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After McPherson Square eviction, DC officials consider the future of encampments
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D.C.’s housing options for individuals experiencing homelessness do not meet the demand, the city’s Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Theresa Silla testified at an oversight hearing on Feb. 23. For the city to be in a position to end individual homelessness, D.C. would have to house 3,400 people a year for the next six years, Silla said.
In fiscal year 2022, the city served 1,046 families and 7,834 individuals experiencing homelessness through outreach, emergency shelters and temporary housing. Another 6,000 families and 10,000 individuals relied on programs provided through the homeless services system, including diversion, Rapid Rehousing, Temporary Affordable Housing, and Permanent Supportive Housing.
Individuals served during FY22 and in 2022
PIT count v. Individuals who exit to permanent destinations in FY22
• March means a new month for the 20th Annviersary Vendor Sell-a-Thon. If you didn’t win in February, March can be your month! Get Customer Kudos for extra points. Flyers available in the admin office.
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Since 2016, D.C. has cut family homelessness by 80%. The city was able to do this, Silla argued, because it helps house hundreds more families each year than experience homelessness on any given night in that year, or, as Silla put it, “supply meets demand.”
For individuals, however, that trend is reversed. In 2022, at least 3,400 people were homeless on any given night, but only 1,280 entered permanent housing throughout the year. While the number of individuals experiencing homelessness decreases each year, progress is much slower than in the family system.
“Supply, who we are housing, is not meeting demand,” Silla said. “When you look at the singles scope, as compared to the family side, we’re nowhere near [it].”
Over the last few years, D.C. funded 3,000 vouchers to house individuals, but a lack of staff means only 860 people have moved into housing. The city’s outreach and housing programs likely wouldn’t be able to handle funding to house the 3,400 people each year that Silla thinks would bring D.C. closer to ending homelessness.
“Our capacity constraints are real, our existing workforce is exhausted from the pressure of the pandemic,” Silla said.
• Vendors continue to receive free papers for proof of vaccination.
The Sell-a-Thon challenges vendors to sell as many Street Sense newspapers they can in one month. The highest and most improved sellers are awarded $50 at the end of February. We will update this leader board for each category every week. You can boost your favorite vendor’s numbers by giving them a “customer kudos” — ask a vendor to learn more!
Anew program is set to launch this year that will provide some District residents with extra cash to bolster their family expenses.
Councilmembers Charles Allen, Brianne Nadeau and Janeese Lewis George introduced the idea for a “monthly basic income” program to the D.C. Council in July 2021 and it was later incorporated into the fiscal year 2022 budget. It provides a monthly stipend for families who qualify for and receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (a tax break for low-to-moderateincome workers and families). Instead of one payment, residents can expect a monthly check.
The timing of this program coincides with the end of the pandemic-era increased Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments on March 1, which granted additional assistance to several low-income families’ food budgets. The average family is expected to lose $82 a month from their benefits once the program ends, according to the Food Action and Resource Center.
“This has the potential to be one of the most important policies to go into effect in years in the District,” Allen said in a press release. “This isn’t a pilot program or an experiment. We know providing extra funds to families who have desperately few resources can have enormous benefits for everyone. And while I wish that the federal government would maintain SNAP benefits at higher levels, I am glad this is coming online at this moment to soften the blow.”
Low-income families (those earning about $57,000 annually for a family of three) can file a tax return to be eligible for the stipend. Depending on family size and income, people can expect $50 to $250 a month this year. That amount is set to increase in future years to as much as $500 a month. There is no end date for the program.
The median household income in D.C. for Black residents is $46,201, and for Latino families is $83,170, while for white households it’s $143,150. This program is a solution to this inequity, Melody Webb, the co-founder of the local nonprofit Mother’s Outreach Network, said.
“It puts more money in the pockets of people who are more marginalized,” Webb said. “It’s a reparative program, and it helps fill some of that income and wealth gap.”
Webb said she would like to see the program expand to assist parents who do not earn an income, as residents need to file taxes to be eligible for the tax credit.
“The poorest children are unfortunately not covered by the Earned Income Tax Credit,” she said. “They are the children of people who don’t who are not earners, and therefore, their households don’t receive it. So we would love to see it expand in a way that somehow covers those families.”
Last year, Mayor Muriel Bowser launched the “Strong Families, Strong Futures DC” pilot program, which provided no-stringsattached payments of $900 per month for new parents who are 250% below the poverty level.
There’s also a general lack of knowledge about taxes — some struggle with how to file or don’t file at all because they believe they don’t owe any money. There needs to be robust outreach, training and education about the new program to reach eligible residents, Webb said.
Mother’s Outreach Network hosts a tax workshop for parents at Southwest Library. Call 202-818-8649 or email taxclinic@mothersoutreachnetwork. org to schedule an appointment.
As the federal government moves to close all encampments on its land, D.C. is considering re-launching its own controversial encampment pilot program.
The city may expand the Coordinated Assistance and Resources for Encampments (CARE) Pilot Program, which theoretically pairs encampment residents with housing after an encampment has been closed, Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services (DMHHS) Wayne Turnage testified at a Health Committee hearing on Feb. 16. But concerns about the hundreds of people who are eligible for but still waiting on a housing voucher mean the program, which many homeless advocates criticized when it first launched, is currently on pause.
Since October 2021, the city has closed 22 encampments, evicting 142 people, according to numbers DMHHS presented to the D.C. Council. The District paired 84 of those residents to a housing subsidy or temporary program, though it can take up to 9 months for someone matched to housing to actually move into an apartment. D.C. operated the CARE pilot program at two of those sites and at two encampments on federal land, housing 100 out of 139 people displaced.
