09 29 2021

VOL. 18 ISSUE 35

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SEPT. 29 - OCT. 5, 2021

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Chalkboard shows low-income food benefits offered at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market.

Mary Coller Albert, Blake Androff, Jeremy Bratt, David Cloe, Clare Krupin, Jennifer Park, Michael Phillips, Dan Schwartz, John Senn, Aaron Stetter, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson, Corrine Yu

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The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper 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

// 3

AT A GLANCE BIRTHDAYS Jemel Flemming Sept. 29 ARTIST/VENDOR

Melody Byrd Sept. 29 ARTIST/VENDOR

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Jeffery McNeil

Naloxone training, art, food, and more Wed, Sept. 29 // 2 - 6 p.m.

50 Massachusetts Ave. NE (In front of Union Station) Join The h3 Project and the D.C. Dept. of Behavioral Health for a resource fair, DJ, food, raffle giveaways and free swag, art creation and Naloxone certification training. “The purpose of the event is to educate members of the overall community, as well as those most at risk, on how to prevent opioid addiction, treatment, and recovery options.”

THURSDAY, SEPT. 30

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

SATURDAY, OCT. 2

Right to Housing Committee Meeting

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

Rally for Abortion Justice

6:30 p.m. (Virtual) ONE D.C.’s Right to Housing committee supports long-time D.C. residents to fight against displacement and for safe and affordable housing.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/ONE-DC-HousingCmmte-Sept30

Executive Committee Oct. 12, 1:30 - 3 pm // Virtual Housing Solutions Committee Oct. 18, 2 - 3 pm // Virtual ***For call-in information, as well as meeting info for unlisted working groups, contact: ich.dmhhs@dc.gov

11 a.m. // Freedom Plaza 1325 Pennsylvania Ave NW The Women’s March has organized demonstrations in each state to “defend our reproductive freedom.”

The effort aims to “send the Supreme Court and lawmakers across the country a clear, unified message: attacks on our reproductive rights won’t be tolerated.”

INFO: tinyurl.com/dc-abortion-rally

Submit your event for publication by emailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

AUDIENCE EXCHANGE Kaela Roeder (she/they) @RoederKaela

Street Sense Media @streetsensedc

For @dclinenews and @streetsensedc, I am hoping to speak with people living outside about how climate change (flooding, high temps) affects their living situations. Anonymity is OK. My DMs are open!

Welcome to Leo, our newest case manager!

Leo joins us from Avodah. Come by to meet Leo and see Darick, our director of programs, for some helpful case management assistance and great smiles!

1:15 PM · SEP 23, 2021

12:29 PM · SEP 28, 2021

Published began contributing to the website of conservative think tank American Compass as a freelance writer. Read his first article at tinyurl.com/AC-mcneil ARTIST/VENDOR

VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • The Street Sense Media offices will be closed Monday, Oct 11, for Indigenous Peoples Day. • Out of caution and concern for the health and wellbeing of our community, Street Sense Media will no longer be hosting an in-person Celebration event on Oct. 14. We are considering other options to showcase the artistic work of our vendor/artists and celebrate the work we are doing for a future where no one is without a home.

• Moving forward, there will be a 2-day delay on all Vendor App payouts.

• Vendors can bring in a complete CDC vaccination card for 15 papers.

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NEWS

Local food programs meet food needs through COVID-19 pandemic

BY MICHELLE LEVINE michelle.levine@streetsensemedia.org

S

urging financial support for American families prevented food insecurity from rising during the pandemic, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released this month. Results show 13.8 million households in the United States are food insecure, meaning there is a lack of “access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.” In the District, 10.3% of 336,000 households are food insecure — nearly equal to the national rate of 10.5% — compared to 8.5% in Virginia and 9.2% in Maryland.

The report says the “USDA granted states significant program flexibilities and contingencies to serve nutrition assistance program participants.” Those measures helped to decrease levels of food insecurity. In a 30-day period, November through December 2020, only 5.7% of Americans were food insecure overall — half the average for all of last year, the report says.

The future is uncertain, however, because many pandemic-related food programs expire on Sept. 30.

At least 60 million families nationwide had emergency food needs last year Despite the pandemic surge of federal benefits, families struck hardest by COVID-

19 struggled. In the same 30-day period 2020. So, an additional 21 million needed help referenced above, healthy nutrition access last year for a short period. wasn’t there for 16.4% of families where the lease or mortgage-holding adult couldn’t How the government helped work due to the pandemic. In households food-insecure families where that adult wasn’t employed and the pandemic prevented job hunting, 20.4% were food insecure.

The federal government introduced multiple Overall, last year, Black and Hispanic resources to fight food insecurity throughout families had at least 20% food insecurity, the pandemic, including a Pandemic compared to less than 10% among white Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) and families. More than 27% of families led by summer lunch programs for children. The a single mother are food insecure, relative P-EBT program provided $1 billion each to less than 10% among married households. month, spread out to about 25 million people All of this, struggling to according to buy food. the USDA To continue report. support after Income was pandemicthe strongest r e l a t e d indicator of benefits end, food access. the USDA is Families significantly e a r n i n g upgrading the Beverley Wheeler below 185% Supplemental DC Hunger Solutions Director of the federal Nutrition poverty line, a Assistance common qualification for support programs, Program (SNAP), formerly known as food were 33.7% food insecure. The pandemic stamps. Starting Oct. 1, beneficiaries will meant families above that threshold needed receive an increase in monthly payments. help last year as well. In the U.S., 60 million Compared with pre-pandemic levels, the families accessed government or community change will mean an average of $36.24 more food help last year, according to the nonprofit in benefits per person per month.

Feeding America. The USDA estimated 38.3 The update comes after a USDA million Americans were food insecure through study revealed that nine out of 10 SNAP

“We’re not doing this because there’s a lack of food, but a lack of access.”

Children listen to music near a food programs sign at the Monroe Street Market, Sept.

19, 2021. BY GORDON CHAFFIN

beneficiaries said they could not afford healthy food. Four key factors identified in the 2018 Farm Bill were used to analyze how SNAP could be altered: current food prices, the typical American diet, dietary guidance, and the nutrients in food items.

