10 20 2021 by Street Sense Media

VOL. 18 ISSUE 38

OCT. 20 - 26, 2021

Real Stories

National Park Service closes another DC park, pushing people nd out for 2 time

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

@ STREETSENSEDC

Real People

suggested donation goes directly to your vendor

Real Change

2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // O C T. 2 0 - 2 6 , 2021

BUSINESS MODEL

How It Works

Street Sense Media publishes the newspaper

Each vendor functions as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, managing their own business to earn an income and increase stability in their life.

$2.00

YOUR SUGGESTED

$.50 Vendors pay

DONATION

per newspaper copy

goes directly to your vendor, empowering them to overcome homelessness and poverty

NO CASH? NO PROBLEM.

Pay vendors with the Street Sense Media app! S earch “S treet S ense ” in your app store .

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AVA I L A B L E

Brian Carome

As self-employed contractors, our vendors follow a code of conduct. 1. Street Sense will be distributed for a voluntary donation of $2.00. I agree not to ask for more than $2.00 or solicit donations for Street Sense Media by any other means. 2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not sell papers to other vendors. 3. I agree to treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and other vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making a donation, or in engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices. 4. I agree not to distribute copies of Street Sense on metro trains and buses or on private property. 5. I agree to abide by the Street Sense Media vendor territorial policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes I have with other vendors in a professional manner.

6. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media, but an independent contractor. 7. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when distributing Street Sense.

PHOTO BY MAYDEEN MERINO maydeen.merino@ streetsensemedia.org

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT

Doris Warrell

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR PROGRAMS

Darick Brown

CASE MANAGER

8. I will not distribute Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Leo Grayburn

9. I understand that my badge and (if applicable) vest are property of Street Sense Media, and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing Street Sense. I will always display my badge when distributing Street Sense.

Thomas Ratliff

10. I agree to support Street Sense Media’s mission statement. In doing so I will work to support the Street Sense community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity.

INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW

NPS removed David, a homeless resident, from a Capitol Hill encampment on Oct. 15.

Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Jeremy Bratt, David Cloe, Clare Krupin, Jennifer Park, Michael Phillips, Dan Schwartz, John Senn, Aaron Stetter, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

The Cover

VENDORS Jeffery McNeil, Jermale McKnight, Archie Thomas, Lawrence Autry, Mark Jones, Samuel Fullwood, James Davis, Phillip Black, Joseph Walker, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Reginald Black, Sybil Taylor, Conrad Cheek, Evelyn Nnam, Daniel Ball, Charles Woods, Frederic John, Robert Warren, James Hughes, Beverly Sutton, Andre Brinson, Charles Armstrong, Marcus Green, Derian Hickman, Debora Brantley, Jacqueline Turner, Vennie Hill, John Littlejohn, Earl Parker, Patty Smith, Aida Peery, Morgan Jones, Eric Thompson-Bey, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Jewel Lewis, Doris Robinson, Melody Byrd, Gerald Anderson, Michael Warner, Brianna Butler, Donald Brown, Levester Green, Ronald Smoot, Chon Gotti, Joseph Joe Jackson, Sasha Williams, Ron Dudley, Juliene Kengnie, Darlesha Joyner, Ricardo Meriedy, Gracias Garcias, Collins Mukasa, Jemel Fleming, Floyd Carter, Larry Kelley, Latishia Wynn, Curtis Clark, David Snyder, Abel Putu, Sheila White, Chad Jackson, Reginald C. Denny, Jacquelyn Portee, Kunle Henderson, Marcellus Phillips, Rita Sauls, Laticia Brock, Fredrick Jewell, Anthony Carney, Jet Flegette, Patricia Donaldson, George Gray, Wendell Williams, Reggie Jones, Marcus McCall, Henry Johnson, Ayub Abdul, Queenie Featherstone, Corey Sanders, Mary Sellman, Jenkins Daltton, Kym Parker, Don Gardner, Pierre Johnson, Julius Donte’ Turner, Rochelle Walker, Jeffrey Carter, Abraham Aly, Michele Rochon, Anthony Pratt, Carlos Carolina, Morris Graham, Malcolm Scott Jr., Andrew Anderson, James Fuller, Jennifer McLaughlin, Amia Walker, Lonnie Wiggins, Alex AJ, Julie Fullwood

The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper 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.

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES

Morris Graham, Aida Peery, Clifford Samuels

VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS

Jeff Barger, Haley Gallagher, Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Kevin Jaatinen, Jacob Kuba, Eva Reeves, Mauricio Reyes

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Eric Falquero

DEPUTY EDITOR

Gordon Chaffin

STAFF REPORTER

Will Schick

WRITERS GROUP ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Willie Schatz

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

Claire Harvey, Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Lydia DePillis

INTERNS

Spencer Donovan, Jamaica Kalika, Michelle Levine, Mayden Merino, Irene Si

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Megan Boyanton, Lilah Burke, Lenika Cruz, Kelsey Falquero, Roberta Haber, Allison Hageman, Alison Henry, Priya Rhoehit, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

EVENTS

// 3

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF EMPOWER DC

AT A GLANCE

Deadline announced for STAY DC, three application-assistance sessions Last week the city announced that funds for the STAY D.C. rental and utility assistance are running out, and all remaining applications must be submitted by Oct. 27! As a DC renter, you can apply for STAY D.C. to cover back rent balances as well as gas, electric, water or internet utility bills from April 1, 2020 through the end of this year. If you need rental or utility assistance and have not yet submitted your application please do so immediately! You can go to the stay.dc.gov website or call the hotline at 833-478-2932. If you need assistance with your application, please come to one of the scheduled events. Let us know you are coming. RSVP: tinyurl.com/empowerdc-staydc THURSDAY, OCT. 21

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 20 // 2 - 7 p.m. Ivy City Clubhouse 1832 Central Pl, NE SATURDAY, OCT. 23 // 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Ivy City Clubhouse 1832 Central Pl, NE

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

Panel: Eviction Diversion post COVID-19 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. Virtual Meeting (Zoom)

Strategic Planning Committee Oct. 26, 2:30 - 4 p.m. // Virtual

Panel of experts to discuss short- and long-term strategies for eviction diversion in D.C. and strategies to mitigate the negative personal and social impacts of eviction.

Emergency Response and Shelter Operations Committee Oct. 27, 1 p.m. // Virtual ***For call-in information, as well as meeting info for unlisted working groups, contact: ich.dmhhs@dc.gov

TUESDAY, OCT. 26

D.C. Council Hearing on Transportation Access, Housing, & Health 10 a.m. Virtual Hearing The purpose of this hearing will be to examine how can transit recovery be focused on workers and neighborhoods most reliant on public transit. Watch or Testify: tinyurl.com/ Council-Transit-Oct21

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

AUDIENCE EXCHANGE Will Schick

@schick_will

BIRTHDAYS Daniel Ball Oct. 25 ARTIST/VENDOR

TUESDAY, OCT 26TH 1 - 4 p.m. New Macedonia Baptist Church 4115 Alabama Ave, SE

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

Info and RSVP: tinyurl.com/ CNHED-Eviction-Event

Daniel Ball

Jonah Goodman @ANCJonah

Reading @washingtonpost this morning and delighted to see mention of reporting from @streetsensedc’s very own @GordonAChaffin. If you’d like to read more please visit https://dchomelesscrisis.press

Really appreciate @streetsensedc covering air filtration issues at our schools and ANC 4B and 4C’s resolution asking for a public dashboard to provide more transparency to the problems: https://tinyurl.com/ssm-filtration-story

8:26 AM · OCT. 14, 2021

7:15 PM · OCT. 14, 2021

VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • The October vendor meeting will be held this Friday, Oct 22, at 2 p.m. Have some pizza, get 10 papers, and speak your mind. • Take a Vendor Survey this week and get 10 papers. See Leo, Darick or Thomas.” • Vendors can bring in a complete CDC vaccination card for 15 papers.