But advocates for people experiencing homelessness argued the program wasn’t as successful as those numbers indicate. Not everyone who was evicted from the sites moved into housing, and some encampment residents weren’t included on the official list of people who lived at the site and were thus not offered housing. And, they argued, forcing residents to find housing by an arbitrary deadline traumatizes those who don’t move out in time.
“Constantly treating people like physical trash that you don’t want to be seen does not inspire hope for them to participate in the support systems,” Kelly Andreae, executive director of the Georgetown Ministry Center, which provides outreach, said at the hearing.
People living in the recently-cleared McPherson Square shared similar stories. Though the city did not use the CARE pilot at that encampment, both the city and the federal government repeatedly told residents everyone eligible would be connected to housing before the closure. Only 20 out of 47 eligible residents moved into temporary housing before the eviction.
“They keep saying I’m here to help you but they never come, and then they just come and tell you get out, you’re worthless, you don’t belong,” Umi, a former McPherson Square resident said at the hearing.
Currently, about 325 people live in encampments in D.C., according to Turnage, who oversees the city’s encampment response team.
When the CARE Pilot Program initially launched, the city promised to offer unhoused people living in encampments a chance to move into a subsidized apartment before closing them. The city used the CARE pilot at four encampments in late 2021 and early 2022: NoMa, New Jersey and O St Park, 21st and E St., and 25th and Virginia Ave. All told, the pilot ousted 139 residents, 111 of whom DMHHS said spoke to
outreach workers.
The pilot program moved 100 people into homes Turnage said, first on a temporary basis with city money, and then through either federal or local time-limited or permanent subsidy programs. According to DMHHS, about two-thirds of the pilot program participants entered or are expected to enter Permanent Supportive Housing, Targeted Affordable Housing, or Rapid Re-Housing. COMMENT TK about others.
In the hearing, Turnage said the city initially planned to expand the pilot, but held off given how hundreds of people received housing vouchers but have yet to be able to use them to move into housing. But even if the city can handle the voucher backlog, there’s the question of if people living in encampments should be prioritized for vouchers over others experiencing homelessness.
“We cannot ignore the 1,400 or so people who are living in the shelters,” Turnage said at the hearing. “If we give everybody priority for housing who are living in encampments … what message are you sending to the people who are living in shelters who have been waiting for housing for years?”
He also worried the policy could lead people to move to encampments as a way to get housing faster.
“We have to accept the reality that because of our porous borders, there will be people who will come to the District and live in an encampment with the expectation that they are going to be housed because of the publicity,” he said.
Just after 5.30 p.m. on a Monday, the stand meant to hold free period products at the Edinburgh Central Library was empty.
It wasn’t unusual — in fact it’s become somewhat of a routine. Ania Les, a part-time library employee who’s taken charge of restocking the products, said she always needs to refill the stand after the weekend, and products usually only last a few days.
“They’re very popular,” she said, scrolling through the form she sends to the Edinburgh council to order in bulk at least once a month.
Les said the library has stocked pads, tampons, and some reusable products for a few years now, but demand has increased noticeably since Scotland passed the law that made period products freely accessible to everyone.
The overarching goal of the law is to reduce “period poverty,” a phrase often used to describe the scenario when people can’t access menstrual products due to cost or social barriers. So far, it appears to be having a positive impact: charities that support people experiencing poverty or homelessness say they’ve seen progress in improved access and education. However, those improvements can be inconsistent, and the system is showing growing pains amid the cost of living crisis.
Claire Longmuir, head of policy and practice for harm reduction at the Simon Community Scotland, said her organization has been committed to making sure people who can’t always afford products know what they are entitled to under the policy.
“I actually think there’s quite good reach in terms of ensuring that people have access to products,” she said. The organization has also distributed different products across its location, to make sure they are available in places where the people they work with are already comfortable.
Scotland was the first country in the world to establish a legal right to free period products nationally. After a transition period following its passage, the policy took full force last August. It directs councils to provide a range of options — including pads, tampons, menstrual cups, reusable liners, and forms to order period underwear — in public buildings. Many of those spaces, including schools and libraries, had already started offering free products on their own following extensive campaigning from organizations like Hey Girls, a social enterprise that sells and donates plant-based sanitary products.
“In terms of a policy shift, it was pretty quick,” said Celia Hodson, founder of Hey Girls. Hodson started the company with her daughters based on her own experiences with poverty and struggling to access period products. Hey Girls now holds a government contract to supply products to councils, including those found at the Edinburgh Central library.
“I mean you’re turning the angle of a supertanker to do this, not what they used to do - that was phenomenal!”
Hodson echoed Longmuir and other advocates in highlighting the law’s positive impact. The number of places where you can pick up products has exploded; a free app that allows people to search for products based on type and location now has more than 2,000 entries across Scotland. The app is also searchable by whether products can be found in all-gender or gender-neutral bathrooms; the law itself was designed to be trans and non-binary inclusive.
The impact of the law has also shifted policies internationally. Since the law first passed, several other countries have pursued similar policies, with Northern Ireland seeking a law establishing free products, and the UK and New Zealand rolling out free products in schools.
Several countries also lowered or eliminated the VAT tax on period products, including in Colombia, Australia, Nigeria, and Kenya, which already had free products available in schools.
But there also appear to be some gaps and growing pains in how well people are able to access the full system in Scotland.
Scrolling through the PickupMyPeriod app, it’s clear not all products are available in all places; some people may find their options limited based on where they live, the timing of when the places near them are open, and the available stock.
And running out of stock can be a harder problem to solve now than it was when the policy was first being tested.