Based on these evaluations, the study found that the price of a “nutritious, practical, costeffective diet” is 21% higher than what the current food plan budgets for. Based on this, the USDA announced a new version of the Thrifty Food Plan, which “represents the cost of a nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet prepared at home for a family of four.”

Other federally funded initiatives include the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). The criteria for qualifying for each of these plans (and many others) can be found at dcbenefits.dhs.dc.gov.

Benefits are directly deposited onto EBT and SNAP cards each month for beneficiaries to use. USDA provides an interactive map that shows where the cards are accepted (tinyurl. com/SNAP-Retailer-Locator).

Plenty of food, but too little access and awareness D.C. Hunger Solutions, a local nonprofit, set up a SNAP outreach team to help residents submit applications. Three representatives dedicate their time to guiding beneficiaries

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Zuccini and tomatoes at the Bloomingdale Farmers Market, Sept. 19, 2021. PHOTO BY MICHELLE LEVINE

through the application process for all federal food aids. It’s a 20-year-old initiative of the nonprofit Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), with the goal to “end hunger in the nation’s capital and improve the nutrition, health, economic security, and well-being of low-income District residents.”

“We’re not doing this because there’s a lack of food,” D.C. Hunger Solutions Director Beverley Wheeler said, “but a lack of access.”

Though there are many programs available, people don’t realize they qualify for them, she said. And in most cases, families qualify for multiple. The organization has lists resources at dchunger.org to ensure that those who are looking for food assistance can get it.

D.C. Hunger Solutions’s Federal Nutrition Programs Toolkit (tinyurl.com/DC-HungerToolkit) outlines what benefits are available based on age group and status.

D.C. residents also benefit from many local food access programs that focus on healthy food. Several organizations have chosen to set up market locations in “food deserts” lacking easily accessible grocery stores.

Where can DC residents shop using food benefits?

Produce Plus D.C., which operated through 2021 under the nonprofit D.C. Greens, allows those who qualify to receive $20 per week to buy fresh groceries. The program runs every summer, June through September. Participants choose 10 of the 17 weeks that were offered to receive a total of $200 worth of fresh food. A map of markets that participated this year can be found dcgreens.org/customers.

“I think it’s wonderful for seniors to be able to get and afford fresh produce [through Produce Plus DC],” said Brookland resident Schye, who shops at farmer’s markets for her mother.

Harris Teeter and Giant are the only two large grocers nearby, he said, and for someone without access to a car or money for public transportation, going food shopping can be very time-consuming. This is why he sets up Bloomingdale Market in the heart of the community.

“It makes a huge difference for folks,” he said. “There’s a lot of young families that need this support.” Bloomingdale is a Freshfarm market and also participates in the Produce Plus D.C. program.

These programs are also available at markets in wards 7 and 8, where food insecurity has been a pressing issue for years.

Yolanda Gayden helps manage three markets throughout the two wards: the East River Park Shopping Mall, Kenilworth Rec Center Market, and the Cesar Chavez Market.

Gayden said these markets are extremely popular among locals — it is typical for vendors to be low on stock or run out of certain items within one hour of opening. Both

quality and quantity of the food that can be bought with $20 at the markets are better than what can be bought at local grocery stores, Gayden said.

Mary Regalado, who has been using SNAP on and off over the past few years, was unaware that SNAP benefits would increase in October. “[Produce Plus] encourages shoppers to buy more fresh foods,” Regalado said. She also said she appreciates the chance to support local farmers through the program.

McGinn has been witnessing food insecurity for almost two decades. Some are so eager to get food that they will wait hours in line for farmers markets. On the morning of Sept. 19, McGinn was greeted by a line of about a dozen people when he went to start setting up the Bloomingdale Market at 6 a.m.

The market opens at 10 a.m.

“There are people who are really hungry in this city,” McGinn said.

Freshfarm is a nonprofit that operates throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. They set up farmers markets in low-income neighborhoods to promote buying healthy foods. A list of market locations throughout the DMV can be found at freshfarm.org.

At its locations, Freshfarm sets up booths where people who use SNAP, WIC, and SFMNP can get a “Fresh Match” voucher.

The voucher doubles the amount of SNAP benefits: every $1 of benefits becomes $2 worth of produce. The goal is to encourage spending SNAP dollars and other food benefits on fresh foods.

With such an abundance of options to buy fresh foods, Monroe Street Market Manager Laura Popielski said that the power of talking has been the best way to advertise all of the different options. She said there are neighbors who were unaware of the market until pandemic assistance programs encouraged people to seek out fresh foods. Over the last 18 months, Popielski said she’s seen an influx of people choosing to shop at Monroe Street Market.

Food benefits at local markets are easier for some than the grocery store Having access to healthy foods is something that Ted McGinn, who manages two farmers markets in the District, said has been greatly appreciated by residents.

“Folks get really excited when they hear that their $100 can be used to buy $200 worth of food,” McGinn said.

McGinn has been managing the Bloomingdale Market, located at 101 R St NW, for 15 years and the 14th and U St location for 16 years. He lives a few blocks away from the Bloomingdale Market and has been working to support his neighbors in what he describes as “a problematic food desert.”

// 5

District of Columbia Federal Nutrition Programs Toolkit chart showing benefit programs available by age group. COURTESY OF D.C. HEALTH

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NEWS

DC is moving some encampment residents into housing. What about those not “on the list?”

BY SPENCER DONOVAN AND MAYDEEN MERINO spencer.donovan@streetsensemedia.org, maydeen.merino@streetsensemedia.org

J

erome Johnson, who has lived at the L Street NE underpass for three years, said he was told he should receive housing through a D.C. pilot program. But as of Sept. 28, he is instead being removed from his home on Monday.

In the summer, Johnson says Pathways to Housing D.C. assured him he was “on the list” for housing. But he was later told this would not be the case.

