11 03 2021

VOL. 18 ISSUE 40

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NOV. 3 - 9, 2021

Real Stories

DC plans to address the lack of public restrooms through pilot programs

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A residents at an E Street NW encampment said they would often choose to urinate in a cup and defecate in a newspaper to avoid using this single portable toilet.

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EVENTS

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AT A GLANCE

Final Redistricting Hearing 12 p.m.

Virtual Hearing (Zoom or Facebook Live) Councilmember Elissa Silverman will hold a virtual hearing to allow the public to testify about the redrawing of the boundaries of D.C’s eight wards. Witnesses interested in testifying must sign up by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Those unable to attend the meeting may submit a written statement or provide a voicemail.

INFO: tinyurl.com/redestrict Link to sign up to testify: tinyurl.com/dctestifyform Email for written statements: redistricting@dccouncil.us Leave voicemails: (202) 350-1521

THURSDAY, NOV. 4

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

THURSDAY, NOV. 4

Stop The Hate Uplift Ward 8

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

Myths and Misconceptions about Race and Racism Webinar

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Francis Gregory Library (3660 Alabama Ave. SE) Register for Uplift Ward 8 to help spread awareness about gun violence. Special presenters will attend to speak on the rise of gun violence and strategies the community can take to decrease it, specifically in Ward 8.

Masks and social distancing are highly encouraged.

INFO: tinyurl.com/upliftward8

Executive Committee Nov. 9, 1:30 - 3 p.m. // