05 30 2018

VOL. 15 ISSUE 15

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MAY 30 - JUNE 12, 2018

Real Stories

Real People

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Real Change

oters’ guide

5 Questions on Homelessness

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2 // ST REET SENS E ME DI A / / MAY 3 0 - JUNE 12, 2018

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The Street Sense Story, #MoreThanANewspaper

John McGlasson

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.

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EVENTS

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NEWS IN BRIEF D.C. Council passes FY2018 unanimously, adds $1 million for rapid re-housing services

BY OLIVIA ZHANG // Editorial Intern

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (center) waits with others in the council chamber ahead of the May 29 vote.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA ZHANG

Mosaic Theater Presents: “Hooded” Wednesday, May 30- Sunday, June 3. Times Vary.

Atlas Performing Arts Center, Sprenger Theatre Back by popular demand, Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm’s “breathtakingly on-point new comedy” (Washington Post) returns for a special encore remount after its sold-out run became one of the first breakout DC hits of 2017. This irreverent examination of growing up Black in America features two unlikely allies—Marquis and Tru. Suspecting that Marquis has lost his “blackness,” Tru pens a manual entitled Being Black for Dummies which sends the two on a whirlwind journey through a world of cheerleaders, 2Pac, Nietzsche, Apollo, and Dionysus. tinyurl.com/HoodedMosaic

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30

UPDATES AT ICH.DC.GOV/EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30

TENAC Candidate’s Forum

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

Network Night for an Inclusive DC

6:30 - 8:30 PM Waterside Towers Apartments, 907 6th Street The issues at stake for D.C. tenants are crucial. They include survival of rent control, affordable housing, and tenants’ rights. If you live in rental housing, you need to be there, ask questions, and make your voice heard. It is a critical time for tenants, every race counts!

Housing Solutions Committee June 6, 1:30 pm //TBD Family System RedesignQuarterly Advocate Meetings June 6, 3:30 pm // 64 New York Ave Room 661 (Conf Rm: NoMA -C) Full Council June 12, 2 pm // TBD *For more information on issuefocused ICH working groups, contact ich.info@dc.gov

6:30 - 8:30 PM Severna on K, 43 K Street NW, Community Room The New Community Initiative invites you to share food, music, small discussions and conversations about managing gentrification and specific opportunities for more inclusive mixed-income development.

Submit your event for publication by e-mailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

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4:34 AM - 28 MAY 2018

13 APRIL 2018

The D.C. Council unanimously passed the Fiscal Year 2019 Local Budget Act of 2018 with full attendance during Tuesday’s legislative meeting. Compared to the initial vote that took place on May 15, an additional $1 million from local funds was provided to Department of Human Services for the rapid re-housing program.

Advocates questioned this support for the time-limited housing subsidy that critics claim sets up beneficiaries to be evicted when the subsidy runs out and they cannot afford market-rate rents. “We remain concerned with the rapid re-housing program,” said Monica Kamen, co-director of the Fair Budget Coalition. “We think that it needs more substantial reform in order to make it successful.”

At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds, who chairs the Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Committee, said resolving homelessness was front and center in this budget.

“We are in a situation as elected officials, as representatives of the people, we have to listen to all of the advocates. We can’t satisfy everyone,” Bonds said.

“But we do our best to be as responsive as we can.

New additions to the final budget included $2 million to fund housing for domestic violence survivors and $500,000 for culturally specific victim services.

The council also planned to use 2018 funds to expand violence prevention programs over the summer before the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.

“It’s a tough call,” Bonds said, referring to many priorities the mayor and D.C. Council consider when crafting the budget.. She acknowledged the council is still facing hurdles to help everyone and thought more money should be invested for human needs whenever an agency’s appropriations for the year are not fully spent..

Jesse Rabinowitz, an advocacy specialist for the nonprofit Miriam’s Kitchen, said some proven housing solutions are funded in the budget, but not at the levels needed to end chronic homelessness.

“We’re adding $1 million to what we’ve previously approved to help meet the needs,” Council Chair Phil Mendelson said, stressing that affordable housing expansion is the major solution to poverty. “We’ve already increased funding related to vouchers and affordable housing, including permanent supportive housing, and helping folks access the shelter system. The total increase in that area will now be above $16 million over what the mayor had proposed.”

Kamen said the Fair Budget Coalition is pleased with the permanent housing allocations that were made, but they were advocating for far more and don’t think this is near enough to solve the affordable housing and homelessness crises.

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OTERS’ GUIDE

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About our survey

W

e sent the same set of questions to each candidate seeking office as mayor or part of the D.C. Council, who faces an opponent within their party. Candidates were contacted using the campaign information reigstered with the D.C. Board of Eleections and provided a limited timeframe and word count in which to respond. Their answers were edited only to match our style and word count, and to provide fact-checking as needed.

Street Sense Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and does not support or oppose any candidate.

Responses received after the deadline but before the content is publicly available may be added to www.StreetSenseMedia.org/2018primary.

June 19 Primary Mayor & D.C. Council Candidates Contested: responded to our survey

Contested: also on the ballot

Unopposed in party primary

Mayor of the District of Columbia

James Butler Democrat butlerformayor.com @butlermayor2018 202-677-3308

Muriel Bowser Ernest E. Johnson Democrat Democrat murielbowser.com ernestjohnsonformayor.com @MurielBowser @DCsNextMayor 202-627-0573 202-882-9790

Ann C. Wilcox D.C. Statehood Green dcsgp.nationbuilder.com @AnnWinDC 202-441-3265

Martin Moulton Libertarian lp.org @LiberateDC2016 202-830-8437

At-Large Member of the Council

Registering to vote To vote in a primary election, you must be registered to vote with the Democratic, Republican or D.C. Statehood Green Party. The last day to registar online was May 29 (21 days before the election), However, same-day registration is available at the polls and at early voting centers. You may also register in-person anytime before early voting begins by visiting the the Board of Elections, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Office on Aging, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Youth Services or the Department of Developmental and Rehabilitative Services.

Anita Bonds Democrat anitabonds2018.com @AnitaBondsDC 202-304-3299

Jeremiah Lowery Democrat jeremiah2018.com @jeremiah4dc 202-643-4573

Marcus Goodwin Democrat goodwinfordc.com @GoodWinForDC 202-380-6299

David Schwartzman D.C. Statehood Green dcsgp.nationbuilder.com @dschwartzman 202-829-9063

Denise Hicks Libertarian lp.org 213-440-2257

Ward 3 Councilmember

Ward 1 Councilmember

Early Voting From June 4 - June 15, early voting will be available at One Judiciary Square from 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m., including the weekend. Eight more centers will be open from June 8 - June 15 with the same hours. They are Columbia Heights Community Center, Chevy Chase Community Center, Takoma Community Center, Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, Sherwood Recreation Center, King Greenleaf Recreation Center, Deanwood Community Center, Malcolm X Opportunity Center. A live estimate of average wait time will be available online for each location.

Brianne Nadeau Kent Boese Lori Parker Democrat Democrat Democrat briannefordc.com boese2018.com loriparkerward1.com @BrianneKNadeau @KentBoeseDC @ElectLoriParker 202-573-9256 202-525-7682 202-258-1130

Sheika Reid Democrat reidfordc.com @Reid4Ward1 202-719-9238

Mary Chech Democrat marycheh2018.com @marycheh 202-247-0819

Ward 5 Councilmember

Accessibility options “Voter Assistance Clerks” will be on hand at each polling place to help individuals. This includes the option to vote from your care if you are unable to enter a polling place on Election Day due to a disability, seniority, or illness. Early voting locations are also equipped with accessible touchscreen voting stations.

Bradley Thomas Kenyan McDuffie LaMonica Jeffrey Gayle Hall Carley Nestor Djonkam Joyce Robinson-Paul Democrat Democrat Democrat Democrat Democrat D.C. Statehood Green bradleythomas4dc.com kenyanmcduffie2018.com @LamonicaListens votegaylecarley.org @NestorForDC 202-330-7955 @bradleythomasdc @KenyanForWard5 202-450-1767 202-779-5398 202-640-9966 202-431-0190 202-735-5207

Ward 6 Councilmember

D.C. Council Chair

Find your polling place You may vote at any early voting center, but must utilizie only your assigned polling place if voting on Election Day. These locations are assigned based on your home address. You can check the assignment at www.vote4dc.com/SearchElection/SearchByAddress.

