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D.C. residents may soon find it easier to locate affordable housing or shelter with their furry friends.
The D.C. Council passed a bill to make one homeless shelter pet-friendly and cap the amount landlords can charge in pet rent on Dec. 17, just two months after the Department of Human Services (DHS) said it did not support the bill.
The Pets in Housing Act, introduced by At-large D.C. Councilmember Robert White in May and passed by unanimous consent, would cap pet rental fees at $25 and pet security deposits at $300, ban breed-specific fees or restrictions, and require DHS to make at least one of its lowbarrier shelters pet-friendly. Over the last few months, the bill garnered support from animal advocates and community members but faced pushback from DHS, which argued pet-friendly shelters were not a significant need raised by people experiencing homelessness. The bill, which is estimated to cost $642,000 to implement in the first year, is not currently funded.
“I want to make sure people aren’t thinking about pets as this luxury, unnecessary thing, and more thinking about pets the way they are in reality, as parts of our family,” White said in June.
Outgoing DHS Director Laura Zeilinger said at an October D.C. Council Committee on Housing hearing the department doesn’t have the staffing or resources to accommodate a pet-friendly shelter in D.C. She said people experiencing homelessness have not raised pets in shelters as a “large unmet problem,” and shelter staff have not reported a “significant number” of people who declined to enter a shelter because they couldn’t bring their pet. People with a registered service animal are currently permitted to bring the animal into some shelters in D.C.
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“It would be challenging to prioritize this given it hasn’t shown up as a significant need in our community over other issues where we do need resources,” Zeilinger said at the hearing.
D.C.’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer determined funds are insufficient in the current budget to make the shelter available. The office said DHS will need funding to develop and operate a pet-friendly shelter with consultant services, shelter staffing, additional logistics, training on pet safety, increased maintenance, repair, and security costs. The council could fund the project in the fiscal year 2026 budget, which will be approved next summer. While residents will have to wait for the pet-friendly shelter, the pet rent restrictions do not require additional funding, according to the fiscal impact statement, and could go into effect sooner.
More than 30 animal advocates, organizations, and community members testified at the hearing in support of the legislation, arguing the bill would help keep tenants and people experiencing homelessness with their pets. ASPCA Senior Director of Housing Policy Susan Riggs said thousands of cats and dogs arrive at animal shelters because the owners can’t afford to pay high fees to rent with their pets. According to Animal Legal Defense Fund Strategic Legislative Affairs Manager Alicia Prygoski, a Pet-Friendly Housing Initiative report revealed 72% of U.S. renters reported difficulty finding pet-friendly housing, and only 8% of pet-friendly housing options don’t include additional fees or breed restrictions.
Likewise, Lynn Amano, the director of advocacy at Friendship Place, said at the hearing many people experiencing homelessness don’t have a registered animal and must choose between giving up their pet or accessing a shelter.
The bill now goes to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office for review.
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s D.C. agencies plan for 2025, one is running into a few delays.
Ahead of its last meeting of the year, the D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) delayed the approval of its 2025 Work Plan to March. The body, tasked with organizing the city’s response to homelessness, originally expected to pass the work plan at its final 2024 meeting on Dec. 10. But the plan still needs to be updated to account for community feedback received earlier this month and the ICH’s updated 2024 Annual Report, which is expected to be finalized in February once the body recieves more data from fiscal year 2024.
Meanwhile, the ICH Full Council, the body supposed to approve the plan, is operating without a full slate of confirmed members thanks to delays in the mayor’s office. The ICH does not expect the delays will impact the approval of the plan, a spokesperson wrote in an email to Street Sense. While the ICH has been allowing unconfirmed nominees to participate in meetings and does not anticipate stopping the work of the city’s homelessness response, the delays could hinder the body moving forward.
As drafted, the work plan outlines the agency’s priorities and focus to address homelessness during the upcoming year, and depends on data from the annual report, which reviews progress toward ending and preventing homelessness in D.C. The draft 2024 annual report highlights disparities between housing placements for families and individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly single adults and Black men, and a rise in homelessness over the past two years. The draft work plan suggests addressing this disparity by focusing a majority of resources in the upcoming year on individuals experiencing homelessness.
To be implemented and used to advise the city’s strategy, the work plan requires approval from the ICH Full Council, a rotating leadership slate for the body. However, half of the community members the ICH recommended to be seated on the council in recent years haven’t been confirmed by the mayor, and nine more seats open for the 2025-2027 term.
The ICH Full Council includes15 agency heads appointed by the mayor, 20 community members, including service providers, advocates, residents with lived experience, private sector representatives, and two District Council representatives. The other ICH participants appoint community members after an open nomination period, and the ICH Executive Committee approves the list, which then goes to the mayor and Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointment (MOTA) for review before final D.C. Council approval.
But the 12 community members ICH appointed in 2023 still haven’t been reviewed by MOTA. Members nominated in 2022 have only just recently been confirmed, Theresa Silla, the ICH’s executive director, said during the meeting. Street Sense reached out to MOTA for comment on what is causing the delay and expected confirmation dates but did not hear back.
The delays have made it difficult to determine leadership for committees that work under the Full Council. One of the 2025 plan’s major initiatives would create new forums and establish leadership positions for all ICH subgroups. During the Dec. 10 meeting, Silla said the plan is to have a list of all chosen names by February.
“While we have been maintaining the community seats [despite lack of confirmation], we have not been maintaining leadership slates or voting slates for our committees and workgroups,” Silla said. “We would very much like to standardize how we are governing our committees and workgroups. It cannot be a nebulous space where any and everybody can show up, we need a dedicated set of people.”
The January and February meetings to establish leadership slates for all ICH forums will also give the body another opportunity to review and finalize details of the work plan, an agency spokesperson wrote to Street Sense.
During both the Dec. 10 meeting and the pre-session at the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library, ICH members and attendees with lived experience of homelessness expressed their frustrations with the body, arguing there’s a lack of representation in ICH leadership, a disregard for the feedback people with lived experience bring to discussions, and a lack of fair payment for the work they provide. Attendees said it was hard to see what concrete improvements ICH or the homeless services system was making in the lives of D.C. residents.
“When we come before you and speak to you about the things that cripple us, and that’s harming us, whether it’s through these agencies or the people that you bring on, you deny them, you ignore them, pretend they don’t happen, and we continue in these same cycles without dealing with the issues of these policies and the economic instability among our people,” Jakia Caroll, a community leader and advocate said.