“There are some problems with ordering,” said Les, the library employee, since the rapid expansion of places supplying products through council partnerships. At first refills of products could be turned around within a couple days, but with increased demand, “now it takes six or eight weeks, you have to plan it well.”
Les says the library has been waiting on a refill of tampons for several months.
That increased demand is expected to get even higher as the need for free products increases in the cost of living crisis. Recent analysis from Citizen’s Advice Scotland found nearly half of adults in Scotland are cutting back on household spending, including 15% who said they are
reducing spending on toiletries and sanitary products.
“[People] started to dip into their savings to pay for electricity, gas, petrol, food,” said Hodson. “You know it’s just an increasing squeeze. So I am really worried about what that means.”
Specific concerns for sanitary products is getting national attention. MSP Monica Lennon, who spearheaded the law, raised the issue with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a weekly First Minister’s Questions in early February, requesting a meeting with Scotland’s social justice secretary.
In response, Sturgeon agreed that members of the Scottish Parliament should be proud of the work they had done to pass the law, and seek out ways to collectively build on its success. Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers
Low-income Americans will soon receive less in food assistance or completely lose their eligibility for the benefits, as the federal government ends policies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that kept millions from going hungry at a time of lockdowns and rising unemployment.
Anti-hunger advocates warned that the looming drop in aid could undo progress toward a Biden administration goal to end U.S. hunger by 2030. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives may also pursue further cuts to food assistance to shrink the U.S. deficit.
“It’s going to put millions of households at risk of hunger,” said Eric Mitchell, president of the Alliance to End Hunger.
The changes mean cuts of about $82 a month beginning in March for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, said Ellen Vollinger of the Food Research & Action Center, an anti-hunger group. The average SNAP benefit will be about $157 after the reduction.
Since Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March 2020, states have been able to allocate the maximum allowable benefits to SNAP recipients, instead of applying deductions tied to income and other factors.
Initially, those “emergency allotments” were linked to the pandemic public health emergency. But in December’s spending bill fight, Congress negotiated a compromise to end them in February in exchange for a new summer food program for children.
President Joe Biden’s administration has also said it will lift the coronavirus public health emergency in May. This will end other changes that expanded access to SNAP, like a suspension of the program’s three-month time limit for adults without children and exemptions for some college students.
In recent months, the additional benefits tied to the pandemic response have come to about $3 billion a month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
Those higher benefits kept the percentage of Americans experiencing food insecurity steady at 10% through 2021, even as the first two years of the pandemic drove up unemployment, said Dottie Rosenbaum, senior fellow and director of federal SNAP policy at CBPP.
Meanwhile, food insufficiency — a more severe form of food insecurity wherein households sometimes or often do not have enough to eat — dropped by about 9% according to a study by Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research.
A separate study from the Urban Institute said the benefits kept 4.2 million people out of poverty. Anti-hunger advocates worry the looming reduction in aid could reverse those gains.
In states where expanded benefits have already ended, 29% of SNAP recipients visited food pantries in December, compared to 22 per cent in states that still had the benefits, according to data collected by Propel, a technology company that makes financial products for low-income people.
Debate over U.S. spending on food assistance is likely to heat up in the coming months as lawmakers negotiate a new farm bill, a legislative package passed every five years that funds nutrition, commodity, and conservation programs.
More than 76% of the current farm bill’s $428 billion price tag went to food assistance programs that serve 41 million people annually. The bill expires on Sept. 30.
Democrats generally support expanding benefits, while Republicans typically oppose expansion.
“The SNAP benefit was already way too low, even before the pandemic,” Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, a Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said in an email.
“We need to seriously boost benefit levels to reflect the reality of food costs today,” he said.
Food prices are up 10% since last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
House Republicans have indicated they might review and tighten SNAP work requirements as part of farm bill negotiations.
The House Budget Committee has also floated cuts to SNAP as a means of reducing spending in the ongoing debt limit fight.
Courtesy of Reuters / International Network of Street Papers
Editor’s note: Donté Turner worked with Rachael Buck from A Wider Circle to produce this feature story about the work of this nonprofit.
AWider Circle (AWC) is an organization that provides clothing (and much more) for people experiencing poverty. Now usually when people see the words “organization” and “clothing” together they picture the setting of a thrift store. It’s not the case at AWC.
AWC’s organization has the layout of a place like Macy’s or JCPenney. They have high-quality clothing for both men and women — all free of charge. They have suits, dress shirts, shoes, ties, dresses, jewelry for women that want to feel extra beautiful, even a dressing room so you can check out how the attire looks on you. Not only are they well kept, clean, and organized, they greet you with a smile and open arms for whatever it is that they can help you with and are always eager to help, making you automatically feel like you have a trusted friend you’ve known for years.
AWC doesn’t have just a wide variety of clothing for people experiencing poverty, but they are also achieving goals to end poverty. They provide home furnishings (including baby beds/cribs/strollers) in good condition, non-perishable food (including baby food), mental health therapy and career support. All programs are free and anyone can sign up. For furniture appointments, individuals will need to bring their own transportation (U-Haul, pickup truck, etc.).
AWC also has long-term programming like its Partnerships to Independence (P2I) program. P2I was launched in September 2018 as an intensive five-year pilot program for 18 families, with the goal of attaining economic stability. This initiative supports participants via direct service in employment, health and wellness, and financial management alongside network and support system building. Participants are matched with an advocate, a volunteer job coach and a volunteer financial coach. Each participant develops a customized plan with goals and outcomes.
According to Rachael Buck, the director of advocacy, “AWC is not charity work, it’s justice work. It’s about making sure that everyone has an opportunity to thrive.” Buck almost lost a loved one due to homelessness and that sparked her life-long commitment to this work.
