$2 suggested donation
Volume 14: Issue 3 December 14 - 27, 2016
Street
sense
Read more and get involved at www.streetsense.org | The DC Metro Area Street Newspaper | Please buy from badged vendors
pg
Hap py H
s1
2-1 3
o l Lov idays e, ! S treet S
ense
“Wate rco check o lor Weaving ?� u project t this special w artist/v ith our endors ! pgs 89
Street Sense is the street media center of our nation’s capital. We aim to serve as a vehicle for elevating voices and public debate on issues relating to poverty while also creating economic opportunities for people who are facing homelessness in our community.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES www.StreetSense.org
How It Works
• K e n M a r t i n h a s prepared a holiday p l ay l i s t j u s t f o r y o u ! StreetSense.org/xmas2016
Each vendor func as an independent contractor for Street Sense. That means he or she
• Don’t miss community c o n t r i b u t o r Ta m m y Michele Rice’s h o l i d ay m u s i c v i d e o ! StreetSense.org • H a v e y o u s e e n P a t t y Smith’s video about 2017? (the year of Street Sense) StreetSense.org/appeal
COVER ART
Street Sense vendors wish readers a happy holiday. PHOTOS BY KEN MARTIN
ADVERTISE WITH US streetsense.org/ advertise
SOCIAL
A new issue comes out every two weeks, but you can stay connected to Street Sense every day!
/streetsensedc @streetsensedc /streetsensedc
OUR STORY Street Sense began in August 2003 after Laura Thompson Osuri and Ted Henson approached the National Coalition for the Homeless on separate occasions with the idea to start a street paper in Washington, D.C. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, Street Sense published its first issue in November 2003. In 2005, Street Sense achieved 501 ( c ) 3 status as a nonprofit organization, formed a board of directors and hired a full-time executive director. Today, Street Sense is published every two weeks through the efforts of four salaried employees, more than 100 active vendors, and dozens of volunteers. Nearly 30,000 copies are in circulation each month.
ADDRESS 1317 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 PHONE 202.347.2006 FAX 202.347.2166 E-MAIL info@streetsense.org WEB StreetSense.org
every purchase. Vendors purchase the paper for 50 cents/issue, which will then be sold to you for a suggested dona $2.
Street Sense publishes the newspaper.
75% 75% supports the vendors helping them overcome homelessness and poverty.
Street Sense
Vendors buy the newspaper for 50 cents each.
&
25% costs at Street Sense.
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 by any other means. 2. I will only purchase the paper from Street Sense 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 vendor territorial policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes I
11
The remainder of your supports the vendor.
have with other vendors in a professional manner. 6. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense, Inc. but an independent contractor. 7. I agree to sell no additional goods or products when distributing Street Sense. 8. I will not distribute Street Sense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 9. I understand that my badge and (if applicable) vest are property of Street Sense, Inc. and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing Street Sense. I will always display my badge when distributing Street Sense. 10. I agree to support Street Sense’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.
© STREET SENSE, INC 2015
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Margaret Chapman, Max Gaujean, Margaret Jenny, Robyn Kerr, Jennifer Park, Reed Sandridge, Jeremy Scott, John Senn, Kate Sheppard, Annika Toenniessen, Martin Totaro, Anne Willis EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Falquero SALES & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Jeffrey Gray VENDOR & SALES MANAGER Josh Maxey COORDINATOR OF EVENTS & AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT Dani Gilmour INTERNS Elli Bloomberg, Jerome Dineen, Robyn Di Giacinto, Cassidy Jensen, Mary Walrath WRITERS GROUP LEADERS Donna Daniels, Susan Orlins, Willie Schatz OPINION EDITORS Rachel Brody, Arthur Delaney, Britt Peterson PRINT LAYOUT PRODUCTION Chris Kaihatsu EDITORIAL & PAPER SALES VOLUNTEERS Jane Cave, Cheryl Chevalier, Kelsey Falquero, Pat Geiger, Roberta Haber, Mary Henkin, Erum Jilani, Leonie Peterkin, Hannah Northey, Jesselyn Radack, Andrew Siddons, Jackie Thompson, Marian Wiseman, Eugene Versluysen, Alex Zielinski VENDORS Shuhratjon Ahamadjonov, Gerald Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Lawrence Autry, Daniel Ball, Aida Basnight, Phillip Black, Reginald Black, Melanie Black, Phillip Black Jr., Maryann Blackmon, Viktor Blokhine, Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Donald Brown, Joan Bryant, Elizabeth Bryant, Brianna Butler, Melody Byrd, Conrad Cheek, Aaron Colbert, Anthony Crawford, Walter Crawley, Kwayera Dakari, James Davis, Clifton Davis, Charles Davis, David Denny, James DeVaughn, Ricardo Dickerson, Dennis Diggs, Alvin Dixon-El, Ronald Dudley, Charles Eatmon, Deana Elder, Julie Ellis, Jemel Fleming, Chon Gotti, Marcus Green, Barron Hall, Tyrone Hall, Richard Hart Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Jerry Hickerson, Ray Hicks, Sol Hicks, Rachel Higdon, Ibn Hipps, Leonard Hyater, Joseph Jackson, Carlton Johnson, Donald Johnson, Harold Johnson, Allen Jones, Mark Jones, Morgan Jones, Linda Jones, Darlesha Joyner, Juliene Kengnie, Kathlene Kilpatrick, Hope Lassiter, John Littlejohn, James Lott, Scott Lovell, Michael Lyons, Jimmy M. Ken Martin, Joseph Martin, Kina Mathis, Michael Lee Matthew, Authertimer Matthews, Charlie Mayfield, Jermale McKnight, Jeffery McNeil, Ricardo Meriedy, Cynthia Mewborn, Kenneth Middleton, Cecil More, L. Morrow, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Earl Parkin, Lucifer Potter, Ash-Shaheed Rabil, Henrieese Roberts, Anthony Robinson, Doris Robinson, Raquel Rodriquez, Lawrence Rogers, Joseph Sam, Chris Shaw, Patty Smith, Smith Smith, Gwynette Smith, Ronald Smoot, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens James Stewart, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Archie Thomas, Shernell Thomas, Craig Thompson, Eric Thompson-Bey, Sarah Turley-Colin, Carl Turner, Jacqueline Turner, Leon Valentine, Grayla Vereen, Ron Verquer, Martin Walker, Michael Warner, Robert Warren, Angelyn Whitehurst, William Whitsett, Wendell Williams, Sasha Williams, Judson Williams III, Ivory Wilson, Denise Wilson, Charles Woods
NEED MORE STREET SENSE? Listen to our Sounds From the Street podcast! StreetSense.org/audio
Subscribe to our newsletter! StreetSense.org/newsletter Be Active in the community! StreetSense.org/calendar
STREET SENSE December 14 - 27, 2016
3
NEWS IN BRIEF Declaration of National Decrease in Homelessness Receives Mixed Reviews Homelessness in D.C. spiked by 14.4 percent between 2015 and 2016 despite increased funding for affordable housing programs, according to a Nov. 21 HUD report. While homelessness went down three percent nationally, the report listed D.C. as tied with Idaho for the highest percentage increase in the country. HUD estimated that homelessness went down 10.5 percent in Virginia and 8.4 percent in Maryland between 2015 and 2016. But some advocates are skeptical of these numbers. The Baltimore Sun published an op-ed by an area social worker noting that point-intime estimates often severely understate actual rates of homelessness. “ We a r e c o n c e r n e d a b o u t t h e use of these numbers to talk about homelessness,” Megan Hustings, director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, told The Hill. “It doesn’t give an accurate picture of homelessness. What it gives is an accurate picture of the services provided through HUD.” When the 2016 count was conducted nationally in January, 8,350 people in D.C. were experiencing homelessness. Of those, 3,683 were individuals and 4,667 were people in families with children. The vast majority of homeless Washingtonians, 96.2 percent, were in emergency shelters or transitional housing, which makes D.C. one of only seven jurisdictions with less than 5 percent of people experiencing homelessness left unsheltered. Roughly 1,500 individuals were reported as chronically homeless, which refers to people with physical or mental disabilities who have been homeless repeatedly or for more than a year continuously. In addition, HUD counted 350 homeless veterans and 211 unaccompanied homeless youth in D.C. As noted by The Washington City Paper, veteran and chronic homelessness declined by 14.2 and 10.7 percent, respectively. HUD releases a point-in-time estimate as part of the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. The count is a snapshot of the number and demographics of people experiencing homeless on one night in January. This data is collected by continuums of care— regional or local planning bodies responsible for coordinating homeless services. This is the first year that estimate was broken down in a state-level index. —Robyn Di Giacinto
D.C. Council Approves “Ban the Box” housing legislation The Fair Criminal Record Screening for Housing Act of 2016, also referred to as “Ban the Box for Housing” was approved
unanimously in the D.C. City Council’s first reading, or vote, at its Dec. 6 meeting. The legislation limits what parts of a person’s criminal record can be checked by housing providers before approving the applicant’s tenancy. The bill, which was introduced by Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, is also expected to pass its second reading on Dec. 20. After the Council approves it, the bill will be sent to the mayor, who has 10 working days to veto or sign it, according to a McDuffie spokesperson. Designed to help citizens released from jail not re-offend, the bill prohibits crimes committed more than seven years before a housing decision and arrests that didn’t result in a conviction from being considered when checking out a potential housing candidate’s background, according to a Dec. 7 news release. In addition, housing providers would not be allowed to ask about an applicant’s criminal history until after a conditional offer of housing is made. The bill lists 45 crimes that are allowed to be considered, including first-degree murder, arson, burglary, sexual assault and aggravated assault. The bill doesn’t apply to rental buildings with fewer than four units if the owner occupies one. If returning citizens are able to find stable housing, they will be less likely to re-offend, the release says. “This bill strikes a smart balance between protecting the interests of
landlords while also pushing back against the discrimination returning citizens often face,” said McDuffie in the news release. —Mark Rose
D.C. Council to Vote on Shelter Eligibility Restrictions At a Nov. 29 D.C. Council meeting, Mayor Bowser requested an emergency vote on legislation that would increase eligibility restrictions at D.C shelters. When subsequently pressured by homeless advocates to give the vote a full hearing, she withdrew her request to pass the bill during this session. However, Chairmen Mendelson could push for a Dec. 20 vote for a part of the legislation that would limit the rights of individuals in medical respite beds, according to staff attorney Amber Harding from the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. Harding said the bill would exempt those in medical respite beds from the rights granted in shelters, such as heat, clean linens, toilets and the right to appeal termination from shelter. “It would drop medical respite beds into a black hole of government regulation,” she said. But Harding acknowledged the process of transitioning people out of medical respite beds needs to be more efficient to meet high demand.
The emergency legislation would go into effect following a successful vote, and then be made permanent after a vote in Jan. Bowser had urged council members to pass the legislation, which was first introduced in Sept. If passed, it would increase the proof of residency needed for D.C. families to enter emergency shelters, according to The Washington City Paper. In a WAMU report, DHS Director Laura Zeilinger said D.C. spends $80,000 housing homeless families in motels. Zeilinger added that12 percent of families seeking emergency shelter are not D.C. residents and 10 percent have other housing options. The rate of family homelessness in D.C. has increased 31 percent since 2015, which officials attribute to non-resident families using D.C.’s right-to-shelter law. Wa s h i n g t o n L e g a l C l i n i c f o r t h e Homeless submitted a letter opposing passage of the bill as emergency legislation, signed by five other organizations. The Washington City Paper reports the legislation would force families seeking emergency shelter to prove they cannot return to their previous residence and provide two forms of proof of D.C. residency. The Council has set a hearing for the bill in January, according to Harding. —Cassidy Jensen
Study Investigates Connections By Cassidy Jensen cassidy.jensen@streetsense.org
A recent literature review revealed an overrepresentation of Black people in the homeless community and a lack of sufficient research to identify racespecific causes of and solutions to homelessness. Dr. Marian Moser Jones of the University of Maryland School of Public Health found that African-Americans make up 40.4 percent of the total homeless population, yet only 12.5 percent of general population. Jones reviewed 34 social and behavioral science research articles studying homelessness and race between 1985 and 2015. She said she began in the 1980s because that was when dialogue about homelessness as a social issue and a defined population began in the United States. This data is inconclusive without further research. But the literature suggests that the experience and causes of homelessness differ for people of different perceived racial backgrounds. “What’s conclusive is that African-Americans are overrepresented in the homeless population and overrepresented among the incarcerated population and that those populations overlap and that there is evidence that incarceration increases your risk of homelessness,” Jones said in an interview with Street Sense. Some research she surveyed suggests that the causes for homelessness differ between perceived races; social discrimination and disadvantage could play a larger role in Black homelessness, while individual illness or disability could be a bigger contributor to White homelessness. Hispanic individuals appear to be underrepresented in the homeless population because they are more likely to live with family members, though incarceration history is a significant cause of homelessness. Hispanic incarcerated veterans are the ethnic group most likely to be chronically homeless, one study found. This review also suggests implications for programs that aim to help homeless individuals. One study examined in Jones’s article deals with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing, a housing voucher program for homeless veterans. The study found that Black veterans who received a caseworker fared better than Black veterans who only received a voucher. “The caseworker mattered more for Black veterans than White veterans,” Jones explained. Jones findings are not news to service providers and advocacy organizations working on homelessness – yet funding and federal policy seem to be behind the
curve. In 2014, The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) sent a report titled “Racial Discrimination in Housing and Homelessness in the United States” to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The report framed housing discrimination as a human rights issue to argue that the U.S. government must take intentional corrective steps to remedy legacies of racial inequality. Both the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and U.N. Human Rights Committee recognized this disparate impact on communities of color and called on the United States to take steps to remedy the disparity, according to Eric Tars, a senior attorney at NLCHP “The lack of affordable housing and lack of adequate housing across the country falls more heavily on communities of color,” Tars said. “The criminalization of homelessness has a disparate impact on communities of color, but especially on the African-American community.” He added that homeless people of color are especially vulnerable to the effects of biased policing because living in public spaces creates more opportunities for police contact. Since the 2014 report to the U.N, HUD has added funding criteria for local continuums of care that encourages federal funding recipients to implement steps to end the criminalization of homelessness and put out new guidance on the use of criminal records as part of housing applications when the use of criminal history has a discriminatory effect. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness released guidelines in 2015 instructing municipalities not to break up homeless encampments without providing permanent housing alternatives, and the Department of Justice filed a brief calling the criminalization of sleeping outside unconstitutional. Tars views these actions as steps for reducing how criminalization disproportionately affects homeless people of color. Race and discrimination are integral to addressing homelessness, in part due to a history of the historical segregation of cities and public housing, according to Megan Hustings, director of the advocacy organization National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). She said NCH incorporates issues of race into their public education work, noting that most of their speakers are African-American. “We try to really present the true face of homelessness through our Speakers Bureau and also our other programs,” Hustings said. The legacy of structural racism includes the lack of affordable housing, unequal educational outcomes, low wages, and generational wealth gaps between
families of color and White families. “There’s a number of ways that policy could work to address the issue of race and poverty,” Hustings said, suggesting one way would be to increase affordable housing, she said. Before obtaining her doctorate in public health, Marian Moser Jones worked as a health and science journalist. She returned to academia to become an expert and make a difference. “When you’re interviewing and writing about other people’s work, you can publicize and disseminate information, but you can’t be involved in producing useful knowledge. Especially useful knowledge to highlight social injustice or to help organizations improve,” she said. Jones became interested in homelessness when studying anthropologist Dr. Kim Hopper i n N e w Yo r k , w h e r e s h e participated in the annual point-in-time count of homeless persons. “I really saw homelessness up close,” Jones said. She conducted research on early homelessness advocacy in New York City in the 1980s, and published a series of articles, including “Creating a Science of Homelessness during the Reagan Era.” Interviews with White advocates who began working on homelessness in the 80s sparked Jones’s interest in race, because many of these homelessness advocacy pioneers noted that the prevailing representation of the homeless population as older White alcoholic men did not match the homeless young Black men that they observed. However, according to Jones, her interviewees were hesitant to make homelessness appear to be a problem of the Black community. “They didn’t want to talk about it because they didn’t want to make it a problem of ‘the other,’” she said. “They wanted to make it a problem that we all face, that anyone could be homeless.” When she moved to New York City, Jones was briefly homeless when her housing arrangements fell through. However, her friends were able to provide a place to stay, which she said is not always the case for the networks of marginalized people. “Communities of color have fewer resources than White communities in general,” Jones said. “If their family has limited resources already, it is already in a difficult place because the community itself has experienced
discrimination over generations, people are less able to take them in.” Jones wants to see a greater dialogue about homelessness, further research on homelessness in the context of structural racism, and policies that
specifically address how people of color experience homelessness. “Racial injustice and social injustice are connected to homelessness, it’s not something that affects everyone equally,” she said. “If it’s a problem that disproportionately affects men of color and people of color, maybe we need to make the programs a little more culturally competent, a
STREET SENSE December 14 - 27, 2016
5
NEWS
Between Race and Homelessness little more targeted towards the needs of people of color.” The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) collects data on the demographics of homeless individuals. Their 2016 pointin-time
count found that 39.1 percent of homeless people were African-American, and 48.3 percent were white. Although the majority of homeless people counted by HUD were White, 45 percent of people living in sheltered locations were African-American. Although HUD recognizes this racial disparity, it has not yet researched how
to address it. “There is a discussion in our annual homelessness assessment report about the racial makeup of the poverty population, as compared with the racial composition of the homeless population,” said Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist Brian Sullivan. “There is no exploration as to why that is.” C o n t i n u u m s o f C a r e — H U D ’s competitive block-grant system for funding local networks of service providers — are not ranked on racespecific prevention strategies for homelessness. However, under the HUD rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, grantees that receive federal funding are required to affirmatively advance the Fair Housing Act of 1968, promoting fair housing and analyzing possible reasons for a lack of equal housing opportunities. One of the studies included in Jones’s literature review found that Black and Latino families were more likely to live in inadequate or crowded housing. Latino families were more likely to live “doubled-up” with multiple families per home than Black families, when faced with homelessness. Keeping in mind these implications, some organizations claim t h a t H U D ’s d e f i n i t i o n of homelessness is misleading. “The Law Center has for a long time believed that HUD is using an artificially narrow definition of homelessness that excludes families living in doubled-up situations or in short-term low-cost motels,” Tars said. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services use a broader definition. “The HUD point in time street count is based on a flawed system, but it allows them to say that the numbers are going down,” Tars said. Hustings agreed that there is a lack of comprehensive data on homelessness, and called HUD’s annual point-in-time count incomplete. According to Hustings, up to 75 percent of shelter beds do not receive HUD funding. “We appreciate when there are researchers, academics that are willing to invest the times to do some research because we in the advocacy world, we just don’t have the capacity to do that,” Hustings said. Brian Sullivan says that HUD considers different federal agencies’ definitions of homelessness when giving their estimates
to Congress, including the effect of being rent-burdened, or making less than 50 percent of the median income and either spending more than 1/3 of income on rent or living in substandard housing. He characterized the point-in-time count as a limited method of measuring homelessness, a snapshot taken on one night that is supplemented by other means of data collection. Other research Jones encountered found differences in the Black and White homeless populations, including among homeless youth. The studies suggested that homeless Black people have higher rates of drug use but lower rates of alcohol abuse and mental illness diagnoses than White homeless people. Black women who become homeless are more likely to have experienced sexual abuse, while White women are more likely to be victims of physical abuse. Meanwhile, Black homeless adults are more likely to have experienced poverty in childhood, while White homeless adults are more likely to have experienced abuse. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and Congressman Alcee Hastings co-chair the Congressional Homelessness
Caucus, which raises awareness within Congress on issues of homelessness and leads efforts to fund programs that assist homeless Americans. “We explore homelessness as a multi-faceted issue that affects individuals and families of all backgrounds, regardless of ethnicity, race, or age,” Congresswoman Johnson wrote in a statement to Street Sense. “Past briefings have focused on various housing policies, trauma-informed care, and increasing coordination of homelessness policy across federal agencies.” When it comes to public health, the relationship between homelessness and perceived race has concrete consequences. Since both homeless people and Black people in the United States have higher mortality rates, in the report Jones describes Black homeless people as facing a “double dose of vulnerability.” “It’s enough to at least start a policy dialogue that goes beyond the race-blind rhetoric that we’ve had in the past,” Jones said. “For me, it’s sort of like waving a flag to say ‘hey look over here, we need to start looking at this, we need to start asking these questions and talking about it.’”
THIS YEAR, 31 HOMELESS PEOPLE HAD DIED IN WASHINGTON, DC , AS OF OCT. 19 NATIONALLY, MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED EACH OF THE PAST 5 YEARS. On Wednesday, Dec. 21, The National Coalition for the Homeless is hosting a memorial service to recognize National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. The memorial will begin at 12 p.m. at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave NW
The People for Fairness Coalition is holding its 4th annual vigil and demonstration on the eve of Homeless Persons Memorial Day. Beginning 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20 at Luther Place, 1226 Vermont Ave NW
Follow @streetsensedc Dec. 20 & 21 for live updates on memorials and other observances happening across the United States.
D.C. Increases Use of Affordable Care Act for Permanent Supportive Housing By Elli Bloomberg elli.bloomgerg@streetsense.org A new Medicaid program will cover m o re h e a l t h c o s t s fo r l o w - i n co m e Washingtonians under the city’s new “My Health GPS” initiative, which is slated to begin in April 2017. The District’s efforts are part of the Medicaid Health Home State Plan Option, a federal program authorized in 2010 under a section of the Affordable Care Act. State governments coordinate with Medicaid to provide services to recipients with chronic conditions. Specific requirements are outlined in the ACA, but states choose how to meet them and which agencies will coordinate funding. The programs are partially federally funded, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). D.C. is already taking advantage of this ACA provision through My D.C. Health Home —commonly referred to as Health Home 1 — which has been operating since January 2016. The initiative provides services to people diagnosed with severe mental illnesses, according to the D.C. Department of Health Care Finance. As of April, 1,267 people had enrolled in the Home Health 1, according to CMS. The My Health GPS expansion — also known as Health Home 2 — wills erve people with multiple chronic physical or mental health conditions. Health Home 1 is funded by the federal government and the Department of Health Care Finance and contracted out to nonprofits in the D.C. area, according
to Ishan Heru, the clinical housing specialist at Community Connections, a nonprofit mental health agency. Health Home 2 will work the same way when it gains CMS approval. At Community Connections, Heru said, beneficiaries are assigned “care coordinators,” or nurses and primary care doctors employed by nonprofits to visit patients in their homes or check on them via phone. Coordinators monitor patients’ health and make sure they are keeping appointments and staying connected to social services, according to the Department of Healthcare Finance. The model is “designed to track physical health in a person,” said Heru, whether their primary medical issues are mental, physical, or both. Community Connections—which provides Health Home 1 services but will not be taking on the expansion—has hired six more staff members since January to implement the program. Each nonprofit’s approach to Health Home 1 is a little different, according to Atiba Vheir of Hillcrest Children and Family Center. At Hillcrest, Vheir said, patients usually go to appointments at the center. There, staff make sure they have gone to doctor’s appointments and seen a nurse practitioner. The care coordinator also assists them with social services, such as getting Social Security benefits and maintaining Medicaid certification. Hillcrest also offers group sessions, where patients learn about healthy eating habits and relationships. It is
Holiday Giving Operation Christmas Miracle By Brianne Talocka, Volunteer
The downtown nonprofit shelter Central Union Mission is marshalling volunteers to sponsor a child or an entire family for Christmas, or to even host their own toy drive. When people volunteer to be part of Operation Christmas Miracle, they are given the name and age of a child along with a list of some gift suggestions. Operation Christmas Miracle allows Central Union Mission to give gifts to about 1,000 children in the District. An event is held on the day of gift distribution. Since Central Union Mission is a faith-based organization, prayers are said prior to the gifts being given out. A passage from the gospel is also read aloud. This day is about showing that the true meaning of Christmas is:
giving to others. If anyone wishes to participate in this program, they can go directly to http:// www.missiondc.org/christmas/. This project dates back to the great depression, when families with little money would drop their children off at Central Union Mission so they could have shelter. While the kids were under the care of Central Union Mission, the workers would buy presents for them so they would have something special during the holidays. According to the current program organizer Crystal, the most rewarding part of operation Christmas miracle is “seeing the kids get the gifts and the excitement they experience knowing they have something for Christmas.”
here, Vheir said, that she has seen the most improvement. Patients experiencing homelessness face extra challenges, Vheir said, because they often lack places to store food and medication. Though Hillcrest’s Health Home 1 program is only in its ninth month, Vheir is confident it will have an impact and hopes the model will be embraced throughout the country. “A lot of effort has gone into making sure this is a viable program,” Vheir said. “It’s where the heart and technology meet.” Looking after patients’ physical health is especially important. Studies have shown a correlation between mental illness and lower life expectancies, according to Vheir. In 2006, a Centers for Disease Control survey of eight states found that on average, Americans with major mental illness die 14 to 32 years earlier than the general population. In a 2011 blog post, the former director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) attributed this to frequent “comorbidity,” or the high likelihood that people with depression also have physical health issues. People with major depression, for example, are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Depression and diabetes are also frequently co-occurring. Socioeconomic factors and healthcare discrepancies are also to blame, NIMH said. A 2014 Oxford study of British citizens showed that serious mental illness decreased British citizens’ life expectancy by 10 to 20 years. Similarly, a 2012 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs study
found that VA patients with depression died an average of five years earlier than patients without the diagnosis. Together, Health Homes 1 and 2 should have a significant effect on people in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), according to Dorinda White, the public affairs officer at the Department of Health Care Finance. Approximately 75 percent of individuals and 60 percent of families in PSH are eligible for one or both of D.C. Health Home programs. Nearly 1,100 individuals and 900 families in PSH are eligible for the expansion alone. 70 percent of individuals in the program already receive services covered by Medicaid. “We know care coordination is critical to improve health outcomes among Medicaid beneficiaries with multiple chronic health conditions, and that many people who are currently or historically homeless have multiple chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, depression, and hypertension, among other issues,” White said in an email. There have been some “kinks” to work out, according to Heru, especially when it comes to paying for services. Providers not used to accept Medicaid have had to learn to navigate the new system. It has also been difficult to share private medical information with multiple providers, he said. Nineteen states have implemented their own versions of this Affordable Care Act program. As of May, according to CMS data, 1,253,819 people were enrolled in Health Home programs nationwide.
OPINION: Volunteering not just for the holidays By Brianne Talocka, Volunteer
So Others Might Eat — also known as SOME — is an organization dedicated to helping people living below the poverty line, something nearly one in every five D.C. residents faces. SOME is an interesting acronym for this organization, given of ALL the services they provide: food, clothing, health care, shower areas, job training, and shelter for singles, families, and senior citizens! • SOME is located at 71 O Street, NW. • Men can shower between 7:00am9:30 a.m. • Women between 10:00-10:45p .m. • Breakfast is served between 7:008:30 a.m. • Lunch is served from 11:00 a.m.1:00 p.m. SOME serves about 1,000 meals every day and most of their cooking is done on site, although people also bring food that is already prepared. In addition to in-house meal services, SOME also
delivers food to homes and will even offer to cook it! They work with various schools and faith organizations to help staff their volunteer many positions. However, according to Kate Wiley, a SOME employee, anyone who is 13 or older can sign up to volunteer. The organization usually receives more volunteers around this time of year, according to Wiley, who said that it is important to realize that they need help all year round. So, although this organization is called SOME, they certainly do A LOT. According to Wiley, the best part of being a member of this organization is getting to “see the direct impact you’re having on a child or family.” SOME shows you the good you’re doing for others. If you would like to volunteer or receive services, you can do so by visiting their website: http://some.org. You can also call them at: 202.797.8806. They are happy to assist anyone in need!
Left: A grade school photo of Enzel (second row, third from right). Center: A family photo from Christmas 2005. Right: Enzel at his North Capitol apartment in Dec. 1999. | PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELOUISE HUTCHINSON
STREET SENSE December 14 - 27, 2016
7
NEWS
MEMORIAL:
Enzel Sudler inspired love, laughter By Robyn Di Giacinto robyn.digiacinto@streetsense.org
his sister's bed when she was sleeping. Even so, they were close. “We would get laughing,” Hutchinson said. “Certain Public speaking had never come easily things between siblings...that are funny for Elouise Hutchinson. and no one else knows they’re funny.” It was especially difficult today — at a He was also obsessed with cars. Sudler memorial service she had organized for would spend hours building models. When her late brother Enzel. As a growing terror he was a teenager, he built a black Chevy. gripped her stomach, her eyes fluttered Hutchinson was “pretty sure it was never over to the twenty-some relatives and street legal,” but he loved it all the same. friends who had gathered there: to the In 1976, their parents got back together clear weekend sky; to the yellowing, and moved to Trenton, New Jersey. Sudler spiral-bound pages of a family album; bounced between Trenton and Smyrna. He to the sepia photos in a collage she had never graduated high school, but he did lovingly tacked together with captions like have a job in construction for three years “Fun Guy” and “Brother.” in the 1980’s. At one point, he lived with What could she possibly say to sum up a girlfriend and her children in St. Marys, his life in a matter of minutes? She took a Georgia. Wherever he was, he was likely deep breath and began to speak. to be somewhere else not long after. Sudler eventually found himself in D.C. — but this time, he stayed. “He liked to talk. He liked to It is unclear exactly when and how he laugh. He liked to smile.” became homeless. He was private about Enzel Sudler was born on Jan. 19, 1960. it, even with those who were close to him. His sister Elouise was In the years 13 months older. His leading up to his y o u n g e r b r o t h e r, passing, Sudler spent Edmund, went to live much of his time at with a family friend Union Station and at a young age. on 17th Street. He Hutchinson talked to friends sai d th a t s he a n d and ran errands for Sudler were “raised vendors by the metro in the sticks by exit. Once, he was a very religious even featured in The country woman: National Catholic my grandmother.” Register, albeit under They grew up the name “Enzio.” i n a t w o - s t o r y, Sudler was two-bedroom house faithful, though not w i t h n o i n d o o r Young Enzel with his beloved Chevy. Catholic. He started bathroom just outside PHOTO COURTESY OF ELOUISE HUTCHINSON attending Dunn the small town of Loring Community Smyrna, Delaware. Church of God in Virginia around 2005. When Sudler was young, he was a Boy LaVerne Holland introduced him to the Scout and little league baseball player. He congregation — she used to drive a bus was popular in grade school. “He was the to pick up homeless folks for worship person who would get you in trouble for on Sundays. Sudler became almost like laughing,” Hutchinson said in an interview. an adopted son to her. He ate Christmas Sudler liked to play practical jokes, dinners with her family. He painted her like putting smelly shoes underneath house. He did odd jobs for other church-
goers when he needed money. “He wasn’t scared of work,” Holland said. When Meg Dominguez moved to D.C. to work as a Senior Clinical Case Manager at Miriam’s Kitchen, Sudler gave her sightseeing suggestions, such as watching planes take off from Gravelly Point. A couple of times, he even went to cheer on Miriam’s Kitchen staff members at marathons. “He was a really nice, light and connected with a lot of people here,” Dominguez said. “Whatever was going on in his life, he made an effort to check in.” “He was exceptionally lively,” said Beau Stiles, Outreach Services Coordinator at Capitol Hill Group Ministry. He said Sudler liked to tell tall tales and tease people — get them worked up by joking about “cooking ‘possum.” “I can’t imagine not liking him,” Stiles said. LaVerne Holland echoed this sentiment. “He liked to talk. He liked to laugh. He liked to smile.” She paused, lost in the memory. “He had a nice smile.”
getting better, she kept talking. She talked about the things they loved in their childhood. She talked about the things she regretted now that they had grown. Sudler passed away on Oct. 1. "At least I got to apologize,” she said. Hutchinson organized a memorial service on a sunny afternoon at Ebeneezer’s Coffeehouse, near Union Station. She shared her memories of her brother, as did the twenty-some relatives and friends who had gathered there. One of Sudler’s friends stood up and sang to his memory—not somber, but celebratory. Elouise said that the man stopped her after the program to thank her for honoring Sudler's life and passing. Now, at least he wouldn’t be forgotten. This memorial is part of an ongoing effort to honor those who passed without a home in Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit streetsense.org/obits.
Things Fall Apart It seemed like everything was finally coming together. Sudler had stopped drinking. He had gotten a cell phone. He was set to sign a lease for permanent supportive housing the next day. And then, in late September, things fell apart. “I always had this feeling I was gonna get a call,” said Hutchinson. But it still knocked the wind out of his sister when Holland told her that Sudler was in the hospital after a substantial stroke. She hadn't spoken to her brother in over 10 years—they'd had a falling out the night before their mother’s funeral in January 2006. Now, Hutchinson knew she needed to make up for lost time. The first week, Hutchinson thought he understood what she said. He would make eye contact, nod, squeeze her hand and follow her with his eyes when she left. Even when he became unresponsive; even when his body started to shut down; even when it became clear he wasn’t
A table at the memorial.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELOUISE HUTCHINSON
This watercolor weaving was created collaboratively by Cynthia Mewborn, Sasha Williams, Eboni Williams, and Morgan Kuster. Two 36x40” sheets of paper were watercolored and subsequently cut into strips and woven together to represent the results that can come from mindful collaboration within a community. Kuster, an artist and graduate student at the George Washington University, led Street Sense artists to look for a new way to express themselves using inspiration from art featured at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The group was particularly influenced by the Georgia O’Keeffe quote “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way, things I had no words for.” The artists are hopeful that this artwork will inspire other meaningful collaborations to solve issues surrounding social justice. By Cynthia Mewborn Artist/Vendor
O
ver the course of a month, I and several colleagues collaborated to “live into [our] full rights as United States citizens and to assist other’s to do the same.” At least that’s how Morgan Kuster, a graduate student at George Washington University in the Museum Education Program, described it.
Cynthia, Sasha, Eboni and Angie. PHOTO BY MORGANI KUSTER
Morgan volunteered with Street Sense for four months, getting to know our community and helping out in our various artistic workshops. By working with alongside us, she saw how much our workshops focus on creative expression. She worked to expand on these programs by asking participants to recognize all the expression they already have and see ways they can add to their expression in different places. There are so many things which Street Sense vendors advocate for. Ye t s o m e t i m e s , M o r g a n o b s e r v e d , communication could be stronger at times. She was hoping this program could give people more tools with which to express themselves and a calmer way to work together and find balance. Most of Morgan’s experiences have been with younger audiences. One of her goals while here, assigned by her Professor Lotte Lent, was to expand her
experience working with adult audiences in a museum setting. She ended up designing a collaborative interactive museum tour to take place over a month, with four components. The first week’s goal was to explain the project and get everyone familiar with where we would be going by reviewing maps of the exhibits. We also practiced with watercolor paints and materials to prepare for a bigger project. The second week we actually went to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The goal was to work on self-expression by listening to other people’s expression and how they choose to do it. We went to the Harlem Heroes Exhibition, featuring portraits by Carl Van Vechten. Morgan chose to focus on Langston Hughes because he had lived in D.C. for a while and he wrote a lot of poetry (another great connection to Street Sense). While we were in the gallery, there was
time to see all the other portraits and amazing creative works from the Harlem Renaissance. Then we went on to the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2016 Exhibition gallery. The goal there was for us to cruise and pick out a portrait we related to in any way, and to do an activity called “black-out poetry.”