Though the work plan won’t be approved until the spring, its focus on ICH governance, individuals experiencing homelessness, and health care is unlikely to change. The draft of the plan calls for the ICH to create workgroups focused on behavioral health, income, and justice-involved populations.
The plan would create a new Health Care Committee and a supporting behavioral health workgroup due to the disproportionate impact of opioids on individuals experiencing homelessness — the most affected group, according to the ICH’s annual report.
The draft 2024 report details 20% of individual adults experiencing homelessness have a substance abuse history, compared to 0.2% of adults in families. Overall, single unhoused adults — especially single Black men, who make up 67% of this group — have the toughest time accessing housing in the District. Just 11% of single adults experiencing homelessness receive a housing placement each year, compared to 73% of families.
“This disparity has its roots in racist notions of the deserving poor and the idea that single adults, especially single Black men, can and should pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” the report states.
As a result, the report recommends the city focus all of its new housing investments on individuals until the gap between the family system and single adults can be closed.
While homelessness has decreased in the city since 2015, it has been rising both for families and single adults in the past two years. The Dec. 10 meeting reflected this, with tension between those with lived experiences who shared their stories and frustrations and ICH members, who said they were doing the best they could.
“I’ve been on both sides of the fence,” Roxanne Murray, a service provider on the Full Council, said. “When we come together, despite the fact we might have some differences, I just want to say this: we are really a community, and we are in this together. And there are some of us [council members] that fight just as hard as some of the folks here fighting for their freedom to make sure it happens.”
A woman standing beside the front row of audience chairs spoke loudly after Murray’s statement: “We not in nothing together. There is a divide. We’re not together when there is a divide.”
FRANZISKA WILD Volunteer Freelance Reporter
When the lead artist of the new mural in Chinatown, Shani Shih, looks at her work, she doesn’t just see the neighborhood’s rich, layered, and multiethnic history — she sees a public act of defiance against the developers trying to push legacy Chinatown residents from their homes.
The mural, the first art installation in Chinatown since the 1970s, was coordinated by the Save Chinatown Solidarity Network, a group of organizers fighting displacement in the neighborhood. It’s situated on H Street near Gallery Place and overlooks an empty lot where developer Monument Reality plans to construct a series of luxury housing units, displacing two of a dwindling number of small businesses in the neighborhood. At a Nov. 24 community event unveiling the mural, Cassie He, an organizer with the Save Chinatown Solidarity Network, said the network chose to locate the mural on this wall as a “direct act of resistance.”
“Every time the developer comes into Chinatown, they have to look over the eyes of families, community members, and leaders that they are displacing and kicking out of this community,” she said.
A vivid golden swoosh ties the various elements of the mural, which depict current community leaders, including members of the Museum Square and Wah Luck Tenants Associations, intermingled with scenes from Chinatown’s history. It also includes images of the lion dance tradition and a black and white photograph of the Lee Family Foundation, which has strong historical ties to the neighborhood and helped to fund the mural.
Most of the last Chinese residents in the neighborhood live in the affordable housing complex Wah Luck House and the partially-empty Museum Square building. The Save Chinatown Solidarity Network has been working with tenants of the Museum Square building who say they are being pushed out of their homes by their landlord, Bush Companies.
Many longtime Chinatown residents oppose the proposed development of the lot where the mural was painted, because of its potential to decimate their community by raising rents and pushing out small businesses nearby. Still, the Board of Zoning Adjustment approved the proposal, and Monument Reality intends to break ground before the end of the year.
“They have to face the reality of the destruction that these developers are wrecking in our city, but most importantly, face the continuous strength of our community,” He said.
Shih, the lead artist who painted the mural, said her inclusion of a black-and-white photograph of the mural painted by Eastern Wind in the neighborhood 50 years earlier speaks to a long history of organizing in Chinatown. In addition to her work as an artist, Shih has been a tenant organizer in the city.
“The mechanisms of displacement, which are at full force, not just in Chinatown, but all around the city, targeting specifically Black and brown communities of color, immigrant communities, working-class communities,” Shih said at the unveiling event, as she looked up at the portraits of the Museum Square tenants who have been resisting displacement for nearly a decade.
Members of the Museum Square Tenants Association also spoke at the event — which, despite the frigid temperatures, featured food and hot tea from local restaurants — and reiterated the importance of their community and their steadfast commitment to staying in their homes.
The mural organizers hope it will serve as a reminder of the power of community and organizing — and as a call to action for others to help shape a Chinatown community that uplifts affordable housing, small businesses, and longtime residents.
“Public art is powerful because it represents a claim in a public space,” Shih said. “And that’s why I love this artwork.”
WENDELL WILLIAMS
When we last left Wendell, he and his friend were bussing through the area around Cancun, which could turn into a nightmare with the approach of Hurricane Milton. They had just hit a turn and were about to find out if they were on the highway to heaven or hell.
As we zigged and zagged, avoiding those vehicle-eating potholes, just bouncing along on what we thought was a never-ending road, I said “No, it can’t be.” Like the mythical mirage waterhole in the desert, I could see a clearing up ahead, and I thought WTF. We were literally in the middle of “nowhere” for two gringos, but apparently, this was “somewhere” for the locals, and our latest destination.
I can only now describe it as some sort of Indigenous people’s ancient Six Flags. It seems the long-gone Mayans had figured out the recreational angle of the area and its importance to their people’s emotional well-being in a way that was in sync with Mother Nature. These people were so far ahead of their time, one wonders how they vanished.
We pulled into this large bald spot of grass and gravel with many buses and vans. They were parked everywhere possible, kind of like any amusement park in America, except there was no organization whatsoever to the parking pattern. We were thinking, “Where in the hell did all these people and buses come from?” because we sure didn’t pass any traffic along the way. But the lot was full. It had that four-day weekend buzz. It could have been Memorial Day, July 4th, or Labor Day here, because the groups were made up of families. I looked around, and before I could start with the “OK, why are we stopping here” attitude, I saw what appeared to be outside eateries and souvenir shops. But I still didn’t see why or what brought us to this strange place. All along the roads during the last hours, there was nothing, no sign at all of any park or recreational areas, let alone something akin to an amusement park. So what was the main attraction causing that buzz in Spanish we couldn’t understand? Why all this damn excitement?
I quickly discovered why. Off ahead about 50 meters to my right (I’ve been dying to use meters in a story), my eyes caught a large group of people encircling a thin wooden fence. I wondered, what weird attraction does this have on these people? They were cheering at the top of their lungs, hooting and hollering as if at a sporting event cheering their favorite professional team. I heard them calling out messages of encouragement, but to who? It seemed they were talking to the ground. I couldn’t see anyone it was directed at.