A Wider Circle was founded by Dr. Mark Bergel in his apartment in 2001. He was a professor at American University at the time. He received his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, and then received his master’s and doctoral degrees from American University.
Bergel has left A Wider Circle to start another nonprofit called The Shared Humanity Project and AWC’s new President and CEO is Amy Javaid.
From my view, AWC is an organization that makes you feel like you have a better tomorrow and a God that still cares! If you could benefit from any of the programs they provide, give them a call at 301-608-3504.
Author’s note: I wrote this article because someone told me about the place because I needed clothes for an interview. When I got there, it was nothing but positive energy there and the people that helped were more than eager to help and even went out their way to find matching attires for what I described that I wanted. So I decided to find out more about the place and do an article on them since a lot of people aren’t familiar with them.
At-large D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie is re-upping a years-old effort to establish a reparations fund for Black D.C. residents.
The former Ward 5 councilmember reintroduced a bill on Feb. 27 that would create a task force for researching and building a reparations framework that would benefit Black Americans “directly wronged and traumatized by the ills of slavery, Jim Crow, and structural and institutional racism,” according to the bill’s text. Black D.C. residents who are descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. would be prioritized in the distribution of the funds.
McDuffie first introduced the legislation in the fall of 2020, after a summer of protests against racial injustice and police brutality, but the bill died at the end of the year before making it to a vote.
“[Part of this bill] is an acknowledgement of where are today and how we got here,” McDuffie told DCist/WAMU on Feb. 27. “The reality that slavery, de jure, de facto segregation, Black codes, and other government-sanctioned actions, redlining in real estate…really helped to deny wealth and opportunities to Black Americans. There’s a racial wealth gap here in the nation’s capital, [there’s] an educational achievement gap, the stark disparities in health and employment — all as a result of intentional laws.”
The average white household in D.C. has a networth 81 times larger than an average Black household, according to a 2016 Urban Institute report. Black unemployment is higher in D.C. than in the rest of the U.S., and disparities in homeownership between Black and white residents is vast. A new Urban Institute report released just this month found that Black homeownership is decreasing in Wards 7 and 8 — longstanding majority Black communities — while mortgages taken out by non-Black residents in those same areas are increasing, particularly in gentrifying areas near the Anacostia River.
The task force would consist of nine members, five of which would be appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser. (She would also select the task force chair). The remaining four seats, including the co-chair, would be selected by the D.C. Council. Of the five mayoral appointees, one will be an academic in the field of civil rights, and two will be from “major civil society and reparations” organizations that have worked in reparatory justice previously, according to the text of the bill.
To aid in the group’s research and proposals, the bill would also require the city’s Commissioner of Insurance, Securities, and Banking to establish a database of records relating to slaveholding in the District, dating back to the 1600s.
The money in the fund would come from D.C.’s annual sales tax, as well as revenue from the Department of Motor Vehicles’ tickets and fines. (An analysis by the Washington Post found that between 2016-2020, 62% of traffic fines issued in the city were in neighborhoods where Black residents make up at least 70% of the population, and where the average median household is below $50,000.) Gifts, grants, and donations would also supplement the fund, which will be overseen by D.C.’s Chief Financial Officer, Glen Lee. As a part of the task force’s work, they will decide if the funds should be used — whether that’s direct cash payments to residents, grant programs, or homeownership funds, for example.
The bill is co-signed by the majority of McDuffie’s council colleagues, except At-large member Christina Henderson and
Ward 3’s Matthew Frumin. (Spokespeople for both offices did not immediately return DCist/WAMU’s request for comment.)
McDuffie’s goal is for the task force to meet no later than June 1, 2024, with a public report of findings and recommendations issued no later than a year after the initial meeting. He said he hopes to have a hearing on the bill by June of this year, before the Council recess.
If passed, D.C. would join a number of other cities and counties with groups, task forces, commissions, and studies aimed at offering reparations to Black residents. In the absence of a federal plan (every year since 1989, a bill that would establish a framework for reparations has been introduced and failed to advance) the effort to establish at least the foundations of reparations work has largely occurred at local levels. In Shelby County, Tenn., lawmakers passed a bill last week that will study the creation of a reparations fund. At the end of 2022, Boston’s city council voted in favor of a reparations committee, and similar groups have been established in cities like St. Paul, and Asheville. Locally, residents of Greenbelt, Md. voted in 2021 to create a commission to study options for paying reparations to Black and Native American residents of the small, New-Deal-era city that banned Black residents until the late 1960s.
Sometimes the programs established by governments
and billed as reparations fall short for advocates and those calling for true reparations. For example, when Evanston, Ill. established a reparations program — one of the first in the U.S. — that would award eligible residents money for a down payment on a home or for home repairs, critics said the program did not go far enough, but was simply a government housing program “dressed up as reparations.”
McDuffie said he is looking forward to public engagement when the bill gets a council hearing, and using residents’ input on the task force’s proposals once they’re finalized to establish a program guided by the people.
“I think it is high time for us to have this conversation, this public debate,” he said Feb. 27. “We’re really looking forward to continued interest in the topic and the testimonies of individuals, organizations and advocates.”
There’s also currently a bill in the D.C. Council, introduced by chairman Phil Mendelson that would create a reparations fund for “victims of the war on cannabis.” As a part of a bill regulating the sale of cannabis, one provision would create a fund, using revenue from legal marijuana sales, that would provide direct cash payments of between $5,000 and $80,000 to people and families harmed by marijuana-related arrests. This story was originally published by WAMU/DCist
It breaks my heart to watch the park police remove tents from McPherson Square and to see the hard work of homeless advocates go overlooked. They work quietly behind the scenes searching for housing for the homeless and helping people struggling with addiction, transitioning from prison, and other difficulties.
