadeau. This goal of this bill is to create a tiered and social services and helps people with disabilities at wage system, based on training and experience for direct critical moments in their journeys. The Council sent a support professionals—the people who assist individuals letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser asking to her extend the with disabilities in doing everything from bathing and transition period, make sure it is seamless and avoid gaps taking medications, to preparing meals and participating in services for D.C.’s most vulnerable residents. in activities in their community.

We, too, were concerned to learn of the end of the Ésme Grewal, former vice president of government Georgetown contract, but the bigger picture here is that relations at the disability provider association ANCOR, the strength of the service system—which was under illustrated the stakes clearly this summer when she spoke legal scrutiny for 40 years during the Evans litigation— to a packed room of stakeholders giving testimony in is frayed and only going to worsen if recruitment and support of the bill. She said “the [direct support retention remain unaddressed. professionals] workforce is struggling with high turnover For years, we’ve seen an eroding gap between the and vacancy rates, which makes it difficult to maintain minimum wage and living wage in D.C., mixed with high quality of care for individuals with disabilities.” an indisputable crisis in direct support professional The DC Coalition of Disability Service Providers has recruitment, retention and staffing. The turnover rate also been sounding the alarm: For more than two years, this year for direct support professionals in intellectual it has advocated for the need to adequately compensate and developmental disabilities is projected to be almost critical workers in the disability support field.

40 percent by the end of the year, according to a survey How does this relate to the $15 per hour minimum wage? of our members. The vacancy rate in the industry is Human support services for people with disabilities must be approaching 12 percent. Those metrics are unsustainable performed by a dedicated, responsible and compassionate in a field that provides lifeline services for a growing support staff. And in order to recruit and retain a workforce population in need—and that already faces a workforce capable of providing these supports, these workers need a shortage here and nationally. wage that allows them to perform this demanding job while With this legislation, the DC Council has a critical still being able to live in the District. opportunity to implement a tiered funding system that When the District’s minimum wage equals the living supports our District’s most vulnerable. It should consider wage in July 2020, the economic incentive that has the impact of not taking action and effect on individuals existed for the last six years (which in 2013 allowed and families that depend on consistent, highly trained staff. for wages that were 62 percent higher than the DC It was only a couple years ago that the District emerged minimum wage) will have eroded to nothing. Presently, from 40 years of mandated court supervision for people a worker in this field—who must complete dozens of with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Let’s hours of training and is entrusted with the lives of the not allow history to repeat itself by underfunding the city’s most vulnerable citizens—is funded at 50 cents wages of the workforce and undercutting the success of per hour higher than a minimum-wage job. That is an the District’s citizens receiving support. incredible amount of responsibility for only $20 per week Barbara Merrill is the chief executive officer at ANCOR. Ian more than a full time-minimum wage job.

Paregol is the executive director of DC Coalition of Disability People who leave the field aren’t lacking in passion for Service Providers. disability support service work or trying to make a quick buck.

They’re low-wage workers trying to - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community? patch together a - Want to share firsthand experience? living, sometimes - Interested in responding to what someone else has written? holding multiple jobs just to make Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. ends meet.

We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate.

Quite simply, Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org. the role of a direct support professional is

Join the conversation, share your views

streetsensemedia.org

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Ilustration courtesy of Hyokano/Flikr

The Evil Triumvirate, Part 2:

How does our nation get out of this mess?

By Jeff Taylor

When I last wrote I ended on a less than optimistic note. Our democracy is on the verge of going down the crapper thanks to a lawless president and his administration; an enabling Republican party that's fairly lawless in their own right; and all buttressed by an attorney general who believes a sitting president is above the law so long as he is a Republican.

We really, really screwed up by allowing someone so utterly and criminally unqualified to occupy the highest office in the land. Much damage has been done to our nation's institutions.

Some can be undone, some maybe not. Many lives have been lost due to failed government responses, needlessly but intentionally cruel immigration policies, and outright incitement of violence against our fellow citizens.

In the middle of writing this piece news broke in the news media of the Ukraine scandal, and a few days later Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry would commence. This is hopefully a game changer.