I watched their faces as older family members beamed with pride at their offspring, taking part in more than just the thrill ride we’ve come expect as part of a family getaway at one of the many generic amusement parks in America. Here, these people were passing something along, the history and culture of how their ancestors had fun down through the generations. I moved closer to the fence and looked down, and I now heard loud laughing and playing going on like on any school playground during recess.
The crowd surrounded a huge hole in the ground. It was a natural opening to a cave below, with an underground waterway flowing through about 50 feet down from the surface where we were standing. There were men, women, and children of all ages floating, paddling, or just tied to one another in vests or tubes. Yes, tubes. The destination of the bus trip was this ancient Mayan Underground Amusement Park that we never got the name of, probably because we didn’t understand Spanish and Sergio forgot to tell us. This beautiful happening was starting to make some real sense to me. Now I understood the build-up and excitement along the journey and the narrations in Spanish, which had left me clueless. I remembered our tour included a buffet, so I wanted to eat. But my friend wasn’t interested and continued to sleep as I walked through the area. Several large dining halls connected. The halls
were decorated in the most colorful fabrics and artworks, both simple and stylish at the same time, highlighting the Mayan culture. In the halls, you could just walk through and try various dishes and drinks. I wasn’t familiar with any of the dishes on the buffet so I didn’t eat or drink. Plus, I had already eaten in the village prior and I was well aware of what the local cuisine can do the bowels of an adventurous gringo. So I spent the remaining part of our hour there as a cultural vouyer, soaking it all in while not understanding a word.
At the bar, I saw our guide and others from our tour group talking amongst themselves. When the guide looked up at me and said we were leaving in 10 minutes, I ended my wandering and headed back towards the buses. Thank God for the sign they put in the window, because with that many buses, I could have missed mine and no one would have said a word.
And just like that, we were off again on our ride back to Cancun via everywhere. We were barely down the road before the sky opened and it poured. And in a few seconds, it was like a monsoon. Now it was not about those craters in the road, but the slip-sliding from one side to another. We started to worry a little, but the other passengers maintained their cool like it was just another day on the roads, which for them it was. The driver was obviously a pro in these conditions and never slowed down. When I think about it, he probably didn’t want to get stuck, so he kept it moving, which looked foolish to us but was self-preservation to him. To add to our concerns, all around us were other vehicles, all trying to beat the muddy surface this road was turning into. Somehow, we made it out to some paved surface as the rain let up a little. Once again I could hear another of my favorite songs, “Road to Nowhere,” by The Talking Heads, because that’s what it seemed like. We had no idea where we were going and when we were stopping because all announcements were in Spanish. And we had grown tired of constantly reminding people we didn’t speak Spanish. We had paid for a bilingual experience.
Just to recap, my friend had met Sergio at the deserted designer mall and bought a tour we used to escape a category 5 hurricane named Milton barreling toward the Yucatan. And now we had been wandering about in what seemed like an endless series of stops. I don’t know where on the way back to Cancun we were. We just were so tired and worn out, we slept through each stop and I can’t tell you how many there were between the destinations we got off at. But I do remember the last one.
By this point, we were so road weary we wished and hoped every stop were Cancun. They shook us and let us know this time everyone had to get off, take all bags, and meet back at this spot in an hour. Of course, anyone not there would be left. By this time, I might not have been able to speak Spanish, but I was beginning to understand it very well. And it was late, and they sounded serious. As we got off the bus, we saw a place that looked bright and very interesting. It was Playa del Carmen, with bright lights and signage everywhere lit up like a Yucatan version of Las Vegas. It had to be way past 11 p.m., yet everything was open and buzzing with customers and street traffic just like on the “strip.” The streets were lined with cabs, almost like the news of Milton didn’t reach this far south. Like the other, bigger Vegas there were plenty of modern, very large duty-free types of stores. They were packed with people, including foreigners like us. So we, of course, came to our senses and started shopping too. I looked for my favorite souvenirs
to gift, like a refrigerator magnet. I have such discriminating taste in selecting them, you should ask my friends about the process. Even with our relief from being on more familiar ground, we were still so paranoid about being left we broke off the enjoyable interaction with the sales clerks and headed out, walking toward the rendezvous point early. Along the way, we stopped to enjoy the crowds and window-shopped. We even stopped at a version of their Wawa or Royal Farms to snack up for the home stretch but were still unable to fully enjoy the flow, for fear of missing that damn bus.
At what we thought was “the spot” we stood alone for a moment, looking in both directions and at each other with a slight look of panic. We were so relieved when others, including the guide, started trickling in. We exhaled big time, thinking, “We made it.”
Turning the corner, out of nowhere, the bus showed up as if it were scripted that way to increase the already heart-stopping tension we’d been subjected to. The crowd gathered, with a couple of families missing. We were sure glad it wasn’t us. So did they really leave them? Well, after a few minutes of heated back and forth between parties in loud Spanish, someone shouted what sounded like “here they come” in a universal tongue and we left the liveliest place we’d stopped on the tour. All those lights quickly disappeared as we roared away, and the roads turned dark, with only passing vehicles to light the way. We headed out for what we prayed was our last leg home, our resort in Cancun.
People started to awaken after riding for what seemed like hours. You could tell we were close to our final destination when the roads became more like the interstates in the states. Each mile closer, we began thinking about all the pent-up frustration, anger, and disappointment from all the promises made by Sergio and others. We felt ripped off and couldn’t wait to get our room and share with him all that went wrong, which was almost everything from the very start. Surely he’d make it right with us, because he was so nice with us on the phone. I mean, we did have his number, right?
When we pulled into our resort in the middle of the night, only a guard and one doorman were at the gate. We almost kissed the ground getting off that bus on familiar turf, then staggered to our room, hoping some way we could get something to eat. We barely survived the trek down to our level and fell on the bed, but we couldn’t sleep. Can you believe it? So we started thinking aloud about all that had gone amiss since touchdown and, most importantly, those visual clues even Stevie Wonder traveling with Ray Charles couldn’t have missed. We discussed how many of our misadventures we could chalk up to just the human mistakes of other people and how much of our misfortune was because we were misled or just not paying attention after going through Ian and Savannah. It seems it was the “perfect storm,” a combo of all three. You know, your burger, fries, and a drink deal. Yes, one might say we were sort of victims but we walked right into the “sales office” and bought this zany adventure by not paying attention or leaning on our past experience. We were sleepwalking, mesmerized by “free or gratis.”