This information and more is available on the D.C. Board of Elections website, www.dcboe.org, and through the “Vote4DC” mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

Charles Allen Democrat edfordc.com @edlazere 202-725-4769

Lisa Hunter Democrat philmendelson.com @VoteMendo 202-531-1675

Michael Bekesha Republican bekesha2018.com @Bekesha2018 202-725-7025

Ed Lezere Democrat edfordc.com @edlazere 202-725-4769

Phil Mendelson Democrat philmendelson.com @VoteMendo 202-531-1675

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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QUESTION 1: Homeless tent communities are routinely torn down in the city. It is illegal to live in a tent, car or other “temporary abode.” And such congregating can pose public health challenges. However, tent residents frequently report avoiding shelters and other services due to poor conditions. They claim to lose valuable items during clean-ups and report the safety of a tent and similar supplies is better than nothing when living on the street. What specific steps would you take to serve unhousedand housed residents surrounding these encampments?

Mayor

At-Large Councilmember James Butler: As mayor, I will immediately offer secure [camp] locations, monitored for safety and cleanliness (with a prioritization for women and children). I will work with Karl Racine, our attorney general, directly. He and I have a terrific relationship. Together, I guarantee we will work out a humane and equitable solution to this problem.

D.C. Council Chair Ed Lazere: The growing number of residents who only have a tent for a home is the clearest sign that D.C.’s leaders aren’t doing enough to address the loss of affordable housing. Clearing tent encampments doesn’t solve the root problem. As council chair, I will make it a priority to improve the quality and safety of shelters so that more residents can come in off the street. I will not support clearing encampments and will protect the rights of residents in tent encampments so they don’t lose important items or documents. I will work to maintain the cleanliness of encampments.

Ward 5 Councilmember Bradley Thomas: I would encourage the Metropolitan Police Department to regularly monitor tent communities and to adopt a low impact, decriminalized approach, limiting arrests to serious cases of violations of the law and serving more as a point of contact with health and social services than as a paramilitary force.

I believe that it is important to develop a sense of trust between the homeless community and law enforcement so that homeless citizens will feel that police officers are there to protect and serve rather than to arrest and intimidate.

EDITOR’S NOTE: While MPD is part of the interagency effort to clear encampments designated by the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services, residents are not currently criminalized. Street Sense Media has only documented one arrest since the Bowser administration ramped up camp evictions in 2015.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (incumbent): The challenge of ending homelessness should compel all of us to work harder to ensure our unhoused neighbors can find safe, dignified, stable shelter. I support Mayor Bowser’s goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring, and efforts to increase and improve outreach to encampment residents. This outreach should include work to assess and address each individual’s unique needs, including housing, behavioral and mental health, workforce training, and other supports and services needed to achieve greater economic stability. I will continue to make this a priority with the goal to have each individual find stable and secure housing.

Lisa Hunter: I believe our city should be focused on providing assistance to our homeless neighbors, not tearing down their homes and stealing their belongings. Understanding the public health concerns these communities pose, I would move policies that direct our city to focus on proactive provision of services such as preventive health services, mental health services, case management, housing assistance, and educational services when they engage with homeless neighbors living in tent communities. When our city officials are directed to conduct glorified raids and steal neighbors’ belongings, we are pushing our homeless neighbors away from much-needed government services, not toward them.

EDITOR’S NOTE: When the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services coordinates the clearing of a homeless encampment, camp residents who are present are offered time-limited storage for some of their belongings. For campers who are absent, city workers are directed to save anything deemed valuable, such as personal identification or family photos. Sites are designated to be cleared only after outreach workers have attempted to connect with the people living there.

Anita Bonds (incumbent): I believe that all District residents deserve safe and sanitary housing – including our homeless population. Fortunately, we are already on the path to creating safe and sanitary shelters by closing D.C. General and replacing it with individual shelters that are integrated in communities in all eight wards. By doing this, staff members will be better equipped to manage the day-to-day operations and give a higher-level of attention to the occupants, resulting in more dignified shelters that are more easily accessible to residents in need.

Jeremiah Lowery: 1. I would introduce a bill to decriminalize sleeping in a “temporary abode.” We should be helping to uplift and not arrest and tear down.

2. The Homeward D.C. strategic plan includes steps for modernization of all city-run single adult shelters. I would introduce legislation mandating a concrete plan with strict deadlines to fund and carry out these recommendations.

3. I would introduce legislation to direct the D.C. government to come up with a plan and funding to increase storage space for items confiscated during encampment clean-ups. I will work to ensure no one loses any valuable items.

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (incumbent): As councilmember, I have secured millions of dollars for additional Permanent Supportive Housing Units, which help chronically homeless residents thrive in their own homes with wraparound supports. I’ve also supported funding for upgrades to our shelter system for our single adults so that more homeless residents feel safe coming in from the outdoors.

I’ve also worked with the Deputy Mayor to ensure that when an encampment is removed, its residents and their belongings are treated with respect.

Kent Boese: While tent communities are illegal, the District’s current approach to “cleaning them up” is disrespectful and the practice of discarding tent residents’ belongings must stop. Not only has the District made it more difficult to access shelter, but it hasn’t addressed the many reasons homeless residents refuse to seek shelter. Our shelters need to be better staffed, better maintained, clean and safe. We also need to allow those in shelters to bring their property into the shelter with them. Lastly, I would fund many more social workers to coordinate service providers, while working with social media experts to humanize people experiencing homelessness.

EDITOR’S NOTE: In December, the D.C. Council passed the Homeless Services Reform Act Amendment of 2017. The amendment addressed many aspects of the homeless services system, including the clarification of which documents families could show as proof of residency when applying for shelter. The change was intended to ensure only D.C. residents are benefiting from city services. The Bowser administration’s initial proposal was watered down by the council to remove an increase in the number of documents required to prove residency. The final measure does not affect single adults, who need not apply for shelter.

Lori Parker: If elected to the D.C. Council, I would work tirelessly with housing and homeless advocates, D.C. Council colleagues, and the Executive branch to develop other interim and permanent housing solutions in Ward 1 and across the District.

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OTERS’ GUIDE Mayor

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QUESTION 2: The availability of affordable housing in the District has been nearly cut in half since 2002 . Low and moderate-income residents must spend high percentages of their income on rent. What specific steps would you take to make the city affordable for all of its people and ensure new development serves current residents as well as new ones?

James Butler: The District is an attractive place for developers. While most talk about affordable housing and make such units available under the law, affordable housing has become a misnomer. As mayor, I will strongly advocate that these rules be more inclusive so that living in the city can be a reality for millennials, seniors, and all. I will work for greater rent control to combat the trend of rising rents and stagnant incomes. I will require all developers to allocate “income-based” housing units. And I will implement a strategy to preserve current affordable housing, which is more cost-effective than subsidizing new affordable housing and will help maintain mixed-income, diverse neighborhoods.

D.C. Council Chair Ed Lazere: The loss of affordable housing is the single largest challenge to D.C.’s future. It has contributed to displacement of Black and Brown residents and an unacceptable number of residents experiencing homelessness. As Council Chair, I will double the investment in D.C.’s housing programs to create and preserve affordable housing and will build affordable housing in every ward. I will move legislation to strengthen rent control that is currently stalled in the council. I will support at least $25 million annually for repair and maintenance of public housing that has been neglected by the federal government.

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (incumbent): Nobody should have to pay more than a third of their income on housing but in DC that’s the norm.

That’s why I’ve been laser focused on the preservation and production of affordable housing. Every year that I’ve been on the Council I’ve supported fully funding the Housing Production Trust Fund, additional Local Rent Supplement Program vouchers, Permanent Supportive Housing, Targeted Affordable Housing, and maintenance dollars for public housing. As Ward 1 Councilmember I saved or added more than 500 units of truly affordable housing just in my first 3 years.

Kent Boese: As an ANC Commissioner, I’ve been deeply involved in leveraging public land for significant amounts of housing for low- and moderate-income families, including the Park Morton and Hebrew Home redevelopments. The Hebrew Home building will create 187 apartments in the housing pipeline with 80 percent of the units being for middle-income residents or lower, including 90 senior apartments. I also played a large role in leveraging District owned property to bring 462 additional apartments into the housing pipeline in the Park Morton project, preserving 147 public housing units and creating another 155 affordable apartments, including 76 apartments for seniors.

