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MACKENZIE KONJOYAN Editorial Intern
This summer, the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) announced a revitalization plan to modernize and renovate public housing communities in the District. The plan comes after years of resident complaints about housing conditions.
DCHA selected 19 public housing communities for revitalization in the next several years after what the agency called a “comprehensive assessment” of its portfolio. Through improvements to the buildings’ physical structures, DCHA hopes to provide a safer space for residents to live. While this is a sweeping effort, it’s not the first time DCHA has promised changes, and housing advocates say they want DCHA to be very intentional about community engagement.
The first phase of the plan, which is set to begin in spring 2026, will involve renovations of around 1,900 public housing units, upgrading building systems and infrastructure at Claridge Towers, James Apartments, Fort Lincoln, Hopkins Apartments, James Creek, Sibley Plaza, Syphax Gardens, Lincoln Heights, and Knox Hill. The subsequent phases of the plan will include 10 other public housing communities: Harvard Towers, LeDroit Senior, Horizon House, Judiciary House, Regency House, Carroll Apartments, Kentucky Courts, Stoddert Terrace, Highland Addition, and Woodland Terrace.
The 19 properties were selected because DCHA can make changes within the existing structure and complete work in vacant units, so fewer residents have to move out during construction, according to a DCHA spokesperson. DCHA anticipates construction on the first phase buildings will end approximately 18 to 24 months after it starts, but the scope of the work at each site might affect those timelines.
DCHA has faced years of scrutiny, heightened by an October 2022 audit by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which identified 82 violations of federal policies by DCHA. According to the audit, some properties had vacant units with public safety hazards like mold growth, overall aging infrastructure, and boiler rooms with leaks and corrosion. These problems were exacerbated by work order backlogs, which slowed routine maintenance and preventative care.
The housing authority ran a “maintenance blitz” the following summer, under the leadership of former DCHA Executive Director Brenda Donald. In June 2024, DCHA released a ThreeYear Recovery Plan under the new leadership of Keith Pettigrew, who was named executive director in September 2023. The plan was meant to restore the D.C. community’s trust in the agency and provide better quality service and housing units for residents.
Throughout the summer, DCHA has released more information on the specific improvements scheduled at each of the phase one communities. Generally, residents can expect to see modern upgrades to floors and appliances inside individual units as well as improvements to shared spaces. There will be a focus on improving water filtration and heating and cooling systems, as well as replacing roofs, upgrading security systems, and improving building facades at certain communities. For each phase one community, DCHA also highlighted recent improvements, including repairs, upgrades, and replacements. Work on the public housing communities is meant to enhance building infrastructure for long-term cost savings and reduce maintenance requests in alignment with the Sustainable DC program.
The revitalization plan will be funded by $700 million in industrial revenue bonds issued by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to DC Housing Solutions Inc., an affiliate of DCHA, along with $70 million of DCHA’s funds. The District’s fiscal year 2026 budget includes $52.4 million in funding for DCHA public housing improvements.
Engagement sessions with residents of the communities in the first phase began the week of July 14, Pettigrew said in a July 9 board meeting. The specific scope of each project will be finalized following conversations with residents.
In these initial sessions, DCHA presented the preliminary renovation plan, spoke about the potential of converting the properties from traditional public housing to a site-based voucher subsidy through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and/or Section 18 programs, and explained the resident rights for public housing communities that undergo a subsidy conversion, according to an email from a DCHA spokesperson. The subsidy conversion approach allows public housing units to be converted to tenant-based or project-based housing, potentially attracting more investment for rehabilitation, though some advocates worry about residents losing rights in the process. DCHA is looking to increase its use of the project-based voucher program, according to its draft of the FY2026 Moving To Work Plan.
According to the spokesperson, DCHA will maintain consistent communication with resident council leadership at each site. During meetings throughout the rest of the year, DCHA will provide updates on construction, present design options, and answer questions. Relocation specialists will also be introduced to each resident facing a temporary move.
Natasha Bennett, managing attorney focused on housing law with Bread for the City, an organization that provides legal support for low-income D.C. residents, said she was hopeful to see funding going towards remedying housing conditions. But, she emphasized, residents need to be at the forefront of the plan so the most important stakeholders are included in the process.
“Bringing people in, involving the residents at every stage of the process, getting their voices, having good tenant meetings with the residents, learning from them what their interests and what their needs [are] are going to be very critical,” Bennett said.
Without a roadmap for residents of what to expect, Bennett said, tenants could become lost in the process and have a difficult time trusting DCHA.
“If you don’t listen, you can’t really act on behalf of people,” Bennett warned.
Advocates are also worried about what the plan will mean for the properties not selected for renovation.
“It’s unfortunate that there are kind of winners and losers as it were right now, where certain properties will get attention and will get redeveloped,” Daniel del Pielago, housing director with grassroots advocacy organization Empower DC, said. “Certain properties will have to wait until we see what happens.”
Of the 37 DCHA properties left off the list of those selected for renovation, del Pielago was particularly concerned for residents who had been promised support in the past, but who, he says, have continued to be relegated to the sidelines.
Under the New Communities Initiative, for instance, residents were moved out of their buildings without a clear understanding of when they could return to their homes as they waited for years for development to be completed, according to reporting from DCist. The project focused on an area around four public housing communities, and was slated to be finished in 2015, but instead stretched into its second decade of work with residents waiting on their promised benefits to materialize, according to the Washington Post.
Del Pielago said he is glad DCHA is going to work on remedying the worrying conditions at some of its units, but hopes they will deliver on what they are promising through effective communication and collaboration with residents.
“I think real, deliberate tenant engagement and involvement is going to be necessary, or this will just be another project that starts up and then never finishes,” del Pielago said.
SACHINI ADIKARI Periodista
Este artículo se publicó originalmente el 18 de julio en inglés. Lo republicamos un extracto aquí en español. Es posible que haya habido cambios desde su publicación. A principios de junio, se podía ver a los niños que vivían en el albergue para inmigrantes Harbor Light Center de Washington DC jugando en el aparcamiento del centro, dando vueltas en bicicleta mientras sus madres bebían zumos sentadas en el bordillo. Al final del verano, estas familias, algunas de las cuales han vivido en el albergue durante meses desde que llegaron a la ciudad, tendrán que buscar otro lugar a donde ir, ya que se les ha comunicado que tienen que abandonar el último centro de acogida para inmigrantes del Distrito financiado por la ciudad. DC comenzó a decir a los migrantes que tenían que abandonar el único centro de acogida operativo para migrantes a principios de este verano, según los residentes del refugio, después de que el presupuesto del año fiscal 2026 de la alcaldesa Muriel Bowser propusiera suspender la financiación de la Oficina de Servicios para Migrantes (OMS), con un recorte de 39,8 $ millones. Puesto que a finales de verano, varios meses antes de lo previsto, los residentes tendrán que abandonar el único centro albergue de la OMS, los inmigrantes del Distrito están luchando para encontrar una vivienda estable. Los residentes de Harbor Light dijeron que no tenían ningún plan de alojamiento después de que se les comunicara que pronto tendrían que abandonar el centro, y algunas familias podrían quedarse sin hogar o tener que abandonar la ciudad.
Erika, a quien Street Sense sólo identifica por su nombre de pila debido a su condición de inmigrante, vivió en el albergue Harbor Light durante tres meses. Dice que los trabajadores sociales le dijeron a principios de junio que no quedaban recursos en el gobierno municipal para ayudar a los migrantes y que el centro de acogida cerraría pronto. “Me dijeron que fuera buscando una habitación o un lugar donde vivir, porque poco después de julio podría cerrarse”, dijo.
Según un portavoz del Departamento de Servicios Humanos (DHS) de DC, que supervisa la OMS, OMS espera que todas las familias se marchen durante el verano. El portavoz no confirmó si el centro de acogida iba a cerrar ni facilitó una fecha de cierre.
