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New York City Mayor Eric Adams rolled out a plan on Nov. 29 to allow more mentally ill homeless people to be hospitalized against their will in order to tackle "a crisis we see all around us."
Adams, speaking from City Hall, said the city had a "moral obligation" to help New Yorkers struggling to meet their own basic needs because of mental illness, even if those people resisted intervention.
The Democratic mayor has made addressing the city's homelessness crisis a top goal of his administration since taking office in January. The Coalition for the Homeless, an advocacy organization in New York City, estimated earlier this year that more than 50,000 people were sleeping in cityrun shelters each night.
"We can no longer deny the reality that untreated psychosis can be a cruel and all-consuming condition that often requires involuntary intervention, supervised medical treatment and long-term care," Adams said.
"We will continue to do all we can to sway those in need of help to accept services voluntarily, but we will not abandon them," he added.
New York law allows for involuntary hospitalization when a person's mental illness prevents them from providing for their own basic needs, as well as when they present a danger to themselves or others.
Law enforcement has not commonly used the practice, and advocates for homeless populations urged the city to pursue other approaches that do not involve police while responding to mental health issues.
"The administration should focus on expanding access to voluntary inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, offering individual hotel rooms to all unsheltered people, and cutting through red tape that has left far too many permanent supportive housing units sitting vacant," Jacquelyn Simone, policy director for the Coalition for the Homeless, said.
The city published updated guidance on Tuesday on its standard for involuntary hospitalizations. Adams said the city would immediately provide training for emergency personnel, hospital staff and other outreach workers on how to provide "compassionate care" while removing someone from the streets who is undergoing a mental health crisis.
He said there would be a telephone line for police officers to get in touch directly with clinicians for consultation while dealing with cases of mental illness.
New York City has seen a rise in violence and a series of random attacks on subway riders in the last year, which Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul have vowed to address with expanded mental health services and increased police presence on subways.
The mayor's office said that the city would begin deploying "clinical co-response teams" of health workers and police officers to patrol high-traffic subway stations on the expectation that more homeless people would gather there during the winter months.
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Two months after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a stinging assessment of the D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA), the public outcry as well as the potential penalties are already leading to change — though some say it can’t come fast enough, and others are doubtful that meaningful progress will come at all.
DCHA officials and local lawmakers discussed the future of the agency at a hearing on Nov. 30, one day after the housing authority officially responded to the HUD audit listing 82 deficiencies of the agency. DCHA has the highest public housing vacancy rate in the nation, fails to keep units in livable condition and mismanages both the Housing Choice Voucher Program and lengthy waitlists for housing, HUD found. DCHA Executive Director Brenda Donald — who took over in mid-2021 amid widespread dissatisfaction with the prior management — insisted the audit was “not a wake-up call” with reform plans already underway, but lawmakers and advocates are demanding the agency substantially improve after years of promised improvements have fallen short.
At the D.C. Council’s hearing, DCHA officials largely
agreed with HUD’s diagnosis of the agency’s shortfalls. But Donald also told the Committee on Housing and Executive Administration that the housing authority is addressing the problems, with plans to repair uninhabitable apartments, move residents into vacant units and update the housing waitlist. If achieved, these actions could rectify longtime concerns of DCHA tenants and voucher holders. However, some councilmembers are skeptical that the housing authority can shake off entrenched problems without internal reform.
“If this was not a wake-up call, then why hasn’t there been progress in eight years?” asked At-large Councilmember Elissa Silverman.
If DCHA does not make swift improvements, HUD could take temporary control of the agency through a process called federal receivership. The housing authority has until March 31 to correct most of the issues HUD raised in the report.
“The question is, Does [DCHA’s response] answer the 82 demerits listed in the assessment?” asked At-large Councilmember Anita Bonds, who chairs the housing committee. “Does the agency’s response move the important services of the authority forward?”
Bonds, who has been criticized for what some see as
lackluster oversight of DCHA, did not say whether the agency’s response delivered the “decisive and meaningful overhaul” necessary to fully address the HUD assessment.