Lori Parker: I would advocate for greater investment in preserving our existing affordable housing units, including our public housing units (through regular maintenance and repairs). All of our residents deserve safe, clean, and affordable housing. I also believe the District must maximize the number of housing units available for people who earn 30 percent and 50 percent of the Area Median Income in all new developments through public-private partnerships (public land dispositions with discounted land values), and through private developments receiving public financing (loans and/or grants), vouchers, low-income tax credits, and/or other tax incentives (abatements and/or tax increment financing). I would also strongly advocate to cap annual rent increases (eliminating the extra 2 percent tenants pay above the Consumer Price Index (in annual rent) in rent-controlled units, preserve affordable rentstabilized housing, and protect seniors and people with disabilities from extreme rent increases.

At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds (incumbent): Affordable housing must be addressed comprehensively and holistically. As a legislator, I have authored and will continue to explore creative solutions to combat the affordable housing crisis with a multi-pronged approach. I have tightened and addressed loopholes in rent control and will continue to address the issues that plague the 80,000 units in the regulatory regime. I increased the Home Purchase Assistance Program down payment to $80,000 and am currently working to increase it further to $100,000. I have and will continue to conduct stringent oversight on the Housing Production Trust Fund in order to create and preserve affordable housing units in the city.

Jeremiah Lowery: 1. Reform Rent Control — Right now landlords and developers can exploit provisions in DC’s rent control law:I would work with advocates to close these loopholes and strengthen our rent control law.

2. Mandate A Higher Percentage of Affordable Housing — I will introduce legislation that would mandate an increase in a percentage of affordable housing for low-to-very income residents in every new development.

3. Community Land Trusts — I would work with advocates and the DC government to use community land trusts as a model to build and ensure long-term affordable housing for low-to-very low income residents.

Ward 5 Councilmember Bradley Thomas: I would increase the Inclusionary Zoning requirement for affordable housing for new and renovated developments. The law currently requires developers of new housing complexes or buildings of a certain minimum size to set aside 8 percent to 10 percent of the floor space in those developments for affordable housing, generally defined as housing that is affordable for families earning only 80 percent of the Area Median Income for the Metro Washington Area. I would advocate increasing the space set aside to 12 percent to 15 percent and include families at the 60 percent, 50 percent and even 30 percent AMI levels, not just the 80 percent AMI level.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (incumbent): In Ward 6, I have a track record of using my leadership to deliver new affordable housing. We’re leading the way with more than 1,500 new affordable homes created since 2015 and over 2,100 more on the way, more than any other Ward. I also champion the creation of larger units to accommodate families, such as the new construction at 13th & H Streets, NE, which will be 100 percent affordable homes with 2 or 3 bedrooms. And when affordable housing is being redeveloped, I am a leading voice to deliver for longtime residents by fighting to prevent displacement.

Lisa Hunter: Unlike my opponent, I don’t take money from wealthy developers who have displaced our neighbors. I will reverse the corporate and estate tax cuts that Mr. Allen voted for, and use that revenue to address our affordable housing crisis, improve public housing, and expand access to rental assistance programs. I would also redefine affordability; the current definition results in “affordable” units that politicians like Mr. Allen often point to, but that are not truly affordable for our neighbors. I will also move to ban the use of D.C. taxpayer dollars to subsidize development that doesn’t create truly affordable housing.

EDITOR’S NOTE: When asked to explain her claim about Allen’s campaign contributions, Hunter referred to the number of donors who identify as working in real estate. This group made up 18% of Allen’s contributions in his March 10 disclosure to the Office of Campaign Finance, the largest concentration of professions cited.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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QUESTION 3: The overall city unemployment rate remained at 5.7 percent from 2017 to 2018. However, Black unemployment increased from 12.2

percent to 12.9 percent, White unemployment decreased from 2.2 percent to 1.5 percent, and Hispanic unemployment increased from 2.2 percent to 3.1 percent of the civilian workforce. As of January, an estimated 22 percent of single homeless adults were employed (down from 47), as were 33 percent of homeless adults in families (up from 32). What specific steps would you take to make equitable opportunities, training, and higher paying jobs available to all District residents seeking work?

Mayor

At-Large Councilmember James Butler: We need to have a real conversation in this city about race and job discrimination. As mayor, I will immediately work with our Attorney General and Office of the Inspector General to investigate all charges of discrimination. I will implement vocational programs in schools which will lead to jobs based upon marketable skills. As mayor, I promise to be committed to decreasing unemployment for Black and Hispanic workers. I will implement mandatory training for employers about the history and contributions of Black and Hispanic people to the District of Columbia. If businesses seek a D.C. Government contract in our city, they must first hire from underserved populations here in the District.

D.C. Council Chair Ed Lazere: The widening unemployment gap between white, Black and Latinx D.C. residents shows we need to do more to build a fair economy where everyone benefits. As council chair, I will invest in woefully underfunded adult literacy programs, and push for accountability in D.C.’s job training programs to ensure they actually lead to a job. I will require developers of D.C.-funded development projects to train and hire D.C. residents, with good wages and benefits. And I will require a racial equity impact analysis for all major policy proposals, to shape policies to reduce D.C.’s wide racial and ethnic inequities, like unemployment.

Ward 5 Councilmember Bradley Thomas: First, I would include 21st century vocational training in our public high schools. Second we should broaden our law regarding the sealing of criminal records so that persons who are ex-offenders but have served their prison or probation time can more easily have their records sealed, thereby making them more employable. Third, we should more strictly enforce laws against discrimination in the workplace as well as protections for whistleblowers.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (incumbent): I believe we should apply an equity lens to every decision we make as a government to address the District’s significant economic inequality. In education, that means additional funding for the students who need it most, interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline, and programs like Books From Birth to ensure every child is ready for school. In employment, I led the fight for a $15 minimum wage for all DC workers, am working to ensure fair access to career opportunities by reforming our record sealing and expungement laws, and host career fairs that have connected hundreds of residents seeking jobs to employment.

Lisa Hunter: I would require all developers to hire local workers, and hold them accountable when they don’t. Projects such as The Wharf largely avoided hiring locally even though they were required to do so. Developers cannot be allowed to break rules simply because they make campaign donations to DC Councilmembers. That type of pay for play ends with me. I would also expand language access services to provide job training and resources to everyone, regardless of English proficiency, and would immediately pass the Stoops Act to protect homeless neighbors from discrimination by employers. Unfortunately, Mr. Allen is singlehandedly blocking this bill.

Anita Bonds (incumbent): I believe that the District of Columbia currently offers great opportunities for residents seeking work through the Department of Employment Services (DOES). While I will continue to support the many programs offered and advocate for the allocation of additional funding and resources to DOES, I believe that we need to increase awareness about the various programs offered and do more to support the individuals going through the process, i.e. offering transportation subsidies or services for continuing education.

Jeremiah Lowery: 1. Through our 100 percent clean energy plan, I want to develop a green jobs training and placement program for returning citizens and homeless residents.

2. I will introduce introduce legislation that would deny future contracts to any company that violates DC’s first source hiring law.

3. Through the budget, I want to expand vocational schools for young adults, returning citizens, and residents who are homeless.

4. I will also introduce a bill to direct the DC Government to develop a job training and placement program for homeless residents and with the goal of eliminating unemployment.

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (incumbent): Right now in the District, there is a deep disparity among different racial and ethnic groups in employment, housing, education, and more. I supported the increase in the minimum wage, but it takes more than $15 an hour, to build a life in D.C. Those who are experiencing homelessness can also face discrimination in hiring. I support a robust Office of Human Rights to push back on hiring discrimination. We also need to double down on training opportunities for adults who have been left behind by our education system. We have a mismatch between our workforce and the jobs that are being created. There are good jobs with real career paths available, but our residents are not being prepared for them. That’s the key to our unemployment problem. I’m leading a discussion around workforce development for home-based services such as home health aides and disability service providers. Those are good jobs that desperately need dedicated employees.

Kent Boese: No matter how much housing we build, or how affordable District housing is, no housing is “affordable” to residents who are unemployed. It is critical that we focus on maintaining and growing quality jobs that pay living wages and provide opportunities for growth. Councilmember Robert White introduced legislation to grant a tax credit for businesses hiring residents that have been unemployed for 27 weeks, and the District is thinking about offering Amazon $7,500 relocation assistance per employee, why not offer a $5,000 tax credit for hiring District residents? Why not make District residents a truly valued commodity for employers?