Pero los que están sobre el terreno dicen que les dijeron que el centro de acogida iba a cerrar pronto. Los residentes de Harbor Light dijeron a Street Sense en febrero que se les había dicho que tenían hasta diciembre de 2025 para permanecer en el centro de acogida, pero a principios de junio, 10 residentes dijeron que se les anunció que tendrían que irse antes de finales de julio. Abel Núñez, director ejecutivo del Centro de Recursos Centroamericanos (CARECEN), que colabora con la OMS en la búsqueda de alojamiento para los migrantes que viven en el centro de acogida, afirmó que sólo una familia seguía viviendo en Harbor Light a día 15 de julio, y que esta sería transferida al sistema de servicios para personas sin hogar de la ciudad. El Consejo de DC creó la OMS a través de la Ley de Enmienda Temporal de Servicios y Apoyos a Migrantes de 2022 como una respuesta a los cientos de migrantes transportados en autobús al Distrito desde Texas y Arizona. Los gobernadores de estos estados trasladaron a migrantes a ciudades santuario para mostrar su rechazo a los demócratas y a la administración del ex presidente Joe Biden por sus políticas fronterizas y de inmigración. A medida que disminuía el número de autobuses que llegaban a la ciudad, la oficina se convirtió también en el principal recurso para cualquier inmigrante que llegara al Distrito.
La ley que estableció la OMS también hizo que los nuevos inmigrantes no pudieran optar a muchos de los demás servicios de la ciudad. La legislación sobre servicios para personas sin hogar de DC define a las personas que cumplen los requisitos para recibir servicios como personas que viven en DC “voluntariamente y no con un propósito temporal”. Pero la ley de 2022 modificó la definición de “residente de Distrito” para excluir a las personas que entraron en EE.UU. después de abril de 2022 y tienen procedimientos de inmigración en curso.
“La razón por la que se creó OMS es que el gobierno de DC no quería que estas personas accedieran a los recursos existentes en la ciudad, así que crearon este sistema paralelo con mucho menos apoyo”, dijo Mariel Vallano, organizadora judicial de Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid. En 2022, la OMS abrió tres albergues temporales para inmigrantes (un Days Inn, un Quality Inn y un Hampton Inn) en hoteles situados a lo largo de la avenida New York, en el noreste de DC. Los hoteles se utilizaron para proporcionar a las familias alojamiento a corto plazo, pero muchas familias vivieron en ellos durante meses debido a las barreras que les impedían vivir de forma independiente y permanente, como los bajos salarios y la falta de acceso a recursos a los que sí tienen derecho otros residentes del Distrito. José, a quien Street Sense sólo identifica por su nombre de pila debido a su situación migratoria, llegó al Distrito procedente de Ecuador en junio de 2024 con su mujer y sus tres hijos. Se quedaron en casa de unos amigos durante tres meses. En septiembre de 2024, la familia se trasladó a Harbor Light, donde han permanecido hasta este verano. La familia vivió en el albergue más tiempo del previsto porque José no gana un salario digno y no puede pagar un alquiler en el Distrito. “Busco trabajo y algunos días lo encuentro, pero no lo suficiente para pagar el alquiler”, afirma.
La OMS abrió el Harbor Light Center como centro de acogida a corto plazo en junio de 2023, poco después de que los hoteles de New York Avenue alcanzaran su capacidad máxima, con más de 1.200 personas pertenecientes a 370 familias alojadas allí. Cuando la OMS redujo sus servicios cerrando los tres centros de acogida hoteleros a finales de 2024, el antiguo centro de rehabilitación, gestionado por SAMU First Response, se convirtió en el único centro de acogida para inmigrantes del Distrito. Vallano dijo que “bastantes” familias que antes habían vivido durante años en los albergues hoteleros de New York Avenue acabaron en Harbor Light. Antes de trasladarse a Harbor Light, Erika y su familia vivieron en el centro de acogida Quality Inn OMS desde abril del 2024 hasta su cierre el 11 de octubre de 2024. Después, la familia se trasladó a Oxon Hill (Maryland), donde permaneció hasta abril de 2025. La familia se mudó de vuelta al Distrito y al sistema de acogida de la OMS en abril debido a problemas económicos, y para que el marido de Erika, pudiera trabajar mientras Erika se quedaba en casa con sus hijos. Aunque el ayuntamiento dijo que estaba trabajando con los migrantes que abandonaban el centro para encontrarles una vivienda, y que adaptaba los plazos de salida a las necesidades de cada familia, Vallano dijo que le preocupaba que muchos antiguos residentes pudieran terminar durmiendo en la calle o en coches. Algunas familias podrían tener suerte y dormir en el salón de casa de amigos, predijo, mientras que otras podrían probar suerte en otro estado, como una familia que conoció y que condujo hasta otro estado para encontrar refugio.
“Eso es lo que Bowser quiere que hagan. Efectivamente, quiere que se vayan todos”, dijo Vallano. “Desde el principio, su narrativa fue que no se van a quedar como residentes de DC a largo plazo, y eso es de lo que trató de convencer a todo el mundo, por lo que hemos visto todas sus políticas hasta ahora dirigidas simplemente a forzar a la gente a salir de DC.”
Un portavoz del DHS escribió en un correo electrónico a Street Sense que la OMS ha ayudado a “cientos de familias” en la transición del apoyo del DHS a una vivienda independiente, y que la oficina ya no era necesaria puesto que se esperaba que todas las familias salieran de sus servicios durante el verano. “Con todas las familias que se espera que salgan del programa durante el verano, ya no habrá necesidad de seguir operando OMS en el año fiscal 2026”, escribió un portavoz.
Haciendo planes para tener que dejar el refugio este verano, Erika dijo a mediados de junio que quería ahorrar dinero para alquilar algo en la zona. Su esposo, la única fuente de ingresos de la familia, trabaja como mensajero de DoorDash a tiempo completo. Pero su hijo menor tiene una discapacidad que, según Erika, le obliga a quedarse en casa, lo que le impide buscar trabajo. El esposo de Erika dijo que el personal del centro de acogida aún no había orientado a la pareja sobre dónde mudarse y que la pareja no tenía un plan firme para alojarse. “Es una situación difícil, pero la estamos resolviendo”, dijo.
Cuando el año pasado se preparaba el cierre de los albergues hoteleros de la Avenida de Nueva York, nunca se notificó oficialmente a los residentes que tenían que desalojar el centro de acogida, según Vallano. Dijo que, en cambio, los residentes fueron avisados por el personal del hotel, como las limpiadoras, de que tenían que abandonar las instalaciones.
Esta falta de orientación continuó en Harbor Light, dijo Vallano. Vallano dijo que la OMS no hacía lo suficiente para garantizar que las familias migrantes que se quedaban en la ciudad crearan vidas independientes y encontraran una vivienda estable.
“¿Qué pasará cuando aparezca ahora una familia inmigrante y ya no haya Harbor Light adonde enviarla? ¿Dormirán en la calle? ¿O van a tener que aceptarlas para prestar algún tipo de servicio?”, se pregunta Vallano. “No estamos seguros”.
De cara al futuro, Núñez, de CARACEN, afirmó que la ciudad debería crear un sistema integrado, multilingüe y multicultural en el que todos los residentes de DC que se encuentren sin hogar tengan acceso a los programas y ayudas del gobierno, en lugar de un sistema independiente para inmigrantes como OMS. Espera que los residentes del refugio que sigan necesitando ayuda sean remitidos al sistema general de refugios.
“Entiendo por qué era necesario que existiera [la OMS] cuando tuvimos una enorme afluencia en tan poco tiempo, pero en este momento, necesitamos reintegrar todos esos esfuerzos en la estructura de gobierno existente y no separarlos para nada”, dijo Núñez.
Semanas antes de abandonar Harbor Light, antiguos residentes como Erika y José seguían buscando un lugar al que ir. En el momento de la entrevista, José dijo que tras el cierre del refugio, él y su familia planean mudarse a Maryland, porque la vivienda es más barata y la familia tiene amigos que viven en la zona.