Operationally, DCHA has experienced multiple challenges in recent months, including high-profile resignations and internal audits that found illegal contracting. While Donald tackles her proposed reforms with a team of consultants and contractors — including some on loan from other District government agencies — both Mayor Muriel Bowser and councilmembers are considering structural changes in the agency’s governance. The council was slated to vote Tuesday on a bill dissolving DCHA’s Board of Commissioners and replacing it with a smaller, temporary board of mayoral appointees to oversee reform and bring stability. Four current commissioners are strongly opposed to the proposal, which would both shrink the board and remove seats held by residents and mayoral critics.
DCHA oversees about 8,000 units of public housing,
intended to help low-income residents afford to live in the District. But the HUD audit found that 1,600 of those units were vacant as of June. The occupancy rate has since dropped below 74%, despite Donald’s pledge earlier this year to raise it.
Meanwhile, 22,000 people sit on the housing authority’s public housing waitlist, many of whom were already homeless when they applied years ago. This summer, D.C.’s attorney general sued DCHA on behalf of another 255 households who have waited years for housing that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The failure to house residents in available housing units is a direct cause of displacement and homelessness,” Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto said at the hearing.
The agency currently has about 600 units that are ready for tenants to move into and another 1,400 that need repairs, according to testimony at the hearing. Since June, 66 new residents have moved in. There’s no concrete timeline for filling the rest of the units, according to Nona Eath, DCHA’s senior vice president of property management operations, but the agency will be holding several one-day mass lease events in 2023 to match prospective residents with units.
Residents have long lambasted the conditions of DCHA’s public housing units, complaining of mold, holes in walls, dysfunctional appliances and doors without locks. A prolonged buildup of maintenance requests for the 6,000 units DCHA manages culminated in more than 10,000 outstanding work orders this spring.
HUD found leaky boiler rooms, extensive mold and mildew, and deteriorating infrastructure. DCHA does not inspect units each year or check that repairs are completed by contractors, counter to HUD requirements, and has so many work orders that employees have little time for routine and preventative maintenance.
DCHA has thus far focused on fixing the most serious problems, such as those involving roofs and heating and cooling systems, Donald said. Earlier this year, Donald launched a
“Summer Blitz” to clear out outstanding work orders. While DCHA has closed 14,000 work orders from the past several years, another 9,000 remain.
Starting in January, Donald told the council, DCHA staff and contractors borrowed from the Department of General Services will inspect every occupied unit and address any immediate repairs that are needed. The work is expected to take 16 weeks.
Low-income residents of the District are supposed to be able to turn to DCHA’s housing waitlist for help finding a place they can afford. But the 36,000-person waitlist, which covers both public housing and voucher programs, has been closed to new applicants since 2013. Some of those on the list have been waiting for a housing subsidy for more than 15 years, including people who were experiencing homelessness when they joined the list.
While DCHA is at the mercy of federal and local funding for more vouchers to pull people off the list, HUD faulted the agency for failing to house people on the waitlist in vacant public housing units. The federal agency also questioned how DCHA updates and manages the list.
In April, DCHA launched a campaign to ask people on both the voucher and public housing waitlists to let the authority know if they still needed housing. While the campaign only reached about 2,500 people, the agency is also comparing the waitlist with public databases to take people who have died or are known to have left D.C. off the list. The agency will attempt to contact everyone on the list by March 2023, Donald said.
If someone does not respond to outreach or rejects two unit offers, they are marked as “inactive,” Eath said, but can reclaim their place on the list by reaching out to DCHA. Advocates have previously expressed concern about DCHA’s efforts to “purge” the waitlist of people who do not respond, since many people’s contact information is outdated.
In addition to the public housing it operates, DCHA manages about 19,000 housing vouchers. The housing authority is responsible for setting the value of each voucher through a complicated process: The agency sets a maximum voucher rent for the whole city, and then establishes maximum rents for each of the city’s 52 neighborhoods. Under HUD’s rentreasonableness process, housing authorities are then supposed to review each individual rental contract with a landlord to ensure the housing authority is not paying more than what a unit is worth. This process theoretically prevents landlords from overcharging voucher holders based on maximum rents determined by more expensive rental accommodations in nearby buildings.
HUD found DCHA failed to complete rent-reasonableness assessments on units rented to voucher holders.