4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // O C T. 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 021

NEWS

DC programs connect job seekers and employers during national hiring struggles

BY MICHELLE LEVINE michelle.levine@streetsensemedia.org

A small sign announces an open food service job in downtown D.C. // PHOTO BY MICHELLE LEVINE

mployers nationwide, mostly in service and lowskill industries, have struggled to find willing workers for many reasons — including fear of COVID-19 and lack of childcare options. Meanwhile, job seekers have struggled to find positions they find desirable. Several local D.C. programs are working to bridge the gap and place applicants into reliable jobs.

Unemployment in DC Throughout the pandemic, many of the District’s businesses that provide services either furloughed the majority of their staff or closed operations completely. As pre-pandemic activities resume, many businesses are struggling to meet customer demand while striking out repeatedly on efforts to staff up again. “As of June 2021, nearly half the small businesses that operated in January of 2020 were closed, and revenue was down by about 57%,” according to a D.C. Policy Center report commissioned by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. Those closures were concentrated in “consumer-facing industries” such as leisure and hospitality, where employment remained 35% below February 2020 levels. In contrast, the report found, employment in office-based jobs was only 3% below February 2020 levels. There were at least 51,000 job openings in D.C. in August. That’s nearly two openings for every unemployed person, according to data from the Department of Employment Services (DOES). But, employers say many positions remain unfilled. For example, Tryst Trading Company owns six different restaurants throughout the District and one catering company. Before the pandemic, the company had about 340 employees across all locations. That number dropped to six in March 2020. Company owner Constantine Stavropoulos said the past year and a half has been the most challenging of his 23 years in the restaurant industry. “We’ve never experienced this kind of hiring dilemma, or crisis, I think that’s the best way to describe it,” Stavropoulos said. Stavropoulos has slowly reopened four of his six restaurants. He kept in contact with the 340 people he let go and has offered nearly all of them the option to return. But only about 100 of the company’s former employees have returned. To fill the gap and keep up with increasing

demand, Stavropoulos recruited about 40 new employees. However, he is still looking to hire so he can resume prepandemic operations at all seven of his businesses. In Wards 7 and 8, residents are experiencing unemployment at higher rates than the rest of the District, according to DOES data. In August, Ward 8 had an unemployment rate of 15.5%, the highest in the city and more than five times higher than the unemployment rates in Wards 2 or 3. Ward 8’s August 2021 unemployment rate was four percentage points higher than the same ward’s unemployment rate in January 2020, while in Wards 2 and 3, the August unemployment rate was actually lower than pre-pandemic levels. Job search data show there is a gap between the types of jobs open and what job applicants seek. Stavropoulos said that under normal circumstances, there would be a “floodgate of applicants” anytime he created a hiring post. Now, he can’t find enough people to fully staff all of his locations. He said other restaurant owners have told him they’re experiencing the same obstacle. Research conducted by the Indeed Hiring Lab (Indeed) shows that the percentage of 18-64 year old adults seeking jobs in the U.S. has not changed since June 2021, when Indeed first began

collecting data. Last month, 11.8% of people surveyed were “actively looking, urgently.” Another 16.9% were “actively looking, not urgently,” and 43.7% were passively looking. More than 72% of the 5,000 people surveyed are looking for work. Throughout the U.S., there are still many job openings. Another set of data collected by Indeed shows that U.S. job postings on the Indeed site have increased compared to prepandemic levels. As of Oct. 8, there were 46.1% more postings compared to February 2020. There is a disconnect between the type of jobs available and what job seekers are looking for. To combat this, Stavropoulos said he is working to make sure his job openings are attractive. Promoting benefits like health insurance, vacation time, in-store benefits and a competitive salary are crucial in finding employees, Stavropoulos said. Stavropoulos is not alone. Indeed reported that more job postings include hiring incentives such as raises and signing bonuses. Nearly 5% of postings on Indeed include an incentive, up from 2.3% last year. “The conventional outlets are just not yielding anything, we don’t know what to do, honestly,” Stavropoulos said. There are many reasons job seekers may not be looking

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 5

A focus on young adults

urgently for jobs. Survey respondents told Indeed that reasons they are not urgently job searching include family care responsibilities, having a spouse who is employed, having a financial cushion from savings and COVID-19 fears. Survey respondents listed all of those reasons, including pandemic fears, as more important than receiving unemployment checks.

Hiring programs in DC Friendship Place, a local housing and homeless services nonprofit, invests significantly in job training. According to the organization’s website, their AimHire program helped place 80 people in jobs in 2020 with an average pay of $15.85 per hour. In the same year, an additional 120 clients got jobs through other programs that Friendship Place partners with. The AimHire program focuses on finding suitable jobs based on the client’s interests and skills, AimHire division director David Vincenty said. Funding is provided mainly by donations from private parties; in addition, the U.S. Department of Labor provides funding specifically for homeless veterans. Vincenty said AimHire has created a strong network of employers who reach out when they are hiring. He said that right now, the best way for AimHire clients to increase their employability is to develop basic information technology (IT) skills. IT competence is one of the main skills employers seek, Vincenty said. D.C. Coalition for the Homeless (DCCFH) is another nonprofit that provides housing and training for people seeking jobs. They serve only individuals living with homelessness. Clients stay in one of many residential facilities while taking classes on resume building, job skills, interview preparation and financial literacy. Employment specialist Jerome Miller said clients of DCCFH typically have a stable job and are able to set up a bank account and provide housing for themselves within six months of working with DCCFH. According to its 2020 annual report, the organization helped 60 people secure employment last year. “When they become employed, we can see a difference. They hold themselves different. They dress different,” Miller said. An obstacle both Friendship Place and DCCFH said they have is placing people who were recently incarcerated. Both organizations are asking employers to give those clients a second chance. “If you serve your time, why have this label for life?” Vincenty said. He encouraged businesses to use their power to help those who are willing and able to work.

Finding sustainable jobs Being interested in your job is a major aspect of maintaining

it and staying happy with your work, AimHire client Dorren Nelson said. “If it doesn’t challenge me, I’m bored,” she said. Nelson said she appreciates the way staff at AimHire look at her resume and talk through different options. That feedback has been extremely helpful in finding a job that interests her, she said. “With [Friendship Place] they take into consideration your experience, your education and how they can help you,” Nelson said. Nelson said that in the past she was advised to “just take whatever was available.” Oftentimes, she said, this meant a job in the restaurant industry or at a grocery store. For someone with a degree in computer science and experience in accounting, neither option was suitable. Russell Diggs found himself in need of higher income when his mother died in 2017. He had lived with her and split the cost of rent and utilities with her. Diggs could not afford to support himself on his own income. He found help at DCCFH. Diggs and Nelson both said taking initiative and treating the job search like an actual job were crucial in finding something that worked for them. About four years after his mother died, Diggs now works as an engineer at D.C. Marriott Hotels. He lives on his own. “Things are looking really good for me,” he said. Nelson said she appreciates the work Friendship Place has done for her and her 10-year-old daughter. “I think the name speaks well of it,” she said. “It’s a very good support system.”