Sadly, very few people know about So Others Might Eat, Miriam’s Kitchen and Bread for the City. I, for one, don’t know where many homeless people would be today without Street Sense. There needs to be more media coverage of organizations that have a proven track record of helping people find houses, health care, and assistance to move off the streets.
However, even as many nonprofits do great work in this space, there are others who exploit homeless people. There is a homeless aristocracy comprised of people in powerful positions who ignore, alibi and protect bad actors among us. They don’t want to acknowledge that not all homeless people are victims. Some people are homeless for complex reasons this aristocracy doesn’t want to hear or address.
All the tents at McPherson are gone.
Where can the tenants now call home?
Standing strong amongst the trees, someone get them housing please.
Some are moving near Constitution Hall. Why can’t we have housing for all?
Sadly, many organizations seem less concerned about showing care for the homeless, and more interest in getting publicity for themselves.. Too many homeless advocates want to be like Rihanna and be the center of attention, rather than be behind the scenes working to create a better image about homelessness.
I was so shocked and embarrassed to see people I knew and worked with doing interviews with Fox News and the New York Post. They didn’t understand that all publicity is not good publicity. Some media outlets want to put homeless people on TV simply to reinforce the stereotypes that homeless people are scary and need to be removed from society.
No one respects or takes the homeless voice seriously. The media focuses on too many people that babble incoherently and say outrageous things in order to depict homeless people as the problem in D.C.
If the government can find billions of dollars to send to Ukraine, why can’t we find housing for the thousands of homeless residents living in Washington, D.C.?
Homelessness is in a crisis because the media keeps the issue polarized. Furthermore, many homeless advocates don’t appear
to be about solutions but instead about spreading their ideology and making everything political. We don’t need to be divided; both conservatives and liberals agree that there are homeless people who are mentally ill. But there is no reason for these disagreements
For those that want to help, I tell them to learn from churches. Most pastors have street smarts about the poor and homeless. Some advocates think helping homeless people means connecting them to $15-an-hour jobs. But panhandlers are smart, and they understand that a $15-an-hour job isn’t a reasonable tradeoff when the average apartment in D.C. costs $2,400. So the panhandler refuses the job to continue panhandling.
This brings us to the root of addressing homelessness. The issue is the people that need homes but unfortunately there are two many special interest more concerned about their status than the status of the homeless
Jeffery McNeil is an artist/vendor for Street Sense Media
Even with vouchers a place is still hard to find It’s enough to drive the unhoused out their mind Outreach workers come around and scurry Others wonder why they are in a hurry If they don’t leave now they’re hosed Because in February, the park is closed.
James Davis is an artist/vendor for Street Sense Media
What questions do you have for D.C. councilmembers and local government officials?
Street Sense will be launching a column featuring answers from public officials to questions posed by readers. Please send your questions
CARLTON JOHNSON
Artist/Vendor
Poetry happens when the mind wanders off, racing with the flow of the hand that writes it from the heart within the body so the poetry will flow from the pen or laptop under the poem’s control. Today the heart of poetry will be held for uncovering the times and days of the writer’s life, times good and bad, just looking for harmony in the life he or she walks every day. The touching creativity, walk with the world's movements around them, under the control of the creativity of the creator’s loving hand.
MARS
Artist/Vendor
Having been an emergency room tech, ambulance personnel and firefighter, I have had to write many narratives about accident scenes as well as report on patients' conditions using many medical terms, all based in Latin.
For example: ASA means aspirin; or in hospital speak (not Latin) AMA means against medical advice.
While my course of education brought me to near tears in tests and homework, my love for Latin continued. A dead language? I think not. My favorite phrase is:
"Damnant Quod Non Intellegunt." Can you say that?
It means "They condemn what they do not understand."
BRIANA BUTLER
Artist/Vendor
People walking. People skipping along the pavement. People dancing all around and under the streetlights. People jogging in the cool breath of the morning breeze. Sometimes water is bouncing off the umbrellas as people are gathering around the building. On a sunny day people let their mouths flow with good chatter. Cheering in delight of the songs they sing. Some people notice birds from above the eaves cooing their hearts out. The people that have a little extra time walk and eat sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and salads through curvy pathways of the park. This is a way to really relax yourself through the day in the city.
Come down here, join us in the fun city.
Jump on a orange, red, blue, silver, green or yellow train and let the enjoyment flow through you to anywhere. You let your feet stop. Dive into your car and let the twists and turns rein you into the cravings of you hobbies of life.
I'm learning healthy boundaries today. Starting with learning how to say no and mean it. I'm the type of person who likes to please everyone. I now know that it is okay to say no. You don't have to save the world to be a good person. Sometimes you have to say no and wish people the best. I'm learning that if you give everything away of yours then what are you going to have for yourself?
Unhealthy boundaries involve a disregard for your own and
SASHA
Artist/Vendor
I want feedback from readers on some humbling experiences.
I have been through a lot so I am humble. With experiences and failures, I am humble.
I am inquiring about information from my readers because I like getting information about opportunities.
others' values, wants and needs. It can also lead to potentially abusive romantic relationships, and increase the chances of other types of abusive relationships. Not saying no, or not respecting when others say no, is not okay. So I say this — hold on to your feelings and understand that you always come first.
Street Sense is a good place to work and a great place to learn. I go out to sell my papers and make some money. When I sell all my papers, I come back to our office and give Street Sense some money to get more papers so I can make more money. I love doing that! And I love our motto: real stories, real people, real change.