But DCHA’s written response cites a prior agreement with HUD to use an alternative rent-reasonableness policy. Instead of checking the value of each unit against comparable units, as HUD’s usual process dictates, DCHA checks the value of each unit against the maximum neighborhood rent. Over the summer, DCHA Board of Commissioners member Bill Slover argued this policy leads to inflated rents, as some landlords charge the highest rent possible to maximize their profits.
Only one legislator, At-large Councilmember Robert White, delved into this issue at the hearing. Donald said the agency is reconsidering its rent-setting process and will have an update in January.
The housing authority has until March 31 to make progress on all the issues outlined in the HUD report. During the hearing, councilmembers were skeptical that DCHA’s plans would lead to meaningful progress in the agency that has repeatedly promised to improve but failed to implement promised reforms.
“What will be the difference this time?” White asked.
This article was co-published with The DC Line.
The notion that individuals experiencing homelessness are at fault for their own experience and are inherently bad people is a common thread in many cultures, one which crosses over political ideologies. INSP’s North America director Israel Bayer outlines some ways to reframe the conversation over a busy period for those without a place to call home.
ISRAEL BAYER International Network of Street PapersThe notion that individuals experiencing homelessness are at fault for their own experience and are inherently bad people is a common thread in many cultures. It crosses over political ideologies and is a commonly held belief by both liberals and conservatives. It’s rooted in generations worth of (religious and neoliberal) stereotypes, structural racism and myths about people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
“When housed people see homeless people in their day-today lives, they can’t ignore the problem,” says Erica Barnett, a long-time journalist in Seattle. “Proximity breeds empathy in some people, and hatred in others. Sometimes people have empathy at first, then observe over time that the problem continues to get worse and throw their hands up in the air not believing the problem can be solved. This involves a process of dehumanizing other people to some extent. People stop
thinking of people experiencing homelessness as actual human beings.”
“Homelessness runs on a narrative of fear and exclusion. It’s primal and it gets exploited,” says Tim Harris, a longtime housing advocate and street paper veteran. “It doesn’t matter what the facts are, or that we’ve had an ongoing housing crisis. If you don’t have alternative voices in the community to combat these viewpoints, fear-based narratives will win almost every time. Over time, people start to believe that homeless people are the actual problem instead of the lack of living wage jobs and the high cost of housing. It’s a very active, ongoing and dangerous narrative in American life.”
Blaming individuals for their own homelessness also deflects any sense of collective responsibility for actually solving the housing crisis. While many people believe that providing vulnerable citizens with a safe place to call home is essential to maintaining a healthy society and providing future generations with the opportunity at a better life, many citizens don’t know
how to actually engage with the issue in a way society can see a measurable difference.
Here are some basic ways to think about reframing the conversation about homelessness and housing when talking with your peers, friends and family this holiday season.
The experience of homelessness is not a reflection of an individual’s choice or character — it’s a circumstance that happens to groups of people when society and governments don’t provide the necessary social safety nets and housing to support people. Millions of people don’t choose homelessness over a safe place to call home.
One of the most fundamental things we can collectively come to understand is that homelessness is not a permanent condition for individuals or families, but something human beings experience over a period of time.
The reasons for people’s homelessness are many. A war veteran living on the street with an addiction or a traumatic brain injury. A mother and child fleeing a domestic violence
situation, or a young transgender or gay kid who has been kicked out of a conservative home with no place to go. It could be an elderly woman living in her car who can no longer afford an apartment on a fixed income. A mental ill person who doesn’t have adequate mental or physical health care. A suburban family who lost a home to foreclosure. Individuals and families displaced from a hurricane or wildfires, or a refugee fleeing economic hardship or political repression or a war-torn country.
Regardless of people’s circumstances, housing for our most vulnerable citizens is a public infrastructure needed to support a healthy society. We don’t think about things like our transportation systems, bridges, parks, police and fire departments as charity and/or a government hand out. Housing is no different. Everything we do in life starts with having a safe place to call home.
The homeless and housing crisis today is a direct result of the high cost of housing, the lack of living wage jobs, and the lack of affordable housing stock for millions of individuals and families living on a fixed income, or no income at all. It’s also the direct result of generations (centuries) of discrimination and structural racism that has used housing as a weapon against the poor, mostly people of color.
What keeps us from having the resources to support real housing justice remains corporate welfare, taxing the rich and prioritizing housing in our federal budgets.