Añadió que entiende que el albergue nunca pretendió ser una solución permanente, pero que, al no tener un trabajo estable y al carecer de orientación por parte de la OMS, ha tenido dificultades para encontrar una alternativa mejor. “Más que nada, aquí no hay ayuda”, dijo.
Traducido del inglés a través de Translators Without Borders.
ANNEMARIE CUCCIA AND FRANZISKA WILD Editor in Chief and Volunteer Freelance Reporter
n a move that sent shockwaves through city residents, particularly those experiencing homelessness and service providers, President Donald Trump federalized D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deployed the National Guard to D.C. on Aug. 11.
In his announcement, Trump, who has frequently linked crime and homelessness, framed unsheltered homelessness and encampments as part of the city’s alleged crime problem. He directed law enforcement to remove tents and threatened to remove people experiencing homelessness from the city. Over the following days, homelessness outreach workers scrambled to help people find safe places to sleep, putting them up in hotels or moving them into shelters, while fear, uncertainty, and frustration grew.
“You’re breaking people’s lives, and dreams, and their livelihoods. You’re messing people’s livelihoods up,” Temitope Ibijemilusi, who often sleeps downtown, said after law enforcement made him move his belongings. “You’re causing more problems, causing more anxiety.”
In total, Street Sense has confirmed at least 20 people have been displaced from eight encampments through federally driven closures. Law enforcement has told many more people to move from public spaces where people experiencing homelessness often congregate. Closures have largely been led by law enforcement officers, rather than the city’s normal outreach teams.
Though White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said 48 encampments have been closed since Aug. 11, Street Sense has not been able to confirm closures at more than eight unique sites across the District. The White House did not provide a list of closed sites or sites it intends to close.
Data from the city, meanwhile, suggests the number of people living in encampments has not meaningfully decreased over the last two weeks.
Meanwhile, dozens of people living outside reported harassment, fear, or uncertainty stemming from federal actions and rhetoric. Though the Trump administration threatened the criminalization of camping, panhandling, or sleeping outside, publicly available local arrest data and data provided by the White House do not yet show any arrests with those charges.
In response to the crackdown, the city opened more than 100 additional shelter beds, according to the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS), and is prepared to open more if needed. A second noncongregate shelter will open in the next few months, providing additional beds, and the city will put more money towards its homelessness diversion program.
But not everyone feels safe going into shelters — Kevin, who sleeps outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library downtown, said he finds the facilities overcrowded, and he worries about getting sick. So instead, he sleeps outside. These days, he feels particularly vulnerable to law enforcement.
“We already know what’s going on,” Kevin told Street Sense on Aug. 19, sitting outside MLK as the sun set. “I don’t know when, sooner or later, but they gonna come. They gonna come.”
On the night of Aug. 14, faced with FBI agents and a swarm of press, Meghann Abraham decided she was going to stand in front of her tent, cross her arms, and face the onslaught. She knew she wasn’t doing anything wrong — no matter what the president of the United States might say.
“Being homeless is not a crime,” she told Street Sense a few hours before. “We’re not drug addicts. We’re not criminals. We don’t have guns or nothing. We’re just trying to live.”
Abraham, who’s 34 years old, recently earned an associate’s degree from the College of Southern Maryland in the applied science of Homeland Security. She’d like to work for FEMA someday, helping people in crisis. After moving from the MLK Library, she lived with her boyfriend in a tent on the edge of Washington Circle for the past couple of months.
On Aug. 14, whispers began federal agents would start closing D.C.’s encampments. Late that afternoon, the city placed stickers on several tents in Washington Circle, notifying residents the encampment would be closed four days later, on Aug. 18. At the time, outreach workers and local officials said they did not know what locations federal agents would be targeting. They learned the plans only shortly before the FBI arrived. Just after 9 p.m., at least 12 FBI agents arrived at Washington Circle, intending to remove several tents, including Abraham’s. When agents approached Abraham, she showed them the sticker from the city. With the support of legal advocates, she argued she had the right to stay until Aug. 18. Agents
eventually left, and though they returned once more, they were seemingly deterred by the sticker. That night, they closed neither Abraham’s encampment nor the four nearby ones they told city officials they’d be visiting.
But the FBI agents’ departure that night was a brief reprieve. Local law enforcement returned to Abraham’s encampment, as well as several others, on the next morning, closing them on the orders of the federal government.
Officers were first spotted near the city’s Downtown Day Services Center, where many people experiencing homelessness go to get meals, showers, IDs, and other assistance. Residents and outreach workers said officers threw away some of the belongings of people in the area. Staff for nearby programs tried to keep people inside to make sure they stayed safe, accompanying clients outside to keep watch on them during their smoke breaks.
Ibijemilusi just recently began living outside the center, after the person he had been staying with passed away. He told Street Sense that law enforcement told him to break down his tent and discarded some other people’s possessions.
“A lot of people lost their things today,” Ibijemilusi said.
MPD then went to the tents near Washington Circle and told Abraham she had to move or risk arrest. Her boyfriend was at work at the time. MPD also threw away the tents and belongings of other encampment residents, even as Abraham scrambled to get in touch with them.
“They were [asking] is this trash? Is this trash? And I was, like, none of my stuff is trash. I have all these things because I want to own them,” Abraham told Street Sense reporters who arrived as the forced displacement was underway. “But then it’s me trying to advocate for myself against 20 police officers.”
MPD then headed down the street to 26th and L, where officers removed three tents, displacing at least one resident. Next, MPD officers headed downtown to a structure near 15th and G Streets and removed the structure. It did not appear that a resident was present.
In total, officers cleared at least 11 tents on Aug. 15 — most thrown into a Department of Public Works truck that accompanied law enforcement. The effort was led and conducted by MPD, rather than federal law enforcement. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS), which normally runs encampment closures and clearings in the city, was not involved in the closures, according to a statement from the agency. Street Sense also did not observe the usual presence of city social support agencies at any of these closures, other than two DHS officials at 15th and G Street.
“The District had a scheduled engagement to close the site at Washington Circle on August 18,” a DMHHS spokesperson wrote that afternoon. “However, today, federal officials chose
to execute the closure at the site and several others.”
Jim Malec, an ANC commissioner for the area, said he was angry MPD closed the encampment early, and concerned about the city government’s possible compliance with Trump’s directives.
“To promise these people a Monday deadline and then destroy their property three days early is simply cruel, and we must ensure that whomever is responsible for this decision is held accountable,” Malec wrote in a statement to Street Sense.
When Street Sense called Abraham a few days later and asked her about the closure, she described the experience as “violating.”
The most recent federally driven encampment closure Street Sense identified was on Aug. 18, when MPD officers again visited the area by the city’s Downtown Day Service Center. Officers stood outside the center for about an hour as outreach workers and day center staff helped people leave the area. Despite fears U.S. Marshals would be on the scene,
One man, who gave his name as Willie Nelson, said he was waiting outside the center in hopes of getting an ID. The center distributes IDs only on Thursdays, and has a limited number each week, so Nelson said he was sleeping nearby until then, hoping to beat the rush.
“I’ll be the first in line,” he said.
D.C. is made up of a mix of local and federal land. Under normal circumstances, those boundaries dictate if encampments are closed and which authorities lead the closure.
Encampments on federal land, such as the C&O Canal, Rock Creek Park, and green space near monuments and federal buildings, are cleared at the discretion of the National Park Service (NPS). NPS and its associated law enforcement, Park Police, began reinforcing camping bans in May 2024. They accelerated in March, after Trump issued an executive order to “make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful.”
Between March and early August, the agency cleared 70 encampments, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said at an Aug. 11 press conference. At the start of the federalization, two encampments remained on federal land, Leavitt said at an Aug. 12 press conference.
The city has its own process to respond to encampments on local land, using a team from DMHHS to track, conduct outreach with, and sometimes close encampments. The city has closed at least 60 encampments since the beginning of the year, according to data compiled by Street Sense. According to DMHHS, as of the start of Trump’s takeover, there were 62 encampments in the city. About 100 people lived in them, though far more people sleep outside on any given night; at least 800, according to the most recent count.