The Potomac Job Corps Center reopened its enrollment program Oct. 15. The center works with students aged 16-24 years old in job training and job placement. The program offers those services and housing on its 66 acre Blue Plains campus at no cost to students or their families. Job Corps is the nation’s “largest free education and job training program for young adults,” their website states. Approximately 50,000 students attend Job Corps throughout the country, with focused training in either business and finance, construction, health care, homeland security, or hospitality. U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh spoke at the enrollment event, telling the prospective trainees the center is one of many beneficial resources that help young adults find steady jobs. “We have an opportunity right now to really do some amazing things,” Walsh said in an interview. “We have to rouse so much support and love around these young people to make sure that they don’t end up on the street forever, to make sure they have a pathway to a career.” Youth are a major focus for Congress, Walsh said. This is an aspect of the large legislative package that is currently being negotiated: providing opportunities to young people, he said. “It’s about how do we lay down the foundations for the future, Walsh said to the crowd. ”That’s what the agenda is all about. Job Corps is that front door to a career for so many people.”

Help is available From private sector employment specialists to government officials, members of the D.C. community said help will be there for residents who want a job. At the Potomac Job Corps Center, Walsh emphasized that those seeking help will be served: “We’re going to make sure that every single young person that walks through that door at Job Corps, if they want, if they want to put the work in and they want to dream and they want to be successful, that when they walk out that door on that last day they’re here, they’re on a path to success.” For older adults who are seeking new jobs, Miller of DCCFH said that it is possible as long as they are willing to put effort into their job search. “Most people can be saved. They can still be helped if they want it,” Miller said. Diggs said his experience at DCCFH lined up with that sentiment: “If you help yourself, they’re gonna help you.” Diggs said he would suggest other unemployed residents look into available resources because there are a lot of opportunities available. “There’s jobs out there, you just have to go and look for them. No one will come and hand you a job,” he said.

The USA Jobs Center sits on a 66-acre campusin Southwest D.C. neighborhood Blue Plains. PHOTO BY MICHELLE LEVINE

6 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // O C T. 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 021

NEWS

A park bench sits in floodwater at East Potomac Park after a December 2020 storm. The flooding forced the National Park Service to block off swaths of the park along Washington Channel. PHOTO BY CHRIS KAIN

Extreme weather disproportionately causes health issues for unhoused people BY KAELA ROEDER // @RoederKaela

This article was originally published by The DC Line on Oct. 7, 2021. As extreme weather persists and increases nationally, floods, excessive heat and poor air quality in the District disproportionately harm those living outside, people of color, and people living east of the Anacostia River. Donté Turner, 37, has experienced the consequences of extreme weather and climate change firsthand while homeless and living outside in the District. Floods and extreme temperatures cause a variety of issues and discomforts, he said. Turner, a Street Sense Media vendor and artist, prefers living outside to living in a shelter because of past negative experiences and strict occupancy limits due to the coronavirus pandemic. Finding a dry place to stay while it’s raining is one of the more difficult feats. For example, the floods caused by Hurricane Ida in early September displaced several people living outside near him, Turner said, although his tent kept most of the rain out. “Thank God my tent is strong, but I’ve been through it without my tent,” he said. Before Turner had a tent, the best way to keep dry in a flood was to find shelter under an awning. But even with a tent, living outside is still accompanied by struggles with outdoor elements. “I wake up, I’m wet or cold or extremely hot. I can hardly sleep because the mosquitoes keep biting,” he said. “I’ve been through all of that.” Queenie Featherstone, a Street Sense Media vendor and artist who has lived in her car and couch surfed for the past 13 years, has

not experienced living outside in extreme conditions but has witnessed the difficulties many unhoused people face. “I’ve been fortunate enough to not to have to sleep in the street,” said Featherstone, 62. “I’ve never had to live in the harsh elements like that. My heart does ache for those who have to live like that.” She wishes she could help unhoused people living outside, she said, especially with the recent flooding in the area. “I often say, I know I can’t be Wonder Woman, Superwoman, and save everybody,” Featherstone said. “Especially the homeless population. But it does affect me.” Living outside or in poor housing conditions increases the risk of exposure to pests, insects, mold and extreme heat, all of which can accelerate health issues like asthma, according to Neil Boyer, who chairs NAACP DC’s Environmental and Climate Justice Committee. Health issues caused by poor living conditions also disproportionately affect Black residents in wards 5, 7 and 8, Boyer said. “These are the kinds of things we need to look at when we’re linking climate change and illness — in an environmental justice perspective,” he explained. According to a study by the DC Department of Energy and Environment, heat waves are primary instigators of pediatric asthma in the District, a disease which disproportionately affects Black children. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6.5% of white children and 23% of Black children have asthma in the District.

Extreme heat also takes a disproportionate toll in areas with less green space and tree cover, dilapidated buildings, and structures without air conditioning — circumstances prevalent in wards 7 and 8, Boyer said. Emergency room visit rates for asthma among children living in Southeast are much higher than in Northwest, according to a study by the IMPACT DC Asthma Clinic. Heat waves also affect older adults, especially those with inconsistent housing, Boyer said. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are the most common such ailments, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Children are also at high risk of heat-related illness because of their still-developing respiratory systems. Outreach and assistance are vital during heat waves, Turner said, especially in terms of staying hydrated. But at times it’s difficult for unsheltered people to access help when needed, he said, and substantial improvement in that regard is essential. “People tend not to think about our needs and what would better suit us during climate change,” Turner said.

Natural disaster relief must better cater to marginalized groups, experts say An issue in mitigating how natural disasters disproportionately affect unhoused and lowincome populations is improving programs that provide relief, said Sarah Saadian, vice president of public policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The DC-based organization heads the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition, a national program that aims to ensure federal disaster recovery efforts reach all impacted households, including people experiencing homelessness, low-income seniors and people with disabilities. “For the lowest income people, including people experiencing homelessness, they are most at risk during disaster and the least able to access the federal resources that are being provided,” Saadian said. “And that’s largely

because those resources are designed with middle-class families in mind and not those households that have greater needs.” The disaster recovery system in the United States is broken and in need of reform, Saadian said. Lower-income neighborhoods are also at a greater risk of disasters and hazards, she said. For example, in Houston, Texas, 88% of open drainage ditches — which often provide inadequate drainage — are found in minority neighborhoods, which causes these areas to be inundated with floodwater more frequently than wealthier neighborhoods. The coalition developed recommendations on how to better serve vulnerable populations and submitted them to Congress, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Suggested actions include expanding opportunity for public input during the process of restoring communities after disasters; equitably addressing infrastructure needs; and placing a priority on rebuilding destroyed affordable rental homes. The destruction of affordable housing and homes in general plunges many into homelessness, said Steve Berg, vice president of programs and policy at the DC-based National Alliance to End Homelessness. “The disaster assistance system could be better about really focusing on getting people back into housing as a high priority,” Berg said. While the effects of climate change need to be urgently addressed, the immediate solution to assisting those living outside in extreme weather is permanent housing, according to Berg. “It’s a matter of having the money to do it and having the local know-how to do it,” he said. While Featherstone has lived in the Washington area for her entire life, she recognizes how extreme weather affects unhoused populations at a national scale. “Homeless is everywhere,” she said. This piece is part of DC Line’s 2021 contribution to the DC Homeless Crisis Reporting Project in collaboration with other local newsrooms. The collective works from this year and those previous are published at DCHomelessCrisis.press.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 7