Lori Parker: Through D.C. Council performance and budget oversight, I would hold the Department of Employment Services accountable for closely monitoring and ensuring that all new developments receiving public subsidies (tax abatements and incentives) contingent on hiring local residents and developing workforce training opportunities comply with their local workforce hiring and training requirements.

In addition, I would advocate for greater support of our small and local businesses. Small businesses are big job creators. According to a report by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, based on research of 5 cities, including the District of Columbia, approximately one additional employee increase per small business could create enough employment opportunities for all unemployed city residents. from extreme rent increases.

8 // ST REET SENSE ME DI A / / MAY 3 0 - JUNE 12, 2018

OTERS’ GUIDE

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QUESTION 4: Roughly 50 homeless D.C. residents have been mourned during each annual Homeless

Persons’ Memorial Day vigil since 2014. Many were identified as receiving a housing voucher but dying before they could use it. What steps would you take to house people sooner, prevent people from ending up on the street in the first place, and deliver quality care to people experiencing homelessness?

Mayor

At-Large Councilmember James Butler: As mayor, I will implement a special-ops homeless task force whose sole job will be to focus on those individuals most in need of housing and deliver immediate wrap-around services to them. The District offers more social programs than most cities in the country. However, we also often lack adequate outreach. This leaves people in need unaware of such services. Increasing outreach will dramatically decrease the number of people experiencing homelessness. Also, when a person’s homelessness is due in part to a mental or behavioral health crisis, the wraparound services will work to remediate that crisis while a home is being procured.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Between D.C. government agencies and nonprofit providers and partners, there are approximately 20 outreach workers who seek out people experiencing homelessness and try to connect them with services specific to their individual needs, according to the Department of Human Services public information officer.

D.C. Council Chair Ed Lazere: Homelessness cuts lives short and leaves too many to die on the street. I want to work toward a day when we won’t need to have a vigil for D.C. residents who died while experiencing homelessness. The budget just adopted by the D.C. Council funded only 40 percent of what’s needed to end homelessness, leaving 900 homeless families and individuals without housing. As council chair, my top priority will be to fully fund D.C.’s plan to end homelessness. I will also help residents stay in their homes by expanding D.C.’s successful homelessness prevention program and doubling funding for affordable housing.

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (incumbent): The answer to homelessness is simple – housing. That’s why as chair of the Human Services Committee I’ve funded additional housing units in my committee budget every year. Living on the streets takes a terrible toll on a person, and getting them stably housed can often be a lifesaver.

When a person is housed too late, it is a tragedy. My hope is that through the investments I’m making, we will no longer have to hold vigils.

Kent Boese: We need a stronger commitment to building Single Room Occupancy housing as part of the solution. They could provide a last option before becoming homeless and the first transition out of homelessness for many people. Having more SROs available and spread throughout the District would help stabilize at-risk individuals and families, in addition to providing support before becoming homeless. They could also provide the necessary social services and support that someone who is homeless needs to get a job and get back on their feet. This is a better and more dignified path than living on the streets or in a shelter.

Lori Parker: Through D.C. Council performance and budget oversight, I would hold District health and human services agencies accountable for implementing recommendations of the Interagency Council on Homelessness and for ensuring the rights of homeless individuals and families to be treated with dignity and free from abuse and discrimination.

Anita Bonds (incumbent): I will continue to advocate each year for additional funding for the Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP), which is the primary locally-funded program that provides housing vouchers and subsidized units. LRSP is used to house very low-income households pulled from the Housing Authority’s waiting list, as well as to provide permanent supportive housing and targeted affordable housing to homeless District residents.

I am fully committed to fighting for LRSP, public housing, and affordable housing in general so that we can intervene in the vicious cycle that relegates far too many residents to an unforgiving life on the streets.

Jeremiah Lowery: Having a mother who is formerly homeless in D.C., this issue is near and dear to my heart. I am in full support of “The Way Home” campaign and their budget and policy priorities to end chronic homelessness. I will also add additional funding for Medicaid enrollment and outreach for people experiencing homelessness.

The D.C. government also has a plan to end or greatly limit homelessness in D.C. by 2020, the “Homeward DC” strategic plan.

I would work with government officials and advocates to introduce legislation or fight for budget items to make sure we are meeting our 2020 goals.

Ward 5 Councilmember Bradley Thomas: I would speed up the process for applying for and being issued housing vouchers. I would seek to reduce red-tape and possibly stipulate that the Department of Health be looped into the process of the distribution of housing vouchers to provide wrap-around services beginning with the first contact in the application process. And once again, I would emphasize inclusion of vocational training in our schools and would focus on workforce development so that more of our residents are qualified for the many job opportunities that do exist in the District.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (incumbent): I have been a strong supporter of increased funding for the Permanent Supportive Housing program, Targeted Affordable Housing, Local Rent Supplement Program vouchers, emergency shelter and transitional housing for youth experiencing homelessness, rapid re-housing, and emergency rental assistance. I will support similar efforts in this year’s budget.

To prevent homelessness, I launched funding this year for landmark legislation that provides a right to counsel in eviction cases. Known as “Civil Gideon,” this innovative program is essential to protect the vast majority of low-income tenants who have previously gone without representation while facing eviction proceedings.

Lisa Hunter: I have lost count of the number of homeless neighbors I have met who have been on the voucher list for years, have been interacting with various D.C. government offices for years, and yet have never seen or met their current councilmember. If we expect our government to take care of our homeless neighbors, we need to start by electing leaders who treat everyone like neighbors.

I would prioritize new mandatory funding for housing, protection from domestic violence, healthcare, childcare and mental health services to address the underlying causes of homelessness and provide our neighbors with the solutions they deserve.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

QUESTION 5: Advocates report that housing and employment discrimination against people

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experiencing homelessness in D.C. is rampant. A homeless anti-discrimination bill has languished in the judiciary committee since July 2017. Do you support this bill? If not, do you propose another strategy to tackle discrimination against homeless District residents?

Mayor

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OUR VENDORS

At-Large Councilmember James Butler: I do support [the bill]. I also have a three-part plan.

First, if we ask every church and nonprofit in the District to adopt just one homeless person or family, we’ll be well on our way to ending homelessness. This is not an attempt to negate the fiscal responsibility of the city — it’s simply a way to allow entities that enjoy tax-free operations to give back.

Next, we have to stick with the city’s plan to replace D.C. General family shelter with suitable housing, and not run from “not in my backyard” opposition.

Lastly, I will reduce abatement dollars going to for-profit developers that are not providing “incomebased housing” and increase dollars going to end the crisis of chronic homelessness. With less than half of 1 percent of the District’s $14 billion budget, we could end chronic homelessness and no longer have a need to manage the crisis.

D.C. Council Chair Ed Lazere: I support the Michael Stoops Antidiscrimination Act to protect people experiencing homelessness from discrimination. But we need to do much more than that. As Council Chair, I will support outreach and public education to make sure residents know their rights, push for adequate resources to enforce employment and housing discrimination, and take more strategic approaches to enforcement, including targeting landlords and employers that have a history of violations. I will support creating a small housing repair fund for landlords who accept vouchers, to overcome their concerns — unfounded — that voucher holders may treat their units poorly.

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (incumbent): I co-introduced this bill and support its passage.

Kent Boese: I fully support the passage of the Michael A. Stoops Discrimination Amendment Act of 2018.

I find it unacceptable that the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety has yet to hold a hearing on this legislation. When examining barriers to employment for returning citizens; District leaders, and rightly so, introduced legislation to ban the box for returning citizens completing job applications. We should not allow source of income, place of residence or personal appearance to be used as an excuse for discrimination against people experiencing temporary or long-term homelessness.

Lori Parker: Yes. [I support the Michael A. Stoops Discrimination Amednment Act of 2018].

Anita Bonds (incumbent): I co-sponsored this bill, which would include homeless individuals under the protections of the Human Rights Act. I believe that the homeless population must be protected. However, protected classes are ones that possess immutable characteristics.

Moreover, homelessness should be rare and brief and we should not codify this class as a permanent vulnerable population. Instead, we must approach this issue by allocating dollars to address the discrimination that is increasing in our urban cities and utilize education to change the culture of the general public.

Jeremiah Lowery: Yes, I fully support it. I will work to get it passed during my first year in office.