Trump’s federalization upended the normal encampment process. His oversight of the local police (which, even when limited, means the federal government has discretion over how police interact with encampments) turned MPD officers into encampment teams as part of his bid to remove the “drugged-out maniacs and homeless people” he says have taken over the city.
“This is his issue, seeing homeless encampments — it just triggers something in him,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a live community chat streamed on X Aug. 12.
The city was the first to begin unscheduled and expedited encampment closures, visiting spots near the Kennedy Center on Aug. 13 to inform residents they should move their tents over the next day. (Trump was at the Kennedy Center the same day.)
On Aug. 14, the city closed the encampment that had initially drawn Trump’s ire in a Truth Social post, in which he accompanied photos of tents along the interstate with the sentiment “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY.”
Under D.C. protocol, the closure was an immediate disposition, an encampment closure in which residents only have 24 hours’ notice as opposed to the standard seven days’, making this closure comparably hurried.
Rachel Pierre, the interim head of DHS, said the closure was a response to the August executive order and that other sites could be closed in the coming days. Deputy Mayor
for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage and other city officials suggested the city was more qualified to close encampments. While trying to stay ahead of federal closures, officials emphasized they had more services to offer residents.
“Closing encampments is a very, very complex process, you are dealing with human beings who, in many cases, have been marginalized, their lives are being disrupted,” Turnage told reporters on Aug. 14. “We felt that if the site was going to be closed, because it was a sizable site, we should do it ourselves,” he said, referring to the seven tent encampment along the interstate.
City outreach workers had been in the area since Trump’s Truth Social post, working with encampment residents, who were on high alert if they had not already moved. One man, G, told Street Sense on Aug. 11 that he was planning to move that day because of the attention the encampment began receiving.
Another, George Morgan, said he was hopeful Trump and Bowser could come to an agreement. He said he was interested in moving into one of the shelter spots the city had recently opened. But to do so, he would have to leave behind Blue, his beloved dog; the city’s shelters don’t accept pets.
Despite Morgan’s hopes, the Aug. 14 closure went forward. At least one resident accepted an offer to move into shelter, and outreach workers offered phones, storage, and hotel rooms to other residents.
As the city began the closure, about 12 protestors arrived, standing in the center of the encampment. Protestors held signs reading “being poor is not a crime” and “being unhoused is not a crime.”
One protestor, Reverend Ben Roberts, came from Foundry United Methodist Church, which helps low-income people and those experiencing homelessness navigate the ID application process.
“The only way that we end homelessness is to house people. If you’re housed, you are not homeless,” Roberts said, “So we need to put our resources and our leadership into making sure that that is what’s happening, versus this gigantic game of whack-a-mole that only prolongs the problem.”
This is a common refrain from advocates; while encampment closures can make homelessness less visible, they don’t directly move people into housing. While some people have moved into shelter in the last few weeks (though there is no specific number available), the closures have not been coupled with new federal resources to bring any of them closer to permanent housing.
Rather, many people seem to be shuffling around. David Beatty said he lived at the encampment near the interstate for about six months, moving there after another encampment closure. He and another resident were considering moving somewhere in Virginia, where he had lived before, but he was worried about the distance. He has tendonitis, he said, so it can be hard and painful to walk sometimes.
“I don’t know how far a walk that is,” Beatty said.
In total, since Trump’s takeover began, Street Sense has recorded the removal of at least 20 tents and the displacement of at least 20 people in encampment clearings — though that number is probably much higher if clearings of people without tents are factored in.
According to DMHHS, after two weeks of federalization, there were still 68 encampments in the city, with just over 100 residents. The numbers, which are strikingly similar to what the agency reported on Aug. 11, suggest that rather than moving into housing or shelter, most people are just moving around, likely to harder-to-reach places.
There has been a slight uptick in people accepting shelter, according to street outreach workers and the people experiencing homelessness Street Sense has surveyed, but the city did not provide numbers to confirm how many more people have entered shelter in recent weeks. Some people have also temporarily moved into hotels with the help of community groups, though they may not be able to stay long due to limited resources.
Street Sense has also spoken with people who have chosen to move to either Virginia or Maryland. Last week, local officials in neighboring jurisdictions said they worried about seeing an influx of people if they fled D.C.
Thus far, Hilary Chapman, the housing program manager at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which coordinates the local Point-In-Time Count, said surrounding jurisdictions haven’t seen a significant increase in people experiencing homelessness, though it could be too soon to tell.
Rather than leave, street outreach providers say most of their clients have chosen to seek new and more hidden spots to spend their time.
Edward Wycliff, director of strategic partnerships and community navigation at District Bridges, said his organization’s teams typically see between five and 20 clients in a single outreach session. Now, it’s down to one or two.
“There are people making themselves scarce,” Wycliff said. It’s been harder for outreach workers to find clients in the last few weeks, he said, which also makes it harder for people to access resources.
His experience aligns with the informal surveys Street Sense reporters have conducted with people experiencing homelessness. After speaking with nearly 70 people over the last two weeks, Street Sense found most people said they tried to avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement as much as possible. People listed a variety of tactics, including avoiding sleeping in exposed places, walking around at night instead of sleeping, and spending more time at drop-in centers. They also said they tried to “act stiffer” or not draw attention to themselves when they see officers patrolling.
“For the clients that I can find, or that we can find, the attitude is driven by fear,” Wycliff said. “They’re hearing of and witnessing people in the community or random people on the street being arrested, it’s scary for a lot of clients, it’s scary for a lot of outreach workers.”
Since the announcement, there’s been an air of fear among advocates, outreach staff, and people sleeping outside about whether this would be a turning point in D.C.’s criminalization of homelessness. While camping, aggressive panhandling, and other actions are currently illegal in D.C., MPD generally does not make arrests for these offenses, though some encampment residents have been arrested at federal closures or involuntarily hospitalized.
In a press conference on Aug. 12, Leavitt said MPD would begin reinforcing laws against camping, and people experiencing homelessness “will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental health services,” and if they refuse, could be fined or arrested.
According to a White House official and public local and federal arrest reports, law enforcement has not made any arrests for homelessness. Street Sense has also not been able to identify any arrests. But, the official said, MPD will begin enforcing local laws against being in public spaces soon. These local laws include D.C. Code 22-1307, which prohibits individuals from crowding or obstructing streets, sidewalks, building entrances, or other passageways, and D.C. Municipal Regulation 24-100, which prohibits the unauthorized use of public space.
It’s unclear how the general surge in law enforcement has impacted people experiencing homelessness, who may be more vulnerable to being charged with some crimes. At least five people who are experiencing homelessness have been arrested since Aug. 11, but all on charges not explicitly related to homelessness.
For instance, law enforcement has emphasized arrests for “quality of life crimes,” which include things like consuming alcohol or marijuana in public. These kinds of arrests disproportionately target people experiencing homelessness because, by definition, the offense must take place in public, which is where people experiencing homelessness spend more of their time.
The D.C. Hospital Association has also not reported a spike in involuntary hospitalizations as of Aug. 20. In the lead-up to the takeover, the Office of the DC Attorney General emailed area hospitals warning them of a spike in involuntary hospitalizations as federal agents fanned out into the city.
Of the over 70 people Street Sense reporters have surveyed in the last two weeks, law enforcement interactions have been inconsistent. Many people did not report increased interactions with law enforcement, but others were asked to show ID or told to move.
For example, Street Sense spoke with a pair of friends who said early on Aug. 13, Secret Service agents woke them and told them they could no longer sleep in Franklin Park. Another man said his friend, who regularly panhandles on a busy street, has been missing since the takeover began.
In some areas where people often sleep, like outside MLK Library, fewer people have congregated over the last few weeks.
Some people outside the library, though, seemed relatively unconcerned. Several people said they think officers will focus on violent crimes, and not on people sleeping outside.
Robert Hulshizre said more outreach workers had been by than police. “They already know who’s here; it’s not as if we hide and seek.”
