Each vendor functions as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, managing their own business to earn an income and increase stability in their life.
NO CASH? NO PROBLEM.
Street Sense Media publishes the newspaper
goes directly to your vendor, empowering them to overcome homelessness and poverty
As self-employed contractors, our vendors follow a code of conduct.
1. I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity.
2. I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.
3. I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor.
4. While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $2 per issue or solicit donations by any other means.
5. I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.
6. “I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.”
7. I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.
8. I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”
9. I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”
INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW
Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper: They use film, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community.
Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence. And our in-house case-management services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing.
At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents, and character, not through our housing situation.
1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347 - 2006 streetsensemedia.org
info@streetsensemedia.org
VENDORS
Abel Putu, Aida Peery, Andre Brinson, Andrew Anderson, Angie Whitehurst, Anthony Carney, Archie Thomas, August Mallory, Beverly Sutton, Brianna Butler, Carlos Carolina, Carlton Johnson, Carol Motley, Charles Armstrong, Chon Gotti, Chris Cole, Chon Gotti, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Daniel Ball, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Degnon (Gigi) Dovonou, Don Gardner, Donté Turner, Doris Robinson, Earl Parker, Eric Thompson-Bey, Erica Downing, Evelyn Nnam, Floyd Carter, Franklin Sterling, Frederic John, Freedom, Gerald Anderson, John Alley, Henry Johnson, Ivory Wilson, Jacqueline “Jackie” Turner, Jacquelyn Portee, James Davis, Jeanette Richardson, Jeff Taylor, Jeffery McNeil, Jeffrey Carter, Jemel Fleming, Jenkins Daltton, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jermale McKnight, Jet Flegette, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Juliene Kengnie, Katrina Anige, Kenneth Middleton, Khadijah Chapman, Kym Parker, L. Morrow, Laura Smith, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, Mango Redbook, Marcus McCall, Mark Jones, Marc Grier, Mars, Maurice Spears, Melody Byrd, Michael Craig, Michael Warner, Michelle Mozee, Michele Rochon, Morgan Jones, Nikila Smith, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Reggie Jones, Reginald Black, Reginald C. Denny, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Ronald Smoot, Sasha Williams, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Susan Westmoreland, Susan Wilshusen, Sybil Taylor, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams, William Mack
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Nana-Sentuo Bonsu, Jonquilyn Hill, Stanley Keeve, Clare Krupin, Ashley McMaster, Matt Perra, Michael Phillips, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Brian Carome
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
Doris Warrell
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Darick Brown
DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT
Thomas Ratliff
VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES
Aida Peery, Clifford Samuels, Chon Gotti
VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS
Roberta Haber, Ann Herzog, Madeleine McCollough, Dylan Onderdonksnow, Amelia Stemple, Tyler Bruno
MANAGER OF ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS
Maria Lares
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Will Schick
DEPUTY EDITOR
Kaela Roeder
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Athiyah Azeem
STAFF REPORTER
Annemarie Cuccia
EDITORIAL INTERN
Alexia Partouche
ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
Ariane Mohseni (Film), Bonnie Naradzay (Poetry), David Serota (Illustration), Lalita Clozel (Film), Willie Schatz (Writing), Leslie Jacobson (Theater), Roy Barber (Theater)
ARTS EDITOR (VOLUNTEER)
Austine Model
OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)
Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Bill Meincke, Candace Montague
EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS
Josh Axelrod, Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Lilah Burke, Chelsea Ciruzzo, Lenika Cruz, Alison Henry, Kathryn Owens, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol
President Joe Biden announced on March 2 that he will allow Congress to block the passage of a D.C. bill to overhaul the city’s criminal code.
This would be the first time in more than 30 years that Congress successfully voted to block a D.C. bill from becoming law. Unlike a state, the District may only pass laws with Congressional review.
“I support D.C. Statehood and home rule – but I don’t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor’s objections – such as lowering penalties for carjackings,” Biden tweeted. “If the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did – I’ll sign it.”
The Republican-majority House last month passed a resolution disapproving of the D.C. bill, sending it to the Democrat-controlled Senate. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced he will vote with Republicans to strike down the bill. On March 6, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announced he would withdraw the proposed legislation ahead of the planned Senate vote. However, the Senate indicated it would still review the current draft of the bill regardless.
The code, drafted in 1901 by Congress, outlines penalties for crimes including major offenses like assault and murder. It also details penalties for minor offenses such as panhandling — which can result in fines, mandatory community service or even jail time.