Now he and some of his neighbors from the underpass are being advised by their case managers to move to a park at New Jersey Avenue NW and O Street NW to stay connected with Pathways.

“It’s funny, but [the Pathways employee] can’t give me a reason why I was neglected,” Johnson said. “He doesn’t have an answer.”

The Coordinated Assistance and Resources for Encampments (CARE) pilot program will permanently close three longstanding encampments, but the city says it will provide temporary housing to all residents as they are forced to move.

The sites include the two underpasses at L Street NE and M Street NE, the park at New Jersey and O where Johnson plans to relocate, and an encampment in Foggy Bottom along E Street NW across from State Department offices in the old Red Cross building.

During a Sept. 22 community meeting convened by several ANC commissioners, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage said the locations were chosen because they are three of the largest encampments in the District. Through the pilot program, the District will fund oneyear leases for residents.

After the NoMa underpasses are cleared — currently slated for Oct. 4 — they will become “pedestrian passageways,” according to posted notices. All property blocking the sidewalk will be subject to immediate removal and disposal. The District used the same designation when it shut down the K Street NE encampment in January 2020, which is just a block away from the L Street NE encampment.

The people living at New Jersey and O will be removed no later than Nov. 4, when the park will be closed for renovations. There is no closure date set for the E Street encampment as of yet.

Jamal Weldon, encampment response program manager, said during the Sept. 22 meeting that a closure date for E Street will be announced if the risk factors “meet the same standards” as the NoMa and New Jersey and O encampments.

The D.C. government has to work with the National Park Service about the E Street property because they share jurisdiction there.

Typically, unhoused residents remain in their living situations, such as encampments or shelters, while seeking assistance.

Encampment residents that were forced to leave a triangle park in Mt. Vernon Square over the summer told Street Sense Media it is difficult to do everything needed to apply for housing assistance within several months. Some had been working through the process for years.

With this new program, the District’s goal is to keep residents in temporary housing, Weldon said during the Sept.

22 meeting. Meanwhile the city will provide services to help

The “Rain” LED light installation and a security camera hang above an encampment. Both were added to the M Street NE underpass in 2018 by the NoMa Parks Foundation, associated with the NoMa BID, as part of a $2 million project to construct light installations in four area underpasses. PHOTO BY SPENCER DONOVAN

them secure a housing funding source such as permanent supportive housing (PSH), targeted affordable housing (TAH) or rapid rehousing (RRH).

Encampment residents won’t receive a one-year lease if they did not sign DMHHS’s “by-name list” by Aug. 23 to show they were an encampment, Turnage said. This document was assembled through 90 days of canvassing plus data gathered via engagement across the last three years, Weldon added. He said encampment residents who are not on the list may still be eligible for other housing resources.

Some attendees mentioned in the virtual meeting’s chat window that they were supportive of the measure. One who spoke, Gene SirLouis, said they wanted D.C. to expand the program throughout the city.

“What I’m hearing and reading in the chats are reasons why this won’t work. But nobody’s got any better solution, so I very clearly want you to go ahead with this trial,” said SirLouis.

“It’s the only way we’re going to know if it works.”

But unhoused individuals, housing advocates, and people who previously experienced homelessness questioned Turnage during the meeting about what would happen to the individuals who don’t receive housing.

Georgia Pearce, who was unhoused for 10 years, said they aren’t criticizing the District for housing some of the residents but for closing the camps.

Turnage pushed back, saying he didn’t think the D.C. government should apologize for its actions.

“If we were shutting down the encampments, notwithstanding their contribution to public safety and health issues, without telling folks who are living there that we’re going to put you into housing, I think all the criticism would be justified. But that’s not what we’re doing,” Turnage said.

The meeting was tense at times. Nikki Del Casale, a volunteer with a local outreach group, questioned Turnage.

“We talked to some of the residents today. And some of them said they were either too young, or there were other factors that made them not match with housing. So what are we going to do about those people? Are we assuming they’re looking somewhere else?” Del Casale said.

The program did not encounter anybody that is not eligible for housing due to age, Turnage countered.

“They might not be eligible for PSH. Then we pay for it out of local funding,” Turnage said. “But we’ve not encountered anybody that’s not eligible based on some immutable characteristic, or any other factors.”

Del Casale asked Turnage about residents who said they were denied housing, regardless of the reason. “Just answer the question.”

“First of all, I don’t work for you. I’m a public servant. I don’t need you to talk to me like that,” Turnage said. “I’m

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not on trial. So you don’t have to tell me, ‘Just answer the question.’ That’s offensive. We are on this [virtual meeting] to answer questions. Give us time, don’t instruct us. We are doing the best we can. If this is going to be a productive meeting, you can’t talk to us like a criminal.”

Turnage said no one is being denied housing or being forced into housing. But the residents who don’t receive housing or who declined the pilot program offer will ultimately be barred from the encampment locations.

ANC 2A01 Representative Yannik Omictin, who moderated the Sept. 22 meeting, asked why the “accelerated housing” and pedestrian passageway components are both being included into the program. Turnage explained that they believe these encampments present public safety and health concerns.

“We are in the middle of a pandemic. Many of the encampment residents are not vaccinated,” Turnage said.

“We understand that when you live every day outside and just tending to the basic needs of a human being creates challenges when you are living in a public encampment.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends allowing people living in encampments to remain where they are.

“Clearing encampments can cause people to disperse throughout the community and break connections with service providers. This increases the potential for infectious disease spread,” CDC guidance says.

Residents who don’t receive housing like Johnson, or who decline the pilot offer, will have to move. Those who do not receive housing through the pilot program are strongly encouraged to connect with outreach groups to receive case management services, according to an FAQ document from D.C. Aaron Howe, a Ph.D. student in philosophy at American University and founder of the mutual aid group Remora House, said they’re worried about the people who “fall through the cracks” and lose connections to outreach groups.

In addition to Remora House, Pathways to Housing D.C. also shared concerns for those not receiving housing.

Pathways has regularly been out to the encampments, ensuring people get the necessary resources, said Executive Director Christy Respress.

“First of all, I don’t work for you.