Before Pelosi's announcement on Sept. 24, the question of whether or not Democrats would attempt to impeach was very much up in the air. But now that that question has finally been answered, the articles of impeachment will be quite a list since there will be six committees each doing their own work instead of just one.

As difficult as it has been to get House Dems to move even a little more forcefully toward impeaching Trump, there's much well-founded skepticism that the Senate won’t convict the president anyway. And even if they did, that still leaves Pence and Barr to continue their own lawlessness. Pence and Barr can both be and should be impeached as well for their own malfeasance, but the chances of that happening are slim to none.

If impeachment fails to get our country headed back in the right direction, then the only other alternative (save for armed rebellion) is to beat Trump and the GOP at the polls in November 2020.

Like I said a couple issues back, it is imperative that Democrats take back control so that, among so many other things, we can move boldly forward

with action to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis which we are already in.

However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is himself up for re-election in Kentucky, has thus far refused to bring election security protection legislation to the floor of the Senate for no other reason than he doesn't want this election to be any more secure than the last one.

“Moscow” Mitch has been so very irritated by the moniker that he has finally allowed movement on getting money to the states to use toward "securing" the 2020 elections. I put "securing" in quotes because without the rest of the House-passed legislation that money does little other than allow red states to monkey around with paperless and hackable voting machines. It also does nothing to address voter suppression and other issues critical to maintaining secure and fair elections in 2020. So beating the GOP at the polls will likely be trickier than it should be. And if Russia and other nations who interfered in the 2016 election play the same game in 2020 then rebellion, armed or not, may be our last and only resort.

Recall that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen said in sworn testimony before Congress that he does not believe Trump will leave office peacefully. Recall that Barr has implied that the whole Russia investigation was a coup to illegally remove Trump from office. Consider Trump fears that he's going to jail as soon as he leaves office, or should I say, if he leaves office.

It will be imperative to crush the GOP at the polls, but even then I fear the party will not accept any results as legitimate unless they favor Republicans. And that really gets to the core of the problem with the party. It believes only it and its constituents have the legitimate right to govern. Democrats do not.

So the next year or so is going to be very interesting. We will be living in times the likes of which we may have never imagined possible. Stay informed, keep others informed.

Jeff Taylor is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.

How Republicans and Trump become the home for anti-war Democrats

By Jeffery McNeil

While the left has always been fragmented and disjointed one thing that united liberals were opposed to war. What drew me to the left was my opposition to war.

I grew up listening to songs such as Edwin Starr’s “War (what is it good for?)," Marvin Gaye’s “What's Going On” and John Lennon's “Give Peace a Chance."

So it’s surreal watching liberals on CNN and MSNBC go berserk over President troops out of Syria. There's no argument for U.S. soldiers to remain there. The objective of removing ISIS has been achieved and the global community has no intention of removing Bashar al-Assad from power.

Even the most deranged Trump hater would have to admit that since we achieved our objectives in Syria it would be wise to pull out. This year five Americans have been killed in Syria, so even if you hate the president you would think those who preach about the evils of regime change would applaud Trump for pulling out.

However, the only people applauding Trump are Republicans such as Rand Paul and Mike Lee. As with criminal justice reform, which once was the holy grail for leftists, opposing war is now a conservative cause.

While should people in the heartland have to go out and fight these globalist neocon wars?

Both Democrats and Republicans in Washington are having a meltdown over Trump pulling troops out of Syria. Why? Because of an ethnic minority called the Kurds.

While half the people in Washington wouldn’t know a Kurd if they tripped over one, they're saying we have to protect them because they are our brothers. That we need to stay there forever even though these ethnic groups have been fighting since the Garden of Eden.

You're seeing in real-time why people embrace Donald Trump -- because there was a time when Democrats were against getting us in the ethnic and religious civil wars that rage in that region.

America First meant investing in America, not the military-industrial complex or global regime change. Protectionism didn’t mean anti-colonialism or white supremacy -- it means protecting the American worker.

It isn’t just the Democrats. I’m not too fond of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan who believe regime change wars are better ways to squander our tax dollars than creating affordable homes, jobs or getting people off drugs.