Several local lawmakers have criticized the current code, characterizing it as confusing, contradictory and outdated. For example, the law — as written — prohibits people from playing games, such as football, in the street.
The Criminal Code Reform Commission, an independent agency, was formed in 2016 to conduct extensive research
The Street Sense Media 20th Anniversary
and propose changes to the code. It reviewed thousands of pages of documents and made recommendations for revising the outdated criminal code.
Proposed revisions include reducing maximum sentences for crimes such as robberies and carjackings. The bill would have also decriminalized panhandling. Advocates have been pushing for the decriminalization of panhandling nationwide for several years, including the National Homelessness Law Center. Criminalizing panhandling fails to address what causes homelessness, and can make matters worse, according to the law center.
Many low-income residents engage in “crimes of survival,” such as panhandling, that result in unfair policing and arrests, authors wrote in a 2021 DC Police Reform Commission report. These “crimes” are a result of failures of the social safety net, according to the report.
Additionally, the Criminal Code Reform Commission found that enforcement of such laws unfairly targets Black D.C. residents. According to a report by the commission, while Black residents make up about 45% of D.C.’s population, Black residents are responsible for about 75% of panhandling convictions in the District.
The Revised Criminal Code Act was already a contentious point in D.C. politics after Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed the bill in January. She said there was a need for more community engagement on the bill. Also, the bill contained provisions that she argued went too far. These included lighter sentences for carjackings, armed robbery and home invasions. The D.C. Council overrode the veto less than two weeks later.
The D.C. Police Union has been outspoken in its disdain for the bill and said in a statement that the revisions will lead to “violent crime rates exploding more than they already have”
• March 1 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.
Chris Cole March 8 ARTIST/VENDOR
Khadijah Chapman March 13 ARTIST/VENDOR
Lorrie Hayes March 12 ARTIST/VENDOR
when the council overrode the mayor’s veto. Homicides have increased in the District since the onset of the pandemic, but violent crime dropped 7% in 2022 compared to 2021, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report.
While opponents to the bill say the revisions are not tough enough on crime, harsh sentences are shown to not deter crime, according to the National Institute of Justice. Over 80% of D.C. residents support the law, according to a report commissioned by the DC Justice Lab.
Several District officials have spoken out against Biden’s decision, including D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.
“Any effort to overturn DC laws degrades the right of its nearly 700,000 residents and elected officials to self-govern—a right that almost every other American has,” he tweeted on March 2.
Many local leaders called for statehood for D.C. in the midst of the news, and for the end to Congressional meddling in District laws.
“The District of Columbia is perfectly capable of governing itself,” Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen said in a press release. “We are not subjects, and we unequivocally reject anything less than full control of our own affairs.”
A new month, a new leaderboard! 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 leaderboard 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!
Amina Washington has heard it said many ways — when she’s working, sitting on sidewalks, going to get dinner or grabbing groceries. She heard it when she was sleeping outside, and she still hears it now, even though she’s been living in her apartment for nearly a year.
“They just don’t like homeless people,” Washington said about those who have treated her poorly because they assumed she was unhoused.
People experiencing homelessness in D.C. have long reported facing discrimination when renting an apartment, applying for jobs or just going about their days. Police have removed Washington from restaurants, and store clerks have accused her of shoplifting — each time, she said, because she appeared like she could be sleeping outside. Washington struggled to find a job without a permanent address. People physically attacked her on the street or told her she was an addict. Even though she lives in an apartment now, she’s hesitant to return to places she frequented when she was homeless, in case they remember her.
The kinds of discriminatory actions that Washington, a Street Sense vendor, describes are illegal. Last June, the D.C. Council passed the Human Rights Enhancement Amendment Act, which added homelessness to a list of 23 protected traits in the city. Soon after the law took effect in October, the D.C. Office of Human Rights (OHR) began accepting complaints from people about discrimination they encountered while trying to secure housing or employment, attending school, dining at a restaurant or patronizing another business. But the process relies on people experiencing discrimination to submit complaints, some of whom say they don’t trust the government to take their concerns seriously.
Still, the new protections buoyed Nikkie Smith, who plans to file a complaint about guards who recently removed her from a public space based on their assumption that she was homeless.
“I should be able to sit down and go wherever I want to
any less than what they are,” she said.