I’m a public servant. I don’t need you to talk to me like that, ... I’m not on trial. ... Give us time, don’t instruct us. We are doing the best we can. If this is going to be a productive meeting, you can’t talk to us like a criminal.

Wayne Turnage D.C. Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services

“Our CARE team has been working furiously over the past couple of weeks to help match people to an apartment of their choosing that meets their needs, their hopes, and their dreams,” Respress said. “It is hard to make a perfect by-name list in a geographic area because some people stay and are very fixed there, and others might come in and out. That is one of the challenges and lessons learned that we need to talk through with the city.”

The NoMa clean-up day was rescheduled twice to allow more individuals to move into housing, which Respress said has started slowly.

// 7

Clyde, who did not give his last name, has been staying in the encampment for about a year and will receive housing through the program. He was born and raised in the District.

“Some people got apartments, but a lot of people were left out. They’re trying to see what they’re going to do with the people that were left out. Some are putting them in hotels, but unfortunately, right now they haven’t done that,” Clyde said.

He said he hopes these apartments will be nice and that the mayor can continue to create housing programs such as the pilot program. He expected to move into his new apartment this weekAs of Sept. 21, he had not moved in yet.

“I think everyone who lives in D.C. should not be homeless,” Clyde said.

Respress explained that she is excited for this program to get underway because of the housing opportunity. The organization will continue to work with everyone who did not make the list.

“As you can imagine I actually can’t share any details about a specific person’s case due to privacy laws,” Respress said in an email from Street Sense Media inquiring into Johnson’s situation. “We will continue to work with every single person who is not on the main list to create a housing plan. It doesn’t mean that the person isn’t eligible for other housing resourcesincluding PSH, RRH, targeted affordable housing, etc.”

The program has obtained apartments throughout the D.C. area wherever there are vacancies or available units.

Pathways had an active list of more than 100 apartments that were available as of Sept. 23, Respress said. The organization continues to work with landlords to ensure individuals have a choice of where they live.

Last month, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer counted 17,614 vacant apartments in the District. In January, the city counted 5,111 people experiencing homelessness.

“With the influx of federal and local resources that we will see in the next few months, and in this coming year, we will be ending chronic homelessness if we do this. And we have to do this right because this is people’s lives,” Respress said.

Part of the “Lightweave” LED installation hangs above an encampment in the L Street NE underpass.

PHOTO BY SPENCER DONOVAN

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NEWS

Judge rules DC is not at fault for funding construction of homes that fell apart soon after they were built

BY WILL SCHICK // will@streetsensemedia.org

Davina Callahan.

PHOTO BY WILL SCHICK

O

n a Friday afternoon in early September, Britney Bennett, a single mother of two children aged 6 and 13, sat on a blue couch in Davina Callahan’s living room and sighed.

“They’re not even telling us what’s going on with our homes — or what’s going to happen with our homes,” Bennett said.

In 2019, she was the last person to buy a town house at the RiverEast at Grandview condominium, a residential complex in Ward 8 built by River East at Anacostia LLC. Located in a quiet residential neighborhood atop a hill that is about a quarter-mile from the Anacostia Metro station, the red-brick houses at 1262 Talbert Street SE were built in 2017 with city funding as part of its efforts to provide affordable housing to low-income, first-time homeowners.

Soon after the developer sold the homes, however, families who purchased them began to experience problems ranging from leaking pipes to structural deficiencies such as cracks in the foundation and walls. Months and months of complaints, pleas for help and legal wrangling came to a head this summer.

In mid-August, a private engineering firm hired by the homeowners uncovered 46 code violations that could amount to $28,929 in fines from the District’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). The report did not specify who would be liable for those fines, if issued.

The firm also called for the immediate evacuation of more than half of the town homes, citing several construction defects that made the homes unsafe to live in. These findings surfaced soon after the Surfside condominium building collapsed near Miami, leaving 98 people dead and displacing 300 more.

In January 2021, Bennett and Callahan joined a group of homeowners in suing the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) — the city agency responsible for financing the project — as well as the developer and the River East at Grandview Condominium Association.

The claims against the defendants included breach of contract, emotional distress, and violations of the District’s Consumer Protection Procedure Act (CPPA) for having failed to provide

proper oversight over the construction and maintenance of the buildings.

The lawsuit also alleged that both the developer and the city discriminated against the homeowners on the basis of race and sex. All nine plaintiffs are Black women and were single when the lawsuit was initially filed, according to a lawyer representing the families.

In late August, D.C. Superior Court Judge Jóse López dismissed both the city and the homeowners association from the case, absolving them of any legal liability. In his ruling, the judge said the claims made by the homeowners lacked sufficient evidence and failed on procedural grounds. Since River East at Anacostia LLC has also filed for bankruptcy, the remaining prospects remain unclear, as does the timetable for a final ruling. LaRuby May, the attorney representing the families in their lawsuit, said they intend to appeal the dismissal of the city and the homeowners association.

What support is the city providing the homeowners?

In the meantime, Mayor Muriel Bowser created a multi-agency team — dubbed the “Talbert Street Task Force” — to help support the affected families, most of whom had to evacuate their homes after receiving an abrupt two-week notice in August.

The task force consists of representatives from DHCD, DCRA, the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS), and a host of other government agencies. The members are tasked with connecting the displaced and soon-to-be displaced residents with services meant to help them.

According to an email statement provided by DHCD to The DC Line and Street Sense Media, the city is providing the residents of the property with immediate cash assistance payments of $7,000 and housing certificates that can be used to cover rental expenses for up to one year. DHCD said 44 out of 46 families received their cash assistance payments as of

Sept. 24. The homeowners have also all been connected with case managers.

But Bennett and Callahan said they don’t think the housing vouchers and cash payments are sufficient compensation.

“To have some type of assumption that $7,000 is going to be enough,” Callahan said. “It’s not.”

For her, the sum is paltry when compared to the amount residents have spent on their homes over the past several years — 10 times as much in some cases, she said.