Fraternity plans 35 affordable homes at new Kennedy Street headquarters

historically Black fraternity wants to bring some affordable housing to Ward 4’s Kennedy Street corridor near the intersection of Kansas and Missouri Avenues NW. Phi Beta Sigma plans to rebuild its 145 Kennedy St. NW headquarters and create 35 housing units, eight of which will have permanent supportive housing (PSH). Urban Turf reported all units will be affordable for households 50% or below of the area median income. That’s a maximum of $65,400 for a family of four and $45,150 for an individual. International President Chris Rey said the project is an evolution for the fraternity. “Picking up trash on the side of the road ... is not enough anymore,” Rey said. “Now’s it’s time for us to really put some serious skin in the game, and so projects like this are kind of the direction I want not only our national entity to look at, but then our local chapters for the future.” The team includes the fraternity, TM and Associates, PGN Architects, and the Peebles Corporation, which is owned by honorary fraternity member Donahue Peebles.

“Picking up trash on the side of the road is not enough anymore. Now’s it’s time for us to really put some serious skin in the game.” Chris Rey, Phi Beta Sigma

They plan to file with the D.C. Zoning Commission by the end of October, Rey said. The fraternity will apply for a voluntary design review and request permission to construct the building 7 feet higher to add another residential story. If the request is denied, they will reevaluate to see if they can meet their intent with the project, but Rey said they are confident it will be approved. Before going to the zoning commission, the fraternity wanted to speak with the community first, Rey said, so they met with ANC 4B on Sept. 27. The development team also met with 4B Chair Alison Brooks and residents of her Manor Park district, where the fraternity is located.

BY SPENCER DONOVAN spencer.donovan@streetsensemedia.org

Phi Beta Sigma plans to build affordable homes at new Kennedy Street NW HQ. COURTESY PGN ARCHITECTS

Phi Beta Sigma is a community staple, Brooks said, and it has been headquartered at 145 Kennedy St. for more than 40 years. “It just holds a special place in peoples’ hearts,” Brooks said. “To revitalize the building in itself would’ve been major, but to then add dedicated supportive housing is amazing.” She said the project takes affordable housing “head-on.” “So this project begins a transformation, potentially, of housing in this community, and their goals of how they continue to support residents and be good neighbors, it’s just a wonderful example of how people should care for and treat each other,” Brooks said. “So I’m really excited about the project.” Fraternity offices will occupy 6,000 square feet of the new building on the ground floor, and the remaining four floors will be for residents. The project will create 22 parking spaces through a combination of surface and underground parking. A possible floor plan presented at the ANC meeting broke the units into 18 one-bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units, four threebedroom units, and three four-bedroom units. “The idea here is that we’re providing some large, family-sized units that speaks to the affordable housing nature so families can remain and live in the community,” Sean Pichon, a partner with PGN Architects, said during the meeting. Rey said they are targeting older tenants and ideally current residents of the area. “How amazing would it be to have someone who’s in that area that wants to be able to continue to stay and live in that area?” Rey said. “We know the reality is we won’t be able to control that entire process. But the goal ...

is to make sure that we have individuals in that community to be able to take advantage of this new project.” Rey said he hopes to replicate this in other major cities. Outside of affordable housing, the fraternity is exploring health clinics for Black and brown men and looking to address food deserts. Eventually, the goal for Phi Beta Sigma is to have its own hospital. The affordable housing project is an opportunity for the fraternity to reinvest in both itself and the community, Rey said at the ANC 4B meeting. The fraternity was founded in 1914 at Howard University, and the Kennedy Street location has been the fraternity’s home for more than 40 years. “Just rebuilding a national headquarters, it just wasn’t enough for us,” Rey said. “We recognized there was a need for affordable

housing in the Washington, D.C., market. We recognize that we have the capacity to come to the table, to provide, to meet that need.” The fraternity will donate part of its land value into the deal to subsidize it to keep it affordable, Neil Mutreja, vice president at TM Associates, said during the Sept. 27 ANC 4B meeting. Other financing will come from federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and 4% bond financing. Complex financing is one of the biggest challenges to creating more affordable housing, said Melissa Bondi, state and local policy director for the mid-Atlantic region of Enterprise Community Partners. The LIHTC program essentially offers tax credits to private contributors for investing in affordable housing projects. “And that’s the reason why the federal government has a stake in this is because they’re trying to leverage the power of private sector resources to help produce a community benefit that meets certain standards,” Bondi said. LIHTC is the single largest tool the U.S. has to preserve and create new affordable housing, she added. Bondi said they have seen more faith-based organizations create similar affordable housing projects, especially if they have a lot of land. As for Phi Beta Sigma, she said it’s nice to see the fraternity plans to stay at the property. “I will say, I’m encouraged to see more community-based organizations, and in this case a fraternity, thinking about how to take advantage of property that is within their control to do something that contributes what we desperately need as a District, which is more committed affordable housing,” Bondi said. “And if it includes permanent supportive housing, that’s even better.”

Phi Beta Sigma has had an office on Kennedy Street NW for 40 years. PHOTO BY SPENCER DONOVAN

8 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // O C T. 2 0 - 2 6 , 2 021

NEWS

NPS closes second park on Capitol Hill, once again pushing out encampment residents BY MAYDEEN MERINO maydeen.merino@streetsensemedia.org

avid, Josh, Ray, and 10 other people lived for over two months in a small triangle park at 3rd Street and Massachusetts Ave. NE near Union Station. However, in the last two weeks, they found themselves scrambling to look for a new place to stay after the National Park Service (NPS) posted a notice on Sept. 30 saying they would close the park on Oct.15. According to NPS, the agency closed down the Massachusetts Avenue encampment because it was a safety hazard. NPS received many reports “about health and safety issues and violations that have gone on here,” said Sean McGinty of the Park Service. “The fire marshal has had to visit this particular area a couple of times due to the illegal operation of a grill, and a generator within the area. The amount of trash accumulated, the close quarters of individuals living in fabric housing tents together.” A week before the closure, NPS put tall, metal fencing up around the triangle park encampment with tents still inside. The agency used the same approach in August when closing two small triangle parks where people had been living in Northwest, also along Massachusetts Avenue. “If there was a fire that occurred here, it could have been devastating to the individual victims,” McGinty said. “We really are as concerned about the issue of homelessness and these individuals’ safety as anybody else. That is why we are doing this.” The fire threat from encampments is real. Fire at a park encampment in Truxton Circle killed one homeless resident earlier this month. NPS said they worked with the Deputy Mayor for Human and Health Services (DMHHS) to provide housing applications or shelter options. David and Josh said that they were added to the city’s list of people in need of housing more than a year ago. “They still have not matched us to vouchers, and they said it could take up to five years,” Josh said.