I berated God, explaining to him how he was not doing anything for me and how I was living clean for him.
God sent me a vessel that day and he told me about Street Sense.
Miracles come in many different types of boxes.
God explained to me that he had set me up that day in advance of my arrival to D.C. in late 2020.
My paper is my platform to express and communicate my gifts, talents, abilities and thoughts. My uniqueness makes room for me at the table
God is so good!
I see my glass half full and not half empty.
I choose to see what I have today instead of what I have lost.
I maintain focus during times of adversity by:
Reflecting on former happy times
Having gratitude
Exercising
Redirecting negative conversations or negative thoughts by switching to a positive topic such as Street Sense.
Artist/Vendor
Interpersonal communication is irreversible
No day will be the same — so K-I-S (keep it simple)
Life is like a pimple
Once it begins, no one knows where it ends
God is our father, our healer, our friend
People judge you by your actions, not for satisfaction
It won't be for your liking, but for their humankind, mind over matter, it's all in your mind
If a man takes care of a dog, he is more likely to help a human being
Supporting a non-talking mammal is equivalent to how God helps the birds
"Ye of little faith don't worry,"
Like King James say (study the word)
Basic instructions before leaving Earth
Once you master the gospel you learned your worth, your purpose, the truth
The whole time in the footprints he was creating you
A fisher, a leader, a model of Christ
Dedicate your life to him and he will give a sacrifice
To let go of something you didn't need
The Lord is my shepherd
It's a sin to envy or have greed
On the final days, he will separate the grain from the weeds
Don't hold a grudge after the sun lets down
You once were lost but now you're found
A closed mouth doesn't get fed
Ask to receive and thank God for your daily bread
You're the head not the tail
The proof is in the pudding detail
All Lives Matter
We all checked out well
They say Black lives are going to hell
Only God can judge you
In time your behavior will tell
Love yourself like your neighbor
If you're living for him or dying in sin
God shows favor to his angels from within
He is a jealous God, only worship Him
Put no man before your father, we are all related to them
We are sisters and brothers for the Lord your tongue's a blessing and a curse (it's a sword)
The penalty for sin is death
Stop saying you have nothing unless you're six feet underground and your siblings fight over your wealth
So don't hoarder or border
When praises go up blessings come down in that order
With Thanksgiving submit your request to the Lord
He will make a way out of none
You can lie to us but Jesus says what you've done, vengeance is not mine so forgive everyone
Like God forgives you
The whole time you saw one set of footprints, you were tired and weak that's the time he had to carry you always remember He blesses the meek
You are not alone if you think you got it bad it's many of us with no home
So be humble and grateful and the greatest gift is called love
Give praises to Allah — our friend, our Lord
The Bible shows us how he works in mysterious ways
Always bless your food by saying your grace
What God got for you can't nobody take away
Just put God first and remember to pray when two or more are gathered, he is in the midst of them too Trust nobody but God it's your final breakthrough
Let's run to the end
Maintain faith and keep seeking
Study and pray and fellowship on the weekend
Your body is your temple take care of it
You only get one vessel here inherited
So fear no man but God and he will make you a new person
He counts every tear don't change his working God is the only one in control, love Jesus not gold Materials can be replaced, but not your soul
You have free will to choose Heaven or Hell tomorrow is not promised or given
So don't throw away your blessings by not obeying his commandments if you make a mistake, just ask for his forgiveness
The Lord is able, qualified, and willing We all fall short of the glory
The reason he saved you is so you can save us with your testimony
If he did it for her so it can be done for you Just remember to have faith, he will never forsake you Will you least expect it, that's when God comes through
You are now here by the strikes of Christ
Stay worthy and live right
You can't change the past so don't dwell on the notes
God loves to get the glory he will connect the dots We are always going to die just remember to keep Sabbath holy
Use less of your mouth and learn lessons daily from his story
It's never too late to get your life back just limit your say Be grateful you're alive Covid-19 is still taking lives What man-made impossible God will align straighten up and correct
To be pruned hurts, it's a lesson you won't forget The truth will set you free
To believe in God means to believe in the unseen
To have faith in him is to wait for his time he's an on-time God, he doesn't make mistakes you will be just fine All things are possible for those who love the Lord This life is temporary don't wait till you're overboard
Cross your T's and dot your I's
You can lie to us but what you doing in the dark comes to light, be honest enjoy the ride you only get one mic don't forget God is on your side
So as a winner you always have a full ride covered with the blood of Christ, Black lives don't matter, All lives matter
Artist/Vendor
Growing up is another school, trying to prepare all your tools, searching the knowledge as on Google, building up something a day as old school. Working among, they may think you are a fool. You aren’t fool but cool, to just follow the rule to avoid the over-rule, learning every day is a school. There are two different types of school: academic school and life’s school; one a theoretical school, another one a practical school. Life’s school’s teaching is better than the other school, try to be cool but not a fool. Life is a school, school is a part of your life. Each tribulation is a master that teaches Each experience is a training Every accomplishment is a graduation The accumulation of all these experiences Failures and successes is worthy for your life
Artist/Vendor
I think the emperor is very nice even though he is admiring his new clothes. Leaders are good at informing people.
Religion, a clean look. A clean house, the right politics and positive stories are what we want to feel and separate us from those we are afraid of becoming or being associated with — those others that do share those stories can’t hide them.
Sharing personal stories means we must feel safe or bold enough to do so. It is where good writers are born. It is where truth and progress can happen. If we are going to grow as communities, we can’t just focus on what looks good about it, but also on where the next steps come from. These are found in facing, examining and coping with what we are uncomfortable with.