Ward 5 Councilmember Bradley Thomas: As far as I can tell, the Michael A. Stoops Anti-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2017 lays out a reasonable approach to addressing housing and employment discrimination against the homeless in D.C. I am not familiar with whatever arguments there might be for holding the bill in committee, but based on the information I have at this time, I would support the bill.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (incumbent): I agree with the goal of the bill to reduce barriers for individuals experiencing homelessness in housing, employment, public accommodations, and educational institutions. DC’s Human Rights Act is one of the country’s most robust and has been expanded to include the protected traits of personal appearance, source of income, place of residence/business, credit history, and disability, which could cover the discrimination at issue. As chair of the committee with oversight of Office of Human Rights, I will continue working to ensure OHR has the staffing and resources it needs to tackle discrimination against all persons, including those experiencing homelessness.

Lisa Hunter: Yes, I wholeheartedly support this bill. To be clear, I believe the bill has the votes to pass the council. Unfortunately, my opponent is single-handedly holding it up and has been doing so for almost a year.

His decision to block protections against discrimination for our homeless neighbors is inexcusable and shameful. Mr. Allen has said the Office of Human Rights is overburdened, which is why we cannot ask them to do more work. My position is simple: the solution to an overburdened Office of Human Rights is more funding and support from the D.C. Council, not fewer human rights.

Reginald Denny just cleaned our lounge and it has never looked better! He runs his own renovation, lawncare and handyman business, in addition to selling and writing for Street Sense Media.

PHOTO BY ERIC FALQUERO

Jazzy’s Reliable Cleaning & Renovation Reginald Denny, CEO 202-706-4909 | reginalddenny@gmail.com

BIRTHDAYS Charlton Battle May 29 ARTIST/VENDOR

Ronald Dudley May 30 ARTIST/VENDOR

CELEBRATIONS Michael Warner

Starts work in June for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as a constituency organizer for North Carolina District 9.

ARTIST/VENDOR

Our stories, straight to your inbox Street Sense Media provides a vehicle through which all of us can learn about homelessness from those who have experienced it. Sign up for our newsletter to get our vendors' stories in your inbox. www.StreetSenseMedia.org/subscribe

1 0 // S T REET SENSE ME DI A / / MAY 3 0 - JUNE 12, 2018

OPINION Vote “yes” on 77

Don't vote

BY ANGIE WHITEHURST

BY LEVESTER GREEN

Ballot initiative 77, up for a vote in the June election, calls for employers to pay their tipped workers the full minimum wage of $15 per hour by 2025.

Currently, the minimum wage for tipped workers is only $3.33 per hour. Ridiculous. Can anyone live off that?

The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United has advocated for fair wages nationwide. The key points we should know about workers in the restaurant industry are:

Voting is a gateway further into an already corrupt system, built and based on a slavery foundation. So, I’d prefer not to.

Let me ask you: why don't more hip-hop stars vote? Are they unwilling to reach back and help straighten out our crooked past that has given us all crooked paths? No, sir. They choose not to uphold such a lopsided society in which wealth was amassed on the backs of blacks and other enslaved peoples and minorities.

We were given the token "gift" of voting in a system whose roots have never been fair. So yeah… NAW! While voting isn’t my voice, I am more than happy to support barrier-breakers who help facilitate much-needed change like the prison reform movement spotlighted by Meek Mill. The 30-year-old Philadelphia rapper was sentenced to two to four years in prison for minor probation violation. But Mill brought public attention and scrutiny to the parole issue from the inside out. He is now seen as heading the prison reform movement and people are rallying around him. He walked free in April after five months incarcerated.

Then you have change-makers like Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson. These 23-yearolds’ lawsuit for being arrested while waiting to meet someone in a Starbucks, also in Philadelphia, Nelson and Robinson settled with the city for a symbolic $1 each and $200,000 to be put toward a youth

1. They are the largest source of sexual harassment complaints in the U.S. 2. Women are twice as likely to live in poverty.

3. Most tipped workers are people of color.

4. Wage theft, via employers not topping off pay correctly, is rampant.

5. Employees fighting for their rights are more likely to be fired.

6. Such discrimination fuels the growth of homelessness and unfathomable poverty.

entrepreneurship program for Philadelphia high school students. (They also settled with Starbucks for an undisclosed amount.)

In response to the public outcry over their arrest, Starbucks closed thousands of stores on Tuesday, May 29 to host racial bias training for its employees. Ten days earlier, the company also announced a new policy allowing anyone to sit in their cafes without making a purchase.

These young people won’t accept injustice, and neither should you. So vote if you think it will help bring about change or you could find your own way of modifying society for the better.

The benefits of voting for Initiative 77 would be, first and foremost, giving hard working people the right to eat, sleep and survive.

To those of you who are so direly concerned about saving tax dollars: raising the minimum wage is the first step to helping people be self-sufficient. The ROC data proves it.

We need this referendum, not just in Washington D.C., but for the entire United States. Vote it in, spread the word and make it the rule and norm everywhere.

According to the D.C. Board of Elections Voter Guide, Independent and minor party voters may vote on ballot initiative 77 in the June 19 primary using a special nonpartisan ballot that will only have the initiative on it.

Angie Whitehurst is an artist and vendor for Street Sense Media.

Levester Green is a Street Sense Media vendor and artist.

A campaign mailer about ballot measure 77, assembled by the advocacy One Fair Wage D.C. PHOTO BY ANGIE WHITEHURST

Join the conversation, share your views ILLUSTRATIONS BY LEVESTER GREEN ARTIST/VENDOR

- Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community?

- Want to share firsthand experience?

- Interested in responding to what someone else has written?

Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate.

Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

/ / 11

How Meghan Markle became the modern day Cinderella

BY JEFFERY MCNEIL

I’m not a fan of royal weddings but I’m somewhat proud of Meghan Markle.

She is a descendant of slaves. She came from a broken home and was divorced in racist America. Unlike Barack Obama, who did not suffer the black experience the way Ben Carson or Condoleezza Rice did, Markle is one of us.

While she came from a broken home, she didn't use that as an excuse to join a gang, deal drugs or become incarcerated.

She experienced bigotry and hate but didn't blame the system. When facing the adversity of divorce, she persevered and overcame it.

Although she identifies herself as a feminist, her no-complaining, positivity and grit are traits of conservatism.

Maybe Markle's story will wake some people up. Maybe they’ll realize their worldview is backwards and recognize criticism is a good thing. If you want good advice, talk to your enemies — they’ll tell you the truth. Your liberal allies have told you the deck is stacked against you. They say you can't marry a prince, be an athlete or follow your dreams. Their negativity inhibits your potential and creativity.

I truly believe there is no longer such a thing as racism. We don't have segregated bathrooms anymore. No one's trying to lynch you for dating a White women. A Black man can eat at Morton’s Steakhouse or get a suite at the Mayflower. He can move into any community if he has the money..If Starbucks or LA Fitness won't let you use their restaurant

or gym, start your own. No White man has to let you use their golf course or bowling alley. Learn how to build your own stuff instead of trying to take over someone else's establishment.

No one gives a damn about your situation.

Boo hoo: you're homeless, can't find a job, your wife left you and the dog doesn't like you. Welcome to life. Struggle is essential to the human condition. We all have stories of life in a crappy apartment, eating tuna fish and spam sandwiches. You’ll appreciate the hard times when you one day marry your prince or attain your goals.

Pursuing excellence is a lonely path. You'll find out who your friends are when you say you want to be president or a princess. My family had dreams for me but when I bucked them to pursue writing, they disapproved.

I refused to live life through them. I’m the captain of my ship. If they don't like it, they can go find another relative. Those that achieve anything worthwhile in life ignore these people and focus on their dreams.

Meghan Markle is the best thing that's happened to Leftism because she smashes all the myths and stereotypes that a Black person can't be anything because of racism and oppression.

Meghan Markle embodies the American Dream of triumph over adversity.

Jeffery McNeil is a Street Sense Media vendor and artist.

File photo of a sign held by a participant in a May 9 protest led by families in the rapid re-housing program and community advocates.

PHOTO BY REGINALD BLACK

Product of Progression: I’m trying to succeed in rapid re-housing

BY TYRONE CHISHOLM JR.

I have now exceeded my six month stay in the D.C. government's rapid-rehousing program, an initiative that connects homeless people with housing and provides shortterm assistance.

I completed another certification through Workforce Development Lifelong Learning at the University of the District of Columbia. This is another process that builds my marketability. Since the completion of this certification I was able to gain another day at work, which is great for me to pay bills. My case worker sees that I have the potential to become independent, but I still need a little more assistance.