The People for Fairness Coalition, an activist group led by people with lived experience with homelessness, began lobbying for the city to outlaw discrimination against people experiencing homelessness in 2015. Legislation banning discrimination against people experiencing homelessness, each named after advocate Michael Stoops, was introduced three times before the council passed the current law. As part of implementation, OHR will be training law enforcement officers within the year, and reaching out to local homeless services organizations to conduct training about the protections.
“The fact that you don’t have a permanent home should not be a barrier to have access to all those things that we enjoy in the District,” OHR Director Hnin Khaing said in an interview.
OHR began to enforce the Human Rights Enhancement Amendment Act — along with another new law that offers new protections for renters — in October when funding became available with the new fiscal year.
Landlords are no longer allowed to ask or consider whether a potential tenant has an eviction record that has been sealed. Khaing, a mayoral appointee who received D.C. Council confirmation in February, compared these protections to “ban the box” laws that generally prohibit employers from discriminating based on criminal record. The name comes from the box that previously existed on job applications asking if someone had a criminal conviction.
The same new D.C. law also grants enhanced tenant protections to people who use vouchers. Despite decades-old laws, some landlords have taken advantage of loopholes to discriminate against people who rely on housing vouchers, according to Susie McClanahan, senior manager of the Fair Housing Rights Program at the Equal Rights Center (ERC).
Provisions under the new law explicitly prohibit landlords from asking for credit and rental histories from potential tenants who rely on housing vouchers. Since the government pays the majority of the rent and determines what the voucher
holder can afford, it makes no sense for landlords to examine past rental history, McClanahan explained.
“If you’re using a subsidy, then what relevance is there in asking someone about their rental or credit history?” Khaing said. Since there’s no acceptable reason for a landlord to request that information, landlords who do so are presumed to be engaging in discrimination against those who rent using subsidies.
without someone assuming that I’mAmina Washington. Photo by Thomas Ratliff
I was nothing but a street rat to them, that’s all they thought about, that I was the one breaking the law because I was just there.”
“People who stand out in the front can’t come into the restaurant.”
“We’re not discriminating, we just don’t let people who beg into our restrooms.”
“You don’t belong here.”~ Amina Washington, a Street Sense Media artist/vendor
If the investigation reveals probable cause that discrimination occurred, OHR sends the complaint into another round of mediation, which, if not successful, is followed by a public hearing. Any retaliation is prohibited throughout the process, and OHR will not share sensitive information, such as a person’s immigration status, with any other agencies.
Legal aid organizations like ERC can also provide support
confidence any government agency will.
“The police agreed with the person because they had a job and I didn’t, they had a home and I didn’t,” she added. “I was nothing but a street rat to them, that’s all they thought about, that I was the one breaking the law because I was just there.”
OHR does not share information with other government agencies like law enforcement, Khaing stressed, and staff are
homeless. “I’m just there to purchase something in the store and leave,” she said. “I’m just there to eat in a restaurant and leave.”
This article was co-published with The DC Line.
One of several complaint forms people can fill out and submit to the Office of Human Rights. Photo by Athiyah AzeemImbuing an AI chatbot with human characteristics doesn’t seem so ridiculous in a time when such technology is showing uncanny steps forward in its ability to learn and adapt, with some reports of their sentience verging on the most pessimistic predictions of sci-fi. If you’re aware of their existence, the progression shown by generative language models like ChatGPT seems to have come on leaps and bounds, as the Microsoft-backed OpenAI has released a version of its creation into the public domain and has been all the rage.
AI like this, in the most basic terms, consumes information it’s been fed — mainly from the internet — and, via a complex algorithm, regurgitates an answer in response to a prompt. The AI uses the information at its disposal to essentially guess the most appropriate next word in a sequence. That process is why
it is emerging as such a powerful tool, one that is even being integrated into online search systems that its creators hope may rival a behemoth like Google. But this is also a sign of the limits of this technology.
“Much evidence exists of the strong role that perception can play in shaping reality,” writes the Centre for Homelessness Impact at the top of a report outlining its findings around public perceptions of homelessness earlier this year. The report goes on to highlight statistics that show public awareness of homelessness as an issue that needs addressed is high. However, later it reads: “Of greatest concern are the continuing misconceptions highlighted by our surveys. Asked about the characteristics of people experiencing homelessness, the average answer was that 53% are living with a drug or alcohol dependency. The actual figures are between 5% and7%.
Another mean answer was that 34% are immigrants to this
country, which is more than twice the figure (14%) of people from outside the UK who apply for homeless assistance from a local authority.”