That’s all great, but what more can I do to support the housing justice movement in my community?
Supporting the housing justice movement in your community
can look like a lot of different things. Maybe it’s working to be a vocal supporter of a local shelter or homeless services in a smaller community that historically has rejected such investments or being an outspoken advocate for affordable housing projects in your neighborhood, and city.
It could be writing your elected officials and communicating that housing for our most vulnerable populations is a top tier issue for you as a constituent.
It could mean researching and financially supporting organizations working towards and engaging in work to advance housing justice agendas.
Maybe it’s finding ways to approach or interject and change the hearts and minds of the people in your social circles who may put down people experiencing homelessness or project a false narrative about the larger issue.
It might be introducing your kids (or family members) to giving a donation or doing volunteer work in the community by supporting organizations working to provide people with a safe place to call home. Did you know when young people are taught about giving and volunteering at a young age the likelihood of them doing so for the rest of their life skyrockets?
Don’t be afraid to talk to your kids about things like compassion and empathy, and why things like homelessness exist. (You can start by using the talking points from above.)
Other ways you might think about showing your solidarity is by spreading the word about your local street paper or about your favorite housing justice organization through your social media network.
You can also buy someone on the streets a cup of coffee
and recognize that they are a human being by simply saying hello. I personally carry around a case of water, some hand warmers and a box of granola bars in the trunk of my car to offer people I might see struggling when I’m out and about. This is something any one of us can do.
At the end of the day, the best thing we can do for folks on the streets is to not give up on people. We mustn’t ever give up on the idea that housing is a necessary component of society for our most vulnerable citizens, regardless of the political atmosphere or circumstance we collectively might find ourselves in.
"Offering compassion without judgment is one of the most challenging things you’ll ever do,” the late and great housing organizer Genny Nelson from Portland, Ore., once told me. “Keeping at it day after day, week after week and maintaining that compassion will be the hardest. The only way to find the space to carry on is to practice non-violence and to believe in love.”
It’s true.
Regardless of own personal experience in life, we all have the opportunity to work towards choosing love, and empathy and compassion and non-violence over hate and fear and judgement and exclusion. We must continue our long fight to seek justice in our communities, always.
Housing remains a human right.
Israel Bayer is an award-wining writer and housing advocate and works with the International Network of Street Papers.
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BY: ABEL PUTU, GIGI DOVONOU DESIGNED BY KAELA ROEDER
Ioften wonder if I'm the crazy one or if the world has gone mad.
Sometimes, I want to sell out. I think if I wrote columns that mocked white men, trashed America, and ranted against Trump, I would get million-dollar book deals and be nominated for a Pulitzer.
I wish I felt oppressed so I could say nonsense about racial equality. But I'm not angry, and I don’t feel held down by the system.
I know history. I get it. White men have robbed, stolen and plundered countries for many centuries. But I've turned the page, moved on, and forgiven them. I don’t want retribution and justice. I don't want to go back in time and revisit the slave ships, the cotton fields and the freedom rides. For me, it's over. I moved on.
As we enter the holidays, I want to wish people a great Christmas without worrying about being canceled. On that note, I'm also okay with a white Santa Claus.
What is the purpose of worrying about what offends people? What are we saving? Politicians that steal our tax dollars as we live in tents?
Doomers have long predicted apocalypse since the dawn of humanity. People will drone on about climate change (which was known before as global warming). They will complain about the pandemic and vaccines.
But take my advice: You only have one life to live, so why not live it to the fullest? Eat all the animals, pick all the vegetables, and use as much gas as possible. This holiday season, I'm not going to sit at home in a bunker worrying about a big event that may kill us all.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed, and it would be arrogant for you to think this way. Life is unpredictable. You could walk across the street tomorrow, get hit by a car, and die.
As we approach the holidays, I will not tie myself into a pretzel over all these things. I hope you have a Merry Christmas. I know I will.
I’ve never taken a head count but my impression, at times, is that nearly half of the metro area population has some type of disability requiring the use of either a wheelchair or cane. Mass transit does a fairly decent job of accommodating folks with disabilities but there are a few significant exceptions. The main exceptions that come to my mind are out of service escalators and elevators, the removal of most of the benches along the red line platform at Gallery Place station and the lack of proper bus stops with seating at many locations.