I want out of wars and I want our money spent on America. I am a patriot and a U.S. citizen, not a global citizen. I’m for America and Americans. I’m compassionate and want to help others, but not this way.

While Trump may not be my ideal president I don’t subscribe to this Orange Man Bad way of thinking. I’m not so blinded by hate for this man I can’t even acknowledge that getting out of wars is a good thing.

Jeffery McNeil is a vendor and columnist for Street Sense.

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ArT

Aging out, and into homelessness

By Jennifer Mclaughlin // ARTIST/VENDOR

I grew up living in Baltimore City. When I was 18, I was independently living until I turned 21 when I aged out of foster care and ended up homeless. I stayed with my friends; I received money from the state — the state where I couldn’t afford to pay my rent. This is why I ended up homeless. It was because I no longer had the assistance, I needed from the Maryland family services or anywhere else.They tried to send me to an employment program, but I needed more than employment. I needed guidance and health care.

You need to make about $29.00 an hour to afford an apartment in D.C. and VA. Our communities should do something to help youth when they age out of foster case and may end up homeless. For instance, we should encourage young people to seek higher education instead of encouraging them toward a dead-end job. And more opportunities are needed to help them develop the skills to find relevant employment that covers the high cost of living in the area.

By iBn hipps ARTIST/VENDOR

One Paycheck By chon gotti // ARTIST/VENDOR

Some of ya’ll need to come back to reality. I see too many people out there while I’m working that downgrading people just because they can see that they are struggling.

Stop acting like you never had to call and get a bill extended. Stop acting like you never had to eat what you had because you couldn’t afford what you wanted. Stop acting like you never had to catch a bus or a ride with someone because you didn’t have a car.. Stop acting like you never had anyone in

your family or close to you who was on drugs. Stop judging people and their struggles.

Remember, God sits high and looks low. Be mindful: the struggles someone is going through today could turn and become yours tomorrow. So stay humble and let’s take good care of one another.

We only live once!.

Me and my customers appreciate your love and support for all Street Sense Media vendors. Thank you for reading!.

life on the ground By laticia Brock // ARTIST/VENDOR

TO: Mayor Muriel Bowser FROM: Pwezzy Village and Citizens of Tent City RE: Us DATE: Sept 4 Dear Mayor Bowser: Why do I yell from inside my tent?

Because of bad breathing from sleeping over the vent.

Comes from lack of housing, caused by the government.

Can’t you tell the neglect?

Look at the tents; it’s evident.

How can you sleep when we in the streets?

If you’d see us once you’d know it’s ridiculous.

So all you gotta do is use that budget, mayor And stop acting like our tents ain’t there.

Dedicated to all the fallen soldiers of Tent City.

Rest in peace, Daddy Mike.

Without a Meaning

THIs Is MY LIfe By alice carter, A.K.A “BaBy alice” ARTIST/VENDOR

What is good without bad?

What is sadness without happiness?

What is life without meaning?

A black hole.

Loose and about.

A wandering hitchhiker without a thumber.

A fisherman without a net to catch his daily bread.

A head without a brain.

Life is what you make it, so they say.

So, be careful of what you make of it.

God forgives a lot, while people forgive less than that.

So, what is false and what is facts?

And what goes around must come back.

We were created with and for a cause, But live without meaning to find what was lost.

The true prize we would like to have, with no conquest or strive.

Seeing is believing.

The blind is seeing and others see with great dreams.

When I have a problem I’m all by myself. all my “friends” put knives in my back.

Hate opens hell’s gate, and faith sunned for its heavenly state.

Seeing is believing, that’s what was told 2 me.

Best friends at crossroads meet.

I live in a lonely world, just trying to survive.

Extreme weather in the lives of those whom I suppose can’t get it together.

Satanic ways giving hope to lost souls.

Naked bones squeeze hate for total domination Full mind control, a poison race Murder for two meals a day.

Trying to keep everything together trying to do something productive trying to create something unique.

Performing my poetry, at Busboys and Poets.

There’s no time to backtrack; there’s too much ahead.