The portrait that inspired Cynthia.
STREET SENSE December 14 - 27, 2016
9
FEATURES The poems were inspired by portraits chosen by the vendors from the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competitions 2016 Exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The vendors used a technique called black-out poetry that uses carefully selected words on repurposed book pages to create unique poems. The pages all came from a single book about 19th century poetry. by Angie Whitehurst Inspired by A Moment in Time, Wendy Arbeit by Sasha Williams Inspired by Sedrick, Sed, Daddy Organic give dramatic volume Optimistic black contrast Sound impulse Creative imagination Deep mature Grasp at man Action Dramatic life creates illusion, reality Pose Man Recognition Perfection Vision
Attributes common Central emphasis of each vision Length light, partial portraits Recurrent themes Interrelation, different conceptions One America Identification intangible Vision Advancing arts Photography Open-air painting Symbol Expression Age Fusion Split between art
Co-existence Power Balance Optimism Produced infinitude convictions Encouraged opening freedom Brighter confident life Man Recognize effect of solitude Voice of energy
The portrait that inspired Sasha. Each participant was given an old page from an old book to highlight words we thought related to the chosen artwork. This involves using black marks to hide all other words, so that only the words we had chosen for the poem remained. The third week we met to synthesize everything that we had learned. We worked together on a project inspired by our experience. For the fourth and final week, we
toured the National Museum of African American History and Cultural, which Morgan’s colleague had given us tickets to enter. Morgan wanted to pull out the connections from the artwork we had looked at during the visit to the American Art Museum and to see how artists can use color, shapes and lines instead of words. Our closing collaborative project incorporates two separate water color paintings by Sasha Williams, Eboni Williams, Cynthia Mewborn, and Morgan Kuster, which were then woven together. Morgan hopes to have several other Interactive Museum Tours with Street Sense vendors in the future. As a participant from the first tour, I would highly recommend and encourage every vendor not to miss the upcoming opportunities. This, in-depth, informative, detailed, innovative, intriguing, inspiring, creative, refreshing artistic program is definitely one that you’ll enjoy from start to finish.
by Cynthia Mewborn Inspired by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Charles Alston He meant by this latter term Fully, one passage describes the very end Which describes the fall Yard-arm extended when the two halves of his experience, this outer and inner life are fused in expression Accumulation of circumstantial particulars It is equally different For reasons which involve the innermost nature of developing power Canvas, which he had Which has stood from the outset As a token Plunge Thinking it was the sail He threw up his hands to drag it down
OPINION
Happy Holidaze By Ken Martin
The other day I was asked how to spell holidays. As in “Happy Holidays.” My response was “H-O-L-I-D-A-Z-E.” Why? Because it’s closest to the way I feel during this season. My favorite time of the year, Christmas has become the time I dread most. It is the time when I work hardest to give my children what they need least… Stuff. It is the time of year that I break out my Christmas music and the caroler’s hat, to bring a bit of joy and goodwill to my fellow man, as they too wish to celebrate the season with friends, family and cheer. But I don’t get to do that. I never got to spend Christmas with both of my children together, and we never got to revisit the family Christmas traditions that meant so much to me as a child and that I wanted so much for them to have as memories and future life experiences. Oh, they got bits and pieces, like leaving cookies on a plate for Santa on Christmas Eve. But Christmas at “my” house actually began right after my birthday in early October. It started with the gathering of cookbooks, other equipment, ingredients and containers for mass production of the cookies. Oatmeal raisin, Tollhouse ( c h o c o l a t e c h i p ) , p e a n u t b u t t e r, molasses crinkles, chocolate drops, spritz, candy cane (which some of us hated), eggnog thumbprints, gingerbread men (I was never crazy about rolling dough), brownies, blondies, scotchies and snickerdoodles (with green and red sugar variations)! We would also have one or two experimental recipes just for a change. But that was only October. We would window shop in November, in stores and catalogs. Then make Christmas gifts to distribute to the Aunties – often amaryllises, a flowering bulb. (For those unfamiliar with amaryllis, it grows so fast that, to the astonishment of kids of all ages, they almost grow before your eyes.) And on those November weekends, we would mix dough and create cider mixes and homemade cocoa blends to be placed in mason jars with calico cloth decorations and tied with Christmas ribbons or bows. We also selected recycled cards to be used for gift wrapping embellishment and string for room decorations. The day after Thanksgiving was spent untangling the string lights and constructing a beautiful Christmas village with lights, trains and music. Then, as December unfolded, there were gatherings, deliveries, cheer, candy and other festivities! But my children and I never did get the chance to share such traditions. Paternal obstacles? Yes. I have physical disabilities that limit my mobility and my conventional employment. As such, my limited income has become an obstacle to
Out-Of-Towners Don’t Belong in D.C. Shelters By Aida Basnight
fulfilling some of my Christmas duties. And obtaining permanent housing has been an obstacle to having my children with me. And, not to mention, the freedom of the bondage of storage! The remnants of Christmas’ past are stored. Christmas didn’t mean the same to their mom. Her holiday experience was somewhat different. Either way, my son barely remembers the village and train that he last saw 14 years ago and his sister never has – because she is only 14 years old. The village and most of the remnants of Christmas are safely packed away in storage. Protected with the intent that one Christmas, they will be the focal point of the holiday celebration in my own leased apartment with a working stove, table and countertop for baking. Alas, once again – and this time spending $800 per month in rent – I have no place to use my stuff, no mantel to hang stockings and no place to entertain my children nor rocker for reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to them. There is no table to build a village, no oven to bake cookies or ways to enjoy family fellowship. Sadly, there is no hope to upgrade my custody status without a dramatic change in housing status. No family Christmas’ again this year. So I hope to have my spot at CVS for Christmas Day, where I can at least be in my community among my surrogate family. I will be able to sell papers and ensure that my offspring will have their winter and scholastic needs met. That will determine if the carol I’m singing is “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” or “Just Another Lonely Christmas.” Maybe I’ll have my “Christmas in July.” Whenever mine comes, thanks for reading and please accept on behalf of me and mine our sincere wishes to you and yours for Happy Holidays, Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All! Ken Martin is an artist/vendor for Street Sense and sells hats at brims4you.com.
BONUS PLAYLIST ALERT: Thanks for your kind indulgence. As you enjoy the holiday season's celebrations please maximize your musical merriment with these memorable melodies! Music you’d hear at my house. (Had I one) StreetSense.org/xmas2016
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wants to pass a bill allowing homeless shelters to turn away non-D.C. residents. As a former homeless person who has been in the streets on numerous occasions, I agree that this bill should be passed. In 2011, when I lost my job and exhausted all my savings and other resources to keep a roof over my head, I still ended up being evicted from my apartment. On the day it happened to me, I couldn’t find a shelter with a ready bed. Meanwhile, men and women from out of town who become homeless in their own states, manage to get a ticket to come to D.C., can end up with a bed. Yet I and other D.C. residents who have worked and lived here all of our lives end up spending sleepless nights in parks until a bed or space becomes available. That is unfair to D.C. residents and their families.
These out-of-towners who lose their housing in other states do have shelters to go to at home. But some have stricter rules than D.C. shelters. And some shelters in other states don’t have professional homeless advocates with the resources to help homeless men or women while they are staying. However, that shouldn’t be D.C. residents’ problem. The residents who are taxpayers in those states need to address the problem of their own residents who become homeless. D.C. homeless families and individuals should never face sleepless nights in a park or have to wait for space or a bed to become available because an out-oftowner. Not fair at all. Aida Basnight is a Street Sense vendor.