With this in mind, could AI divulge a more accurate perception of homelessness, with all of the power and tools at its disposal? Across numerous conversations with ChatGPT, it was clear that some of society’s most entrenched prejudices persist within AI too.
With the prompt “draw a picture of a street paper vendor”, ChatGPT is quick to put you in your place — it is an AI language model, and therefore does not create images. But its description of a picture it would draw gets to the heart of the matter: “The street paper vendor is a homeless man or woman, standing on a busy street corner. They have a stack of newspapers in their hand and a worn expression on their face. They are wearing ragged clothes and a look of determination
in their eyes.”
A “worn expression.” “Ragged clothes.” “A look of determination in their eyes.” It’s a picture of struggle, devoid of nuance.
Asked “what does a homeless person look like?”, the AI promisingly replies that “there is no one specific ‘look’ of a homeless person”, but then goes on again to describe them as maybe being “dressed in dirty of worn clothes”, carrying “all their belongings in a backpack or shopping cart”, and might be “sitting on a sidewalk with a cardboard sign asking for money.”
As the conversation continues, many of the chatbots initial observations are pushed back on. In response to the prompt “If not all homeless people beg or panhandle, why was it one of the first descriptors you used for a scene involving a homeless person?”, it replies: “I apologize if my previous response suggested that all homeless people panhandle. That is not accurate, and I apologize for any confusion. Panhandling is one way that some homeless individuals try to acquire resources to meet their basic needs, but it is not the only way, and not all homeless people panhandle.”
After some back and forth, it responds to the prompt “Could you describe a homeless person without using some of the common stereotypes of homeless people you refer to?”, replying: “A homeless person can be described as someone who lacks a permanent place to live, they may be staying in a shelter, transitional housing, sleeping on the street or in a makeshift shelter like a tent or a car. They could have lost their job, be facing mental health or addiction issues, or have experienced other events such as a natural disaster, domestic violence or a medical emergency, that have left them without a stable home. They may be trying to access services such as job training, mental health counselling, or substance abuse treatment, to improve their situation. It’s worth noting that homelessness can happen to anyone, regardless of their background and it’s a complex issue that requires multiple solutions.”
That spurs on a conversation about how hereditary privilege and the makeup of society is weighted against certain people and community. By constantly drilling down, the AI is learning to delve further into its system to provide a more relevant response. It is not capable of opinion, and provides little pushback when it generates responses that play into common stereotypes.
Eventually, it is prompted with: “Having now had this discussion, how would you answer the question ‘what does a homeless person look like’?”
It replies: “It is important to remember that homelessness affects people from all walks of life and can happen to anyone. There is no one specific “look” of a homeless person. People experiencing homelessness may come from diverse backgrounds and may have a wide range of appearances. They may be young or old, male or female, and may have a variety of physical and mental health conditions. They may be dressed in a range of clothing styles. It is not appropriate to make assumptions about a person’s situation based on their appearance.
“It is important to focus on the underlying issues that lead to homelessness and not to stereotype or stigmatize people who are experiencing homelessness. Rather than asking what a homeless person looks like, it is more important to focus on understanding and addressing the systemic issues that contribute to homelessness, such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, and lack of access to healthcare and mental health services.”
Later it replies: “As an AI, I do not have personal experiences or emotions, and my knowledge is based on the text data that I have been trained on. My responses are generated based on patterns in this data, and while I can provide information and answer questions, I don’t have the same level of understanding and empathy as a person who has directly interacted with or
experienced homelessness.”
Conversations with AI chatbots may be au courant at the moment, and many of its uses seem frivolous. However, its potential practical uses in homeless outreach and activism –predictive modelling, automation, as learning and reporting tools, language processing and data analysis — may have an impact on public perceptions of homeless people and their communities that will ultimately feed back in to AI language models and make their outputs more informed and accurate.
But, with its current capabilities, AI can give us little insight
into how people experiencing homelessness are perceived beyond parroting back known and ingrained stigmas that we as human beings have of them. In fact, it is disheartening to read the frenzied reporting around AI that seems quick to humanise these machines — perhaps more willingly than many are to see humanity in people on the streets.
Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers
As pop and hip-hop music vibrated down Peabody Street in the Brightwood Park neighborhood on a February afternoon, frustrated tenants silently marched down the front pathway to their apartment building, holding signs over their faces.
“No justice no rent.”
“We deserve to be safe.”
Some building staff uncomfortably looked away. Amid the thrumming lyrics, these signs did the loudest talking.