So, we thought about all of Sergio’s promises we would be ok. “We get plenty of tourists on these bilingual tours,” he had said. We called at what must have been past 3 a.m., and, to our surprise, he cheerfully answered, inquiring as to how we enjoyed ourselves on the “tour.” And we let him have it, without coming up for air. Using a tag-team WWE approach, we requested a full or partial refund. He listened and assured us he’d look into it and get back to us later in the morning. He told us, “Don’t worry, and get some rest.” And we did. We woke up so late we almost missed the breakfast buffet, which stopped at 11:30 a.m. We walked around a little bit, and there was still no one in sight but a lifeguard who came over to tell me I couldn’t be on the beach. Oh well. We decided to make the best of the last day by making a dinner reservation to eat by the sea and go back to the room. We fell asleep again and awoke at dusk. We’d missed the whole day resting. We got dressed and headed out to dinner, where we were the only diners. I thought it was starting to get weird again, but then we got these great seats with waves literally splashing mist all over us. It got darker, and they lit the candles on our table. The setting was unbelievable, and we were saying “All’s well that ends well.” And then we got the menu, and it seemed they were trying to make up for the week’s losses on our one meal. My friend had the seafood pasta, and I just didn’t feel like anything, so I made the safe play. “I’ll have the lobster baked potato, please.” What could go wrong with that, after all we’ve been through, I was thinking, but boy, was I wrong. That simple order turned out to be a $28 microwaved baked potato on which, only after using my fork like a rake, I found nothing resembling any lobster meat I’d ever had. So here we were back at the customer service window, requesting everyone from the cook to the manager to the president of Mexico to come show me some lobster in this potato. Then a well-dressed lady appeared, who seemed to be the closer, and listened closely to my protest. She nodded as if in agreement and said in broken but understandable English, “Well, at least you guys had a beautiful view.” Looking at my friend, I shook my head and mumbled, “Sergio couldn’t have said it better if he ever would’ve called back.” Let’s go!
Wendell Williams is an artist/vendor with Street Sense Media.
FIONA RILEY Editorial Intern
Abill to streamline the involuntary commitment process for people with severe mental illness passed the D.C. Council on Dec. 17, following revisions to address community concerns. While supporters and councilmembers say the changes will lead to better care, the bill’s detractors worry streamlining the process could make it easier to criminalize people with mental illnesses, especially Black people.
Through involuntary commitment, health care professionals can detain someone with severe mental illness they judge may be a danger to themselves or others and send them to a psychiatric hospital for care. The Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Support and Hospitalization Amendment Act of 2024, proposed in February by At-Large D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson, removes barriers for health care providers attempting to involuntarily commit someone, a process also known as an FD-12.
The bill permits psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners to initiate the involuntary commitment process, requires the Department of Behavioral Health to develop online resources for health care providers about the commitment process, and requires remote court hearings for individuals in involuntary commitment to reduce delays in patient care and health care providers’ response time.
“Recognizing the importance of equipping providers with the tools needed to deliver effective care, [the bill] seeks to address systemic gaps that complicate timely and appropriate responses,” a spokesperson from Henderson’s office wrote in an email.
Involuntary commitment has also been used across the country to respond to rising homelessness. A 2023 Department of Housing and Urban Development report showed 31% of people experiencing homelessness on a given night reported facing serious mental illness. Mental health advocates say the District often initiates the involuntary commitment process on people experiencing homelessness who refuse treatment, and encampment residents have been threatened with involuntary commitment for refusing to move. D.C. does not publish the number of individuals who are involuntarily committed, but the Office of the Attorney General said 2,930 emergency petitions to commit residents had been filed in 2023.
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker, who co-introduced the legislation, said at the Dec. 3 legislative meeting, when the council first passed the bill, that while the legislation addresses shortcomings in involuntary commitment processes, this process has historically targeted Black communities and contributed to the criminalization of mental illness.
The act was sparked by an incident in Ward 5. In October 2023, a man experiencing homelessness attacked two educators in front of a daycare. Parker said the man has since been released but was deemed unfit to stand trial, which left the community without “many forms of recourse” to address their concerns. “We saw very quickly that there were clear loopholes in our FD-12 policies and how we involuntarily commit someone,” Parker said. The legislation faced initial backlash from community members for a clause that proposed extending the emergency observation and diagnosis period from seven to 15 days. The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless spoke out against the clause, stating that “increasing the duration of detention only inflicts additional and avoidable trauma.”
Kathryn Baselice, who identified herself as a forensic psychiatrist, said at a public hearing in July extending the mandatory stay to 15 days could “worsen anxiety” and “induce behavioral problems” for people with mental illnesses. “Treatment teams know their patients and their needs. For some patients, a mandatory additional 15-day stay may pose an undue risk,” Baselice said.
Henderson removed the clause from the final draft of the legislation. Henderson’s office evaluated feedback and testimony from behavioral health providers, advocates, hospitals, government agencies, and community members, which led to “significant revisions” to the bill’s final version, a spokesperson wrote.
During the public hearing, Emily Bell, a nurse practitioner, proposed the committee include psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners as qualified to administer an emergency psychiatric examination alongside physicians and qualified psychologists. She said not being able to initiate the evaluation process has “dire consequences” for these health care workers, who can’t act as quickly to address mental health crises.
“When starting this position, I was quite shocked to learn that psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners had no ability to initiate a psychiatric hold for emergency examination despite having full practice authority in the District of Columbia,” Bell said. The legislation now grants psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners the ability to conduct an emergency psychiatric evaluation.
Invisible Prophet, a Street Sense vendor who has published opinion pieces relaying concerns the act would promote unjust treatment of people who have mental illnesses and are experiencing homelessness, said the legislation will further harm people with trauma and criminalize people whose trauma can prevent them from regulating their emotions.
They worried the act would promote a culture where some health care staff believe people with mental illnesses “are not human beings,” and staff are not held accountable for treating patients poorly. “This legislation is careless for anyone’s ability to create mental health advocacy,” Invisible Prophet wrote in an email to Street Sense.
A spokesperson from Henderson’s office said the act is “one piece of the puzzle” that will help combat challenges faced by physicians trying to keep patients and the community safe.
The bill now goes to Mayor Muriel Bowser for approval.
JEFFERY MCNEIL
We last left Jackson at rock bottom, down to his last poker chips. Here’s how he got there.
There are nearly a thousand casinos in America. Like buffalo crossing the Great Plains, many risk their fortunes, sell their assets, and drain their trust funds because some voice tells them to “bet on black” or “roll the dice.” All for the chance to escape the grind — to finally tell that crappy job and miserable boss where to stick it, I quit.