Image control is an obsession. Control and obsession should be red flags for us. What is the fear that underlies these? We should consider this. Carl Jung posited that embracing our whole selves, the good, bad and ugly, helps us be healthier people and stronger communities. FDR said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
There are many messages we receive encouraging control as a methodology for our own selves, our families, our religion and spirituality, our communities and even governance itself. Overapplied, it has the opposite effect of what we seek. Health in all these dimensions suffer.
The truth will set you free, along with everyone else.
When I was young, I would always get a beating for being bad in school and anything else I would do. I’ve been abused by my stepfather — he used to beat me with an extension cord. That made me even more bad, I was trying to prove him wrong but I’d failed again. I would still be bad. I was very stupid, he told me, I was a liar for doing bad things in my life and I started to believe him after awhile.
My grandmother only beat me one time with an extension cord. She hit me everywhere. I did not want her to ever beat me again. Then I started to act like I had good sense when I was 15 years old. My grandmother told my father to not to beat me anymore, he's getting too old, she said, and he stopped. When I got to be 17 years old my grandmother put me out because I wouldn’t save my money. I had a government job with the sewage department. Then I left and went to stay with my mother for about 2 years, then I was on my own with my roommate. The first person who stayed with me was my best friend in the world, then his mother put me out, she just told me all I have to do is buy some food for the house. I said okay.
Many wars began because of harmful lies, you should learn to detect them and reject them. Let thankfulness and trust be your guide through these days. Take care of the Earth, the planet deserves our respect. Climate change is real, we must acknowledge that our action affects the planet. Be true.
FREDERIC JOHN
Artist/Vendor
Hallowe’en time, 1989. The chill dusk and the faltering street lamps vie for dominance. More pronounced are the fluttering wheezings of circles of dry leaves — desiccated and umber as shreds of dead skin. A scraping sound on the pitted concrete turns out to be sneakered feet.
I’m bent forward, my head buried in a tattered hoodie. My shivering is from more than the icy air. Who is that bearing down on me?
The heart stops abruptly — I imagine an irregular shiv-blade drawing across my gullet. My step freezes. I half emerge from the hollow of my pullover jacket. A bone-thin figure, struggling with an oversized paper sack, lurches past me. Not glancing sideways, thanks God.
In the sallow light, the “Boys Baptist Academy” looms overhead. Clad in a creepy “perma-stone” front, the old villa
retains only bits of its original Victorian grandeur: eyelid hood molds over windows, jagged stepped cornices; two narrow Addams Family-style blind-arched doors. One incandescent bulb flickers. Otherwise, silence.
Down by the juncture of Vermont and Thirteenth sits the pooled darkness of Logan Circle proper. At one end is the “Cadillac,” a mansion turned bordello since before World War II! Across the oval lies a bulging double monstrosity that could have been thrown up by old General Logan himself, or his buddy U.S. Grant!
At this point, as the slumping skinny dude drew back and gulped a pinkish liquid from the rumpled paper sack, I resumed my sliding gait, jawwalked in the near-dark, and made it to a vacant bench ‘round General Logan’s crusted copper-green equestrian statue.
I used to like my friend’s sister Vicky (I was in love with her, she was very cute. I would have married her. We also were very good friends. I would always give her what she wanted. I used to dress clean and appropriate — I wore fine clothes). My only sister was also named Vicky and I loved the hell out of her. She was taken from me when I was 3 years old. I wish to God I can see her before I leave this earth, then I can rest in peace. My mother only had the two of us.
I cannot judge people and they cannot judge me. Some people can be very nasty, even me, I can be nasty to Mom or I can be nice. The longest I’ve been clean from drugs in my life was 17 months. I was proud of myself. I can only thank God for that. It was hard for me to break things down in my life and I ask God to help me. He’s the only being above this world that can save me, no one else. I thank the good people in this world who support me and also Street Sense for being by my side. They understand what I’m going through in life. Until next time!
COREY SANDERS
Artist/Vendor
Dancing in the dark, radio playing, in the car but not moving. I would go to see what’s wrong but $50 is too much for me to lose. My main mission right now is for me to improve, but folks at the missionary said I’m not focused and doing too much grooving.
Now, I’m selling papers at Street Sense. I could see my life going far with the money I make here. I might get a Cadillac car. Okay, maybe I’m pushing it. But I know with my Metro card I can afford the red line. But there’s nothing wrong with me dreaming of flying that Boeing 747 airline.
Dear donors, roses are red, violets are blue, I am sorry I missed ya’ll on Valentine’s Day, but here’s my love to all of you.
I drew my arms tightly around my achey frame. I folded back my legs up into the slat seat. Fatigue consumed me. As I dozed thankful I had no Miller beer left to chug, and murmured, “Definitely, I’ve experienced some genuine LOGAN DREAD!”
The irony of being like a speck of neglected human detritus framed by the Baroque ghostliness of Logan picture-frame residences — well, it was beyond my wearied perception. Miraculously, I awoke unscathed on my bench, groped my way back to the kitchen of Help House, and inhaled two bowls of Smate Bean. In the early a.m., I awoke on linoleum, beneath the slab table. I returned by morning light, armed with a spare pair of ox-blood loafers, which I sold to an old man for $3.00 —- enough for six ponies of Miller.