On the same day tenants planned to protest living conditions in their building, their management decided to stage a festive “resident appreciation day.” The staff brought food from Olive Garden. The sun reflected off the warm, silver trays, and the food went untouched.
A group of Brightwood Park residents are staging a rent strike to protest the living conditions of their building. They say it’s poorly maintained and has many problems including cracks in the walls and floors that are falling apart. It is also infested with pests including mice, rats, bedbugs and roaches, they allege. To make matters worse, some of the tenants say their mail wasn’t delivered for the latter half of last year, resulting in lost bills and immigration papers.
Freta Asheber, a tenant who has lived in the building owned by Khan Properties for 10 years, said she’s had enough of the conditions. Last year, she had to go to the emergency room for rashes all over her body. She said it was because of bedbugs in
her unit. According to Asheber, she reached out to management several times for help. However, she said that despite her many complaints no one from management responded to her. The D.C. housing code standards require rental units to be free of insects and other pests.
After Asheber’s emergency room visit, the hospital sent her a bill for the care she received. But she didn’t initially receive it, because the building was not receiving mail. She missed the hospital bill and had to pay a late fee. It was a significant blow to her bank account.
“We have a lot of problems,” Asheber explained.
Some tenants at the building on Peabody Street are in the process of scheduling housing code inspections with the Department of Buildings for other possible infractions, according to Eleni Reynolds, an organizer with Stomp Out Slumlords, who has been working with the tenants for about eight months.
Several residents also missed receiving other important documents in the mail, including immigration papers for Asheber’s husband. A majority of residents are from East Africa, with Amharic as their first language. Tariq Abegaz, who has lived in the building for 11 years, said she missed receiving multiple credit cards in the mail.
These are not the only problems residents say they have had to contend with. Sinks and toilets have broken and gone unfixed for many months, according to several tenants. Asheber says that in her apartment, yellow water has been coming out
of her kitchen sink since 2018. The kitchen cabinets are also falling apart, she said.
The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs found at least one unit at the property to be in violation of multiple housing code violations in 2021, according to the agency inspection portal. These violations included a failure to correct water damage, loose plaster and decayed wood in living areas, pests and issues with plumbing, resulting in over $5,000 in fines.
Residents also say there’s a critical lack of security at the building — there are no bars on the ground floor unit windows, for example. This concern echoes that of other past tenants who lived in other Khan-owned properties in the neighborhood. Last July, the DC Superior Court ruled that Khan failed to provide a safe and habitable environment for its tenants at two different apartments in Brightwood Park, and required the company to pay the District more than $2 million. Residents at those properties suffered assaults and theft, according to an Office of the Attorney General press release.
The success of the lawsuit inspired tenants at this Peabody Street property to organize a protest and demand better living conditions at their own building, Reynolds said.
“It was a big, a big win for the community,” she said. Monna Khan, the vice president of Khan Properties, declined to respond to requests for comment.
At the protest, residents lined up behind the microphone staged in front of the front steps of their building. They all had a
lot to say but the music was drowning it out. Some tenants and organizers thought it was a coordinated attempt to silence the protest. Paige Dennis, one of the organizers of the group Stomp Out Slumlords, said she thought the timing of the resident appreciation event was “100%” intended to distract from the demonstration. During the protest management initially refused to turn down the music while residents demanded to be allowed to voice their frustrations.
Lashanna Chapell, the property manager who oversees six buildings owned by Khan Properties denied any accusations that the resident appreciation event was meant to distract from the protest and that she didn’t know “it was going to coincide the way that it did.” She also added that she has only been on the job for a few weeks.
The protest also drew the attention of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George who told protestors she is disappointed
with the conditions at the apartment building and is aware of similar issues with other Khan-owned buildings in the neighborhood.
“I want you to know that you deserve to live with dignity; you deserve a clean and safe apartment. And you deserve to be respected, to be listened to and for action to happen,” Lewis George told the crowd.
Chapell said in an interview after the protest that she’s started conducting inspections at the buildings to get a better idea of resident concerns. At the rally, she asked residents to come forward with complaints.
“It’s a difficult road, just because I constantly asked for people to come up and talk to me and meet with me,” she said. Nobody came to speak with her, she said.
But residents, including Asheber, said they’ve already been loudly voicing their concerns to the management for several
years now.
“They have to respect that they have to communicate with us. That’s all we need,” Asheber said. “The communication is not there.”
Asheber and Abegaz said they will continue to rent strike and are not scared of eviction. They will not pay their rent until living conditions improve, they said.