Now I am waiting to hear from the D.C. Department of Human Services to see if they would still help me on a monthly basis.

The outcome is still blurry. I have to be able to hold employment for a year, which is a short-term goal for me. I have to be able to be pay rent.

We as homeless individuals should be thought of as more than individuals who have their hands out, always in need. When given the chance, we can show a better way, show the brightness within us. When you encounter us, give us an honest judgement using your analytical thinking. See the difficulties that we all face, physically, emotionally, and socially.

We are as strong as the barriers that we are faced with. We have to stay focused and keep our path and find the way that will be better for us.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle going to church at Sandringham on Christmas Day 2017.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK JONES / FLICKR

This is the second installment of a column I am writing to show what opportunities exist for people experiencing homelessness and answer what questions you might have about the challenges I have faced, homeless, employed and enrolled in higher education in our nation’s capital.Open dialogue and understanding is the foundation of a healthy community. Send questions to editor@ streetsensemedia.org.

1 2 // S T REET SENSE ME DI A / / MAY 3 0 - JUNE 12, 2018

ART

L.I.F.E.

(Life Is For Everybody)

BY RONALD DUDLEY, a.k.a. “POOKANU” Artist/Vendor

Life is a graduation so amazing.

Life is a holiday, a celebration.

Life is the reason love is unforgettable.

Life brought me kids, a love that's unconditional.

Life kept me living, life keep me strong.

Life ain't life if you livin’ it wrong.

Life is in your heart like the beat of a drum.

Life is always there, second to none.

Life is the reason that we breathing fresh air.

Life gave me a heart and a reason to care.

Life give me people that love to live.

Life is the reason that I love to give.

Life ain't easy, that's what I love.

Life gave me hands just so I can touch.

Life gave me a mind so I can think.

Life always opened my eyes after I blink.

Life is more precious than money.

Life changed the darkness to sunny.

Life gave thunder and rain.

Life ain't life without pain.

Life is the reason that death don't matter.

There was life before death, they'll be life in the after.

Life is more than a word: Life is God, life is real Life, I'm puttin’ you first.

Life gave me the cattle and sheep.

Life please wake me out of my sleep.

Life give me the power and strength.

Life please be my self-defense.

‘Cause life is a graduation so amazing Life is a holiday, a celebration Life is the reason love is unforgettable.

Life brought me kids, a love that's unconditional.

Life kept me living, life keep me strong Life ain't life if you livin’ it wrong.

Life is in your heart like the beat of a drum.

Life is always there, second to none.

A friend and customer invited me to this small party.

I was honored and we had a lot of fun. L.I.F.E. PHOTO COURTESY OF RON DUDLEY

My Life So Far

BY PATTY FERIS // Artist/Vendor

Hi. I’m deaf. I wanted you to know right away. Now I’m going to tell my true story.

I became homeless in D.C. in 2007. I lived in a shelter for five years. I worked two jobs until spring 2008, but I had to resign from both because my doctor told me my C-3 and C-4 vertebrae were damaged and because my muscles and nervous system were in pain.

In 2011 my doctor discovered I had breast cancer. I had six body surgeries and one neck surgery in 2012. That summer I moved into an apartment. I am so grateful my doctor noticed my breast cancer in time for me to beat it for the past seven years My life has gone through many changes. I joined Deaf Ranch in 2008 for counseling support. My case manager, Laurie Hoopen, does a great job and helps me a lot. She has helped me move into other apartments. I have had a deaf roommate since June 2014. . I have been on the board and trustee committees for Deaf Ranch for the last several years; I support and help many people that way. I also am so grateful to be back working with Street Sense Media.

Treading the Waters part 3

BY GERALD ANDERSON Artist/Vendor

When we were last with him, young Gerald had just been taken by Security to the back of the K&B drug store for pocketing a few cans of tuna.

I didn’t know for sure what was gonna happen, but I knew for sure I had those cans of tuna on me.

He told me, “I can do two things. I can get the police car to come get you. Or I can eject you from the store so you can’t come in here no more.”

He ask me, he say, “What would you think about--”.

I knew the answer. I say, “Not to come in the store no more.”

But then the other security guard say, “Nah. I see him on the camera and I seen him come in here. He come with them other guys that been stealin’. They don’t know we know they be stealin’. But I think he’s a newcomer with them.”

I look at her, I say to myself, “Damn, so they been comin’ in here stealin’. They know them, but don’t know me.”

Then she say, “Let’s do him a favor. Let’s call the police and let him go to The B-Roll.”

The B-Roll, or the Bureau. That was where the police held and processed you. It was different than the juvenile detention facility which was called the Youth Study Center.

I sat back there in the back of the store room where they put me. They had me cuffed to a machine. I say to myself, “Oh, shit.”

When the police came, they ask me my name, my address, what area I’m from. They walk me through the store, through the aisles. I was feeling down, thinking, “Damn, who might go tell my momma? Who’s seen me that know my family and gonna go back and tell ‘em?”

They escort me to the police car and we rolled to the B-Roll. They brought me up some stairs. Before they brought me to the main desk, they put me in a cell.

They had 10, maybe 15 more young kids like me up in the cell. One of the kids ask me, “Man, what you in here for?”

I say, “Stealing out of the K&B.” I ask them, I say “What’chall in here for?”

Some of them say stealing cars, some say robbery.

I say, “Damn… What y’all think gonna happen to me?”

Different ones talkin’, they say, “You gonna go home.

I promise you.”

“You gonna have to make a phone call. Your momma or somebody who older than you gonna come up here and come get you. You go to court the next day.”

As we was talkin’ in the cell, I heard the key turn in the door.

Click-click.

It was the lady that work there.

She say, “Mr. Anderson?”

I say, “Right here.”

She say, “Can you step out for a minute?”

So I stepped out.

She say, “Well, this is what I’m about to do. I’m about to ask you a few questions. And I’m gonna take your fingerprints and stuff like that. I’m gonna let you call somebody, your mother, sister, whoever. They must be over 21. They come get you and you can be released.

But you go to court tomorrow.”

I’m thinking to myself, “I can’t call my mother.

Because she gonna go off. I can’t call my brother, because he beat me up.”

So I asked the lady, I say, “Hey, I can’t get out myself?”

She say, “No, because if I let you out this time of night at the police station they’re gonna pick you up.

It’s curfew hour.”

So I say, “Alright. I’ll call.”

I call, and my mom answer the phone. She say, “Hello?

I say, “Hello.

I say, “Mom.” She say, “What?”

I say, “You come get me--?”

“—Come get you from where?”

I say, “Oh sh**.”

This new series chronicles Gerald Anderson’s time running the streets and going in and out of prison. It will eventually become his sophomore autobiographical book. You can purchase the first book, “Still Standing: how an ex-con found salvation in the floodwaters of Katrina,” from Gerald directly or find it on Amazon.com.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 13

Random Acts of Kindness: Robbed, but all’s well that ends well!

BY WENDELL WILLIAMS // Artist/Vendor

If you’ve been following my column you know that I am on a year-long quest to document the kind things we do for one another without knowing the importance of that act for the person on the receiving end at that moment.

When I think of just the many kind things done for me by, in most cases, complete strangers, I wonder how big a hall I would need to assemble them all in one place. Most of the key people connected to helping me rebuild my life are in my mind mainly faceless as the years have passed, but their spirits remain alive in my heart when I am asked to pay it forward.

One of those kind acts happened on newly gentrified H Street in Northeast Washington some six or seven years ago.

On a warm day, I was out at lunchtime with the paper seeking donations. It was a really hot, muggy day. I had recently decided that a change was needed in my life and I set out to raise enough through donations to get me to a place in Chantilly, Virginia, that could begin to get me the help I desperately needed. I was at the bottom and I knew it.

I positioned myself in front of a new trendy pizza establishment. As the noon crowd started to roll in, my basket started to fill up. Many people stopped to ask me about the paper. I found most of them sincerely interested in the subjects covered in that edition.

Then it happened.

While I was engaged in a conversation with a young African American man who spoke of

his motivation to help those suffering from homelessness, I turned and noticed my basket was gone. I looked up and saw a young man calmly walking away with it.

I started to shout for help as both the young man I was talking to and the other one walked briskly away and then began to run in a trot.