Moving Up: The Value of Volunteering By Arthur Johnson As we move into the holiday season, people start looking for ways to help other people and give back. Sometimes helping others is a way for people to show gratitude for the good fortunes in their lives; sometimes it is to gain perspective on and experience the difficulties that others may face in their everyday lives. Volunteering is an excellent way to realize both those goals, and you can benefit from it, too. Everybody is good at different things, and when you use those skills to benefit someone else, you do not only help them but you gain from it as well. You might be thinking to yourself, I need to focus on finding a job and a place to live, and I can’t be thinking about how to help other people. But why not combine the two? Help others and at the same time help yourself. There are several reasons why volunteering is a great idea. First, it gives you experience. Many times when you talk to employers, they want an experienced person for the position. It is a catch 22: You can’t get a job without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. This will get your foot in the door and give you the chance to gain experience. Second, you can choose the type of work you do as a volunteer, which will allow you to learn skills to apply in your future jobs. You have more control over your duties and schedule as a volunteer than as an employee, so you can have more control over your time and that will allow you to benefit. Third, for those of you who have or intend to follow my advice about getting a college education, it is possible to use volunteering as a means of fulfilling an internship requirement. These are
especially important because internships are often very much the component that opens up the door to employment. In the District, internships at the White House, the Capitol and other agencies may pay nothing, but they open up so many doors for the individuals who receive them. Another thing to consider is now that Republicans have won the White House and Congress, there will be a stronger push for self-sufficiency, and many states have already pushed to restrict food stamps for those who are unable to find employment. Maine requires that healthy adults without children who receive food stamps must work 20 hours a week or volunteer, or their benefits will end after three months. If other states start moving in that direction, you may very well find yourself doing volunteer duties, but it would be at a place of someone else’s choosing, the duties would not be something you pick and flexibility would be minimal. When you apply for employment, the volunteer experience is something you can put on your resume, and you should definitely bring it up in an interview, especially if the company promotes their charitable work on their website or in the media. (Many companies make certain to promote the volunteer efforts of their employees when working with groups like Habitat for Humanity, for example.) Hopefully you will find that volunteering will bring you many opportunities, and when you find yourself accomplishing the goals you have, volunteering will then be a very great way to show appreciation for what you have. Arthur Johnson is a volunteer writer focusing on finance and economic issues in his column Moving Up.
Have an opinion about how homelessness is being handled in our community? Street Sense maintains an open submission policy and prides itself as a newspaper that elevates community voices and fosters healthy debate. Send your thoughts to opinion@streetsense.org.
Why Trump Should Strengthen the Housing Voucher Program
STREET SENSE December 14 - 27, 2016
1#1
OPINION
By Will Fischer
There is good cause for concern that the Trump administration will undercut federal housing policy’s effectiveness in broadening opportunity for low-income Americans and protecting them from homelessness and hardship. The deep domestic spending cuts and tax breaks President-elect Donald Trump has proposed threaten rental assistance that helps vulnerable families keep a roof over their heads. In addition, Ben Carson, Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development, has inaccurately criticized federal fair housing efforts. The new administration could, however, choose a different path and build on the long history of bipartisan support for many HUD programs – and particularly the largest of those programs, Housing Choice Vouchers. The voucher program, created and refined during the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations, provides marketbased assistance that helps low-income people rent modest units of their choice. Members of both parties have worked together to strengthen the voucher program and provide adequate funding for vouchers in use around the country. They also cooperated during the Bush and Obama administrations to expand vouchers for people with disabilities and veterans, helping drive veteran homelessness down 47 percent. In 2013, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission
recommended expanding the voucher program to all families with incomes below 30 percent of the median in their area. This year the Republican-controlled Congress unanimously passed – and President Barack Obama signed – legislation substantially improving the voucher program and other housing programs. This broad support reflects the effectiveness of housing vouchers. Rigorous research shows that vouchers are highly effective – and cost-effective – at reducing homelessness, housing instability, domestic violence and foster care placements (which often occur because parents cannot afford suitable housing). Vouchers have also been found to raise children’s adult earnings and reduce the chances they will be incarcerated. Vouchers for supportive housing allow low-income elderly people and people with disabilities to live independently in their communities, rather than in costly institutional settings. Vouchers expand opportunity most when they enable families to live in low-poverty neighborhoods with strong schools and low crime. Groundbreaking research in 2015 found that young children whose families used vouchers to move to low-poverty neighborhoods earned 30 percent more as adults and were more likely to attend college and less likely to become single parents. Recognizing this, House Republicans this year called for policies to improve voucher holders’
access to high-opportunity neighborhoods in their poverty plan, and a House subcommittee hearing in September examined opportunities to use the voucher program to support upward mobility. We need to think about why people are disadvantaged and what can we can do to change that disadvantage,” Carson said on Dec. 8. “Instead of just telling people you go to this place and we’ll pay for it, you give them some choice.” Housing vouchers
are a powerful and proven tool for providing that choice and enabling families to escape the cycle of disadvantage. Let’s hope the new administration works with Congress to strengthen, rather than undermine, this important program. Will Fischer is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Chart exerted from a 2016 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report By Douglas Rice. Full report: http://www.cbpp.org/research/housing/substantial-funding-boostneeded-to-renew-housing-vouchers-in-2017. | DATA SOURCE: GUBETS ET AT., “FAMILY OPTIONS STUDY 3-YEAR IMPACTS OF HOUSING SERVICES INTERVENTIONS FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES,” DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
PERCEPTION OR REALITY: A Call to Arms By Robert Williams
The enormous ignored and forgotten society of people known as “the homeless” – not hopeless -have an obligation to themselves as well as to others. It seems commonly perceived that we lack intelligence or education, and that we don’t desire to progress to a higher level. So in reality, we must work twice as hard to check ourselves and to pull each other up. Doing so would help dispel the myths regarding this community. We must function as a unit, a team. And there is no “I” in T-E-A-M. We must stand up together and demand to be heard if we expect those advocating for people with housing instability to be successful. Stop complaining, and stop doing nothing except preaching to the choir. Be heard and counted where it will make a difference. It is imperative to grow up and show up! Still, the heart and help of those referred to as “taxpaying, productive members of society” is desperately needed. (Note that homeless people pay taxes on everything that they purchase. And if you know a Street Sense vendor, then you’ve seen we are and can be productive as well.) So tell me, someone, anyone – what’s
really going on? Who is helping who? And to do what – to stay up or stay down? Or is anybody helping anybody? (Other than those persons or organizations that are helping themselves to that which is allocated to help those in need each fiscal year.) Perception or reality? Hope is help. Maybe bringing this to light will help someone, prayerfully, stop doing just the minimal for those in need. Stop doing just enough to get a higher grant, kudos or lines on a resume – help someone for real in a manner in which there will be some stability and longevity in the assistance rendered. Stress is plentiful in our society, excessively so in particular communities. People don’t always show respect to each other, and hardly ever to those with unstable housing. Don’t you realize we are people too? Do you not agree we are deserving of respect, regardless of our economic status? Is it not already an atrocity that in a Human Rights City like the District, persons in certain communities are not afforded the universal right to housing? People, people, human beings are steadily dying in and on the streets of D.C.
Does anyone really care? Can you see what’s really going on? It’s systemic. I have concerns, and so should you. Don’t think it doesn’t or won’t eventually affect your lifestyle – directly or indirectly. As I continue my observation of this modern day plantation, I sometimes wonder what or who to write about. Not because of a shortage of who or lack of what, but because of the abundance of what’s available. I used to think that it’s what you don’t see that’s most damaging. But today, I beg to differ: it’s what’s in plain sight that is more dangerous to you and to our community, environment, city and state without representation and nation. The system tells you what they shall do to destroy you, because they know you are not listening. They have been, and are still, training you on what they want you to see. Because it is not to their advantage for you to see what’s really going on. If you did, you might come to realize that the future effects will be even more devastating, in particular to those of you who thought you were exempt because of your current standard of living. So you kept silent? Silence is agreement. We are in the midst of a
homelessness epidemic in which no one is excempt. Remember, there is only one race of people: the human race. And we live in what is supposed to be a God-fearing nation. What’s really going on? Is what I have communicated to you perception or reality? The best decision is an informed decision. With this information, how will you, as a community working together, respond to the issues at hand? If at all. Robert Williams is an artist and Street Sense vendor.
Protesters lock arms to prevent the eviction of Hotel tenants, 1977 PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Street Sense Writers’ Group is led by writing professionals and meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The group’s goal is to develop ideas and collaborate on the next great issue of Street Sense.
s g n i t e e r G s Season’
A Special Gift
Merry Christmas! By Ricardo Meriedy, Artist/Vendor
Christmas, what a wonderful holiday. It is a time of year everyone seems to be joyful and cheerful. Christmas seems to bring love, joy and happiness into the atmosphere. When I am out selling Street Sense during the holiday season, some people buy the paper when they walk by. Some don’t. But all of them have a wonderful smile of joy and say “Merry Christmas.” I just want to thank Street Sense most of all, and my customers who supported me through the year. Merry, Merry Christmas — I love you all!
Santa’s Looking Forward By Sheila White Artist/Vendor Christmas, Christmas Christmas trees Candy canes, candy canes What does this mean? Good tidings to all All’s said and done The kids are happy Mom and Dad are thrilled We all look forward to next year. Santa will say good-bye for now All the decorations will be down People will start the New Year With a smile. The kids will enjoy their gifts.
December 25, 2016 By Angie Whitehurst Artist/Vendor I love Christmas and always have. So excited to have Dec. 25th come. The anticipation energizes me to clean up quick.
Christmas time sharing and giving is the time of year for everyone to get together. This time we have a new president coming into office. What makes this Christmas special to you? How will you spend your holidays this year? I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Plan the menu, put up the tree and create an aura to share and give to everyone with glee. What someone should have said long ago is that how I choose to celebrate a holiday is about me and not the façade of the politicalycorrect ritual. Nor is what I do a solicitation to get money and gifts, or to be invited to any parties. Okay, it’s all right, I love Christmas, the Messiah, Santa Claus and Christmas Eve services too much to care about dysfunction. All’s okay to by me. Merry Christmas!