Outreach workers worry about the long-term impacts of the crackdown, which may disconnect people from their service providers and create distrust that will make it harder to ultimately move people into housing.
“They are responding to this moment with this oppressive situation where people are hunting for you,” Wycliff said. “It makes it hard for the person who is looking for you for something supportive to try to locate you.”
For the people most impacted by Trump’s actions, there is a deep understanding of how ineffective they are at addressing the problem. Most have chosen to move to new spots in D.C. Even people who have accepted shelter are not significantly closer to permanent housing.
Abraham decided to move elsewhere in the city because shelter doesn’t work for her, she said. But when asked what she would say to the president — who ordered her forced displacement and equated people like her with criminals — she underscored the futility of his approach.
“In D.C., being homeless is not a crime,” she said. “They need to provide us another option, and they’re not doing that, they’re just saying get out of here.”
Madi Koesler, Katherine Wilkison, Mackenzie Konjoyan, Nina Calves, and Jelina Liu contributed reporting.
QAADIR EL-AMIN
On Aug. 18, we stood together against the federalization of the District of Columbia. Even though it was drizzling, there was a great turnout. People from different parts of the country came out to support. I had the pleasure of talking with two lovely ladies supporting “Chinga la migra.” One of the ladies was not from D.C. but loves Street Seme Media, and which shows the range of the paper’s reach. It’s beautiful to see the impact we have not just here in D.C. It’s important to know that here in the nation’s capital, we are the example.
But even as there are so many wonderful people coming together to bring positive change, there are some people here have other plans. So please be careful and stay aware.
As I was riding past a pedestrian, he hit me with his book bag, which caused a major injury. That hospitalized me. On multiple occasions, I have witnessed similar situations. This goes to show how dangerous the federalization of D.C. is. When people feel they can bring harm to another person because of the ramped-up law enforcement, they think no harm will come to them because they feel protected and privileged by the color of their skin.
Let us stay with our protestors. Let us stay caring, kind, and loving. Let us stay community news.
There are two videos we cannot unsee. One video is of intense despair. The other is a possibility.
While we know you typically ask for the bad part first, this head-turning hopeful news got us so excited that we shared the exact words of JD Vance and Diane Yentel with friends, associates, and even strangers stuck in line with us at the grocery store. All walks of life enthusiastically responded with comments of how the exchange gave them “hope.” The refreshingly gentle and respectful conversation could serve as a role model for a communications class, conflict management class, or even a political discussion.
Vance (then senator) said to Yentel (then president of National Low Income Housing Coalition), “As I understand it, the problem with Housing First is precisely the one fits all approach. In other words, you can take housing programs that are attempting to treat the root cause of homelessness, but then you’re denying them federal funds if they’re not following the so-called Housing First approach.” Next, he invited Yentel to share her thoughts, saying: “Do you agree with that approach, and I’d love to hear why or why not?”
The conversation was on solutions for homelessness, a topic dear to our hearts. However, the key point we took away was a method of communication that goes beyond one topic. They demonstrated how two people with different views can open their minds and, as Einstein suggested, seek to understand various views. Let’s face it, most of us have said at least once, “I didn’t look at it that way.” JD Vance’s kind, open-minded words, even using the word “love” in his inquiry, conveyed an openness to gathering information on an opposing view to get clarity and co-create better solutions together.
Yentel replied with a friendly, “Yeah, thank you for the question Senator Vance. First the root cause of homelessness, the one thing that all people experiencing homelessness have in common is lack of access to a decent stable affordable home and the research and the evidence are very clear that if people have substance abuse challenges or mental illness, they are best able to address those challenges from a stable home. … And there are a number of examples in your state of Ohio, very successful Housing First programs that work with people experiencing homelessness who don’t have substance abuse or mental health challenges and those who do. And in both cases, it’s the Housing First Approach, that low-barrier approach to getting somebody stably housed first that works. We tried sobriety requirements back in the 80s and the 90s. As a country, that was our approach to addressing homelessness. We had a stair-step model where people had to prove that they were so-called housing-ready. It didn’t work and it was overly expensive.”
This hopeful video is from 2023, but that is not so long ago. We got this!
Well, we promised to share two videos. While the second video is one of despair, it also provides a key takeaway, if we choose to learn from it. LSF Health Systems presented a highly effective video on domestic violence. Rather than share easy-to-forget statistics, they shared the beautiful smiles of the high school girls and boys who died way too soon due to domestic violence. When I hear statistics now, I imagine the faces and the previously boring statistics are suddenly unforgettable.
Hearing statistics about even one death due to a decision, vote, or direction we take, my mind visualizes the faces of the people impacted. My mind inevitably wanders to their children, siblings, classmates, friends, and even their neighbors. The cluttered vision board of despair makes me wish we could take a moment to double-check and ask ourselves – could we combine our brilliant minds to come up with a better transition plan? Imagine if you saw photos of the lives you saved.
With 2026 upon us, we are reaching our 250th anniversary. President Donald Trump talks about a desire to leave an incredible legacy. This is a chance to go down in history for leading with the Declaration of Interdependence. We have a chance to pave the path for our next 250 years! There are two sides to every problem, but four views to sustainable solutions. Together, we can combine our strengths to optimize solutions for people.
WENDELL WILLIAMS
When we last left Wendell, he had just discovered part of his mission in life may be to plant seeds that will grow into trees of knowledge abroad by delivering books on recovery he’d been collecting for years. Read the first part on our website.
Listening to my new friend speak of the roadblocks to recovery in Ghana, I remembered what we know as the 12-step process of recovery was born in the early 30’s, and by 1938, a book was published explaining how to recover. There were no TVs, mobile phones, internet, superhighways, or public transportation yet as we know them. Very few people could afford an automobile, and the roads outside of the cities were still very primitive. The daily gatherings some of us attend today started as weekly or monthly affairs in someone’s home.
As he was describing his country’s conditions, it sounded in every way like America in earlier times, as it related to being able to access the information needed for recovery. And how did it work here? They took the only solution available to them then, and it’s what we’d now call lowtech: simply reading a book and passing on the information obtained. Each one teaches one. Those early books were hard to come by, and if you had one, you shared it. Well, that same strategy came to mind as the only thing that could work in my friend’s situation. Back before technology took over, we were told those who read the recovery books would be able to make the necessary changes needed in our lives. People have successfully recovered in isolation since the beginning with just the literature. And the same would work in this part of Africa. But there would be two parts to the delicate task. First, finding enough books, because the need was so great, and second, how to get the books to Africa. When I shared what I was thinking with my friend, he said, “You just get them, let me worry about shipping them.” Being relieved of what I thought was the most difficult part, I was off and running, towards what, I really didn’t know. I was thinking, “Yes, I can do this, it’s just getting the books.” Stay tuned.
So as soon as I returned, I shared what had happened in Ghana, the need, and my vision with everyone I knew. Using my sales training, I asked for referrals to groups, even about ones were no longer meeting in person or had died out due to the pandemic, and may have, sitting somewhere, large numbers of books. My friend and I worked up a poster asking for recovery book donations, and we shared it on our large international Zoom gatherings. This led to my collecting books in larger numbers than I ever had. When I spoke about it with people, some asked me about my timeline and how they could give. This led me to make several more calls to my friend to formalize the effort into a serious appeal for help, like
you see on social media to feed or bring medical services to underserved communities overseas.
People today have become used to helping in a variety of ways, and I’m still stuck thinking, “You got books, what’s your address?” Which had me running around like a chicken with its head cut off (I’ve seen that.) In the days following, I’d drive great distances in the same day in different states for books. Meanwhile, others, more tech savvy, kept giving ideas on how one could more comfortably give that I hadn’t thought of, because I didn’t understand.