“I know my rights. The D.C. law supports me,” Abegaz said. “I need justice.”
The Office of the Tenant Advocate provides legal assistance and offers tenants advice on how to resolve disputes with landlords. It can be reached at (202) 719-6560. For information on how to request a housing code inspection, call the Department of Buildings at (202) 442-9557 or dob@dc.gov.
The future of local newspapers is under threat, according to the UK Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) report released last month.
This report into the sustainability of local journalism comes at a time when public trust in the national media is falling, while online disinformation, polarization and hatred towards minorities continues to rise.
But my research shows local journalism is capable of providing an important antidote to this. And therefore it should be recognized as an essential element for nurturing our diverse, civic communities.
Research shows how the media can portray Muslims in disproportionately negative ways. They are often represented as the problematic outsider of British society, often portrayed using stereotypes or as “a menace to the west.”
A recent survey on Islamophobia in Britain found Muslims were perceived as the second “least liked” group in the UK, according to polling. Home Office figures released in October 2022 show how Muslims are much more likely to be the victims of religious hate crimes than any other religious group.
My research has shown that the local media, in particular, has the potential to provide more inclusive ways of reporting on stories involving Muslims.
I conducted interviews with local journalists working for newspapers in areas with relatively large Muslim populations including London and Blackburn. The results showed there were conscious efforts to ensure their reporting did not cause harm to the Muslims within the communities they served. I
found that local journalists saw Muslims as an integral part of their local community rather than outsiders.
Muslim celebrations and festivals were covered by local journalists. Stories about terrorist incidents were featured as well as concerns of Islamophobic attacks on local Muslims. And contributions of Muslims to civic life were reported in the same way as anyone else, as were crimes or wrongdoings.
“I attempt to go the extra mile in my reporting to get a more truthful picture of where the community is and the real lives of the people within it,” one local journalist told me. “For me, it’s about pushing back against the atomised bullshit that we do see coming back at us online. The reason it’s important to tell stories truthfully and accurately is to push back against this dehumanizing narrative that is out there.”
Of course, it would be an oversimplification if we took the experiences learned from these particular journalists and applied them to local media as a whole. But other studies of local journalism have also highlighted their often distinctive newsroom cultures. Journalists and their readers are seen to be part of a single community with common values and goals. This closeness to the communities they serve can often translate to a more considered approach to reporting, as well as a greater reluctance to sensationalize or demonize.
Research also points to the commitment of local journalists to create a sense of community and to defend it.
However, as the DCMS committee report highlights, the landscape of local journalism is changing and not in a good way. Between 2009 and 2019, more than 300 regional newspaper titles were shut down. During the week of Feb. 6, it was announced that three hundred employees at publisher
DC Thomson will be made redundant. The company publishes newspapers including Aberdeen’s Press & Journal and The Courier in Dundee.
There are serious concerns in the same report that without considerable government intervention, the decline in local journalism will have a harmful impact on civic life. Communities in the most deprived areas of the UK are most likely to be affected.
The DCMS report shows local publishers are struggling to keep up with larger media organizations in the move towards online news services. This is leading to losses in revenues and resources. To combat this, the DCMS committee has called on the government to help local news organizations gain charitable status while providing funding to support innovation, startups and new technology.
The upcoming digital markets, competition and consumer bill in Westminster will be closely watched by media experts to see how it affects smaller publishers.
Concerns for local journalism are not just about its survival in an increasingly digital news market, however. It is more a case of recognizing that nurturing a community spirit is one solution to countering wider hatred, disinformation and polarization.
Research by campaigning group the Media Reform Coalition shows how nearly 84% of local newspapers are now owned by just six companies. And while consolidation has been a lifeline for some newspapers, for others it risks extinguishing the close community connection that appears to be vital for the inclusive and balanced civic journalism we need.
Nadia Haq is an ESRC postdoctoral research fellow at Cardiff University.
Courtesy of The Conversation / International Network of Street Papers
Artist/Vendor
Hello, my Street Sense friends. I wanted to give an update on my life. I pray soon I will be back working as a driver. I was sent a notice of clearance of my driver’s license after a year has passed since my unwanted encounter with the police. I am very happy to finally be able to move forward again and be a productive person. I enjoy selling my papers and meeting people to talk to and share my story with. I also started writing my book, it’s going to be a best seller. I really want to thank my customers and friends. You mean more to me than you know. I miss working and can’t wait to get back to work.
Bless everyone. We need peace on this earth.