Where else can homeless people go? In August, the D.C. Council added dedicated funding for various housing subsidies to the city’s budget by raising taxes on residents who make more than $250,000 a year. A spokesperson for the Department of Human Services previously told Street Sense Media this led to 1,924 permanent supportive housing vouchers for the fiscal year that began this month, over 30% more than the previous fiscal year. Josh said that when he heard about the increase, he went to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office to ask whether there would be more available housing vouchers, but they told him “no.” He emphasized that with the cost of living increasing makes it challenging for him and others to find a place to live. “This is their only place to live, and this is their only option. This is my only option at the moment, too. I have been looking for a year to find a place that I can afford, and it’s just that everything keeps going up,” Josh said. While the park closure was not carried out by the city, DMHHS — which coordinates D.C.’s response to encampments

Simon, Jose, and Josh. Simon is a good friend to most of the people on 3rd and Mass. Ave. He was there to ensure that his friends had the opportunity to move comfortably. PHOTO BY MAYDEEN MERINO

— still sent outreach groups several times to provide NPS with assistance in presenting shelter options and housing applications for the residents. “We continue to work with NPS regularly to learn of any closures in advance so that we can properly engage the encamped residents beforehand,” Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage wrote in a statement to Street Sense Media.”And encourage all encamped residents to utilize District shelter options and to regularly engage in outreach provider service connection efforts.” Many residents explained that shelters were not an ideal option because of the conditions and rules. “I started at 2nd and D [NW] shelter. And I stayed there for like six months, but it was too much. It was like jail,” David said. Ray is waiting to get her birth certificate so that she can obtain other forms of ID needed to access additional assistance. After her legal guardian, which is her sister, did not want to continue to take care of her, Ray said she was sent to a psych ward in Nebraska and then sent here. For the last four months, Ray has been on the streets but hopes to get some help getting a job soon. “If they want us to be off the streets, then they need to make sure that we have applicant homes to go to and help give us jobs. Mainly, it’s the jobs that have made most of these people homeless,” Ray said. Being forced out of an encampment is nothing new for most of the residents. Many used to live at a triangle park down the street at 2nd and Mass. Ave. NE, where they were also forced

to leave. NPS closed that park at the end of July because of a tree rotting from the inside. McGinty said there were concerns about the possibility of a tree falling on someone. “The situation that we had over there is we could not move our stuff, so we just got a few little carts and brought the stuff over here. We didn’t have any other options, and now we are in the same boat again,” Josh said. At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman was at the park to witness the encampment closure process. She is concerned that the city does not have a coordinated strategy around encampments. “People are moving to different places to have the same issue arise with different neighbors. I do not think that is a strategy,” Silverman said.

DC’s pilot program for encampments on local land The previous week, Silverman sent a letter to DMHHS recommending the agency develop an agreement with NPS outlining how encampments on NPS property will be “monitored for health and safety” and how each will operate ”in the event of the closure of an NPS site.” “Nobody thinks a successful encampment mitigation strategy is to close and fence off one area only to see all the same people and tents move to another area down the street,” she wrote, noting there are 119 encampments in D.C.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 9

The District launched a pilot program this autumn that aims to get homeless residents new living arrangements quickly after closing the public spaces in which they were living. The Coordinated Assistance and Resources for Encampments program initially targets four of the city’s largest encampments. The pilot started with an early October eviction from two underpasses in NoMa, but that removal was halted after city staff picked up a tent with a resident still inside. In her letter, Silverman recommended that DMHHS “pause all encampment clearings while continuing the intensive services and housing outreach of the pilot.” But the next week, eight council members — a majority of the legislature —.signed a letter asking that all aspects of the pilot program move forward but that DMHHS provide detailed information on its increased safety protocols. Although the council members support the initiative they asked that once the pilot is complete to continue discussion on what worked and what did not. “We ask that you provide the Council with data on the progress and outcome of the pilot program including specific metrics on applicability of subsidies and number and length of leases and wrap around services provided,” the letter states. The program is not able to accommodate everyone. Many NoMa encampment residents interviewed by Street Sense Media did not make the list to receive immediate housing placement. The program included 90 days of canvassing and outreach at the encampment sites. Aug. 29 was the cut off date to sign up for temporary housing. Residents not on the “byname list,” had no choice but to relocate. DMHHS has conducted at least 32 “full cleanups” — where people are forced to temporarily leave an area and any unclaimed belongings are trashed — in 2021, according to Street Sense Media’s monitoring of the agency’s website. NPS could not give a tally for how many times people have been removed from federal parks in the District this year or if any parks have been fenced off completely other than the four mentioned in this article.

The fate of the park Triangle park residents at 3rd and Massachusetts were not given the immediate housing opportunity associated with the city’s pilot program. Both the park and the removal of people from it are under federal jurisdiction. Twenty percent of land in the District’s — and 90% of its park land — is under NPS jurisdiction, according to the agency’s website. A week before the closure, the residents began to look for somewhere new to live. They settled at a park not too far from where they were with the plan to stick together. A mutual aid group helped them get a U-Haul to move all of their stuff. Half the residents had already moved before the closure date. The rest took over an hour to finish packing their items and leave Friday morning. Several mutual aid groups, including the People’s for Fairness Coalition, showed up the morning of the closure to help the residents move and monitor how they were treated by authorities. “This is an important day to make sure the park police do their job,” said Anderson, a member of the People’s for Fairness Coalition and Street Sense Media vendor. There were at least five law enforcement officers from U.S Park Police overlooking residents and volunteers carrying belongings to the U-Haul. The tall metal fences remain. NPS told Street Sense Media they have not committed to re-opening the park at any specific date. The posted sign says “The park will be closed with fencing and will remain closed until the safety hazard and other resource damage is addressed. Violation is prohibited.”

Around 9:15 a.m. the cleanup efforts began and it did not take long for the crew to finish. They threw away tents and picked up garage around the park. PHOTO BY MAYDEEN MERINO

Ray has been on the streets for the past four months and wants help finding a job. Shelters are also not an option for Ray because they are messy and dirty. PHOTO BY MAYDEEN MERINO

1 0 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // O C T. 2 0 - 2 6 , 2021

OPINION

A cleaning crew at an encampment along L Street NE in NoMa on Oct. 4. The tent draped over the guardrail was picked up by a skid-steer loader while a person was still inside. PHOTO BY MAYDEEN MERINO