I don’t have much money to buy gifts, so I wrote this note to give each of my customers something special from me and, in my own little way, tell you how much I love you. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each of you! Thank you for being so supportive and patient with me. Some days are good, some days are not so good. But I always try to cheer each of you up with a smile and say “good morning.” That’s why I give out lots of sweet hugs, lots of kisses and lots of thank you cards. You guys are the best and I’m happy when you’re happy. I try to make your day and I understand when you’re tired (which is usually Wednesday). I know working every day is hard for a lot of people, especially in bad weather conditions. You don’t see me every day because I want to give you time to miss me! I’ve known some of you all six years that I’ve been working with Street Sense. Others have come and gone – we’ve shared teary goodbyes, heartfelt moments and mushy stuff. You always brighten my day when you come up and see me to just hug and laugh and conversate. I’m in a housing program and just moved into a 1-bedroom apartment a couple months ago. It’s so nice! I’ve got wall-to-wall carpet, a breakfast bar, all electric stove and central air! It’s located near a shopping center and a bus line too. It’s wonderful and I’m comfortable. Some of my customers gave me house warming gifts too. Thank you so much! I hope that, this time next year, that I and all of my customers will be in good health. I hope to start attending Street Sense community meetings like the Writers Group. And in the long term, I would like to save my money and eventually purchase a small house. Nothing brand new, just something nice for me. In the meantime, I’ll still be on 13th and H in front of Staples saying “Good Morning! Hi honey, you miss me? Good Morning!” Sincerely, with lots of love, hugs and kisses,
—Lorrie Hayes, Artist/vendor
STREET SENSE December 14 - 27, 2016
13
HOLIDAY UPS & DOWNS
Holiday Control By Phillip Black, “The Cat in the Hat” Artist/Vendor The holidays are always a great time to be with family and friends. It can also lead to times where we can get carried away with drinking alcohol. So many people consume more alcohol around the holidays. My uncle died on Christmas day last year driving to a Christmas party. At Eastern Market last New Year’s, a friend of mine was hit by a car after leaving a bar on Capitol Hill. We need to be more careful on holidays, because we can do so much harm to ourselves and others when we drink. So let’s control our drinking on this Christmas and New Year’s. It will save our lives and others.
My Most Memorable Christmas By Patty Smith, Artist/Vendor
One year we got a real Christmas tree. I was around 16 years old. My mother had taken me, my two brothers and our baby sister to North Hills, Pennsylvania, to get it. It was the week before Christmas. On the way to North Hills, we saw that all their homes were lit up with decorations — which made me all the more excited. Christmas truly is the best time of the year. We bought the tree, a real tall one,
and traveled back home. Mom started sending us kids around the house to get all the decorations. We even used one of her bed sheets to put around the bottom of the tree. She had a little ladder which she told my brother — who is a year younger than me — to go up and start at the top of the tree. The rest of us kids put the other decorations up. It was that real tree that year, that made our Christmas so special.
Merry Christmas, Sybil L. Taylor
By Latishia Graham, Artist/Vendor
I am thankful for family and friends; And I am thankful to see another birthday, which was November 28; And I was thankful to spend time with my mother and kids for Thanksgiving; I am blessed to see another President; And I am blessed to have a job and place to stay; I will be so blessed to see another year in 2017; And I am blessed to spend 2017 with my family.
Taking Losses
By Joe Jackson, Artist/Vendor
Dear Santa, My wish is to see my father and the rest of my loved ones that are gone on my birthday, Christmas. We miss you, Dad. My wish is to see him, hug him, talk to him, kiss him for happiness and sit all day with him. I’ve also been thinking that I would like to have a little kitty for Christmas with a pretty ribbon around him or her. If my family cannot see Dad, the kitty would touch our hearts and soul and bring us happiness in this time of sorrow, sadness and loss. What a joy to have from a kitty, just born into the world. I have raised kitties before and it brought me great joy to do that. One day at Christmas, we will rejoice as one family. Dad, you may be gone but you’re not forgotten. Ever. It is different without you here smiling, sharing the joy, singing Christmas carols, going shopping and watching all the store displays in the window. Christmas music brings tears to my eyes now, knowing that he’s not there, but in spirit watching and smiling at us. He is at peace enjoying the biggest present in the world: Heaven. Dad, we love you. We are waiting on Santa to have you with us. Love you.
Thankful and Blessed
MESSENGER: It’s real, and it’s anything but chilling By Michael Craig, Artist/Vendor
They were on Facebook. The monkey messaged the penguin and said “hey, how’s the weather down there?” “It’s 40, below, it’s beautiful it’s perfect,” the penguin replied. “How’s the weather up there?” “Oh it’s beautiful – 110 degrees, nice and humid,” the monkey said. “But, y’know, I’m kind of hungry. I’m trying to think of which banana tree I want to go dine at.” “I’m a little hungry too,” the penguin typed. “I wonder where I’m going to go fishing. It seems like they shut my favorite restaurant down. Hey – have you realized
any sort of change in the weather?” “Yeah It’s been unseasonably warm up here,” the monkey replied. “The water has been a little warmer than usually here too,” the penguin said. “I don’t like it. It seems like the fish kinda ran away cause of the temperature change.” “I know, If it gets any hotter than it is right now, I might need an air conditioner,” the monkey typed. “We’re getting jungle fires out here, we never had that before.” “All I know is that we’ still cool with each other,” they agreed.
Rest in Peace, Raymond Smith By Charles Davis, Artist/Vendor The week before Thanksgiving I got two devastating phone calls. The first was about my friend, Raymond, who everyone called Reds. The second was about my brother-inlaw's brother, Will Bennett. May they both rest in peace. I am really going to miss them. When I got the call about Reds I just started to pray like my father always taught me. Raymond was a very hard worker. He ran a very good car detailing business on Brandywine Street and Wisconsin Avenue NW. We did all the work on the street! The business brought in so many clients that Red had to recruit as much help as possible. He also had a big landscaping business on the street that required a lot of help and many tools. One client helped us with the cars until we got a work truck. When I first met Raymond 25 years ago, we had nothing
but hope. I think that worked out for him, because in the end, he got his blessing of so many things, including another work truck and his own apartment. Reds always cared and helped many people on the streets when we needed to make an honest dollar. That was the greatest thing about that man; he never let any work get past him. If we had to stay in a hotel for a couple of nights out of the snow and ice cold, he would help out to keep his workers on board. I also cut his hair, which really kept us going as friends. I have seen a lot of deaths this year among my family and my friends. So, please always cherish the life you live and keep your dear trust in God the Almighty. May the power and the kingdom and glory be God's forever. Amen! REST IN PEACE, RAYMOND SMITH. HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE.
The people I’ve lost in my past journey were best friends. Cristopher Gross, Fingers,Red, Skinny Pimp. These are the guys I had a good time with being homeless. I will miss these friends of my mine that I love. We shared tears together during our bad times. I’ve just been going through so much. And my mind is a wreck. On top of this loss, the struggle to re-obtain all of my important paperwork. You can’t trust anyone to really help you end your own homelessness, because they might use your social security number. I was also shaken to learn my moms doesn’t want me staying at her place. It hurt me to see my mother treat me like an outsider. She’s not making it easy for me. I’m holding myself together for my place and a vacation from it all. My brother just started his family, I’d love to start mine. I really lost my love for Christmas when I was fourteen years old. The tree had a lot of gifts under it and it was with my brother and other family member. So we opened all the gifts and there wasn’t a single one for me. Father told me don’t touch nothing under the tree. It hit me like a sledge hammer, I carried that with me a long time, ‘til now. I have to be strong about everything, even the losses I took this year. My friends died right behind each other – it’s a scary feeling being homeless. Please people, support anyone that is hurting in their heart or their mind. We as people need to stick together. That’s what God wants. I try to play it off like I am not hurting. But I am hurting. I am rushing myself every morning to go nowhere. I am losing things because I am not getting the proper rest. Stressed out my mind, sometimes I don’t know if I am going or coming. But I am going to pray about the problem.