But even though mass transit aims to provide accommodations for the disabled, these efforts require the cooperation of able-bodied riders. I can't tell you the number of times that I've boarded buses and trains to find priority seating occupied by able-bodied, usually young, people. Sometimes such folks will notice my cane and offer me a seat, as well they should.
However, when it comes to the buses, you must consider the fact that one wheelchair rider alone takes up five to six seats. Add a second wheelchair and that's a total of 10 to 12 of the priority seats occupied. And please forgive me for my lack of compassion and understanding but more than a few of the folks that I have seen in motorized wheelchairs appear to be afflicted with the disability of simply being extremely large.
Wheelchairs and single and multi-seat strollers have the capability of being folded up if the child/children are removed and held in the caregiver's lap. Yet most caregivers opt not to fold up the stroller taking up a good deal of space. It can be like running a gauntlet for a person with a cane to make her or his way to a seat, if one is available. Lord forgive me for being irritated at parents just trying to make their way around the city with young children on public transit, but I have a legitimate disability. Since when is having children a disability? Isn't that more of a choice?
Mass transit issues aside, I am happy to say that it's the norm for strangers to afford me numerous courtesies such as the yielding right of way while boarding escalators and elevators and holding doors open.
Unfortunately this is not the case universally. Recently, I was waiting for a bus along with a woman who was clearly a senior citizen and a group of able bodied grade school students with one parent present. The senior citizen moved toward the front of the line to board the bus and the parent complained that the children should be allowed to board first. I responded by saying “How about senior citizens and persons with disabilities being allowed to board first?” This didn't sit particularly well with the parent but she let it go. I suspect because she knew I was right. With that kind of example being set for young people by their own parents it's no wonder that priority seating is frequently occupied by able-bodied young people.
Jeff Taylor is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.
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It’s the fourth quarter of the year, and it’s a challenge to my mettle. My patience is the reason, I know. When circumstances don’t improve in an apparent way, my faith may dwindle away. Waking up each day with full use of my facilities, limbs and senses gives me a jump start of gratefulness and appreciation, regardless of my current situation.
Stepping into the world, I was greeted by a butterfly’s kiss on my hand; a sign of seeking and discovering my truth and inner wisdom. In that moment, I was given a light in my spirit; an affirmation that
I am headed in the right direction, even when the path is unclear to me. My life’s purpose has become clearer over the past year. In the coming months it shall reach a horizon, a horizon I could never have imagined. Anticipation and excitement now fuel me and quell my depression. It’s not time to give up, but to push forward with more ambition and fire. Like a phoenix, I shall rise from the ashes, stronger than ever before. “No one and nothing can stop you, only slow you down.” My high school quote still applies.
I am a Washingtonian that was taken away from Harriett Tubman Elementary School by a social worker years ago. The man took me to D.C. Village, where I was taken to Baltimore and put into the foster system. In foster care, I was abused — choked by my foster mother to the point that the circulation to my head was cut off. I wanted to return to D.C. to report on it, but somehow I was brainwashed by a system of circumstances. But I never forgot that, because it was wrong and my foster father saved me. He screamed for her to let me go.
LoveLove so unconditional Is it the Holy Spirit In the form of a dove Or is it love from above?
Love covers the multitude of sin Love never hates Nor does love ever die
Fulfills every need no matter the breed “God’s” true specialty in reality Nurturing growth to the very smallest element
Promised to mend the spirit
One feels so much better From just four letters Encouraging the forgotten or the misled
So if love is knocking at your door Please let it in For love has conquered all your sin Welcome love, your dearest friend
This time last year, the Mayor opened Franklin Park back up Different organizations captured my middle finger going up This company I work for never knew I was a starlight So they put me on the cover of their edition with this highlight “Black lives are going to hell” But I didn’t quote that Is this too late to submit? (Oh well) I said “Black lives matter” are going to hell “All lives matter” We check out well It’s evident this Catholic school girl can spell But can she get her life back Only time will tell They claim I switched my name a dozen times Express yourself, Mama! (No one can read your mind) Heavy is the head that wears the crown Love me or lose me
Chandra
BrownLife is all about your perspective, not what you’re going through. If you’re feeling low, blue or down, change a few things. First, change your conversations. Picture a happier time in your past. Second, take a walk and enjoy the outside scenery. Fill your spiritual void with prayers and positive affirmations. Consider making a gratitude list. Spiritually, I’m a millionaire. My bank account is quickly being replenished because of personal investments.