The Stop the encampment clearings, now BY REGINALD BLACK, ROBERT WARREN, QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE, AND ANDREW ANDERSON

he People For Fairness Coalition is a grassroots advocacy and direct service organization with the unique perspective of people who have experienced housing instability. Our core mission is convening D.C.’s Universal Right to Housing Campaign, which seeks to codify a basic housing right for long-term District of Columbia residents, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As representatives of the PFFC, we acknowledge there are significant community concerns regarding encamped residents all across the city. However, it is unconscionable that two weeks ago, a resident was faced with a very dangerous situation involving the D.C. Coordinated Access and Resources for Encampments pilot program. While clearing an encampment under an overpass in NoMa, a construction vehicle picked up his tent while he was sleeping inside. Thankfully, he escaped injury, but the next victim of these clearings might not. The city had months to get this operation together. Every resident should have known where they were going when the date arrived, but they didn’t. Had there been a better public process, we would have had clear understanding and recommendations from some of the unhoused residents who actually live in these affected areas. Instead, there was confusion and fear. For the last year and half, the PFFC and local mutual aid groups have been serving these areas with personal protective equipment, and we have expanded our mentoring services to other areas where tent-clearing operations are planned. Now, PFFC and our partners Serve Your City Ward 6 Mutual Aid, The Unhoused Collective, The Way Home Campaign, and The Greater Washington Community Foundation are calling for an end to encampment closings until adequate housing is identified for each and every encampment resident and until the end of hypothermia season. Halting these closures will allow D.C. to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions’ guidance

regarding unsheltered persons during the Covid-19 Councilmember White wrote on Twitter. “We all want pandemic, considering that outdoor living can sometimes residents to be in safe housing, but the goal should be be safer than crowded shelters. “If individual housing to do this right, not just to do it fast. We must afford all options are not available, allow people who are living residents the dignity they deserve. Let’s focus on getting unsheltered or in encampments people housed.” to remain where they are,” the We want to make sure agency’s website says, noting residents have their due process that clearing encampments can and that their rights are being scatter residents to other parts of respected. That’s the dilemma the city and break connections right now: trying to figure out with service providers. where people will be relocated, So far, the D.C. government and then making sure we’re hasn’t identified how unhoused able to give the same types of residents will access the 17,614 direct service and support that vacant rental units in the city, we have given every week since which is up from 10,507 just the beginning of the COVIDtwo years ago. That’s why we 19 outbreak. Providing weekly created and supported the Vacant check-ins with our unhoused to Virus-Reduction Plan, which citizens is the best method to proposes to create a database of ensure that they are engaging available apartments that the city the system and are on the path can pay for in order to provide safe, adequate and stable to housing — not forcing them out with bulldozers. housing for every unhoused D.C. resident. Reginald Black, Robert Warren, Queenie Featherstone, and At a hearing on The District of Columbia Human Andrew Anderson are members of the People for Fairness Rights Enhancement Act of 2021, At-Large Council Coalition. They are also all Street Sense Media vendors. Member Robert White recognized our concerns, and supports stopping the encampment closures at this time - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community? and to revisiting - Want to share firsthand experience? the C.A.R.E. - Interested in responding to what someone else has written? program protocols. “I’m calling on Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. DM Turnage We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate. @DMHHS to Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org. pause homeless encampment clearings,”

“The city had months to get this operation together. Every resident should have known where they were going when the date arrived, but they didn’t.”

Join the conversation, share your views

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 11

ART

Olden days

Joy BY BROTHER JEFFEREY CARTER Artist/Vendor

I have joy in believing and walking with God in my heart and mind. It feels good to be a servant of God and doing His will feeding the hungriest through Breadcoin, which I volunteer for. I pass out Breadcoin tokens to the poor. Breadcoin started out of Central Mission, founded by Scott Borgen. Each Breadcoin token is worth $2.20. We give out four tokens at a time. They can be redeemed at participating vendors for a hot, decent meal of their choice. The poor can eat with dignity and respect. I have joy worshipping God, doing good in the community, and giving hope to the lost people.

Joy BY GRACIAS GRACIAS Artist/Vendor

Some experiences during our lifetime are full of joy, and pleasure, and delight. They create a deep impression on us. When this happens, the most common and most dangerous aspect of processing this experience is to become attached to the sensations that come up with this exhilarating state of mind. In this life, processing change is king. So, conflict arises when we fixate our attention on the craving for pleasure and delight. We mistakenly attribute these ephemeral states to the experience of joy. What sense is there to make life’s purpose to be “happy” or full of joy when it’s bound to change? True joy is not necessarily something we experience through our own personal achievements. Joy in its purest form is a virtue that, when practiced right, connects us with true happiness and wisdom. Pali was an old language spoken in times of the Buddha. In old Pali, there is a word that resembles the highest form of joy: “muditā” ( ). It means something like “sympathetic joy.” Like all states that are connected with our highest purpose, this is a state that takes “us” far from the selfish and egotistical sense of the “I.” Sympathetic joy invites us to experience joy in regards to our capacity of feeling the joy of “others,” the success of others, and the happiness of others as our own. So, to prepare for the experience of joy at a level of maximum purity, we have to experience it through others. Similarly, true happiness is not through this suffering mundane reality; it’s through understanding the wisdom of this process through dissolution. And ultimately dissolution is experienced through death. So, as it seems, the ultimate joy of this world is to experience from “without” as if already dead. To experience joy as if your joy is in the others — not in you. Invulnerable to the attachment, to pleasure, or even to the pleasure of the unpleasant realities of life, the joy of the world is all for the world to keep. So, a joy to the world and not for you. BACKGROUND PHOTO COURTESY OF CHUTTERSNAP / UNSPLASH.COM

BY ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor

These olden days when Momma would say "go outside and play, boy". For us poor boys there were no toys we made up our games no more sand boxes to play in who would believe bounding baby boys touching computer screens

A Me Too movement for Afghanistan the clock is ticking down. Will we ever bring back those olden days? The Dream is still the same will my children ever get to the Promised Land or will global warming wipe it all away

These millennium days just ain't the same Amazon bringing the marketplace to your doorstep it's already been prophesied I know the devil is a lie and the tears I cry with no one around to ask why I'm crying Can't they see my people are dying at an alarming rate The hatred of others is at all-time high Some things never change Who's to blame? Some people say the former guy who really knows how to lie and as his people cried Jesus will replace us. And remember to pray What can I say young men out there shooting them guns off in a new kind off way like they close their eyes they don't care who dies

Oh my Lord if we could bring back those Olden Days with fresh air to breathe not the horror of looking at a screen with trees out West on fire. The ocean temperature is getting higher but I'm inspired by the New Green Deal Yet, what's the use? The Republicans always kill anything that would help someone older like me. But I really don't need a thing 'cause I have seen days go by and if my Lord blessed me to see a baby grandson or granddaughter bouncing on my knee that would be all right with me. My Lord willing heaven will wait and my eyes will see the return of those Olden Days when all you had to was trust and believe.

I guess they never played in a sandbox and tried to build a castle to the sky jump off and see if they could fly. Childhood friends don't mean nothing everything been computerized our babies with more information in their hands it took us a lifetime to understand those Olden Days gone by and we wonder why does a 12-year old need an iPhone cuz she's been told everyone has one so she's in therapy now. I can't down; I came up in those Olden Days when a dime got you a phone call and all you had to say was I'm on my way I'll see you soon when I get there no FaceTime no girls with purple hair I'm willing to share I don't know what that's all about.

Oh Lord bring back those Olden Days not the ones we like now where Black men are slaves to the system that don't need us anymore seems like we' ve been replaced or is it just the color of my face or my belief in the Most HIgh G-D-D Allah and we think that we have arrived. Oh Lord let me not die in vain thinking about those Olden Days. This life we are living will never be the same as 2019. Four scores let freedom ring racial equity is a new thing Reparations is what my people need. No more Olden Days; just Golden Days never thought we would see his Dream become a reality By Any Means Necessary is what we were taught to believe in those Olden Days.

1 2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // O C T. 2 0 - 2 6 , 2021

ART

A special friend BY AYUB ABDUL Artist/Vendor

This is dedicated to Mark.