Jackson was cautious and passive. He recoiled at having his manhood tested. He had never been one of those people. He knew gamblers who were always broke, unshaved, unwashed, and scraping together change to throw away on a horse or a hand. Playing by society’s rules seemed safer — go to school, get a degree, and work for someone else. Life as a banker, doctor, or attorney meant security and status, but it felt hollow, like chasing a mirage. Jackson saw “the right path” at the bottom of cocktails and an employee of the month certificate only masked more profound misery.
One night, Jackson drifted asleep in a haze of Heineken, the TV murmuring in the background. His eyes cracked open as the story of Chris Moneymaker — a no-name gambler with only a few dollars who won millions at the World Series of Poker — flickered across the screen. His sleepy stupor turned to alert excitement. Here was a regular guy, a nobody, who’d escaped his nine-to-five through poker. The more Jackson watched, the more it felt like a calling.
He saw legends like Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Ivey playing for fortunes, living a life most could only dream of — laughing, tossing hundred-dollar chips around like pocket change. He heard of presidents like Lincoln, Truman, and Nixon — men who knew their way around a poker table. Nixon, he learned, had even funded his first congressional campaign with poker winnings. If Nixon could do it, why not me, Jackson thought. For a guy who felt the weight of every hour on the job, the thought of making a fortune from across a dealer’s table was almost too tempting to resist.
The poker bug had bitten him. Now, he was the buffalo, leaving behind his safe, stagnant life for a trek to Atlantic City. He scrimped, saved, built a bankroll, and dived into poker books and strategy guides. He memorized every line of Brunson’s “Super/System,” learned tells, and studied body language — anything for an edge. He joined a co-worker’s weekly poker game. They invited him eagerly, assuming he’d be easy money. But Jackson was a quick study. Soon, he made side money at home games, and his sense of destiny grew stronger with every win.
The more he won, the more he hated his day job. Poker was freedom and control — something he’d never known. He began keeping logs, tracking his opponents, lending money to players, and collecting a cut. He thought he could make a real go of it with enough patience.
But Jackson wasn’t made for playing it safe. The call of the casino grew louder until he couldn’t ignore it. He didn’t want small-time home games; he wanted Lady Poker in all her ruthless glory.
She was his test, his purpose, a competition worth the stakes. When friends warned him of the risks, he’d brush them off. “She’s faithful,” he’d say, convinced he’d be the one to tame her. “I gamble responsibly. I still show up to work. I’m not like those other guys.”
Finally, one night, he walked through the doors of his local casino, sealing his fate. Cocktail waitresses in short skirts and bunny tails wandered by with drinks. He didn’t know many were there for tips, fast cash, and secrets they’d keep. He waved one over, “rum and Coke,” settling in. He was more intelligent, he told himself, than the desperate faces around him trying to win back rent money.
Jackson’s game was a seven-card stud. It felt natural to him — he could sense when the cards would fall his way, when to call or fold, bluffing just enough to force stronger hands to fold. But each win fueled a false confidence. Soon, he was staying far past his limits. Hours turned to dawn, his stomach empty, his mind clouded by rum and sleeplessness. Even on a big win, he couldn’t walk away. She hooked him — one more hand and a chance to stay in her favor.
His friends and family began to worry. He missed work, borrowed money, and vanished for days. He emptied his savings, pawned his possessions, and borrowed from anyone willing to lend until even the sharks came looking for him. He slipped out of town, hiding under bridges, staying in the shadows — all for the love of Lady Poker.
But poker was his dark romance. She didn’t care about loyalty or devotion. She wanted his whole heart, leaving him a shell of the man he’d once been. Many before him were sucked dry trying to win her love. Now, at rock bottom, evicted, with just $100 left, he was just the latest fool, sitting at her table with a dollar and a dream.
For Jackson, poker wasn’t just a game; she was his seductress. He tried to be everything she wanted, studying her ways, memorizing her moves, and pouring every ounce of hope into winning her favor. But she was never his alone. She was the lover who met his gaze, only to disappear with someone else’s money, indifferent to the damage left behind. And still, he kept coming back, like a man chasing one last touch, one last night to be the one she chose.
He’d convinced himself he was different — if he played smart, with patience, she’d be his. But tonight, he was just another sucker she’d drained dry, clinging to the hope that one more hand, one more hour, and she’d finally stay. The pros called him “fishy wishy,” a fool chasing the impossible, blind to the truth: she would never be his.
Even the best players had been here. You start with a bankroll and a prayer, and somewhere along the way, you become hers, willing to do anything for the thrill of her touch. No matter how often she humiliated him, Jackson kept coming back, convinced he’d be the one to change her.
But Lady Poker has no loyalties, and tonight, as Jackson stared at his last few chips, he wondered if she ever had any love to give. To be continued...
Jeffery McNeil is an artist/vendor with Street Sense Media.
On Oct. 29, I was startled by a loud knock on my door. Naturally, I looked through the peephole. I saw a man standing in the hallway. I called down to staff in the office, and there was no answer. Then, another knock on my door. So, I got scared and I called the police, telling them I needed them there. The lady on the other end was asking me a million questions while I thought my life was in danger. I hung up. I tried to call the staff again, but there was still no answer. The knocking on my door became persistent and I was getting more scared. So, I called the police again, gave my address, and told them if this man busted down my door, I was going to use my knife on him, and hung up. I tried calling the staff one more time, and they finally answered the phone and told me it was the paramedics from the fire department.
I opened my door and asked why they were knocking on my door. They said they weren’t knocking on my door, but it sure sounded like they were, and my walls were shaking. They were using something to break down my neighbor’s door. I found out later my neighbor had called for the paramedics. Once the paramedics got to her apartment, her door was locked, so they asked the staff member on duty to give them a spare key to open her door. The staff told the paramedics they don’t have a spare key. That’s a lie! They have spare keys to all the units in the building. Paramedics weren’t wrong! So now my neighbor has a busted door, and my nerves and blood pressure are trying to come down to 120/80 from 180/80.
Before this incident, on Monday night, the fire alarm went off in our building. The women and I waited for the fire department to come for 45 minutes! I asked a staff member on duty if he called the fire department. He had the audacity to say, “No!” and that the building alarm should alert the fire department. Well, it didn’t. So, I called the fire department and it came immediately. And to top it off, the staff person smelled smoke from the apartment! All he did was pull the fire alarm.