When they saw me coming, they took off running and I was no match for their speed and pace. In half a block my heart was jumping out of my chest and I stopped to ask for help.

Some of the neighborhood bystanders saw what was happening and said nothing, telling me later it was the code of the streets.

I could still see the guys a block or so away as they broke it down to a quick walk. At that point, someone pointed out that there were two policemen having lunch just inside the pizza place. I ran in and asked for their help.

They replied they were on lunch break and, looking me up and down, said “Call 911” in a smart aleck tone, like “you think we are going to stop eating our lunch to help You?” The officers were African American too. Damn, I said to myself.

“Wow,” I thought, “Being homeless doesn’t even rate police protection.” Then a kind soul in the restaurant used their cell and called 911 for me. Being on H Street, a cop showed up pretty quickly. When asked who called, I said I did and the officer’s tone changed.

Before asking me anything about what had just happened, he asked me for my ID.

When I tried to tell him the thieves were way down the street and if we hurried we could get them, he repeated his request. This time he added “....and your social security number.” I then realized what he was doing.

Even when you are a victim, being homeless gives some officers a chance to make an arrest, thinking, I may be wanted or have an open warrant. So he was “running” my name before addressing my plight.

I watched as the two bandits quickly walked out of sight. I then asked the cop to radio a BOLO (Be on the lookout) along with setting up a perimeter and the officer practically laughed in my face.

It was at this point the best parts of humanity came out in several people. Watching the interaction got some of the bystanders so disgusted, one guy even said he saw the whole thing and had thought the guys were with me — a testimony to how slick they were — and gave accurate descriptions of the suspects to the police officer. Still the officer went on with my ID check until he received a message on his radio that there were no warrants. By then the robbers were long gone. All of a sudden, others in the crowd just started giving me dollars. One gentleman even told me to stand there and wait while he walked down the street to the nearest bank to use the ATM machine.

Something that was so hurtful was turning into this bright sunny moment as those people on that block of H Street rallied together to

help me overcome something what was otherwise devastating.

It hurt being robbed in broad daylight. But it was even more of a hurt considering that it was two young African American men who did this to me, and the indifferent cops were African Americans, too. And the people who came to my aid were overwhelmingly not African American.

As I counted up the donations that came in, I was still a little disgusted and angry because I was considerably short of my goal that would have gotten me to the treatment center I was attempting to get to that day in Chantilly.

At the last minute as I turned to walk away, a gentleman came out of a business and motioned for me to come inside. He asked me what had happened because he saw the commotion and I told him. He then walked behind the counter, opened the cash register, reached in and handed me several bills and said, “I really hope this makes a difference.”

It is said it takes a village to raise a child.

I also believe it takes a village to reclaim a life. In this particular instance, a group of strangers on gentrified H Street became my Village, through their many random acts of kindness toward me that day.

Please follow Wendell as he shares the best of the many kind acts he and others have been recipients of. Wendell is also sharing the Random Acts of Kindness you have experienced. Send your stories to editor@streetsensemedia.org

A Musical Experience: Dark Side of the Moon, part 3

BY CONRAD CHEEK JR. // Author/Vendor

My first exposure to Pink Floyd was in the early 70s, thanks to my best friend Joe, whom I was playing chess with on a regular basis. He couldn't defeat me at the time, but he said he needed the practice to sharpen his skills for the ROTC chess tournament at Howard University.

I shared with him a strategy I had devised back then and he won the tournament.

Later, when Pink Floyd had a concert at the Capital Center, in the mid 70s, I chose the seats and we went to the concert.

It turned out the seats I chose, straight back from center stage on the upper level, would be occupied by a speaker, as part of a quadraphonic sound system.

Our seats were moved forward into an aisle, but we were still straight back from center stage, the best way to hear stereo.

I’ll never forget the extremely unique experience of being at that concert. As the lights went down, the audience lit up their cigarettes and pipes. I witnessed a pipe in the aisle in front of me choke seven people going down and seven people coming back!

Then the concert started with a song from their current LP at the time, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” The soothing mellow intro, along with a round screen above the stage showing a video, seemed to put me into a trance. I had been taught not to talk while watching a movie with others, as a common courtesy. So there I was, sitting with Joe, listening to the music and watching videos. I never looked to the right or left until the music stopped and the band was taking a break!

I looked at Joe and all I could say was, “Wow!” Then, when they performed the instrumental “On the Run,”

the sound effects that I had experienced in stereo were further enhanced by the propagation of the unusual quadraphonic placement of the speakers. In addition to the normal stage speakers, there was a speaker behind me, and speakers located on the far left and far right, centered between the back speaker and the stage. The sound engineers caused the music to go from the stage, to the back, to the left, to the right; then from the stage, to the left, to the back to the right; and back to the stage.

This was an awesome demonstration of their audio system.

As this was going on, just before the end of the song, spotlights illuminated an airplane starting from the top-rear of the arena, headed toward the stage. The audience began to cheer!

When it reached the stage, there was an explosion. I recall sparks flying as though the plane had crashed.

The audience roared with excitement! I believe the next song was “Time.” The visual effects are still in my memory. In the beginning, when the alarm clocks and bells were sounding off, they were displayed on the video screen. In addition, there was an extremely large crystal ball, maybe 20-feet wide, that began to rotate in a clockwise direction with at least 12 spotlights pointed at it. The visual effect made the interior of the Capital Center look like a swarm of bees, represented by tiny dots of white lights. As the song went on, petals with their own reflective surface began to emanate from behind the crystal ball. By the time the song ended, the crystal ball had slowed to a stop, the petals had reached their maximum length, about 10 feet, and from my perspective, we were looking at a flower in full bloom. “Wow,” I said again. The audience let out a sustained roar!

When Clare Torrey performed her moaning vocals for “The Great Gig in the Sky,” a green laser emanated from the stage, propagating the image of a wave. It illuminated and was enhanced by the presence of the smoke in the air. As the soulful sound of her voice progressed, the wave of laser light seemed to be a visual representation of the music. “What a great audio/ visual presentation,” I thought.

And during the song “Money,” I remember the video screen showing slot machines, people hitting the jackpot, stacks of newly printed bills being delivered to a bank, the stacks of money inside a bank vault and a Learjet in flight. The music and video were “rocking.”

I recall the video of “Us and Them” was a scene from South Africa of rich folks and then enslaved workers in a line putting on boots in unison, then riding down on an elevator to a diamond mine.

I have been to many concerts in my lifetime. To this day, that first Pink Floyd show stands out as the very best. Not only for the music, but for the utilization of a special quadraphonic speaker system, for the surprising visual effects of the movie screen and for the special props. It was, and still is, the most amazing concert I’ve ever been to.

In the future, I will write about the 1988 Pink Floyd concert that I attended in Los Angeles. I purchased the video of that concert on a VCR tape entitled “The Delicate Sound of Thunder.” Experience it yourself if it’s still available! I will also write about the recent Brit Floyd concert that I experienced at the Warner Theater in April.

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1 4 // ST REET SEN S E ME DI A / / MAY 3 0 - JUNE 12, 2018

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The Avengers Infinity War

BY KEN MARTIN Artist/Vendor

BY LEONARD HYATER // Artist/Vendor

I went to see "Avengers: Infinity War" on opening weekend in April It was good, but it had a lot of cliffhanger in it. The movie wasn't like the trailer. Some of the heroes ended up on journeys that I didn't expect. Each scene left me perplexed.

Please go see it. I could tell you more about the movie, but I want you to see it for yourself and I don't want to spoil anything. Please tell me what you think.

There’s a lot of suspense. I can’t wait for the next one to come in a year.

BY PATTI SMITH Artist/Vendor

Sudoku #6

If you use logicFill you in can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

SUDOKU: 9 the blank squares 7 3 2 1 5 9 4 6 8 Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle. each the row, Usethat it to identify next square 9 should 5 solve.

8 4 Or use 1 2 page 1 so 6 you 3 the 7 answers if you really get stuck. each column and 8 each 3-by-3 block 8 1 4 7 6 2 5 3 9 contain all of the 7 9 7 3 6 8 4 1 2 5 digits 1-9.

My counsel on D.C. Council

Raggedy Ann

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

8 2 6 9 4 7 9 5 1 3 5 7 6 9 4 3 5 1 1 2 8 4 2 6 7 5 6 1 3 8 7 4 9 2

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Sudoku #7

"There are no shortcuts in evolution."