Callahan also talked about the personal investments she made in her home. The couch she and Bennett sat on was selected specifically to fit her living room. And she has no way of knowing how well it will fit in a rental home — something she hadn’t envisioned worrying about upon becoming a homeowner.

While Callahan was supposed to leave her three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath town house by Aug. 30, she remains there because she hasn’t found a new place.

Bennett, however, had to move out much earlier. A severe sewage leak made her home uninhabitable long ago. According to court documents, Bennett experienced the first of what would be a series of leaks in June 2019, six months after she moved in. An undated video she shared with Street Sense Media and The DC Line showed water dripping from the ceiling of one of her bedrooms. Another video showed pools of water falling through a utility closet.

Her home is now stripped of flooring and most of her belongings are destroyed due to water damage. Bennett, who used to work as an IT specialist for Amazon, declined to relive everything that happened with her home. She said recounting the full experience of these past few years would be too painful and emotionally trying. Currently, she and her two children are couch surfing, staying with family and friends while she thinks through her next steps.

For Bennett, $7,000 falls far short of the money she needs to replace everything that the water destroyed. And — like other Talbert Street homeowners — she is unsure how long she will be required to continue to make payments on her home, or what will eventually become of the property.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

When asked, DHCD said the city “will forgive [Home Purchase Assistance Program] loan balances for homeowners who used the program and reinstate first-time homebuyer status to enable access to down payment assistance again.” In the same statement, the agency also said that since the District does not own the property, the homeowners association would make any decisions regarding future repairs “based on the results of the final structural engineering report.”

The homeowners association is led by elected members of the community who assumed responsibility for the overall stewardship of the property. According to the lawyer representing the families in their lawsuit, the association neglected to fulfill its duties and ignored complaints from residents.

Callahan said her total monthly payments come out to between $1,640 and $1,740 when factoring in her mortgage, homeowners association fees, and utility costs.

To make matters worse, Callahan said she filed for a homeowners insurance claim but was denied, though she didn’t explain why. Her home has had ongoing issues with leaks from her ceiling, windows not shutting properly, and cracks running along the drywall.

In her view, the responsibility for the damage should fall directly on the city and the developer. She likened the situation to that of a car accident: “If you aren’t at fault, who is responsible for the cost?” she asked.

Jeanita Brown, who also owns a home on Talbert Street, said that homeowners are juggling multiple responsibilities between their work and family life, and are in need of more than just financial help.

“You know we’re all homeowners at different levels in life, with our employment, with our families, with our credit,” she said.

Some families, Brown said, need more assistance than others. And from her perspective, the city is not prioritizing the needs of those residents.

Robin McKinney, another resident and the advisory neighborhood commissioner for 8A06, said she is “highly satisfied” with the level of support she has received from the District in the past month, though “it took 3 1/2 years for someone to finally listen to us.” While McKinney said she is happy with the $7,000 in cash she received, she still worries about finding a new place to live. She said she wants to “have someplace safe to call home” for her daughter, who is away at college, to visit at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Callahan and Bennett added that they are concerned that some landlords might discriminate against them for using a housing voucher, and Brown said the capped amount the city offered them in vouchers isn’t enough to find an adequate replacement. For housing vouchers, the city uses a calculation for fair market rent that is determined by the D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA) for each neighborhood.

What happened exactly?

In 2011, DHCD provided a $2.2 million loan to Stanton View Development LLC — a company with the same ownership as River East at Anacostia LLC — to do “predevelopment and acquisition work” on a future residential property, according to an email the agency provided Street Sense Media and The DC Line. Then in 2014, the agency awarded the developer a $6.3 million loan through the city’s Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF). The trust fund is administered by DHCD to build and

Severe cracks in Bennett’s floor. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRITNEY BENNETT

// 9

Talbert Street townhomes.

PHOTO BY WILL SCHICK

preserve affordable housing for “low- and moderate-income households” in the city through loans and grants to developers.

When asked what went wrong with this property, DHCD said city officials are still waiting on a final report from the engineering firm hired by the homeowners association before making a determination.

But some members of the D.C. Council are looking elsewhere for answers to this question. In a Sept. 7 letter addressed to the director of DCRA, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson requested information related to past agency inspections at the property, and whether third-party inspectors were ever used. Mendelson campaigned for years to split DCRA into two smaller agencies to address concerns over its oversight and effectiveness, a move that was funded by the D.C. Council as part of the fiscal year 2022 budget.

DCRA Director Ernest Chrappah responded to Mendelson’s letter on Sept. 14 and confirmed that inspectors employed by his agency “were not involved in any phase of the construction inspections” that resulted in a certificate of occupancy for the residential complex. According to the letter, the agency responded four times in 2015 and 2016 to complaints about illegal construction but did not uncover any offenses.

A third-party inspector, the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), was responsible for the final construction inspections for the site. In his response, Chrappah said the structural issues cited in a report drafted by the engineering firm hired by the homeowners association “relate to soil conditions and would not be included in the standard regulatory inspections by IBTS.” As a result, Chrappah said, the agency is not “contemplating any disciplinary action against the third-party company.”

While the initial engineering report commissioned by the homeowners association does say that the unstable composition of the soil at the site contributed to the structural issues, it also points to “superficial repairs” that were made to conceal the problems as evidence that the builders likely knew about the issues beforehand.

In response to a question about whether any other HPTFfunded properties have had similar issues, a spokesperson for DHCD gave a one-word answer. “No,” he wrote in an email.

Even as lawmakers look to ascertain how such construction defects could have gone unnoticed, the initial 173-page lawsuit filing from Jan. 29 details the harrowing experience of residents such as LaDonna May, a first-time homeowner who bought her unit in May 2017. (May’s sister is the attorney representing the plaintiffs.)

Within months of purchasing her town house, May saw her ceiling and walls open up with cracks. Her windows no longer shut completely. After reporting the issues to Stanton View, the company dispatched two employees to make repairs. The fixes did not last long, and new damage was visible within months. The developer told May that the cracks and openings were natural, and should be expected with new construction.