I’ll stop at nothing, until I do what I’m trying to do whatever that is.

This little light of mine Tainted by the hate That people’s oppression is the winner S the angel of death will befriend them.

Everything happens for a reason.

Mankind exists for more than just being because of disobedience when he was replaced from something so bliss “Oh,” what a heavenly place.

streetsensemedia.org

Having Faith in God

Try to understand, it could happen to you

By Dwayne Butler // ARTIST/VENDOR

By JaMes gartrell // ARTIST/VENDOR

I have faith in my God. I believe someday I will have everything I need to survive, and God will provide me with everything I need and more in the future.

God is present and in control of all details.

When I’m facing a physical or non-physical challenge, I believe in God and his healing power.

Having faith in my God, no matter what has happened to me, is a great feeling. His miracleworking power in everything helps me turn away from all that is negative, and I love it.

God will always be on your side if you are on His side: trusting in him; believing him; and always living by his rules and regulations.

He loves us and wants us to be happy and prosper.

Serve him and you will see how much happier you can be!

It’s hard but fair to go through what I go through.

Especially when both of my parents are deceased.

In my issues, situations of where I came from were very dramatic. My struggle was always back in time, committed crime, in court and survived my time doing time!

I recently just got out of prison and I’m trying to change and turn my life around in a way that meets the goals I have set for myself. Taking the necessary steps to achieve these goals, means one day I will achieve them. The Creator knows best.

I say to you all, as person to person, man to man, man to woman: Before you look and judge a person that’s on the street trying to survive and earn enough money to at least meet the day’s needs, remember it can happen to you.

The Creator works in mysterious ways. So, don’t judge a book by its cover. Life is too short to be disliking another person because of how they look, how they make their living, or what they do in life.

Try to understand the ways other people are living,

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going through day to day, and what’s on their mind.

Attitudes come in many forms. However, respect the mind frame of people as you would like for them to respect yours.

As I still contemplate how to begin making a living, all I can do is pray to my higher power to bless, protect, and guide me to a perfect way of living.

My Creator has been good to me. Some of you, as law-abiding citizens, honest in your living day by day, can relate to what I have been saying. If you can spend your honest and hard-earned money after you paid your bills, you can have an open mind with a good-intentioned heart to help those less fortunate than you — then you’ve achieved a certain level of open-mindedness.

And I can tell you, that’s what The Post Office mail crew does for me and others. So do the people in the building at 1200 and M Street, with the Daily Grill crew as well. You, as an individual, can give. You can help. Every little bit helps.

So, I end this by saying God Bless you with a positive way to live.

My Voucher By ronalD sMoot // ARTIST/VENDOR

THe prObLeM wITH prIDe AND prOUD By reV. John f. littleJohn // ARTIST/VENDOR

What is “Pride”? Well, one definition is an undue confidence in and attention to one’s own skills, accomplishments, state, possessions or position.

Pride is easier to recognize than to define. Easier to recognize in others than in oneself.

What is “Proud”? Well one definition is having proper self-respect.

People who achieve an extra-ordinary level of fame or reputation, while they are still alive, are often call a legend in their own time.

A karate instructor who taught professionally says he met many people in the world of sports who were only a legend in their own mind.

Pride has a way of distorting how we see ourselves while humility offers a realistic perspective.

The writers of “Proverbs” who Solomon said ‘pride goes before destruction, haughtily spirit before a fall.’

The Holy Bible talks about “Proud” in the Book of James 8:6 and says: ‘But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resists the “Proud”, but giveth peace unto the humble”.

We must stay “Proud” of ourselves and have “Pride” in what we do and say regarding the task of ending homelessness.

Most organizations such as “Churches” and “Homeless Shelters” take a certain amount of “Pride” and are “Proud” of what they say and do for the homeless person.

There is nothing wrong receiving accolades for achievements and success. The challenge is to stay focused on the One who calls us to follow Him, saying “For I am gentle and humble in hearts, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Once again, I say a “Blessing”, give cheerfully to those in need and likewise receive in like kind what is given also, by those who have been blessed with more than they need.