-- Louis D. Brandeis

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BY FREDERIC JOHN 2 4 7 1 8 9 6 3 5 Artist/Vendor 1 3 9 5 7 6 8 4 2

LAST EDITION’S CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS 1) Taking Action 2) peer counselor 3) rapid re-housing 4) Detroit 5) Origin Story 6) diversion program 7) Tallit

Raggedy Ann, strut your stuff.

Raggedy Ann, you’re the cutest Raggedy Ann I’ve ever seen. I bend on my knees just to follow you all over the globe.

I’ve seen a million stars with you; I hope to see more.

I’ll do whatever it takes to keep pushing through forests, weeds, and trees.

I’ll do whatever it takes to get your love; Whatever it takes.

This has been a year of many honors.

Among my most prestigious was the invitation to be in my favorite D.C. Councilmember’s campaign brochure.

(She better be my favorite because I live in her ward.)

As my followers might have noticed, I have some small degree of interest in the betterment of our fair city. My councilmember more than magnifies it.

Her dedication to her work is illustrated by her laboring up to and during the initial stages of labor with her daughter “Zoey” last year. When Ward 1 nearly lost one of the best community health care facilities in the region, she rallied the troops to renovate and reopen it. And as champions for the homeless are concerned, we can always find her in the arena.

When asked whether I would be part of her brochure photoshoot, as neither a morning person nor one for the front of a camera, I knew I had to rise to the occasion.

Some folks are worthy of re-election and some are not. A few have won my vote; others are unproved, although one of those might merit investigation. Bottom line: Brianne Nadeau has my vote. I believe she has earned yours!

Ken will be selling hats at the D.C. Home Expo at the Convention Center on Saturday, June 9

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

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Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW ID (Friday 9am–12pm only) foundryumc.org/ministry-opportunities

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Housekeeper 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 // 202-745-4300 3020 14th St., NW unityhealthcare.org

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

My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org

N Street Village // 202-939-2060 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org

// 15

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Delivery Associate TL Transportation LLC // Rockville, MD. Full-Time, $14.55 per hour Drives vehicle to deliver packages to residential and business customers. Pulls delivery items from designated area, loads delivery vehicle, and delivers items. Assists other delivery associates as directed by dispatcher or site managers. Unloads trucks at the warehouse or at other delivery points.

REQUIRED: High School Diploma, 1 years’ experience in package delivery field computer, valid driver’s license with no more than 2 points on record.

APPLY: tinyurl.com/TLDelivery

Cashier (National Mall) Guest Services LLC // Washington D.C. Seasonal - Full-time, 7 days per week // $12.50 per hour.

Responsible for receiving money from and disbursing money to customers, while maintaining a high level of customer service.

Must identify items and corresponding cost of items and tabulate bills quickly and accurately using cash register, calculator, or other price equipment. Must maintain cash register and contents within. Must stock and maintain beverage coolers and coffee service area.

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Kaiser Permanente just upped the ante by $200 million in local leaders challenge for federal investment in affordable housing

BY REGINALD BLACK, A.K.A. “DA STREET REPORTIN’ ARTIST” Artist/Vendor

T

he Mayors and CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment held a press conference May 18 in the nation’s capital to discuss progress made since the campaign was announced in January.

In the face of federal divestment and growing wealth inequality, American cities are on the front lines of the nation’s largest challenges, according to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who kicked off the event. The most daunting challenge, by far, is housing affordability. Wheeler’s city needs 23,000 more units of affordable housing than it has to meet needs of constituents.

He said the dearth of housing options would negatively affect his community’s health.

Kaiser Permanente CEO Bernard Tyson agreed, calling stable housing an essential part of healthcare and well-being for the mind, body and spirit. At the press conference, Kaiser Permanente announced it would be investing $200 million as part of the campaign and an extension of its work. The money will be focused on preventing low-income people from falling into homelessness and to provide supportive services to those in need.

“We believe, in the 21st century, that no one should have to go to bed on the streets of our country, Tyson said. “We’re committed to work with these great mayors, with city leaders, with other businesses in our communities, the government and everyone to solve a solvable problem.”

Tyson also hoped the substantial investment would set an example for other businesses to get involved.

Stable housing strengthens families and improves educational outcomes, Wheeler noted. It allows parents to focus on work and kids to focus on school. It reduces crime and drug abuse. “Housing connects families to the community,” he said, “and housing provides an opportunity for families to do the most important thing that they can do, which is spend time together.”

But as the cost of housing continues to rise, so does the number of people living

A panel of mayors, CEOs, and homelessness experts convened at the Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center for a May 18 press conference. PHOTO BY REGINALD BLACK

on the streets. National data analyzed in 2017 showed that the number of people experiencing homelessness had risen for the first time in seven years.

“We have taken matters into our own hands despite federal restrictions in support,” Wheeler said of the Mayors and CEOs campaign. He said housing support through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has declined by 80 percent since 1980.

Portland residents have voted to pass a significant housing bond and increased the percentage of urban-renewal dollars going toward affordable housing. New zoning laws were adopted to increase both height and density in Portland’s central city. Additionally, all homelessness services were consolidated into a joint office that has moved 5,000 people off the street and prevented 6,000 others from becoming homeless. “We could not have achieved any of these successes without the intentional and direct participation of the private sector,” Wheeler said. “I cannot underscore enough that aspect of why we are here today.”

Wheeler lauded Kaiser, as well as Columbia Sportswear, based in Portland. The latter’s CEO personally contributed $1.5 million to address local homelessness and encouraged fellow business leaders there to do the same.

“Government alone cannot solve this withering crisis,” Wheeler said.

Oakland, California, has experienced similar economic growth; as housing prices rise, 40 percent more people are experiencing

MAY 30 - JUNE 12, 2018 VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 15

homelessness. The average medium-sized house sells for just under $1 million.

“In public surveys, my residents identify homelessness as the number-one issue in our city by 90 percent,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “A close second is housing affordability.”

Schaaf described motorists headed downtown being greeted by a tent city that spawls blocks in every direction. More than 100 unsheltered residents live along the offramps. The city and surrounding county both passed housing bonds in the previous election.

Oakland has also been identifying vacant lots near existing homeless encampments and establishing small villages of “Tuff”brand sheds, each with a lock, electricity, insulation and double-paned windows. The sheds provide more safety and security than a tent and, unlike shelters, allow people to bring in pets, possessions and partners.The city also provides sanitation and other services on site.

“The experiment is going well,” Schaaf said.

“We’re seeing people move from the Tuff sheds to permanent housing into employment.”

She ended her remarks by announcing that U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) had agreed to introduce bipartisan legislation to address some of the mayors and CEOs’ priorities. “Housing does not care whether you are a Democrat or a Republican,” Schaaf said. “It puts a roof over your head.”

The mayors of Baltimore and Alexandria, Virginia, were also present.

Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg

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outlined several creative solutions being explored in her city. In one case, a shelter and an affordable housing developer, both nonprofits, have joined forces to redevelop the city’s centrally located shelter in Old Town. The new facility will remain a shelter on the ground floor and have 140 units of affordable housing on top. Ten of those units are planned to be deeply affordable permanent supportive housing units to help people who are ready to transition from the shelter into affordable housing. “These are creative solutions, and they are possible with public, private and nonprofit partnerships,” Silberberg said.

The new shelter is funded by tax credits, city funds and private financing, including $1.6 million in state and national trust-fund dollars. During construction, the shelter will continue to operate in an interim space, an old Macy’s store, donated by the Howard Hughes development company.

The cooperation between mayors and CEOs emphasizes that businesses have “skin in the game” to keep local economies competitive and ensure that workers can afford to live near their workplaces, according to Silberberg. She and the city council also voted to increase Alexandria’s meal tax by 1 percent, generating $4.75 million annually for Alexandria’s housing trust fund. “Not everyone was a supporter, and the passage of this ordinance took political will,” Silberberg said. “Housing affordability is one of the main ways our city lives its values of being a welcoming, diverse and inclusive place for all.”

When asked whether the money would be used for pubic housing, Kaiser Permanente and other members of the private sector expressed interest in looking beyond simply investing in the development of local affordable housing to address the systemic nature of homelessness.

“We want the federal government to bring services from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to couple that with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development vouchers so people in public housing can get the types of wrap-around services we know are effective,” Schaaf, the Oakland mayor, said. “We are trying to change the way the federal government supports housing in all our communities.”

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