Some wanted to write me a check. Some inquired about electronic payments for books, and others asked, “Can I give you my credit card information?” And still others, “Take this cash, Wendell.” Some asked for the address in Africa or my address so they could mail books directly. But I finally stumbled on a method that could work for most people eliminate any possibility of the effort being taken as just another scam out of Africa, like the infamous “Nigerian Prince.” Donors could call in or go online and purchase new recovery books directly, without having to share personal information with me. And this blew the whole Johnny Appleseed of Books thing wide open. As a result of my fumbling and stumbling, I came across the gold standard. It now seemed like every day, more people got wind of this little book drive. I’d be at the office, and my phone would ring from some strange area code, and someone else would want in. I’d refer them to the website or hand the phone to a worker in the office who’d call them back to take a donation, and then I would choose the books. At times, people sitting in the office buying books themselves would overhear my conversations and say, with their credit card still out, “Put us down for this amount.” It went on like this for about three weeks before tapering off. (I’m still receiving books in the mail; they’re in my trunk.)
Now my car was overloaded with books, and I feared some idiot would break into it only to find books on why they shouldn’t have broken into it in the first place. Now this venture began taking over my living room, starting in one corner and spreading across the floor. So, for self-preservation, I had to begin focusing on getting the books out. I could no longer wait as the load got bigger. We were close to 400 books, some from as far away as Canada, and since I am addicted to round numbers, it was suggested I stop before I set a crazy goal of a thousand books and move into a two-bedroom to accommodate the traffic. In Africa, we had talked about using a loose network of Ghanaians traveling to and from America to ferry the books, but not with this number. So, we began to check on the rates with airlines, with the uncertainty of shipping anything by boat to Africa.
Like I was taught, I reached out to a friend of our program, a mighty man of service, and asked for his help. Let’s call him John. He’d just retired from the Postal Service, and I needed his opinion, which was, “You got 4-6 big heavy boxes of books here, and Home Depot boxes aren’t going to do it. They’re affordable but won’t stand up to the way they will be handled along their journey.”
So, I got back on WhatsApp to Africa to apprise my friend of the latest of the many challenges and changes to the plan I was facing. I let him know the well was dry on my end, moneywise, because so many of my contacts were all in, and I just couldn’t ask them for shipping donations, too. He mentioned he had a relative in America he’d contact for help. After a lot of back and forth and many delays, I was app-ed $200 to get everything to Africa. I had to bring myself to understand what
that amount represents to someone in Africa, several thousands of dollars, at least six months’ salary, so I had to make it work.
I got with John again, and he suggested a UPS store for the packing expertise, because the books would be of no use if they arrived damaged. We got a quote, and we were already over budget. Then we went to the post office, and they could only give us a minimum cost based on weight. (And it did get tricky on the actual mailing date.)
Then the universe opened, and then Sister’s Johnny Appleseed of Books received a blessing, that, if I had a lifetime, I’d spend it fighting to have her nominated as a saint. My friend said the spouse of one member of his group in Ghana before the pandemic was in the diplomatic service, and we could ship the books using their diplomatic post office, but more importantly, it could be shipped on a secure U.S. military flight with delivery in 10 days or so. Unbelievable that after all that we’ve been through, it’s happening.
I tell the story to the shipping store manager, who further discounts the packing. So now they wouldn’t be damaged by water or mishap. All the while I’m watching this tight budget shrink, which I know is going to include some of my own precious funds. We drop the books off, I get the call they’re ready, and head back out. My friend with her SUV helps as we head for the post office. After hand trucking the boxes in, filing out additional forms, and waiting in line, I find the boxes were overweight. The counter person can’t or won’t tell by how much, only that they are. And in a Random Act of Kindness, I call back to the shipping store manager, who says no worries, just come back, we’ll give you the additional boxes and repack at no charge. And in an hour or so, I’m back at the post office, full of anxiety these books will be like grown children who finish college and never leave. When it’s all said and done, I’m only out nine bucks. But once again, I learned so much about people and myself.
Wow, all along this process, I’ve run into the kindness of people who heard the story and wanted to be a part of getting those books in the hands of readers in Africa, whom they’d never get to meet or see read. And that’s the beauty of paying blessings forward and the pure spiritual mission of a ragtag person, who was a real person and not a myth. And how this nun, back in 1962, planted in me the seed that would become this wild idea in 2025 that maybe I could become “The Johnny Appleseed of Books.”
I think today I’ll drive by the school, park, and look up at that second-floor southeast corner window where the Sister used to stand, wave, and thank her for giving me the beginnings of a moral compass through the works she read to us those afternoons.
WARREN STEVENS
Artist/Vendor
The family friends, relatives, and couples are driving down the Eastern Shore or to the beach. My cousin, when he was living, would take a trip to Ocean City. He and his band used to play every year. They would walk on the bay to shop and buy hats and sunshades. I hope this summer I’ll get a chance to take a trip to the waterfalls in Maryland with my girlfriend.
When it is hot like this, before I sell my Street Sense papers, I go around the corner from where I live and stay in the outdoor pool for hours until sunset. And then I am ready to go uptown to sell the Street Sense papers. Some people use the app on their phone to purchase a paper, which is a smart thing to do. And they show kindness by buying something to eat, and showing love and kindness. And also go to the store for vendors showing kindness. When I finish selling papers, I drive to my favorite restaurant, Denny’s, and I have a good meal and read the paper or an Archie comic, while drinking a cup of coffee.
I will hopefully see my son and his family, so we can hook up to go to Golden Coral to enjoy the buffet. I remember two other people, my girlfriend and I, went to a buffet in Alexandria, Virginia, and we had a ball. We walked to the bay to sightsee, Please, folks, drink plenty of cold water in the heat. Love y’all. Stay safe.
TASHA SAVOY
Artist/Vendor
JENNIFER MCLAUGHLIN Artist/Vendor
For many years, D.C. taxpayers have been funding the cost of stadiums. The cost to the city from Audi Field was $150 million. The New York Jets and Giants built their MetLife Stadium without tax dollars. Other cities have funded stadiums without tax dollars. The money could have been used to fund safety net programs, like food stamps and Medicaid.
LATICIA BROCK Artist/Vendor
I appreciate it when you stop to talk and greet me with a smile
And you and I chat for just a little while
And from your hard-earned money
You buy one of my papers
Just seeing your smile is a must Hearing you say hello is a plus Without me, things were out of whack
But all is well; Tent City Mama is...BACK!
A highlight of growing up was Sunday dinner at my grandparents’ house. Grandma’s kitchen was a tradition! Fried chicken was her signature dish, and the smell has stayed with me. I would dream about that Southern fried chicken. Grandma was from the South, so she knew all about covering her chicken with that finger-licking good stuff. And then there were all the side dishes: collard greens, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and — last but certainly not least — grandma’s favorite biscuits. I keep the tradition going every Sunday. It’s chow time with family and friends. Grandma is no longer physically with us, but she is in spirit, in our hearts, and in our memories. Love you, grandma…always.
MARC GRIER
Artist/Vendor
There are two people in my life whom I thought I couldn’t live without, my mother and father. They were an important part of my life. My dad taught me many things, such as to work hard and never let them see you sweat. My dad worked three jobs, and he taught me how important it is to have a job in this society. And my mom taught me how to love everybody, no matter what color, race, or religion they are, because God is love, and that is what she was trying to teach me as I was growing up.
TREVOR FREEMAN
Artist/Vendor
You know, people of America, we are obliged to fix our government when it has problems, as this one obviously does. Yet somehow the people who voted a tyrant into office are FAFO a.k.a messin’ around. Now we’re finding out who these folks are as they start regretting their votes. This tyrant is federalizing the District’s Metropolitan Police Department so it can arrest the homeless and the mentally ill.
JENKINS DALTON
Artist/Vendor
We live in a nation of capitalists, and being homeless doesn’t happen once. You can lose a job or be robbed by bankers, who have no mercy. Believe me. Trust that you are being deceived at your check-cashing place, or else you will become homeless. It’s only a matter of time.
I work for the government as a bus driver, and I don’t make a fortune. Sometimes I hear people who say they are retired with a lot of cash. Can I know how I am going to retire, and how to make at least $10 million?