Nowadays everybody wants to be in control, wants to be a leader. But there must also be followers. With no information and no direction, those exhibiting “Pride” are not prepared to be leaders.

All they have to do, however, is bow down and ask the Lord to be their guide. True humility comes from God. Guidance, in Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “First trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct they paths. If God be with us, who can be against us.”

God is very good to me. I waited five and a half years and I got my voucher in 2017, in March.

I was supposed to move into my new place on March 6, 2017 but I was locked up for 22 months and when I got out, I put in a lot of footwork to get my voucher back.

I finally got my voucher. Friend Place was a lot of help. They went to the meeting and spoke on my behalf to help me get the voucher back. I appreciated so much what they did for me. A member of Street Sense Media was also there to speak on my behalf. With their help and God’s, I got my voucher back and I am so excited to have my own apartment. It means the world to me; I don’t ever have to be homeless again.

I’ve been to so many transitional programs in the course of being homeless and I dealt with so many different people—so many of the people I dealt with were very nice and some were not-so-nice, s hared rooms with people over these years and went through dealing with their problems as well as my own— now I can just enjoy my new place.

I must now wait only another 2 to 3 weeks before my voucher is in my hands and then I can look for my apartment.

If you pray, God will answer.

9 1 6 7 8

4

2

3

fUN & GAMes

Challenging Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 1, Book 2

Sudoku #3 1

2

6

6 9 3

8

3 1 9

4

2

9

2

6

3 5

4 8

8

7

8

6

Everything needs a little oil now and then.

5

1 4 // st reet sen s e me di a / / o Ct. 1 6 - 2 9 , 2019

By patty sMith Artist/Vendor

9

© 2013 KrazyDad.com

Challenging Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 1, Book 2

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each #2 3-by-3 block contain all of the Sudoku digits 1 thru 9.

Fill in 8 9 If SUDOKU: 3 puzzle 1 2without 5 guesswork.

9 6 7 8 4 you use logic you can solve the the blank squares so that 7 3 6 Need 5 9a logical 2 8order7to solve 1 4 shows 6 3 a littleeach help? row, The hints page the puzzle.

Use it to identify next square you should solve. Or use the answers page each columntheand if you really get stuck.

2 4 5 each 3-by-3 block 7 8 6 4 1 3 2 5 9 8 9 1 contain all of the 9 2 3 1 7 5 8 4 6 4 6 3 digits 1-9.

6 4 8 9 3 2 1 7 5 5 2 7 5 7 1 8 6 4 3 9 2 LAST 9 1 8 2 3 7 6 5 9 4 1 8 EDITION’S 8 9 4 3 2 1 5 6 7 3 7 4 PUZZLE SOLUTION >> 6 5 2 1 6 5 7 4 8 9 2 3 1

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

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

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

6 3

2 1 7 5

8 9 4

9 3 1 5 4 2 8 6

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

Promise

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

6 1 2

7

9

3

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

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

2

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

7 6

5

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

6 9 3 2 1 5

I have saved all my hopes and dream on you.

Someone said the other day, you was on your knees, you really needed me.

All the times we had.

Please don’t leave me, standing all by myself.

Not for a cheap thrill.

Rumor has it you’re leaving me.

But the day you stepped into my life; I made this promise to always be there for you.

So, stay with me.

How to acquire housing By clarence p. williaMs Artist/Vendor

I believe that it is very important to help inform people about what is necessary to obtain housing. I think that one of the most damaging factors in the homeless community is that a lot of people don’t know where to find the information needed to change their living situation.

There are many factors, such as mental health, finances, and a total disregard by DC government to provide the resources required to help get people off the streets.

One suggestion I think would help solve this problem is by putting a section in each copy of Street Sense Media with this information.

This one is very special to me.