Across
1. Endure
5. The so-called Father of Geometry
11. Chatterers are said to have the gift of it
14. Turkish official
15. “Ya ____, ya lose” (action-prompting warning)
16. Expose, poetically
17. Courthouse sessions involving the division of marital assets between celebrity couples, often (2 wds.) (3-3, 5) (Spruce & Aspen)
19. The ____ Marché (bygone dept. store founded in Seattle and later absorbed into Macys)
20. Betrays one’s basic values and/or personal loyalties (2 wds.) (5,3) (USE TOLLS) anagram)
21. Sword handle
22. Most squirmy
23. Nearsighted character of old cartoons voiced by Jim Backus I2,5) (incls. abbr. title)
26. U.S. gov’t decryption org. (abbr./acron.)
27. Request from someone using a tongue depressor(2 wds.) (3,2)
28. The final “C” in CINC
31. Classic parlor pantomime game (Cedar & Ash)
35. Small batteries or community college degrees
36. In progress
39. Rival school of The Citadel (abbr.)
40. Dir. guide that’s typically a topographical chart overlaid with aviation info (2 wds.) (5,3) (Maple & Fir)
42. Heart line
44. Something a bad actor is unlikely to steal?
45. Dadaism founder Jean
46. Fictitious reason concocted to mask one’s actual purpose or intent
49. Like some revealing skirts
53. Aromatherapist’s substances
54. Coke Zero or Zevia Cherry Cola (2 wds.) (4,4) (I
DO DATES anagram)
55. Govt. agency that has your number (abbr./ acron.)
56. Orchardist, at times...or, figuratively speaking, solvers who manage to correctly fill in 17-, 31- or 40-Across (2 wds. (4,7)
59. ____ in one’s ways
60. “It ____ take a rocket scientist...”
61. “Good heavens!” (2 wds.) (2-2)
62. Before, once
63. Average folks take getaways to get away from it
64. Ersatz antonym
Down
1. Senior moment, e.g.
2. Coincide
3. Beach house?
4. Strip at the beach that anagrams to AN INLET? (2 wds.) (3,4)
5. Spanish wife
6. Full-length, with no scenes removed
7. “____ of Many Colors” (Dolly Parton classic)
8. The L in L.A.
9. Suffix often seen with demon or idol
10. ___ Moines (city name in Iowa and Washington)
11. “____ or go home!” (2 wds.) (2,3)
12. Seattle’s own eight-time Olympic speed skating medalist ____ Anton Ohno
13. Japanese box lunch
18. Applies some elbow grease, so to speak (2 wds.) (4,5) (REFOCUSES anagram)
21. Laugh syllables (2,2)
23. When repeated, a Pacific food fish
24. Actress Meg of “Sleepless in Seattle”
25. Potent potable that’s salt-rimmed and tequilabased
27. Check (out)
28. What puts the high in high-test coffee, briefly
29. Computer in “2001: A Space Odyssey”
30. “Woe ____” (classic book for grammarphobes)
2 wds. (2,1)
32. Binge-watching aid, in brief (abbr./acron.)
33. C.P.R. expert (abbr.)
34. One-named singer with the 2016 #1 hit “Cheap Thrills”
37. Ariz. neighbor (1,3) (abbr.)
38. Eugene ____, hero of Thomas Wolfe’s “Look Homeward, Angel”
41. Projected cost figs. (abbr.)
43. Decides on (2 wds.) (4,3) (SOFT PRO anagram)
45. Red flags, say
46. Rapper’s entourage in hip-hop jargon
47. One getting up or a stair part
48. Make jubilant
49. Baseball pitchers sometimes shakes these off
50. “____ max” or “____ 9th degree” (all out) (2 wds.)
(2,3)
51. Swelling, in medi-speak
52. Actress Hannah of “Splash,”“Blade Runner” and “Kill Bill”
54. Not those, to a Brooklynite
56. Seahawks six-pointers, for short (abbr./acron.)
57. Tommy or dry follower
58. Always, to a poet (contraction)
*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, Wa. Learn more about Real Change News and the International Network of Street Papers at realchangenews. org and insp.ngo.
Puzzle by Patrick “Mac” McIntyre
Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org
Bread for the City - 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 - 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org
Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org
Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp
Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org
Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org
Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org
Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach
Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org
Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org
Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org
D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org
Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org
Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc)
219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org
Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities
Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org
Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org
Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org
Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org
Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Road SE
2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE
Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org
My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org
N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org
New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE
Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW
Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org
Samaritan Ministry
202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org
Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org
So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org
St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org
Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org
Unity Health Care 3020 14th St., NW // unityhealthcare.org
- Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500
- Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699
1500 Galen Street SE, 1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 555 L Street SE, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, 1717 Columbia Road NW, 1313 New York Avenue, NW BSMT Suite, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 828 Evarts Place, NE, 810 5th Street NW
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org
The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable
Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org
Food Service Worker
Wegmans // 41 Ridge Sq. NW
Part-time
Provide customer service, prepare and serve food to customers, follow guidelines on food prep, storage, stocking and merchandising.
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/weg-fsw
Retail Sales Associate
H&M // 3242 M St NW
Full-time / Part-time
Greet and serve customers, stock, display and replenish garments, conduct cashier transactions.
REQUIRED: Physically able to lift up to 20 pounds and stand for long periods of time
APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/rsa-hm
Retail Sales Associate
Dick’s Sporting Goods // 2470 Market St NE
Full-time / Part-time
For multiple positions including cashier, unloading trucks and processing frieghts, and customer service.
REQUIRED: Those applying for the operations & frieght flow sub-category needs to be able to physically able to lift up to 50 pounds.
APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/dsg-rsa
For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide
Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org
ANTHONY CARNEY Artist/Vendor
Dear customers,
Please lend me your ears. Some of my fellow Street Sense vendors are homeless. Some are in housing and some of them are unhoused. Being homeless can be bad for a person’s mental health. It’s not normal for a human to sleep on the side of a road or even in a tent. Some people have been traumatized by this experience. Some have endured abuse, rape, and other violence. Please help us get our lives back. And please, remember that anyone can become homeless