Eventually, May contacted DCRA because she wanted to prove that the cracks and openings stemmed from structural defects. Instead of informing the homeowners association or the developer of structural issues, DCRA fined May $6,225 for the various code violations and infractions its inspectors uncovered at the property.

Another resident, Ade Adenariwo, had a similar experience with her property, according to the lawsuit. Soon after moving into her unit in 2017, she started to notice cracks appearing in

the walls and the floor shifting. Within months, she began to have sinus issues with congestion and frequent sneezing. Later, she discovered a leaking pipe above her kitchen sink and grew concerned that potential mold could be festering in her walls and affecting the health of her newborn baby.

According to the lawsuit, Adenariwo had attempted to work with the developer on multiple occasions with no luck in finding a lasting resolution.

What happens now?

From a distance, it can be difficult to make out the cracks in the foundation and the walls adjoining various town homes at 1262 Talbert St. The stench of some units damaged by past sewage leaks hangs in the air that hovers over the community parking lot.

While any homeowners urged to evacuate were directed to leave by the end of August, the vouchers promised by the city start this week, Oct. 1, with the new fiscal year.

For Callahan, who has two children aged 3 and 14, attempting to plan for the future amid such disruption has been overwhelming. While she says she’s found some homes online that might meet her family’s specifications, she’s still in the process of packing up.

“We don’t know where we’re going to be living. We don’t know how early we’re going to have to get up to transport our children to [school],” Callahan said. “There’s not really a lot of available homes in the Southeast area, so we’ll have to go somewhere else. We’ll probably have to go to another ward.”

This article was co-published with The DC Line.

Leaking in Bennett’s home. PHOTO COURTESY OF

BRITNEY BENNETT

1 0 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // S E P T. 2 9 - O C T. 5, 2021

OPINION

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIA LIN KIM ON UNSPLASH.COM

Food stamp recertification delays hurt benefit recipients

BY YVONNE FARRELL

I am a longtime District resident, retired and a couple years away from claiming Social Security. I subsist on dwindling retirement savings, food stamps, and any housing assistance I can get, which is few and far between.

The D.C. Department of Human Services cuts off our food stamps — also known as the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — at recertification time because they are slow and circuitous in processing the paperwork. They are not supposed to cut off benefits

unless there is an eligibility issue or you miss the deadline they give you.

During 2020, they did not have recertifications and did not cut off our benefits. It was wonderful. The financial and psychological effects of not having this stress made up for the angst of the pandemic emergency.

Since all my money goes towards rent, I really need the food stamps and cannot have a cut-off. It inches me closer to becoming homeless before I get Social Security,

and then what is the point of getting Social Security? D.C. Human Services needs to help me.

In theory, continuing to qualify for SNAP benefits is easy. It simply requires turning in a recertification or midcertification form, downloadable from the D.C. Human Services website, printable for free at any D.C. public library, on which you put sparse information indicating any changes in your household.

The problem is they keep asking for the same forms again and again, they only contact you to recertify but don’t warn when they are cutting off your benefits. They are completely opaque when it comes to where your paperwork is in the chute, and they churn you again and again unnecessarily.

We need them to 1) continue benefits during recertifications; 2) move to annual, not semi-annual, recertifications; 3) communicate with clients; 4) provide housing assistance along with the food stamps; 5) get agency management to address D.C. Council chambers publicly to explain how quickly they are going to improve; 6) do whatever they have to do to keep us on our benefits, not the other way around.

And they need to apologize to us, because they are hurting us.

Editor’s note: A representative from the D.C. Department of Human Services recommended that benefit recipients submit their recertification materials at least 30 days in advance of the deadline to allow adequate time for processing, then follow up by calling the DHS Call Center to report that they have submitted their materials.

Yvonne Farrell is a long-time reader of Street Sense.

Why the right is wrong when it comes to Robert E. Lee

BY JEFFERY MCNEIL

When it comes to Confederate general Robert E. Lee, I put him in the same category as O.J. Simpson. Whatever O.J. did away from football, it doesn't take away the fact he was a Heisman Trophy winner, became the first running back to gain 2,000 yards in a season, and pulled off some of the greatest runs in NFL history.

While many may criticize his behavior, he will always be immortalized because his accomplishments are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — not in some public space, where his critics can cherrypick his deficiencies.

The main reason Robert E. Lee’s accomplishments can be erased from history, as they recently were when the city of Richmond removed his towering statue, is that his defenders refuse to put these statues in museums rather than in places where the residents pay taxes for monuments that don’t represent them.

Sports history is preserved rather than erased, because it lives in halls of fame, not out in public squares susceptible to mobs. You couldn’t talk baseball without talking about two key figures: Ty Cobb and Kenesaw Mountain Landis. All baseball fans know Ty Cobb was a virulent racist,

but that doesn’t take away the fact that he do it in professional sports, they would museums where residents can understand had 4,191 hits and 893 stolen bases. While understand that generals such as Lee and their legacy.

Kenesaw Mountain Landis barred African even Nazi Germany’s Erwin Rommel I believe we should use professional Americans from the Major Leagues, he weren’t great humans but were great sports as a model and have historians also saved major league baseball from the generals, whose tactics are still studied in pick out several Halls of Fame. That way, Black Sox Scandal. military academies. Niccolo Machiavelli future generations can remember those I wish we could do American history and Carl von Clausewitz were hardly who changed the course of American similar to sports history. Museums allow fans of America, but anyone who wants history — good or bad — without Leftists you to look at past historical figures in to succeed in life won’t have a clue about trying to politicize, twist, and tear things perspective. When these figures are strategy if they never read their books. down for the flavor of the day. preserved, then people can do their I tell my conservative friends that Jeffery McNeil is an artist and vendor with research about people like George American figures such as George Street Sense Media.

Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Washington and General Lee should be In sports, you can debate and argue preserved by putting them in capitols and who was better: Lebron James or Micheal Jordan? Muhammad Ali was a cruel and divisive Black separatist, but many acknowledge he was the greatest fighter of all time. Unfortunately, with Leftists - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community? everything is binary. They can’t - Want to share firsthand experience? understand you may hate Tom Brady - Interested in responding to what someone else has written? or Lebron James, but it doesn’t take away their accomplishments Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. and contribution to the game.