Pandemic problems BY JACKIE TURNER Artist/Vendor

The pandemic has made the whole world weak and vulnerable. The emotions run high and people feel hurt and so alone. Some are afraid, some even hopeless. Mental health is very important to the state of the world. People need hope or they will feel helpless. That leads to despair, then to giving up. We don’t need a world like that, no hope. People, please be more aware of other peoples’ feelings and care for each other. God help us. Express yourself, so you can stay strong mentally.

There are times when we need someone to be there for us when we’re down to adore us. Sometimes I feel like I’m all alone, do you feel like that, To me, it’s kind of blue, I need you. Your smile that makes me laugh so much that I cry, I never want to say goodbye, I always need you there, Because I know that you really care.

BY TONY WEST Artist/vendor

I was living in an abandoned building during the winter time. I was always cold and hungry. The building was dark. I could hear rats running around. I was always paranoid and fearful. I was stinking and the place was funky. I could not go to sleep at all. My mind was always racing. I could hear every sound in my sleep. I realize I was always opening and closing my eyes.

BY KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor

In all one, God’s greatest gift; They change and grow and transform; The growth is the soul and beauty; Butterfly.

That’s what makes you a special friend, It’s hard to find, But, I found you, Thank you for being my special friend. PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK FEWINGS / UNSPLASH.COM

Just Pray BY DON GARDNER Artist/Vendor

Homeless

The Butterfly

PEOPLE IN LIFE SEEM UNSURE BOT OUT OF EVERYONE…I, THE FATHER, LOVE YOU MOST… PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN MY ARMS I DIED FOR YOU AND I LOVE YOU...MY LOVE IS SO TRUE… YOU SHOULD NOT THINK THAT WHATEVER BOTHERS YOU OR DISTURBS YOU I DON’T KNOW… I MADE YOU...I SAVED YOU JUST GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES… AND PRAY...JUST PRAY! CALL ON HIS NAME, JESUS...HE’LL BE THERE RIGHT AWAY IT’S A CERTAINTY ABOUT TOMORROW… OUT OF EVERYONE THAT LOVES YOU THE FATHER LOVES YOU THE MOST… ONE THING YOU SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER AND ONE THING YOU SHOULD ALWAYS KNOW… JUST PRAY...AND HE’LL BE THERE RIGHT AWAY!

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMETLENE RESKP / UNSPLASH.COM

The Devil has #KeloidSkin!~ BY LEVESTER GREEN Artist/Vendor

My Nilla wafers on the facts but iz it cuz I'm Black? Call it Majic. Now Call Magic. What a comeback! Did that & still at it! Off the top like an attic, #NoAddict! Time just goes on... This is automatic. We wasn't looking for static but we got it. Now we got it going back in the right direction 2 where it was supposed 2 be. Evolving eventually. Why don't you just Walk With Me? Standing with protection from the enemy. Says a lot about Society! How a bunch of sucka mf's always trying 2 lie 2 Me just like all throughout in history. 2 filled with inequity. Your books are off like your balance. Call it crooked with impurities. Accepting human flaws are a part of humanity especially about abilities. Festering cuz we couldn't let it be. Now we trying 2 see the epitome of what it could really be, but what's perfect 2 you may not be Perfect 2 Me. Black skin, light skin, blended #Perfectly! Melting P.O.T! ;)~

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 1 3

A children’s section in Street Sense? Several months ago, Street Sense Media artist and vendor Ayub Abdul suggested to our editors that a semi-regular children’s section should be added to the paper in order to help educate and entertain the next generation about homelessness — and because so many children are friendly to their neighbors selling Street Sense. We asked our Writers Group what they thought about the idea: Adding a children section would be a great idea to me because it would give many children bonding time with mom and dad. It would be really cool for children to have a part of Street Sense that they could claim for themselves. While mom and dad discuss and debate the news in today’s events, the children can marvel over the games, art, and reading. When I was young, I loved it when my mom would let me have my section of the paper and shared with me important info from her section. This was and still is a healthy way of bonding. LOL — I remember my mom reading the children’s section of the paper, checking behind me to see how sharp I was. Did I find all the hidden items and hidden words? And we would “have it up” while going over everything. Those were good times. Let’s give the children a section in Street Sense. —Carlos Carolina, Artist/Vendor

This is a great idea, it will have them reading positively. They can pass on the information to others and get them to learn about homeless people. It would be very educational for them. They might even have a friend that is homeless or be homeless themselves. So they’ll know it’s not just them. Spread love. —Anthony Carney, Artist/Vendor

Please send any feedback about this idea to editor@streetsensemedia.org.

Abel Putu and John Wall at a Goodman League game. Wall played for the Washington Wizards for a decade, from 2010 - 2020. He was traded to the Houston Rockets in December. In May of 2020, Wall raised half a million dollars to provide rent relief for DC residents. PHOTO COURTESY OF ABEL PUTU

Beginning of my dream BY ABEL PUTU // Artist/Vendor

My dream is to inspire a lot of kids and inspire a lot of adults with wheelchair basketball. And I appreciate the owner of The George Goodman League, Matt. When I go down to the courts at Barry Farm, he makes me sit among celebrities. Every time I meet players that are well known, I tell them about what we’re doing with wheelchair basketball here in D.C. I met John Wall in 2010 when he got drafted. He welcomed me. He introduced me to a lot of his friends. He always treats everyone good. When he sees people he greets them like he already knows them. He gives back to the community, to kids in the hospital. I met Kevin Durant, KD, down at Barry Farm. He pulled me into his movie as the best wheelchair basketball player that he ever met. “Thunderstruck” — that’s the movie. He signed me an autograph and he was a good person. He treated everybody good. We’ve been friends for more than 12 years now. Everywhere I go, people ask me when the wheelchair basketball is going to be professional. We need to get everybody

to sign a petition to recognize a professional wheelchair basketball league in the United States and all over the world. And then Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton would be able to push it to the people in Congress along with Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden. My team, the Medstar NRH Punishers, is ranked third in the nation in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. We travel from state to state to play against all the wheelchair basketball teams. But we’re not recognized like the National Basketball Association (NBA) or WNBA. Change is gonna come. Wheelchair basketball teams will be opening up step by step. And they’ll play the way teams was back in normal times: not wearing masks on the court and all around the world. Not only adults have had to wear masks, but also kids. Yesterday, I was selling the Street Sense paper and I seen a lot of kids with masks on. I always think, “How do they breathe with all the masks?” We want to bring people back to the reality that this is a wake-up call for the whole world. And I think if we hold together, change gonna come. So, we just gotta hold together that we want to wait until the pandemic is over. When the pandemic is finally over, we can let people come and see wheelchair basketball. Not only kids, but adults, and people that are in a wheelchair, and people not in a wheelchair. We should invite people that work in the government, like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris. They can push it more and get people to come. And NBA players, too.