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.

streetsensemedia.org

COMMUNITY serVICes

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

(202) 399-7093

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE Línea directa de violencia doméstica

(202) 547-7777

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 202-265-2400 (nW) // 561-8587 (se) 1525 7th st., nW // 1640 good Hope rd., se breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 good Hope rd., se calvaryservices.org

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

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 massachusetts ave., nW missiondc.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut ave., nW charliesplacedc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia rd., nW christhouse.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 eye st., nW fathermckennacenter.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 219 riggs rd., ne foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)

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

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin ave., nW georgetownministrycenter.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd st., nW jobshavepriority.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 newton st., nW loavesandfishesdc.org

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

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 2114 14th st., nW marthastable.org

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 e st., nW cflsdc.org

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 virginia ave., nW miriamskitchen.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 mississippi ave., se covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 massachusetts ave., nW dccfh.org

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

1-800-799-7233

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

1-888-793-4357 Laundry Lavandería

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th st., nW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th st., nW samaritaninns.org

Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton st., nW // 202-889-7702 // 1345 u st., se samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th st., se sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 o st., nW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert st., nW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 newton st., nW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care // 202-745-4300 3020 14th st., nW unityhealthcare.org

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

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.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

// 15

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th st., nW // 202-745-7000 2301 mlK Jr. ave., se // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

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

HeLp! we’re LOOKING fOr

volunteers Become a street sense media volunteer and help further our mission to empower people experiencing homelessness. get to know the vendors and make a difference in their lives and yours! you’ll support hard-working newspaper vendors by volunteering your time, four hours a week, distributing newspapers at the street sense media office. if interested, please contact gladys robert gladys@streetsensemedia.org 202-347-2006 (x10)

Confronting history to tackle the housing crisis

By Joanne zuhl // Street Roots — Portland, OR

C

ongressman Earl Blumenauer doesn’t consider himself naïve. He’s been in politics most of his life: from the Portland City Council to serving Oregon’s third congressional district for more than two decades in Washington, D.C. But this summer he experienced an awakening of sorts—spurred on by this year’s 400th anniversary of U.S. slavery—about how much our national housing crisis is rooted in systemic racism.

“It’s taken me recent months to come to grips with the scale of government-sanctioned segregation—closing people out of programs—how pernicious it has been and its compounding effect,” Blumenauer says, during an interview at Street Roots’ office. “It’s a scandal… When you look at the big picture in terms of what happened to African-American veterans, what happened with New Deal projects, and, more recently, with redlining and sundown laws—these are all government-sanctioned discrimination against significant portions of the population.”

His research on the issue, and his proposals for solving the nation’s housing crisis, comprise a new report by his office titled “Locked Out: Reversing Federal Housing Failures and Unlocking Opportunity.” Blumenauer was in Portland to talk about the report and his plan for how the federal government can address public housing shortages, homelessness, skyrocketing rental prices, homeownership inequity and discrimination.

Shelter and housing, he told Street Roots, are a fundamental human right, along the lines of nutrition and health care, and they are worthy of federal support, rather than neglect.

However, what federal support there has been has historically and deliberately favored white homeowners and discriminated against communities of color.

“We spend lots of money on housing,” Blumenauer explains. “We spend billions every year. But it just tends to be concentrated on those who need help the least, and we shortchange those who need help the most. It’s long overdue that we acknowledge it.”

Blumenauer’s report is part policy map and part history lesson.

It looks back to the roots of the nation’s housing programs, from the theft of Native American lands to the subsidized housing built cheaply for white settlers by enslaved Africans.

Owning property quickly became the chief source of wealth in the new country, and for centuries it was reserved almost exclusively for white people.

Even after the turn of the century, with African-American workers providing labor during World War I, housing was substandard. Discrimination existed legally when it came to securing home loans or benefits from the Veterans Administration, the report notes.

And local governments freely mandated segregated housing developments. The GI Bill, with its guaranteed housing loans, was a vehicle of wealth for white veterans buying new homes in the suburbs. But banks wouldn’t loan to black veterans for homes in black neighborhoods, and housing convenents and racism kept them out of white communities.

The federal government was investing signficantly in housing during this time. In 1934, Congress passed the Housing Act, creating the Federal Housing Administration and providing loans for housing and home improvements. “These loans helped subsidize neighborhoods built entirely for whites, with explicit requirements that none of the homes be sold to African Americans,” according to the report.