COMICS & GAMES
My Visit to the Portrait Museum: Thoughts on Photography By Gwynette Smith, Artist/Vendor
Recently, I went to the National Portrait Gallery at 8th and F Streets, NW. It is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Some of the exhibits were photographs, while others were on ink jet technique or were printings and engravings. I was really interested in the photographs and spent more time looking at those on the visit. Some of the shots were headshots, while others showed the full person. The depth of field changes in the pictures emphasized the artist or a prominent person more than others. For example, actor James Almos’ picture gives some detail about the restaurant he was in, perhaps showing that he is a public figure. On the other hand, pianist Eddie Palmieri’s portrait emphasized his craft: playing the piano. More of him is shown than the piano. The photographs of Justin Timberlake used a technique to merge several shots of him dancing. With a slow shutter speed and a small aperture, it might have looked like he was actually moving. And astrophysics’ Neil de Grasse Tyson was positioned behind a telescope in his photograph. The telescope and he were standing on the floor and the instrument was almost as tall as he. The photographer said he wanted to show how much the telescope was involved in his life. The main reason I visited the Smithsonian American Art Museum was to see the photographs about the Harlem Renaissance. First though, I saw the painting of Hank Aaron, the famous baseball player. It looked more like a photograph than a painting. Nearby, the paintings of Kevin Spacey, Bob Hope and Frederick Douglas all also seemed
life-like to me. The Harlem Renaissance was a period of uncertainty for African-Americans in the 1920s and 30s. The literature, art and poetry of the time reflected this. The photographs on display were done by noted photographer Carl Van Vechten, who immersed himself in that culture and became friends with many of its artists. Some of his subjects were not artists, but they had made a real contribution to the Black community. For example, Altonell Hinds was an educator who had directed a day care center in Harlem. She was depicted in a bed of flowers and only her face was showing. There was also an off-center photograph of Ethel Waters and a quote from her autobiography about how Black life often causes the lives of Blacks to see off center from the layer societies. Sojourner Truth was not shown as a slave. Instead, she is in a simple, chic, black dress, wearing a beautiful necklace. Bessie Smith, the blues singer, was photographed with her eyes closed like in mourning, and the words to me of her songs are beside her photograph. Althea Gibson, the famous tennis player, was in a wide shot that shows her tennis racket in her arm, tennis balls in her hand and she is wearing a white tennis outfit. And Ralph Bunche, former U.N. representative, is in a slight wide shot, looking away and maybe thinking about problems in some other part of the world. The trip was a joy and fed my interest in photography. I really recommend this exhibit to anyone interested in Black history.
STREET SENSE December 14 - 27, 2016
15
COMMUNITY SERVICES Housing/Shelter
Food
Clothing
Showers
Outreach
Medical/Healthcare
Transportation
Laundry
Education
Employment Assistance
Legal Assistance
Academy of Hope Public Charter School: 269-6623 | 601 Edgewood St, NE aohdc.org Bread for the City: 265-2400 (NW) | 561-8587 (SE) 1525 7th St, NW | 1640 Good Hope Rd, SE breadforthecity.org Calvary Women’s Services: 678-2341 1217 Good Hope Road, SE calvaryservices.org
Catholic Charities: 772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp
Central Union Mission: 745-7118 65 Massachusetts Avenue, NW missiondc.org
Charlie’s Place: 232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave, NW charliesplacedc.org Christ House: 328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd, NW christhouse.org Church of the Pilgrims: 387-6612 2201 P St, NW churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach food (1 - 1:30 on Sundays only) Community Family Life Services: 347-0511 | 305 E St, NW cflsdc.org
Community of Hope: 232-7356 communityofhopedc.org
Covenant House Washington: 610-9600 2001 Mississippi Avenue, SE covenanthousedc.org
D.C. Coalition for the Homeless: 347-8870 1234 Massachusetts Ave, NW dccfh.org Father McKenna Center: 842-1112 19 Eye St, NW fathermckennacenter.org
Food and Friends: 269-2277 219 Riggs Rd, NE foodandfriends.org (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)
Foundry Methodist Church: 332-4010 1500 16th St, NW foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities ID (FRIDAY 9-12 ONLY)
Friendship Place: 364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave, NW friendshipplace.org Georgetown Ministry Center: 338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave, NW georgetownministrycenter.org
Jobs Have Priority: 544-9128 425 Snd St, NW jobshavepriority.org
Samaritan Ministry: 1516 Hamilton Street NW | 722-2280 1345 U Street SE | 889-7702 samaritanministry.org
Loaves & Fishes: 232-0900 1525 Newton St. NW loavesandfishesdc.org
Sasha Bruce Youthwork: 675-9340 741 8th St, SE sashabruce.org
Martha’s Table: 328-6608 2114 14th St, NW marthastable.org
Miriam’s Kitchen: 452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave, NW miriamskitchen.org
I am going to write about a recent Sunday. I had an exciting day. Instead of going to church, I got to hang out with my oldest brothers, three of them. One brother, named Tony, picked me up, and we went over
St. Luke’s Mission Center: 333-4949 3655 Calvert St. NW stlukesmissioncenter.org Thrive DC: 737-9311 1525 Newton St, NW thrivedc.org
N Street Village: 939-2060 1333 N Street, NW nstreetvillage.org
Unity Health Care: 745-4300 3020 14th St, NW unityhealthcare.org
New York Ave Shelter: 832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave, NE
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St NW | 328-5500 legalclinic.org
Patricia Handy Place for Women: 810 5th Street, NW, NW | 733-5378
The Welcome Table: 347-2635 1317 G St, NW epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable
Samaritan Inns: 667-8831 2523 14th St, NW samaritaninns.org
Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St, NW | 745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave, SE | 797-3567 whitman-walker.org
My Song
Something Work Up Inside Me to another brother, Anthony’s, house. I talked to his wife and their youngest son. That brother is 65 years old. I am going to get something to give them for their birthdays and Christmas. Later on, we went over to another brother’s house. His name is Samson. It does my heart good, because we didn’t grow up together. I felt like something woke up inside me. Our mother had mental illness and
My Sister’s Place: 529-5991 (24-hour hotline) mysistersplacedc.org
CELEBRATING SUCCESS! By Elizabeth Bryant Artist/Vendor
So Others Might Eat (SOME) 71 O St, NW | 797-8806 some.org
had to give us up. I saw her only once when I was nine years old. When I was five months old, I was adopted by Daisy G. Smith and she was the only mother I knew. She was a good mother, even though I put her through a lot with my alcoholism. Every day I go to AA, except when I’m sick. I have been sober for nine years and eleven months.
By Melody Byrd Artist/Vendor My song Is a story A moral forum And ideal subject A general decision For a brief important reason Singing is a way of illustration A name is a word of a purpose cause, Or a difference of opinion To a marvelous time.
Consider Contributing to Street Sense!
# 28233
United Way of the National Capital Area
United Way NCA Designation Code
# 8871
Apply for Discounts on Your Utility Bills Discounts are Subject to Income Eligibility Requirements
- Apply for Discounted Rates on R ES EA RCH O N A LCO H O L USE ESEA US E VO L U N T E E R S N E E D E D Doctors at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) seek volunteers for a research study that will evaluate if inflammation of the brain occurs in individuals who are alcohol drinkers. Researchers want to see if 3-4 weeks without alcohol shows less inflammation in the brain.
Natural Gas
Residential Essential Service (RES) Program
Potential savings up to $276 during the winter heating season.
About the study:
● Participation may require 2-3 days of inpatient overnight stay. ● Participants will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain. ● Participants in this study will have tests at two time points: one shortly after a bout of alcohol drinking (less than one week after you last drank alcohol). If the brain images show evidence of inflammation the tests will be repeated at least 3 weeks after abstaining from alcohol. Repeating these same tests at least 3 weeks later, will let us know if the inflammation improves with abstinence. ● Participants whose results show inflammation in the brain will be invited to participate in the alcohol detox phase for 3-4 weeks followed by a repeat of the imaging scans.
You may qualify if you:
You may not qualify if you:
• Are 30 to 75 years old
• Have a minimum 5 year history of heavy alcohol drinking • Drink at least 20 alcohol drinks/week if male or 15 drinks/week if female
• Are seeking or not seeking treatment for your alcohol- dependen condition
• Have a medical condition that can impact brain function • Have had head trauma with loss of consciousness for more than 30 minutes • Have a history of drug abuse other than alcohol • Are pregnant or breast feeding • Are allergic to lidocaine • Have a history of a bleeding or clotting disorder • Have a positive urine test result for illicit drugs
Electric
Residential Aid Discount (RAD) Program
Potential savings are between $300-$475 annually.
Location: The NIH Clinical Center, America’s research hospital, is located on the Metro red line (Medical Center stop) in Bethesda, Maryland. There is no charge for study-related tests or procedures. Compensation and travel assistance may be provided.
For more information call: 1-800-411-1222 TTY-:1-866-411-1010 Se habla Español Online, clinicaltrials.gov Refer to study # 14-AA-0192
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®
Water
Customer Assistance Program (CAP)
Latishia Graham - 11/28 | Sybil Taylor - 12/25
Potential discount could be over $450 annually.
Evelyn Nnam - 12/31 | Ricardo Meriedy - 01/02
Telephone
December 14 - 27, 2016 • Volume 14 • Issue 3
Street Sense 1317 G Street, NW
Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Washington, DC
Washington, DC 20005
Mail To:
Permit #568
Remember, buy only from badged vendors and do not give to those panhandling with one paper.
Lifeline Program (Economy II)
Annual discount on one land line service per household.
For more info call 311 or visit doee.dc.gov/udp
To apply for the telephone Lifeline Service (Economy II), call 800-253-0846.
These programs are for DC residents only. Interested in a subscription? Visit StreetSense.org/subscribe