Elevate your mind today, see yourself smiling, and loving another person. Surround yourself with energy and love.
PPE is still required Pay attention to the health care Our city is still on fire The coldest one ever is off the leash Do what you want, but practice what you preach If you don’t work you’re considered a leach Seek and you shall find All lives matter If you stay ready, it’s always crunch time The proof is in the pudding And the show beats the tale Why in the world is “Black Lives Matter” going to hell? Because God is like a dog (Dyslexia dog) Colorblind and friendly Take the signs down It’s discriminating our city Especially for our biracial little kiddies No one race should be superior to another Love yourself, but God says We should love our sisters/brothers Regardless of their age, sex, class or skin color
It's that time again. It’s time to put on heavier clothes and get out your coats, hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, sweaters, boots and pants. And it is time to put away all our summer and fall gear and welcome in winter. The leaves have fallen from the trees, leaving them bare. More squirrels and birds are out chirping up in the trees with much cooler and crisp air. There’s less sunshine. It gets dark around 3 p.m. now. This is time of year for hot drinks, hot soups and turning the heat on to keep warm. I think of sipping on some hot cocoa with marshmallows and being cozy. December has arrived and that means Christmas is arriving soon. Everyone enjoy the weather. The end of the year is coming soon.
Enjoy these playlist songs:
1. The vintage winter songs of the 30's, 50's and 60's.
2. " Vintage winter songs” and “Vintage winter music” by Jake Westbrook is very good. They have a variety of playlist songs such as the “snow miser heat miser” song. They also feature such hits like “Let it snow” and many other songs that are lovely for winter.
Everyone must believe There’s a purpose for being Birthed (here) in this world Here on this planet Earth (see) Most people believe that (here) is a purpose for being Where on what’s next
After
Pur-pose (verb): the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists
Translation: something set up as an object or an end to be attained: Intention. Resolution, determination. A subject under discussion or an action in the course of execution.
On purpose: By intent.
My purpose must start with a strong and stern belief system that life begins with purpose. My purpose in this life depends on my destination, which is the next life. This brings us to my belief system. The purpose for me is a force of good against negative energy. Purpose can be used like clay. You can mold it to your liking.
When finding or obtaining your purpose, you can’t be afraid of failure. While understanding purpose, you will understand success or failure. It’s part of a plan bigger than us. So I came to acknowledge that my purpose for existence is to serve a higher power. That’s what I feel inside myself. No power can
explain or comprehend it.
Hi, my name is Ronald, and I lost my voucher for my house because of my wife. I stayed in jail for seven months because of mental health problems. I had to get a lawyer from Bread for the City, and she was very nice to me. She told me, “Ronald, we will go to the hearing and fight the best we can,” and I said “Okay, that’s what we are going to do.” I went to the hearing on Oct. 5 to fight the people for my house because I didn’t want to go back out to the street.
My lawyer, Ms. Molly, called me Nov. 1 and said to me, “Ronald, you won your case.” I was so happy when she told me, I said to her “you are playing with me.” She said “no, you won,” and I was very happy. Now, I have to get my housing case worker to help me on my way. Now, my lawyer told me that they will start paying my rent and my back rent because I have my house back. Now, I’m ready to go to work so that I can buy some nice things for my new apartment. I can move, too, so I have to wait on DHCA so they can check out my house and where I want to live. I want to move up town.
This is dedicated to all the victims of domestic violence, the abused, and kids who lost a mom or dad to gun violence, or their homes to violence. If you see something, say something.
I am going to own that. I am here for a purpose. Everything I have been through all my life. The good and the bad, the ups and the downs, all this was for a higher purpose, a bigger plan than my own struggles or success. No questions other than my own purpose. What is this higher purpose? It’s all God’s plan.