We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate.

While Robert E. Lee fought for the Confederacy, he was still one of Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org.

America’s greatest generals.

If we treated such history as they

Join the conversation, share your views

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 11

ART

Remembering our friend, Anthony

BY ERIC FALQUERO ericf@streetsensemedia.org

Anthony Crawford, July 29, 1957 - July 30, 2021, was born and raised in Washington, D.C. to Martha and Louis Crawford. He loved western movies, a good fish fry, The Pittsburgh Steelers, and soul music. “Music lifts me up, all music has a message to it,” he said in a 2016 interview.

He had a lot of uplifting messages of his own to share. He taught Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen how to sell Street Sense papers. He shook hands with Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), which he said felt like a blessing.

After more than 20 years homeless, he mentored young people as a guide for the National Coalition for the Homeless’s “Urban Plunge” program. And more simply, countless Street Sense Media customers cite Anthony’s warm smile and friendly “hello” as the reason they buy the paper. When he suffered from a heart attack and a stroke several years ago, many rallied around Anthony to help with his bills.

He was nothing short of a pioneer for Street Sense. As Vendor #6, Anthony helped co-founders Laura and Ted launch the organization. One fellow vendor said Anthony “built” his corner at 19th and M streets NW, laying the foundation for other vendors to be successful. He became a core leader of the vendor delivery team that met the van with each new edition. The staff specifically recognized him for this with a merit award In 2007. That same year, he and five other vendors piloted “Street Sense TV” as part of DCTV. And yet his positive messages transcended well beyond our platform. In 2017, Anthony became the first card creator to work with Second Story Cards, helping once again to launch an income opportunity to help people experiencing homelessness. Now his advice to “polish off a bucket of fried chicken and halfgallon of ice cream” when you’re not feeling well or that “writing Christmas cards is so much more fun with bourbon” can be purchased around the country.

It was through a deep friendship with the company’s founder, Reed Sandridge, that Anthony developed the motivation and wherewithal to pursue and secure a place of his own. Whether toward his customers, his old neighbors, or the woman he fell madly in love with — Anthony was generous of spirit.

He is survived by his fiancée, Crystal Mills; siblings Jackie Browning (Tacoma, Washington), Frances Crawford (Washington, DC), Roblin Martin (Arizona), Carl Crawford (Seattle, WA); and many many friends. A memorial service was held for him on Sept. 16.

The Sept. 16 memorial service at the Church of the Epiphany. Below, counterclockwise: James Davis, Reginald Black and Reed Sandridge celebrate Anthony Crawford’s life; and Queenie Featherstone reads a tribute by his fiancée, Crystal Mills. PHOTOS BY CAMILLE DESANTO

1 2 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // S E P T. 2 9 - O C T. 5, 2021

ART

Human Traffic Hurts

BY MICHELE ROCHON // Artist/Vendor

As each day unfolds, hundreds of children are removed from our midst; Each human being has their own uniqueness; If one flower is missing among this tapestry in the Earth, we are left void of what potential that human being had to bring: their gifts, talents, and abilities.

Once our children are snatched, through sexual, emotional, physical or mental abuse, their little lives have crumpled, due to a spirit that is pervasive in the earth, called “Greed.”

Children are sold daily, for an enormous amount of money; ask me how I know???

Parents sell children to sex traffickers for drugs, sex, jobs, cars, houses, land, and other lavish gifts.

How painful is that for a Mother?

To nurse her child and an abuser sells them, willingly, for sex slaves?

Oftentimes, people are aware of this situation, and watch as spectators, eating popcorn from Dollar Tree.

Fresh produce for sale at the Bloomingdale farmers market on Sept. 19. PHOTO BY GORDON CHAFFIN

The luxury of growing food

BY BRIANNA BUTLER // Artist/Vendor

I took a good look at my garden today. I was thinking about all the goodness it brings to my family. How it keeps growing broccoli, tomatoes, and okra. My family is happy to eat all this goodness. It brings us nourishment and energy.

What’s next is I’m going to plant some greens, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. My family gets very excited to have gatherings at the table to eat these Autumn sweet veggies. I also give some to my neighbors. They happily enjoy them. They always tell me about how they used to grow vegetables and fruit.

I am going to continue growing sweet crops that I love and I hope you like growing them, too.

They laugh and think it’s normal;, That’s the dysfunction they were reared in; As an adult whose name, social, credit, and signature is being trafficked in another way, my entire life has been lost to identity theft.

And to people that I formerly knew!

According to the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, “children account for half of the victims of human trafficking. In fact, the average age that a young person becomes involved in sex trafficking is 12 years old.” More info: tinyurl.com/dc-oag-traffic.

To get help if you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking: Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: at 1-888-373-7888 or Text “Help” to 233733 (BeFree). You can also call the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 202-671-SAFE (7233).

Good friends

BY BROTHER JEFFREY CARTER // Artist/Vendor

Good friends are gold that you keep in your treasure. I miss my buddy James McChord since the last time I saw him at my mom’s house in Clinton, Maryland, when he was home on leave from the Marine Corps.

After that, I talk to him on the phone here and there but I lost contact with him when I lost my cell phone. I miss him. We used to train together in boxing and martial arts. When he graduated from high school, he went into the Marine Corps for a career to serve his country. Well, he became a sergeant in charge of 17 men. He did a 20 year career in the Marine Corp.

I miss you Brother James McChord and hope we can get back in touch.

Peace be with you forever.

I love sports

BY JEMEL FLEMING //Artist/Vendor

Sports are important. There are a huge variety of activities that are played both professionally by adults and young adults, as well as on playgrounds for fun by children and people of all ages.

Then you've got your superstars who make teams that have slots in college and high schools for no pay but are team members dedicated to the sport and work hard like any other athletes.

Competition must be righteous so there’s no need for referees on playgrounds but fair play.