The incompetence among these staff members has got to stop immediately! Come on! It’s really ridiculous I and other women have to live among the incompetence of some of the staff at a supported housing program.
Just because all of us were once homeless, living in shelters or on the streets should not give anyone the right to mistreat or disrespect us! No! I am not grateful today for having a roof over my head. If I have to complain about the disrespect constantly, I may as well go back to either a shelter or a tent. No, I won’t have any peace of mind. I don’t have any peace of mind with a roof over my head, either!
The women in my building are individuals, and we don’t all have the same issues as when we became homeless. The only thing we have in common is that we were homeless at one point, and now have a key to a door to close off to the rest of the world — until a new day starts again.
Aida Peery is an artist/vendor with Street Sense Media.
This issue has holiday gift wrap on pages 8 and 9, which you can use to bring cheer to your gift-giving season. That’s why this paper is a bit more than normal. It’s both a magazine AND original Street Sense wrapping paper.
The paper was designed by David Serota, and features illustrations from Brian Holsten, Brianna Butler, Carlton Johnson, Daniel Ball, Jackie Turner, Maurice Carter, and Queenie Featherstone.
EVELYN NNAM Artist/Vendor
Christmas is here, guys! Are you excited? It’s that time when the music plays, “It’s the most wonderful time of the yearrrr!!”
It’s Christmas time everyone! It’s time to spend time with your loved ones. A time filled with love, gifts, food, and fun. I love Christmas. It just feels magical when Christmas arrives!
Christmas feels like a warm cozy hug. It engulfs you with spending time with loved ones, enjoying time off, getting back to yourself, watching Christmas movies, playing games, enjoying food, and just having a good time. There are activities like drinking hot drinks with peppermint chocolates and candies while snuggling near cozy fires.
Christmas time is beautiful. It’s filled with sweet melodies, wonderful carols, scarves, hats, gloves, long boots, big furry jackets, Christmas goodies, and winter weather. It feels good to give back to those who are less fortunate and cater to those who need it. Christmas, oh Christmas, you are oh so special! We thank you for making your mark here and spending time with us. We love that we can enjoy wonderful presents with the people who make us feel good, make us feel whole, make us laugh, make us reminisce, and make us understand how good we have it. Some may not have much, but we are still here living.
This year taught me a lot. The most important thing I learned is to keep going, no matter what. This year made me realize life is short and you should make use of all of the time you have to do what you love and what makes you happy. We are grateful to see Christmas again. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and spends it with those they truly love and care for. Merry Christmas from my loved ones to yours!
Let’s finish this year off with a bang and I hope everyone enjoys their Christmas. Thank you for reading!
The Christmas bells are ringing. And Santa Claus will be in town soon, traveling on his sleigh with toys and goodies for the children. People decorate their homes with wreaths and branches on their doors. I will be driving with my girlfriend to see the Christmas decorations close to the city. Friends, family, and couples will be traveling out of town to be with their families.
The Christmas season is beautiful every year. Give thanks for the meal and God’s blessings. This year, I will be getting gifts for my loved ones. Every year my son and his family keep in touch while they are out of town for the holidays. I will be driving to my sister and her boyfriend’s for Christmas to enjoy their cozy home and beautiful decorations. We will be sitting at a cozy fireplace, drinking egg nog, wine, and champagne as we laugh and joke together. We will have turkey, dressing, candied yams, sweet potatoes, salads, cake, pies, ice cream, and lots of goodies for everyone.
We had a good time in 2024. Next year will be 2025. I was sorry and saddened the Democrats lost the election. I hope and pray the re-elected Trump will do better in his second term in 2025 and bring lower costs. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in 2025!
TONYA WILLIAMS Artist/Vendor
Christmas is for Christ, our Lord Jesus Christmas is to be thankful Christmas is to be grateful Christmas is to be blessed Christmas is to be joyful Christmas is to be celebrated
I love Christmas lights
I love seeing the children open their presents
I love seeing the smiles on their faces
I love the decorations!
GRETA CHRISTIAN Artist/Vendor
L.Q.
PETERSON Artist/Vendor
As the old saying goes, ‘tis the season to be jolly. But it is far more than that!
‘Tis the season of love, family, gratefulness, and giving. But most importantly, ‘tis the season of change.
‘Tis the season of multicolored leaves, blistering cold temps, bright white snow, a time to rejoice and let your thoughts grow.
‘Tis the season to rest your spirit, a time to reminisce about where you’ve been and where you want to go.
‘Tis the season to gear up for a new chapter, even if your last gave you hell. Fall back and stay focused to ensure you don’t fail.
Thanksgiving was on Thursday, Nov. 28. Observers do lots of activities, like go to church, go to museums, go out to the park, go to dinner at your house or someone else’s home, and just…have FUN! But, not so much that you forget the needs of the homeless or any of the less fortunate on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s.
Here’s to an early happy holidays!
KYM
PARKER Artist/Vendor
To all the good men out there to the kings of loyalty and pride
To my future king who showed me an independent kind of strength
To all the fathers out there to all the kings out there who know to love God and Her wisdom that She has made you equal to your sisters:
We love you and respect you all to learn your place on this planet your life is always worth it know God’s love never changes we all respect you, love you, and need you
This goes out to our teachers, leaders, and workers I love you all I will show this to my brother, my best friend who showed me God
To all of those brothers who are not kin in blood who take on other people’s children God loves you when you watch over Her children, that is beauty, strength, and God’s glory
So, to know, to pray, to love, to be at our side show compassion and honesty show integrity be at their side be their best friend
I am his daughter he showed me respect for myself how to love myself and give myself everything that I need I am beautiful, strong, and wise because of him
MARC GRIER Artist/Vendor
What I like about winter: Winter is a time to just think of your blessings and what’s going on in your life, starting with Thanksgiving and Christmas. But most of all, winter is a time when there are not many people out on the street. That is a time when peace and blessings come to me even when there are not many people around.
WAYNE HALL Artist/Vendor
Smile on the surface
I take a look around
Frown from the crown to my stomach’s core
My definition of perseverance
Strolling; feet and ankles swollen until the sun leaves the day
Phone’s dead, no more scrolling; Now I’m healing, social media causes dismay
Howling prayers at the moon
Surprised no one hears them
Coffee at midnight
The glow from the moon
Forces me to think it’s a new day
Where the sky isn’t blue but Black and I can’t sleep or dream…
My coffee needs more C.R.E.A.M.