To dream, to have ambition. Feed your purpose. It’s the reason for going after what fills your heart, rather than material things. Purpose can be building a family and a home. But some believe purpose is to return to the origins of all humanity. That will be our ultimate return. This is my purpose in life, to make sure my final destination is one of my liking not one of disgrace. My purpose has a clear lane. In this life, some believe their purpose is the here and now. They believe in nothing after. They’re just here, existing, in the way of those whose purpose is much higher.
My purpose begins with true love. Love that I can’t give to no human being, it’s not mine to give. I can’t explain it. With the correct use, love returns back to its source. Humans are able to intercept this powerful love.
Many do not understand this love. This love is so powerful, only one is deserving of this love where it’s safe and sound. With the understanding of this love, your purpose is guided
right, and can’t be steered into the wrong. Your purpose stays clear during the everyday noise of life. Success is the inevitable when the belief is in a higher power. Having a clear focus will return me back to eternal happiness.
The roads in life I have paved lay in wait for my arrival. But I am willing to work to rebuild. For I have learned the hard way, without purpose in life I am lost. I have unknowingly misused it, so I speak with experience.
Readers, please understand that while searching for my true purpose, I've made a lot of mistakes. I was just living in the here and now. Yes, I believe in a higher power. How will you find purpose?
My purpose in this life is to use this free will of God’s love and apply it in the most positive ways. I must separate from my old self to reach my new self. Surrounding yourself with positive people gives access to your lane and feeds your purpose. Don’t get confused. If you are, you will alter your lane in trying to help guide others to success and flee from ignorance.
So you have the nerve To laugh at me bumping the curve Why do you dwell On the fact I bent my wheel well It’s not a mystery I’m not the first person in history So I won’t quiver Nor will I shiver Just because I’m a senior You better check my demeanor!
A senior shivering in the rain, to look in his eyes on those cold winter days. Laid out in these days of summer on a carpet of despair. His and her life is a mystery. But homeless, born and raised in Washington, D.C., and shall they ever find a place to call home in their hometown? A patch of darkness swerves the ground with this thought. He’s one of many. An old Black man, and a Black woman we watch die under the Pennsylvania bridge. Do our seniors have a universal right to life, a right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a series of horror stories that will be appearing throughout the year. It contains violence and adult themes
What was that? Did you hear that? It was outside the tent. I’m not going out there. You’re the man. You go. That was what I was thinking but I didn’t say it. I know I just heard a growl. It was really loud. It was too late. Something tore through the tent.
It was really cold out. Nicole was coming back from her mother’s house. She had to check on her mother. She was all the family she had left, after her father died. Being the only child was always fun for Nicole because she got all the attention.
Her mother told her to catch a Lyft butt Nicole insisted on
walking. She was a beautiful woman with smarts to go with it. She was married to a good-looking man but she still loved to see Stony. In fact, it’s where she was headed. It was their night to meet at 1:30 a.m. They always met up around this time. The full moon was lighting her way and Nicole could not see that good.
I’m hungry. I can’t wait till I get there. I hope he cooked my food. It’s quiet out here just the way I like it. But man, it’s cold! I could swear someone’s following me. I can feel it may I should have took the Lyft.
Nicole turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of a man. The wind was blowing an awful smell.
Maybe he is hungry. It’s hard out here. But I don’t have anything to give him.
She figured he was homeless. But in a snap second, the man was on her. She didn’t even have time to scream. He grabbed
Okay, yes it’s cold, that’s this season, don't you know? In Buffalo, there’s tons of snow. Let’s go to India.
JET FLEGETTE Artist/VendorAliveThere is a sound of silence There is a feeling of stillness And it’s such a beautiful day
There is a mist in the air Formed from the tears of the Ones who have cost And don’t know why
Just yesterday it was calm But it was winter, and We had hope for a warm Sunny day with no dismay Forget that loss had A role to play
Right now I am alive and New like I am being born And the tars I shed for Death I now shed for life Even with all the uncertainty In the air
her by the throat and ripped it out. ***
Jab is homeless. He has been homeless for years. He also uses drugs, and he’s sleeping on a bench. But this night is different.
There’s a weird smell, “It smells awful,” he thinks to himself. “What is that?” before seeing another homeless man approach.
“Do you have a cigarette?” Jab asks the approaching man.
The man doesn’t speak.
“I said ‘Do you have a cigarette!’” Jab said.