Being homeless scares me, and I wish to know a secret to living wealthy.
JACUELINE GALE
Artist/Vendor
I was born homeless. I was raised homeless. I remember as a child when my mother got housed. It was a one-bedroom. My brother and I slept on the floor or on a dirty mattress that my mother may have found.
I remember walking through the building looking for food and finding the trash compartment. There were rats and roaches, but I had no fear. I was hungry. My mother never paid full attention to me unless she was angry and needed something to beat on (which was me). I became a runaway and felt safer on the streets than in my home.
In 1997, I was officially homeless and broke. I became a crack addict for 20 years of my life. I got to travel. I don’t remember how, but I traveled. I made it to Washington, D.C., in 2017. I found N Street Village and started the process. It was a journey, but it only took me a year. I had a shared room apartment, but that did not go well. I finally have a home, and I don’t have to worry about being bothered or robbed of my food.
So, people of the United States — yes, I’m speaking directly to you — we used to stand tall and walk tall for the little guys, the poor, and the broken. Now we need to do that again. Now I want every American to look in the mirror and judge their character, because the soul of this country is on our shoulders.
WILLIAM
Artist/Vendor
It’s a terrible tactic. But, in some ways, it’s needed. Looking around our city, I see a lot of people with criminal and deadly intent to harm others going into places working to help the homeless. In saying that, I think the problem is the crime and how it can sometimes be brushed under the table when, in reality, crime can still cause trouble. You have everyday working people being victims, and babies occasionally being killed. So, going federal will be a lesson learned.
My advice is to stay out of the way and know your rights and the applicable laws.
STARCHILD BLK
Artist/Vendor
Thread by thread, and hand in hand,
We gather where the dreamers stand.
No masks, no clout, no games to play —
Just artists lighting up the day.
A DJ’s rhythm, painter’s hue, The ones who build what others view.
We come to swap, to stitch, to shine,
To blur the edge of craft and line.
So bring your art, your thrifted flair — This space was made with love and care.
WILLIE FUTRELLE Artist/Vendor
The day March 12, 2024 would change my life forever; I just did not know it yet. Only my fourth day in Washington, D.C., after 26 years in North Carolina. I moved alone, hoping for a better life. As I walked the big city streets, admiring the architecture, a beautiful church stuck out, sandwiched between a parking garage and an office building. Being a random Tuesday, I wondered why people were standing outside at 9 a.m. As I approached The Church of the Epiphany and asked someone in line, a man named Thomas walked up behind me and answered.
"We are Street Sense Media. A local street paper determined to end homelessness," Thomas said. "If you want to work with us, just come back at 2 p.m. today or Thursday for orientation." Just like that, I had my first job in D.C.!! I moved with no family or apartment or friends, or job waiting in D.C. I was living out of my car in the parking garage next door. Street Sense Media truly changed my future. They gave me a source of income, shelter from the elements, and access to resources that would keep me from ever falling too far down to get back up. Thomas encouraged and supported me as I found other work and kept writing for Street Sense. He did not know it, but he would also help me meet my wife.
Just four months into working at Street Sense, I came to check in with Thomas and pick up some earned income. As I walked by our employee break room, a beautiful woman that I had seen on the streets was chatting with a coworker. The first time I had seen her, my mouth was not brave enough to work. Missing a second chance to ask her name was not an option. My coworker was offering to show her a market to sell papers at that I had never been to. It's a free country, so I invited myself along. The market was not open that day, so I invited Surya to coffee. The next day, we attended a Street Sense writers workshop and picked up the new issue of the paper. Then, I took her to an open farmers' market and helped her sell her first paper. We started hanging out every day. We got married in September. Street Sense continued to provide support and resources beyond just income. Amazing Reggie is the reason I was able to get into a transitional shelter that allowed me to save every penny for over six months. Through Surya's church, in March of 2025, we were offered a place to live. It took two months to clean out, but in May of 202,5 we moved into a threebedroom, one bath, three-story home!!! Less than a year together, and we both went from shelter to stable. In less than one year, I went from being alone in my car to the luckiest married man in D.C. None of these miracles would have happened without Street Sense Media at The Church of the Epiphany on 13th and G.
JAMES LYLES, III
Artist/Vendor
While working as a security screener for International Total Services and Argenbright Security, I have met many interesting government officials and celebrities, such as Anita Bryant and Rev. Jesse Jackson.
I have screened passengers through metal detectors. When a passenger has anything that sets off an alarm, e.g, metal in a belt or something in a shoe, I ask them for consent to be searched. When the passenger says yes, my supervisor searches. When the passenger says no, the airport police
CYNTHIA HERRION Artist/Vendor
Being a “yes woman” ruined my life for years. However, becoming a “no woman” absolutely changed my life in ways I never expected. Here are a few:
By saying “no!” I have more time for things I love. I used to say “yes” to every opportunity. Now I only say “yes” to things that are a yes for me.
By saying “no” more often, I have more money, and am not saying “yes” to parting with my hard-earned cash.
Saying “no” more often enabled me to respect myself. I started saying “no” when I wanted to say it, and I began to respect myself more and care more about my time.
Saying “no” makes others respect me more. When I say “yes” to everything, people take me for granted. They assume I’ll always be there.
Saying “no” more made me happier. The more I said “no” to the things I didn’t want to do or wasn’t passionate about, the more I could say “yes” to things I love. The bottom line? Say “NO” more often.
FREDERIC JOHN Artist/Vendor
Forrest Gump had nothing on me. Present at LBJ’s non-succession? I stood a foot from the almighty Duke Ellington as he whispered “Love you madly” into my dear Mama’s ear: a 35-plus year reunion. And truth be told, I met the ascended master in at least one more backstage tête-à-tête: in the old Watergate Barge, docked along the Potomac. June 1970. I was a footloose, fancy-free runaway bouncing around my home city, just a couple of miles from my folks’ comfortable Bethesda digs. Some “renegade” enabler friends had pulled me along to check out Duke Ellington’s appearance for free, D.C.’s “Summer in the Park” jazz extravaganza.
The opener was grizzled blues vet Jimmy Witherspoon, who could be counted upon to belt out “Wee Baby Blues,” or “Somebody Damaged the Lock,” any number of ribald classics. Funnily, his “guest vocalist” was named Miss Gloria Witherspoon, but no relation.
Miss Gloria wound up pairing her version of the Duke’s beloved “Mood Indigo” alongside its leopard-patterned-jacketed creator.
perform the search. If a passenger refuses that, they won’t fly. When a passenger has bags, the security screener X-rays the bags to check for contraband such as guns or any objects that could destroy the aircraft and its passengers. I have caught lots of tools that could be used as weapons: a gas chainsaw with gasoline in it, an electric chain with sharp blades, and plastic paint with potentially harmful fumes. I have learned a lot about being courteous while keeping the public safe.
JAMES DAVIS Artist/Vendor
We used to have a program called “Vendor for a Day.” Various groups and schools would come in and listen to two vendors tell their stories about becoming unhoused. The students and participants would split into four groups with each vendor. They would each receive five papers and would accompany the vendor to an intersection, with one group on each of the four corners. Chaperones also would include the teacher and any parent who came. They would receive a temporary badge and a short spiel to say, like, “Street Sense, help the homeless with a donation.” Whatever money was made was collected and split between the vendors. I can recall receiving $176 over one hour with eight students from the School Without Walls. After we returned, some participants would talk about how their sales experience went. I think it would be a great program to bring back, so people would see once again how valuable Street Sense is to the community.
At the song’s conclusion, “Dukie” rallied the mellow crowd, wisecracking, “There you have it, Jimmy with his spoon,” followed by “Miss Gloria without her spoon!”