JENNIFER MCLAUGHLIN
Artist/Vendor
RONNELL WILSON
Artist/Vendor
While you’re away there are so many things to do
To kill time while I’m away from you
Forcing me to see so many truths and to think I do it via you
Shivering with nervousness deep within my bones
24 hours seems to be an eternity every second you are not here with me
But there is one thing I remember from the start
One second at a time, patience a humble prayer is a graceful place to start
La Niña is a climate phenomenon that influences weather patterns differently depending on what part of the United States you live in. There are wetter conditions in the Pacific Northwest and drier conditions in the South.
WILLIE FUTRELLE Artist/Vendor
Hey y’all, just your regular unassuming white guy here. You probably pass 50 to 100 of me on your way to work every day.
The point being, right now, we the PEOPLE have the most powerful and corrupt governments waging war against each other every day. It’s only getting worse and children are dying.
When are WE the PEOPLE going to do something about it? Our politicians are not going to hold themselves accountable. The proof is in everyday life, right now. Just look around. We are in World War III. Countries are launching missiles, which we pay for with our taxes, at each other. We need to stop this!
As we start the new year, let the people of the United States resolve themselves to not be subject to corrupt “leaders” anymore! In 2024, we had 1,612 Federal Election Commission registered candidates for president of the United States. Our illusion of “democracy” is just two parties of privileged retirees who do not want change if it costs them their titles. They have spent decades using the people as resources for their excessive lifestyles, while the PEOPLE live in poverty.
This is not “the American dream” they fill our heads with every day. I know my dreams never included being responsible for the death of ANYBODY! If we ever want to escape the bipartisan control of our rights, then we need to come together as humans and remove them from power.
Our Declaration of Independence says, “... experience has shown, that mankind [US] are more willing to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right ourselves by abolishing the forms of evils we are used to. But, when a long train of abuse and usurpations [of our rights]... reduces them [the PEOPLE] to utter despotism... It is their right and their responsibility to throw off such a government...”
The politicians only have the power the PEOPLE consent to give them. I am not consenting anymore! There are more of us than them! Join me in 2025 and stop letting them have power!
When times get dark, we need each other. So remember, there is a light inside of EVERY one of us we can choose to shine, to help others find their way!
ANTHONY CARNEY
Artist/Vendor
If you don’t have a higher power, you can use mine. Bless his Holy name.
I have a Higher Power because He loves me. I can’t do anything without him. He walks with me. He talks to me. He is my provider. He woke me up in my right state of mind. Thank you, Higher Power. God and a healthy mind. Spread love.
DANIEL BALL
Someone asked me, “Do you want to be a preacher?” My answer to them was no. Now, the next question was from Thomas himself. Thomas asked me, “Do you read your bible here at Street Sense every day?”
I said, “Yes, I do, Thomas.”
Thomas said, “I’ve been your friend here at Street Sense for five years.”
And Daniel said, “Thank you, Thomas.”
SHAWN FENWICK Artist/Vendor
Sometimes, what do people think of me every day
Sometimes, I can be sad, or happy, or I can cry
Sometimes, I’m happy to see another day
Sometimes, I talk with our Father Jesus and tell him I love him
Sometimes, I feel down
Sometimes, I miss my mom and my dad
Sometimes, I don’t think much, but when I do I think of you
VENNIE HILL Artist/Vendor
I finally made it to writers’ group today. I feel good. Seems like things are turning around for me. I’m trying to get up to a meeting a week.
Today, I have something good to tell my therapist. She would be so proud. I’ve been getting to bed early and not staying up, then sleeping all day.
I haven’t been able to make it to a Street Sense meeting in so long. I’m ashamed. At first, it was very hard to drive again. I’m even getting better at that. I’m feeling good and very proud of myself. I have hope for the future. By the grace of God. For those who don’t know, I lost my husband on Jan. 1 in a car accident. We were married for 12 years. He was the love of my life. Of course, he wasn’t perfect, but he was definitely my soulmate. So, I think God’s plans are for the rest of my life, I should concentrate on him and myself, be a better person, and continue showing kindness and care from my heart to others and myself. All I can say is today is a better day than yesterday.
Here, I sit all alone, trying to make it on my own. I talk to Jehovah all day long and try to understand what I have done that was wrong. I talk to Jehovah Tsidkenu of our righteousness to receive all that has been taken away from me. Jehovah Sabbath, the Lord of Hosts, will keep me comforted and with hope.
STARCHILD
Artist/Vendor
BLK
My cat has RBF. What is that, you ask? Resting bitch face! But she’s orange, so we forgive her. She’s also sweet and kind. She’s gone through thick and thin with me. Five years strong!
MARCUS MCCALL
Artist/Vendor
Hi readers!
My vision for this upcoming new year is to work on my mental health. I have some issues that need to be addressed, such as my demeanor. Knowing this, I will be asking for a hug a day to keep the stress away. I will turn my year around, try not to be incarcerated, and work on moving to a new location.
As I’m working on myself, I’m also working to become a better vendor for my customers. I know some of them might say I don’t speak much, which means a closed mouth does not get fed, to my knowledge. With my new start, I hope to gain new customers and a new community. Keeping sharp and staying fit can also help turn a bad year into a good one. I look forward to meeting you, readers, in this upcoming year. Meanwhile, if you google me, you’ll see I have been writing and am still looking for that American dream.
1. Fibula’s neighbor leg bone
6. Coconut and date sources
11. Chinese food additive (abbr./initialism)
14. Olds, Keats or Shelley
15. Pot ____
16. ___ Z (exhaustive, alphabetically) (2 wds.) (1,2)
17. When the 19th Century started (2 wds.) (8,7)
20. Boar’s mate
21. Losing pinochle bidder’s declaration (2 wds.) (2,3) (SMITE anagram)
22. Eye rakishly
23. Emulates the Good Samaritan, say 25. Pacific battle site of WWII where Mount Suribachi was captured (2 wds.) (3,4)
28. Item for a pirate, stereotypically
31. Many, many (3 wds.) (1,3,2)
32. Eins, zwei, ___... (Ger.)
33. Ming who retired from the NBA’s Houston Rockets
34. Some colas (abbr./initialism)
35. Monogram on a fancy purse
36. Some hosp. staffers (abbr./initialism)
38. “Hey, stop! That’s stuff I don’t need to hear!”, in textese (abbr./initialism)