People
All shapes
All colors
Some strong
Some weak
There are Leaders Followers Thinkers Doers
In the midst of all this you must decide and pick what you are made of and who you are in this world
We all can make it if we have hope for something grand.
Artist/Vendor
I love a good seat.
Why? Because it gets me off my feet.
I sit to eat a good treat, I love a good seat.
I hope to see a nice show, and have some popcorn and treats, maybe see it in the snow; I love a good seat.
So, how long you been here at Street Sense?
I been here at least 11 years.
What do you do here at Street Sense?
I meet good friends likes Maria, Thomas and my friend Will. I sell my papers on 19th Street NW.
Do your customers love you?
I said, Yes — they do.
So, who do you love?
First of all, I love my mother and father, my brothers and one sister. So, you ask me, what are their names? David, Donald, and Debra. And who is — Daniel? That’s me.
I started at Street Sense in the year 2003, when it was opened under the direction of the founders Ted Henson and Laura Thompson Osuri. There were just four of us. I previously took an entrepreneurial class at the United Planning Organization located in the Shaw area. I lived at the YWCA. I took another entrepreneur class at the Kennedy Recreational Center. That’s where I found out about Street Sense. Now the organization is known as Street Sense Media.
ABEL PUTU Artist/Vendor
We have to bring the world together. Discrimination is terrible, it hurts people and makes people hate each other. I am a good person, that’s why I help everyone, I don’t see the color of people. If the world stopped discriminating, we would be happy all the time and have fun together. I try to teach people by example. Please, let’s help each other.
ROCHELLE WALKER
Artist/Vendor
I need a cup of water
to see this beautiful creation. I see clouds, rain, and thunder, but that washes us away.
When we were little, we used to play in those fluffy clouds like angels. Although many do not like it, I love to in the sky, pink, blue, and yellow. It makes me very happy.
I know this is a blessing from
The seasons are changing. Early spring is coming too soon. Winter is long, so this means it is the end of time. The time when we don't know what season we are in. A time when the seasons are full of changes. We don't know what to do, so it is best to bunker down and go outside with a raincoat and with your winter boots because you don't know what the day brings. A change is going to come.
I taste the H2O
Artist/Vendor
Be specific so you can clearly identify milestones in your life’s journey. In 10 years, five, one, next month, next week, tomorrow, tonight, where do you see yourself? Use details that create a distinct scene, easy to envision. Let your dreams take form as your ambition turns them into goals. Those goals turn into targets, sparked by each milestone achieved, multiplying and growing with the confidence gained with progress. Success each day is a step in the right direction. Then momentum is built to propel you into the fulfillment of the purpose meant for you, and you alone.
Leave a mark on the world. What will make you worth remembering? Be ornate and use your own hand to write, watching the words form the vision you reach for. Tell yourself how better you see, smell, taste, feel, thank, walk, work, call, read, watch, shop, clean, dress, live, sleep and enjoy life. With who, what, when, where, why and how will this happen? Before, during and after? How would the day go for future you? How would you handle tasks and situations? Do so each day and then write what actually happened and what you will do to change that. Safe travels through life. Mistakes are just temporary — make a U-turn and get back on the right track.
Artist/Vendor
Black History Month has come and gone. February was an amazing month of warm weather. But there’s lots of news about people killing one another, there’s so much crime in the city. Congress needs to do something. They need to find jobs and educate people to free this country and bring peace. There needs to be love and happiness for everyone. I am surprised we haven’t gotten any snow this year, so the children can’t make a snowman. Love you all and stay safe.
NIKILA SMITH
Artist/vendor
My teachers are the bomb, they teach and encourage me to be the best I can be
I meet all kinds of teachers, people that are positive teach me empathy
Well, I know empathy, I love that word
All of my teachers bring out the best in me
Even if my best is not their best
I wish I could teach some people things about love
I wish I could teach about hope as I know it, or how it should be
I quit the National Guard to get a better-paying gig. I really needed the money to take care of my father. At that time it was just him, my little brother and me. Working at the National Guard wasn’t bringing enough money, so I got a job at an expensive restaurant at L’Enfant Plaza. I started as a busboy. The waitress gave me about $60 in tips every day. That, plus my $163 weekly paycheck (that was great money back in the ‘80s) provided for my needs.
Before long my supervisor wanted to promote me to short-
order cook. I declined because that would have taken away my tips. Then the restaurant began having disco from Thursday through Sunday. I worked those for $50 nightly and all I had to do was clean up when the party ended.