Subsequent programs in the ’40s and ’50s continued to push housing development in white communities and deny access to

image Courtesy oF marKus sPisKe // unsPlasH.Com

African Americans. “African Americans would continue to be denied access to federal programs, as well as the right to buy homes in white neighborhoods, even if they could afford it,” the report states. “If they were able to buy a home in a white neighborhood, they faced fierce opposition and sometimes violence.”

In 1969—only 50 years ago—Congress passed the Fair Housing Act. It prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental or financing of housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or ability. It called for the federal housing administration to prevent segregation and discrimination based on race and to ensure housing was available to all. “Many developers and public housing authorities blatantly ignored the law and continued to discriminate for decades,” the report notes.

Blumenauer doesn’t buy the argument that the solution should be left to a free market and not the government.

“The private sector has had dramatic assistance from the government,” Blumenauer says. “What’s happened with exclusionary zoning programs, what’s happened with the loan programs, what’s happened with the tax system. There’s no free market for housing in this country. You’ll look in vain. And we need to acknowledge that.”

As a result of being robbed of wealth-building tools for generations, progress was slow-moving under the Fair Housing Act. But homeownership rates did improve among black households, approaching 50 per cent at one point. But that progress has receded. In 2018, the black homeownership rate nationally was just 43 per cent—nearly 30 percentage points below white ownership.

In his report, Blumenauer provides 22 ideas by which to correct the nation’s housing crisis. Chief among them is ramping up investments in housing for extremely lowincome renters, which necessitates the availability of public housing. That means repealing the Faircloth Amendment. As of October 1999, the Faircloth Amendment prohibits public housing authorities from constructing new public housing if it would create a net increase in public housing. Over the intervening 20 years, public housing stock has declined—with an estimated $35 billion shortfall in investment for maintenance and construction and a wait list totalling 1.6 million people nationally, according to Blumenauer.

“One of the things that drives me crazy is the fact that we’re prohibited from investing in public housing,” the congressman says. “The only way we can help people with extremely lowincomes is via federal investment. The private sector cannot support them, won’t support them and can’t afford to support them—and doesn’t want to.”

One way to finance that investment is to change the mortgage interest deduction, a $30 billion national subsidy that is given to homeowners and tiered to benefit the wealthiest Americans most. It is even offered on second homes. Blumenauer wants to end the deduction on second homes and restructure the deduction into a tax credit capped at 15 per cent of interest paid, which would apply to all taxpayers and not just the small fraction who itemize their tax returns.

He would also create a renter’s tax credit so low-income renters wouldn’t have to pay more than 30 per cent of their income toward rent—the percentage the federal government considers affordable.

According to the report, more than half of all renters pay more than 30 per cent on rent. In Multnomah County, approximately 1 out of every 4 renters is paying more than 50 per cent of their household income on rent. For renters with extremely low incomes, 3 out of 4 are paying above 50 per cent.

Blumenauer is also calling on the federal government to enforce the anti-discrimination laws already on the books and to establish targeted loan programs for populations that have been discriminated against for generations. Blumenauer proposes a new Restorative Justice Home Loan Guarantee Program to support homeownership for first-time homebuyers living in formerly redlined or segregated areas. He would also reinstate the first-time homebuyer credit, which was in place between 2008 and 2011.

Other initiatives include doubling homeless assistance funding, increasing funding for eviction prevention, providing federal incentives for statewide caps on rent increases and expanding Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers to cover everyone who is eligible. Currently, only about 1 in every 4 applicants receives a voucher. According to the report, there are 2.8 million families waiting for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

Blumenauer returned to Washington after the August recess with plans to shop his proposals among lawmakers for policy action, and he hopes the context of our current housing crisis will help drive change.

“I do not underestimate the power of knowledge and understanding,” he says. “The more people understand how we got to where we are now, and how we disadvantaged certain populations, particulary African Americans and Native Americans, we can help flip the script a bit. I hope to have people understand that we have an obligation to help people who have been suffering from these policies for generations [and] to understand that we’re paying a tremendous price right now for that failure.”

Courtesy of Street Roots / INSP.ngo

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

From your vendor OCT. 16 - 29, 2019 | volume 16 issue 25

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