Memory, believe it or not, fails me on what came next, but I distinctly recall a delicious arabesque of tenor sax intro from the diminutive Johnny Hodges: a jazz legend in his own right, and member of the Ellington organization (on and off) for the better part of 50 years! So is it so off the chain for me to segway to Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan, on or about May 27, 1974, thousands gathered in the nave of The Cathedral of St. John the Divine to honor the recently passed Duke? My buddy Alex and I among them. Especially graven I recall was Ray Nance (one of Ellington’s most brilliant soloists), streaming tears down his creased visage uncontrollably. Moments before, I had witnessed Erroll Garner’s cascading piano solo of “Sophisticated Lady” delivered as he propped himself up on the piano bench with the help of a pair of New York phone books!
Across
1. Absorbs, with “up”
5. Parcheesi, pinochle or poker, e.g.
9. Dwelling constructed from adobe?
14. “You can say ____ again!”
15. Muslim prayer leader
16. Bridge support
17. “¿Cómo ___ usted?” (polite Sp. greeting)
18. Rani’s wear
19. Starbucks offering
20. “To no extent whatever” (4 wds.) (3,2,3,5)
23. Belief
24. Driver’s lic. and others (abbr.)
25. ___ Dhabi
28. Discount rack abbr.
29. Likely subj. of a book that includes adventures of Pecos Bill and his horse Widowmaker (2 wds.) (6,5)
34. Former Reagan White House adviser Nofziger
35. Sheltered, nautically
36. Big furniture retailer
37. Three sheets to the wind
41. It’s free at Starbucks (2-2)
44. Abbr. at the end of a list (2-2) (Lat.)
45. Battery-powered or hybrid cars, for short
48. Writing surface commonly associated with fresh starts (3 wds.) (1,5,5)
52. Poe’s “The ____ and the Pendulum”
53. Swell place?
54. Got together, as a committee
55. Neighboring country of Argentina and Peru
57. What Elon’s D.O.G.E. accomplished in the auto sales industry... or an apt description of the circled letter groups above? (3 wds.) 6,2,5)
62. Old-fashioned word for leaning
64. Facial feature hiding in “Without it one has no sense of smell”
65. Wander
66. Dentist’s command or dryer cycle
67. Reputation, informally
68. Leg up
69. Roll with a hole that gets schmeared
70. Last name in World War I-era spydom
71. Fortuneteller
Down
1. Lettering template of sorts supplied by clients?
2. “Oops, my bad!” (2 wds.) (2,5)
3. Male ____ baldness (Rogaine target)
4. Strait-laced in dress, manner and speech
5. Heart of the matter
6. Eastern nurse
7. Colt’s or Filly’s mother
8. Estevez of “The Breakfast Club”
9. “Finally!” (2 wds.) (2,4)
10. In the 1941-1950’s the “bullet” or “cone” version of these was most popular
11. Beat one’s opponents in a yack-down, say
12. Period with later sunsets (abbr./init.)
13. 180° from WNW
21. Ultra diet-friendly (2-3)
22. Big name in ice cream East of the Rocky Mountains
26. Quilters’ community activity or spellers’ contest
27. Can. neighbor (abbr./init.)
30. Suffix with pay
31. “Scream” director Craven
32. Tropical nut saluted in a popular song from “South Pacific”
33. Word after band, first or nurse’s
37. “Bye Bye Miss American ___”
38. Due in hr. (abbr./init.)
39. Squeal (on)
40. Vote in
41. Fourth word of “Frosty the Snowman” and the 8th of “The First Noel”
42. Controversial govt. grp. authorized to deport non-citizens w/o hrngs. (abbr./init.)
43. Blazing away
45. TV show piece?
46. It takes one to raise a child in a familiar African proverb
47. Soft-shell clam or a sea-going craft
49. Dutch beer named for a river (METALS anagram)
50. Super ___ (GameCube predecessor)
51. “Pew, what is that!?” prompter
56. Ed McMahon’s old nightly line “___ Johnny!”
58. “If all ___ fails...”
59. Nickelodeon’s “___ the Explorer”
60. Junkie
61. Tootsie treat?
62. Short trader on Wall St.? (abbr.)
63. Acapulco aunt (Sp.)
This crossword puzzle is the original work of Patrick “Mac”McIntyre. It is provided to us courtesy of Real Change News, a street paper based in Seattle, Washington. Learn more about Real Change News and the International Network of Street Papers at realchangenews.org and insp.ngo.
Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento Case Management Coordinación de Servicios
Academy of Hope Public Charter School
202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Pl. NE
202-373-0246 // 421 Alabama Ave. SE aohdc.org
Bread for the City 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 1700 Marion Barry Ave., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org
Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Marion Barry Ave., SE calvaryservices.org
Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp
Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org
Charlie’s Place // 202-929-0100 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org
Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org
Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach
Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org
Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 4 Atlantic St., NW communityofhopedc.org
Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org
D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org
Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 North Capitol St., NW fathermckennacenter.org
Food and Friends // 202-269-2277
(home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org
Foundry Methodist Church // 202-332-4010 1500 16th St., NW foundryumc.org/idministry
Identification services
Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org
Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org
Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9096 1526 Pennslyvania Ave., SE jobshavepriority.org
Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org
Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Rd, SE
2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE
Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org
My Sister’s Place // 202-529-5991 (24-hr hotline) mysistersplacedc.org
N Street Village // 202-939-2076 1333 N St., NW nstreetvillage.org
New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE
Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW
Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org
Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org
Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org
So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org
St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-363-4900 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org
Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org
Unity Health Care unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699
1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 850 Delaware Ave., SW, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 1151 Bladensburg Rd., NE, 4515 Edson Pl., NE
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org
The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable
Whitman-Walker Health 1525 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 1201 Sycamore Dr., SE whitman-walker.org
Woodley House // 202-830-3508 2711 Connecticut Ave., NW
For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide
As a Runner at F1 Arcade, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the restaurant. Your primary responsibilities include delivering drink orders to guests in a timely manner and assisting in maintaining a clean and organized bar environment.
Required: Able to stand and walk for long periods Apply: tinyurl.com/RunnerF1Arcade
& Social // D.C.
Duties include but are not limited to: serving cocktails and/or menu items to bar guests; up-sell when taking orders; coordinate with bartenders and kitchen for ordering and receipt of food and beverages; must be willing to provide outstanding and professional service with a smile to ensure guest satisfaction; must be able to communicate effectively and clearly with co-workers and kitchen staff both verbally and utilizing the point of sales system.
Required: A year of experience in a fast paced food and beverage venue; ability to lift 50 pounds.
Apply: tinyurl.com/ServerSportsSocial
Will perform general store operational duties including cashiering, customer service, truck unloading, stocking, merchandise recovery, and light cleaning or maintenance as assigned. Text “BIG LOTS” to 97211 to schedule an interview.
Required: Be ale to lift 50 pounds and older than 16
Apply: tinyurl.com/BigLotsDC
CRAIG THOMPSON
Artist/Vendor
American born, American bred
The CONSTITUTION ‘til I’m dead God, family, and country too Yes please, or no thank you
Let it be, add AMEN and thank you Lord I too Islam, I own a sword Thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not kill Harm no one as you climb your hill
And as we look down with love, not fear Humanitarians stand up, lend an ear Understand and do our best
I hope you fulfill your every quest
The need, the want, the crock of shit In endless wars, a throw, a fit Aren’t we our brothers‘ keepers yet When I’m not, it’s my regret
But wipe your own ass and learn how to fly We should all get our piece of American pie
If you never aim for the stars
You’ll never land on the moon
Says this bipolar Hollywood tycoon
Enjoy the scenery, enjoy the ride And always remain on Jehovah’s side And stand up for what this country should do
Says one lonely artist, Kung Fu
GLORIA PRINZ Artist/Vendor
CRAIG
THOMPSON
Artist/Vendor
QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE
Artist/Vendor
Talking with one person, two persons, three persons, more
We all want President Trump out the door!
We try so very hard not to dislike or hate
But his questions and mannerisms offer too much bait.
I may never get the chance to say to you, Trump Listen to your citizens and get some help
To make things straight before It’s just way, way too late!!
A job means just one step from broke. Why is it important to have a career? At least, enjoy what you do. There are things worth more than a job. Experiences that give meaning to your life. Purpose can bring more abundance than money.