My favorite sport is basketball. I was two times junior varsity champion for Our Saviour Lutheran Falcons where I grew up in the Bronx.

Go #OSLBasketball!

Some sports are more popular in other countries than others and are usually displayed by the Olympics which is played every four years for world competition. Where you might not be a fan of some sports, you will still usually see them in the Olympics and know of them.

Living with a woman on crack

BY TONY WEST Artist/Vendor

I let a woman on crack live with me for over 20 years. I was always lied to. She cheated on me and ran the streets all the time. She stole food and other items from the house.

I thought I could change her.

But I’ve since come to believe that you cannot change a person unless they want to be changed. I was always depressed and always worrying about her. She had asthma and seizures, so she used her sickness to make me feel sorry for her.

See, people who don’t want to change their lives won’t until they change their mind and decide they want something different.

Go to God in prayer. Then and only then will you be able to change your way of thinking.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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Z-A

VIS E S DA M A J BY r Vendo Artist/

PHOTO BY JAMES DAVIS

I got Cash App and I have Venmo So much plastic, do we really need more?

I'm old school, my poetry rhyme Where are the bank tellers Why I got Chime?

Everywhere I go in the street, in a store Same old chorus, “I don't carry cash anymore” There's Varo, PayPal, Dave, and Wise It's like the dollar bill is in disguise So now, after talking about all this jive You got the nerve to ask me, “Do I have change for a five?!”

Just be happy

BY KYM PARKER // Artist/Vendor

A Fair Game

BY ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor

Black lives matter Our parents lives matter Families lives matters Presidential lives matter Bank teller lives matter Homeless lives matter Criminal lives matter Police lives matter Pastor lives matter

Doctors lives matter Our lives matter Children lives matter Teachers lives matter God lives matter Quest is what’s the matter With this months issues Everybody lives matters

// 1 3

It doesn’t hurt to smile It doesn’t hurt to say “hello” That’s all God’s gifts Love each other every day Even if they don’t love you Love them anyway A smile can hurt the Devil Never be afraid of evil Be happy

Kind-hearted

BY CARLTON “INKFLOW” JOHNSON // Artist/Vendor

The heart flows with joy The soul within love for all Kindness of overflow PHOTO COURTESY OF COUNT CHRIS / UNSPLASH.COM

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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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All services listed are referral-free Academy of Hope Public Charter School 202-269-6623 // 2315 18th Place NE aohdc.org

Bread for the City - 1525 7th St., NW // 202-265-2400 - 1640 Good Hope Rd., SE // 202-561-8587 breadforthecity.org

Calvary Women’s Services // 202-678-2341 1217 Good Hope Rd., SE calvaryservices.org

Food and Friends // 202-269-2277 (home delivery for those suffering from HIV, cancer, etc) 219 Riggs Rd., NE foodandfriends.org

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

Friendship Place // 202-364-1419 4713 Wisconsin Ave., NW friendshipplace.org

Catholic Charities // 202-772-4300 catholiccharitiesdc.org/gethelp

Georgetown Ministry Center // 202-338-8301 1041 Wisconsin Ave., NW georgetownministrycenter.org

Central Union Mission // 202-745-7118 65 Massachusetts Ave., NW missiondc.org

Jobs Have Priority // 202-544-9128 425 2nd St., NW jobshavepriority.org

Charlie’s Place // 202-232-3066 1830 Connecticut Ave., NW charliesplacedc.org

Loaves & Fishes // 202-232-0900 1525 Newton St., NW loavesandfishesdc.org

Christ House // 202-328-1100 1717 Columbia Rd., NW christhouse.org

Church of the Pilgrims // 202-387-6612 2201 P St., NW food (1-1:30 on Sundays only) churchofthepilgrims.org/outreach

Community Family Life Services 202-347-0511 // 305 E St., NW cflsdc.org

Community of Hope // 202-232-7356 communityofhopedc.org

Covenant House Washington 202-610-9600 // 2001 Mississippi Ave., SE covenanthousedc.org

D.C. Coalition for the Homeless 202-347-8870 // 1234 Massachusetts Ave., NW dccfh.org

Father McKenna Center // 202-842-1112 19 Eye St., NW fathermckennacenter.org

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.org 2375 Elvans Road SE 2204 Martin Luther King Ave. SE

Miriam’s Kitchen // 202-452-8926 2401 Virginia Ave., NW miriamskitchen.org

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

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

New York Avenue Shelter // 202-832-2359 1355-57 New York Ave., NE

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

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Samaritan Ministry 202-722-2280 // 1516 Hamilton St., NW 202-889-7702 // 1345 U St., SE samaritanministry.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork // 202-675-9340 741 8th St., SE sashabruce.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME) // 202-797-8806 71 O St., NW some.org

St. Luke’s Mission Center // 202-333-4949 3655 Calvert St., NW stlukesmissioncenter.org

Thrive DC // 202-737-9311 1525 Newton St., NW thrivedc.org

Unity Health Care 3020 14th St., NW // unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699 1500 Galen Street SE, 1500 Galen Street SE, 1251-B Saratoga Ave NE, 1660 Columbia Road NW, 4414 Benning Road NE, 3924 Minnesota Avenue NE, 765 Kenilworth Terrace NE, 555 L Street SE, 3240 Stanton Road SE, 3020 14th Street NW, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, 1717 Columbia Road NW, 1313 New York Avenue, NW BSMT Suite, 425 2nd Street NW, 4713 Wisconsin Avenue NW, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 2100 New York Avenue NE, 1333 N Street NW, 1355 New York Avenue NE, 828 Evarts Place, NE, 810 5th Street NW

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

The Welcome Table // 202-347-2635 1317 G St., NW. epiphanydc.org/thewelcometable

Whitman-Walker Health 1701 14th St., NW // 202-745-7000 2301 MLK Jr. Ave., SE // 202-797-3567 whitman-walker.org

Patricia Handy Place for Women 202-733-5378 // 810 5th St., NW

Samaritan Inns // 202-667-8831 2523 14th St., NW samaritaninns.org

// 1 5

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