41. Deck (out)
44. Period, in Web addresses that are read aloud
46. Word before loser or point
47. E flat’s alias (1,5)
50. A Parisian’s “Farewell” (2,6) (Fr.)
52. Attention-seeking calls (3-4)
54. Serena’s older tennis star sister
55. Opposite of exo-
56. Correct, as text
58. Zoom appt. (abbr.)
61. What 17-, 25-, 28-, 50- and 52-Across each has - in correct order - despite its starting letter (3 wds. (5,5,5)
65. Drs.’ group (abbr./initialism)
66. Eyes (Lat.)
67. An Inuit may crawl into it
68. Word before evasion or exemption
69. Edmonton hockey player
70. Leans one way or another
Down
1. “Little piggies”
2. Prefix with -pathic or -syncratic
3. Powerful or important person, slangily (2 wds.) (3,5)
4. “Kinda” suffix
5. ____ the Hun
6. Motorcade vehicle for reporters (2 wds.) (5,3) (SCRAPERS anagram)
7. First-rate (1-3)
8. Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning
“Chicago Hope” actress Christine
9. The Spartans of the N.C.A.A., for short (abbr./init.)
10. RR stop (abbr.)
11. Within the ____ of error
12. Patron for sailors (2 wds.) (2,4) (incls. abbr.)
13. Lose one’s hearing
18. Like some threats or promises
19. Karate schools
24. Prefix with center, dermis and pen
26. “____ Horse” (2011 Best Picture Oscarnominee)
27. Like some stock and drugs, for short (abbr./init.)
28. Ice cream name
29. Age abbr.
30. Maker of the fully electrified Prologue SUV
37. A tourist shop trinket, perhaps
38. Not big enough (2 wds.) (3,5) (LAST LOOM anagram)
39. Noninvasive diagnostic procedure, for short (abbr./initialism)
40. Ending with cash, catch or court
41. California border lake
42. Acapulco gold (Sp.)
43. Mail place abbr./initialism
45. Current ____ (what’s hot at the moment)
46. First “Law & Order” spinoff, familiarly (abbr./initialism)
47. Large textile factory fixture used for coloring fabric (2 wds.) (3,3) (DAY VET anagram)
48. California winemaking county
49. A hair-razing pre-bikini season spa treatment, maybe (2 wds.) (3,3) (TAX WHO anagram)
51. Brings the thing to conclusion (2 wds.) (4,2) (IDENTS anagram)
53. Capital of S. Korea
57. Stubborn beast
59. Hot to ____ (exceedingly eager)
60. Classic Pontiac muscle cars of the 1960s (abbr./partial initialism)
62. John, to Ringo?
63. ___-fi
64. ____F (pre-weekend cry) (abbr./acron./ initialism)
This crossword puzzle is the original work of Patrick “Mac”McIntyre. It is provided to us courtesy of Real Change News, a street paper based in Seattle, Washington. Learn more about Real Change News and the International Network of Street Papers at realchangenews.org and insp.ngo.
Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento Case Management Coordinación de Servicios
Academy of Hope Public Charter School
202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Pl. NE
202-373-0246 // 421 Alabama Ave. SE aohdc.org
Bread for the City 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 1700 Marion Barry Ave., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org
Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Marion Barry Ave., SE calvaryservices.org
Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp
Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org
Charlie’s Place // 202-929-0100 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org
Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org
Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW (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 4 Atlantic St., NW 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 North Capitol St., NW fathermckennacenter.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 foundryumc.org/idministry
Identification services
Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org
Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org
Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9096 1526 Pennslyvania Ave., SE jobshavepriority.org
Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org
Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Rd, 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 // 202-939-2076 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org
New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE
Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW
Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org
Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org
Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org
So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org
St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-363-4900 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org
Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org
Unity Health Care unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699
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, 850 Delaware Ave., SW, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 1151 Bladensburg Rd., NE, 4515 Edson Pl., NE
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org
The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable
Whitman-Walker Health 1525 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 1201 Sycamore Dr., SE whitman-walker.org
Woodley House // 202-830-3508 2711 Connecticut Ave., NW
For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide
Their restaurants have a fast-paced atmosphere, so it is crucial servers take pride in providing attentive, friendly, and clean/sanitary service that ensures guests feel valued and well taken care of, which contributes to guest loyalty.
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: tinyurl.com/YardHouseServer
Resident Monitor
Community of Hope // Washington D.C.
Full-time
As a resident monitor, you will be essential staff ensuring the safety of the building, enforcing resident rules, serving as a part of the emergency response team, and communicating with case managers to ensure that clients are receiving the case management services they need.
REQUIRED: High school diploma or GED APPLY: tinyurl.com/ CommunityofHopeResMonitor
Team Member
Krispy Kreme // Dupont Circle
Part-time
Team members ensure A-Glazing customers are given friendly, efficient service as well as maintaining a professional store appearance, to ensure complete customer satisfaction. This is an entry level opportunity with no previous experience required! All you need is the motivation to learn and grow in a professional, fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: tinyurl.com/KrispyKremeTM
Dear friend of Street Sense Media,
This is the fourteenth time I have written to our donors asking for their year-end support. In December 2011, I learned for the first time just how generous and loyal our donors could be. And over the years, your support has transformed both Street Sense Media and the vendors we care for and serve together.
Your past support has doubled the size of our newsroom and fueled reporting annually recognized with awards for excellence. In a time of drastic cuts to local news, you make possible our efforts to report on the impact of homelessness and to hold locally elected officials accountable.
Your generosity created our case management program when there was none – providing our vendors with a supportive conduit to housing, health and mental health care, public benefits, and support for those in recovery from substance use disorders. Your dollars provide emergency rental, utility, and food assistance for vendors experiencing an acute crisis. Your generosity ended homelessness for 70 of our vendors. While once these men and women we love slept in tents or waited nightly in the cold for a shelter to open, they now slip a key into their apartment door every night after a day of selling our newspaper. You made this happen.
More than anything, your support builds community. There is simply no way to overstate the impact that community and its sense of belonging has on the lives of our vendors. Built in writing, theater, employment, photography, and illustration workshops – all of which unleash the transformative power of story-telling – it is this community that propels our vendors forward in their lives towards greater stability and well-being.
When I wrote you a year ago, we were deep in crisis. We’d cut nearly half of our staff, reduced the frequency with which we published the paper, and reduced our office space. You responded to that appeal with record-breaking generosity, for which we will be forever grateful. I am pleased to report 2024 has been a year of stability, only possible because of your support. Renewing your support with a gift today will help to ensure this stability continues.
You have always been the driver of our success. Your generosity has changed lives. We hope we can count on your continued partnership through a generous year-end gift by going online at www.streetsensemedia.org or by mailing a check to Street Sense Media, 1317 G Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20005.
We thank you for your support and wish you the very best this holiday season.
Sincerely,
Brian Carome CEO