2 9 6 5 7 8 1 3 7 4 3 8 1 5 2 9 1 8 5 4 2 9 3 7 6 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // 2 9 3 5 7 6 4 8 1

FUN &#3 Sudoku 6 GAMES 9 3 7

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

Sudoku #41. Agreements 1. Agreements 6. Perform alone 7 6 6.5Perform 1 players 2 3 8 9 alone 10. Citi4Field Field 2 Citi 7Be 5players 8 4 614. 9 for ready Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1,3Book1 2010. 14. Be ready for 15. Similar 8 4 9 2 1 3 6 7 5 15. Similar 16. African lily 5 3 16.6 African 8 7 9 2 117.4Postpone lily 2 8 17.7 Postpone 918.5Handling 6 3 4 1 20. Excessive emotion 18. Handling 1 9 4 7 3 2 5 6 8 22. Marathons, 20. Excessive emotion e.g. 3 Marathons, 423.8Raced 7 e.g. 2 1 9 6 5 22. 9 7 23.8 Raced 524.2Sumptuous 1 4 3 meal 6 26. Jupiter, e.g. 24. Sumptuous meal 4 2 1 3 6 9 8 5 7

6 9 4 3 5 4 7 4 2 6 9 6 9 7 5 2 2 7 1 4 2 6 1 3 8 67 6 8 9 3 96 4 5 8 1 3 5 1 1

Want to help me pay my Internet bill? You can make a donation at http://krazydad.com Or by mail: Krazydad, P.O. Box 303 Sun Valley, CA 91353 USA Thank you!

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

30. Scheme 26. Jupiter, e.g. 31. 30. SchemeCertain poem 34. Assisted 31.#6 Certain poem Sudoku #5 Sudoku 35. Better late ____ never 34. Assisted 6 1 35. 7 Better 936.3late 4 never 2 5 7 1 2 5 3 4 8 8____ Beam 37. Root beer, 9 8 4 1 6 5 Beam 3 8 2 36. 4 1 6 7 9e.g.3 38.beer, Brings e.g.up 6 3 5 9 8 4 9 37.3 Root 7 2 5 6 1 8 39. Rave's partner 38. Brings up 8 Rave’s 640.9Fit 4of anger 8 2 3 4 5 7 9 3 5 39. 1 7 2 partner Alleviate of 7 anger 1 5 9 7 2 1 4 40. 2 Fit841. 4 3 9 5 6 42. Metric measure 41. Alleviate 7 6 9 243.5NY1time8 zone 3 4 4 7 6 8 1 5 2 42. Metric measure 3 9 1 2 7 8 5 3 43.4 NY 144. 6Richard 7 2 ____ 8 of9"Pretty time zone 3Woman" 4 ____ 5 “Pretty 2 4 7 6 9 5 3 2 8 44. 1 Richard 9 of 6 7Woman” 45. Restaurant 9 7 45. 6 Restaurant 2 3 4 1 5 6 8 3 4 2 9 7 546.8Rome's 46. Rome’s countrycountry © 2013 KrazyDad.com 48. Lamb's dad 48. Lamb’s dad 49. Rot Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 49.#8 Rot Sudoku #7 all of the digits 1 thru 9. Sudoku 3-by-3 block contain 51. Brain part 51. Brain part 7 2 56.5 Tease 856.6Tease 2 use 3 logic 8 you 1 can 7 solve 4 the 5 puzzle 6 9without guesswork. 9 3 4 1 If you 59. Clatter Need 1 Clatter 760.2Semiprecious 7 a9little 5help?6 The 8 hints 2 page 1 shows 4 3a logical order to solve the puzzle. 6 4 59. 3 5 9 8 stone Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page 60. Semiprecious stone if you really get stuck. 9 3 1 2 6 4 6 1 9 5 3 7 8 2 8 5 4 7 61. Memorable periods >> This crossword 61. Memorable periods puzzle’s answers: 5 8 3 162.9Starchy 8 7 9 2 6 5 4 3 1 4 2 veggie 6 7 (sl.) 62. Starchy veggie (sl.) tinyurl.com/SSM63. Ashen 664.3Challenge 8 9 1 5 5 2 4 3 1 8 9 7 6 4 7 63. 2 Ashen cross-10-20-2021 64. Challenge 1 9 6 265.7Fixed 5 gaze 4 8 3 3 1 6 7 4 9 2 5 8 65. Fixed gaze << LAST

5 4

2 9 6 9

8 6

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

Find the solution at https://onlinecrosswords.net/63939

Across Across

5 Sudoku #8 3

O C T. 2 0 - 2 6 ,

8 6

1 5 9 7 2 4

EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

5 3

3 1 9 4 8 7 6 5 2 2 5 Down 7 9 1 6 8 3 4 1. Garden walk 8 6 4 3 5 2 1 7 9 2. On vacation

5 6 1 2 4 3 9 8 3 2 4 6 5 9 1 7 9 6 1 2OnlineCrosswords.net 3 7 8 5 4 2021 This Puzzle #4 for Oct 19, 2021 6 2 Crossword 3 5 4 7 9 8is the 1 Daily 8

3. City vehicles

32. Roadside eatery 33. Way in 1.Guided Garden walk 21. Lab animal 44. Festive occasion 5. 35. Weepy 2.Glossy On vacation 24. Roadside36. warning 45. Corn unit 6. fabric Sand 3.Gumbo City vehicles 47. Owner's proof 25. Many years 7. veggie 38. Rod and ____ 4. Slant 48. ____ Witherspoon of 26. Old hat 8. Fib 42. Bemoans "Sweet 5. Guided 27. Roaring beasts 9. Out ____ limb (2 wds.) 44. Festive occasion Home Alabama" 6. Glossy 28. Extra 10. Mothersfabric 45. Corn unit 49. Halt 50. Mama's spouse 7. Gumbo veggie 29. Tidy 11. Qualified voters 47. Owner’s proof 51. Russian ruler 8. Fib 30. Stage 12. Hue 48. ____ Witherspoon of “Sweet Home 52. Watercraft 9. Out ____ limb (2 wds.) 32. Roadside eatery 13. Solidifies Alabama” 53. Pinup ____ Hayworth 10.Serving Mothers 33. Way in 49. Halt 19. aid 54. ____-friendly 11.Lab Qualified 35. Weepy 50. Mama’s spouse 21. animalvoters 55. Simple 12.Roadside Hue 36. Sand 24. warning 51. Russian ruler 57. Went first 13. Solidifies 38. Rod and ____ 25. Many years 52. Watercraft 58. Pension plan (abbr.) 19. Serving aid 42. Bemoans 26. Old hat 53. Pinup ____ Hayworth 27. Roaring beasts 54. ____-friendly 28. Extra 55. Simple 29. Tidy 57. Went first 30. Stage 58. Pension plan (abbr.)

Down 4. Slant

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

1-800-799-7233

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

Education Educación

Health Care Seguro

Clothing Ropa

Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal

Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Food Comida

Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo

Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

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

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

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org

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

Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1-888-793-4357

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 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

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

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

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

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

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

Laundry Lavandería

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

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

// 1 5

JOB BOARD

HELP! WE’RE LOOKING FOR

volunteers Become a Street Sense Media volunteer and help further our mission to empower people experiencing homelessness by amplifying marginalized voices and meeting the information needs of people in poverty. Our editorial team seeks volunteers skilled in either Adobe InDesign or the WordPress CMS to help expand two teams for publishing our content in print and online, respectively. If interested, please contact our editors, Eric Falquero and Gordon Chaffin: editor@streetsensemedia.org 202-347-2006 (x 201) For more information about these opportunities and other volunter positions, visit StreetSenseMedia.org/volunteer

From your vendor, OCT. 20 - 26, 2021 | VOLUME 18 ISSUE 38 NO CASH? NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN APP! SEARCH “STREET SENSE” IN THE APP STORE

WWW.INSP.NGO

4 million READERS

9,000 VENDORS

100+

STREET PAPERS

COUNTRIES

LANGUAGES