My father was proud of me and whatever he wanted I got for him. Unfortunately, my job ended after six months when someone broke into the restaurant and stole the safe. (Yes, that person really took it away.)
I’ll tell you more next time.
Across
1. Symbol of happiness
5. Yang’s counterpart
8. Repeated Hindu incantation
14. With “the,” people in general, considered as a whole
16. Verdi’s forté
17. Dessert item often mentioned together with motherhood and the flag (2 wds.) (5,3)
18. A common, if brief and somewhat slangy, description of 17-Across
19. Use a surgical beam
20. Bro’s counterpart
21. Chowed down
22. Summits
25. Coral formation
27. “Get a room!” prompters, briefly (abbr./initialism)
28. Portmanteau word for a waterside lodging place
30. “How cool am I!” (2 wds.) (3,2)
32. Sister channel of QVC (abbr./acron.)
33. Designer Cassini who outfitted Jackie KennedyOnassis
35. Oregon’s capital
39. Siouan speaker, or ear-related prefix
40. Chicago transport option...as suggested by this puzzle’s circled letter configurations? (2 wds.) (2,5) (LATRINE anagram)
42. Nonpro sports org. (abbr./acron.)
43. Less well-cooked, at a steakhouse
45. Sign of a realtor’s success?
46. Sports stat. (abbr.)
47. Capital and largest city of Afghanistan
49. “What the heck? No guts, no glory!” (2 wds.) (2,4)
52. “...us our trespasses ____ forgive those who trespass...” (2 wds.) (2,2)
55. “___ fair in love and war”
57. Moves like sap from a tree trunk
58. N.Y.C. subway inits.
59. Indonesia’s ___ Islands
60. Playing card spots
62. Word about timing that anagrams into a synonym of itself
64. Fluid-filled parts of cells (OVULE SAC anagram)
68. Actress Verdugo and Justice Kagan
69. Mexican seaport known for its cliff divers
70. Fight against, as a temptation
71. Half a score or a perfect score
72. Proofs of purchase (abbr.)
Down
1. Busy bee in Apr. (abbr./acron.)
2. Apt rhyming word for crop or chop
3. Twitter or Zoom, briefly
4. Retro short in front, long in back men’s hairdo
5. Mouths, in old gangster movie slang
6. Slicker, as a road in winter
7. Once known as (Fr.)
8. Tweak
9. Primatologist’s study
10. “____ blu dipinto di blu” (“Volare” alternate title) (Ital.)
11. Three-note chord, in a word
12. Devotee of Haile Selassie, informally
13. What phoenixes are reborn from
15. Rental agreement
20. Adventure film actor-director Steven with a 7th-dan black belt in aikido
22. Utterly detest
23. ___ Rica
24. Wayne ____ (workplace of butler/valet Alfred Pennyworth)
26. Teenager’s silent way to say “Seriously!??” (3-4)
27. Stew vegetable
29. Cyberyuks (abbr./acron.)
31. ISP with a butterfly logo (abbr.)
34. Takei’s role on the U.S.S. Enterprise, in brief (2,4) (incls. abbr.)
36. Capital of Bolivia (2,3)
37. Wonderland cake words (3,2)
38. Inspirational group of Greek myth, with “the”
40. Historical period
41. Infamous Ugandan despot Amin
44. Just manage, with “out”
48. Least furnished, as a room
50. Clean, as a spill (2 wds.) (3,2)
51. Turn, as milk or cream (2 wds.) (2,4)
52. Color of honey
53. Kind of manual for writers
54. Hourly workers’ pay
56. Elbowroom
59. Santa ___ (hot winds)
61. Optimists’ conviction (2 wds.) (1,3)
63. Suffix for pepper
64. Big commercial tub
65. Inc. alternative (abbr./acron.)
66. Prefix meaning “outside”
67. “Help us!” at sea (abbr./acron.)
*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.
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
Bar Back
The Kennedy Center/Compass Group // 2700 F Street NW
Part-time
Replenish bar stock, keep stations clean, assist bartender in preparing and serving beverages
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/compass-tkc
Retail Sales Associate
Macy’s // 1201 G St NW
Full-time
Greet and assist customers, recommend merchandise, keep sales floor and fitting rooms clean.
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/macys-rsa
Restaurant Team Member
Chipotle // 2300 Washington Place NE
Full-time / Part-time
For multiple positions including cashier, server, cook, prep cook, etc.
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/chipotle-rtm
For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide
Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org