But the thing just stares at him.
“I wish I didn’t say that,” he said.
The last word Jab ever says is the word “Mom.” To be continued…
5’4” and 6’1”, e.g. (abbr.)
The January 6, 2021 Insurrection (2 wds.) (7,6)
Accusation commonly levelled at defendants or their alibi witnesses by prosecutors (2 wds.) (3,3)
Stage of development, such as the Terrible Twos 49 Suffix with infant or project 51. Style with dark clothes and heavy eyeliner 52. Recipe direction with no specified amount (3 wds.) (4,2,5) 56. Seagoing letters 57. Some have howling cats while, in others, you can hear pins drop 58. Coleslaw and corn-on-the-cob for two 60. Broad-topped hill, in the Southwest 61. Irreparably damaged vehicle...or a hint to the circled letter groupings in 17-, 25-. 37- and 52-Across (2 wds.) (5,5) 66. Breakfast, lunch or dinner 67. Online auction site since 1995 68. Apple desktops 69. IDs since the Great Depression (abbr.) 70. Barbecue entree usually served with 58-Across 71. Island nation that’s the world’s smallest republic
33. Act or gesture of refinement or gentility 34. Man’s nickname that’s an alphabet run SOLUTION: Going Postal ____ Issue E 1 L 2 A 3 N 4 I 5 F 6 A 7 D 8 E 9 L 10 I 11 S 12 H 13 T 14 G I F F 15 A S A 16 K I N T O C 17 A L L S 18 O U T P 19 E N S I N E 20 L C A P 21 G 22 E N E I 23 N 24 C 25 R 26 E D I B L Y 27 L 28 U C K Y N 29 O T O K A 30 M I S T A D A 31 G R O S 32 C 33 O 34 N C E S 35 T O M 36 E 37 T A L B A N D 38 I 39 C 40 S 41 A 42 R N E S S R 43 E 44 P 45 O 46 G 47 O T A 48 S E C S 49 A M O A I 50 D O N T W A N 51 T 52 T 53 O C O O K V 54 E L D N 55 E H R U E 56 I L E E 57 N 58 M 59 A I L C 60 O 61 D 62 E 63 U 64 N E A S E E 65 N T D 66 U E L P 67 E N N S T A 68 X E R 69 I N K
36.
Communication syst. for the deaf (abbr./acron.)
Newspaper piece that always starts at the end?
8/ (abbr.)
Peter Sellers’ bumbling detective inspector role 41. Packaged projects for hobbyists 44. Hard of hearing codgers’ replies 45. The 23rd of these biblical songs is the best known 46. These may encircle saintly heads or orbs in the heavens above (var.)
Brothers Duane and Gregg of rock
Successful outcomes for bargain hunters and certain diamond thieves?
Writing format most associated with Charles Lamb
“Shop ___ you drop” (contr.)
___- Wan Kenobi
crossword puzzle is the original work of Patrick “Mac”McIntyre. It is provided to us courtesy of Real Change
a
Housing/Shelter
Vivienda/alojamiento
Case Management Coordinación de Servicios
SHELTER HOTLINE
Línea directa de alojamiento (202) 399-7093
Education Educación Food Comida
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
Health Care Seguro
YOUTH HOTLINE
Línea de juventud (202) 547-7777
Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo
Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org
Clothing Ropa Transportation Transportación
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
Línea directa de violencia doméstica 1-800-799-7233
Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal Showers Duchas
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE
Línea de salud del comportamiento 1-888-793-4357
Laundry Lavandería
Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org
Store Team Member
Foxtrot // 888 17th St. NW
Part-time
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
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
Ensure guest satisfaction, operate the cash register, pack online delivery orders and clean the store.
REQUIRED: Must be able to lift 40 pounds
APPLY: tinyurl.com/foxtrot-member
Housekeeper
Hyatt Regency // 400 New Jersey Ave. NW
Full-time
Maintain the cleanliness of guest rooms assigned.
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: tinyurl.com/housekeeper-hyatt
Crew Team Member
McDonald’s // 601 F ST NW
Full-time / Part-time
Take orders, prepare food, ensure restaurant cleanliness.
REQUIRED: N/A
APPLY: tinyurl.com/mcdonalds-team
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.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
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
For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide
Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org
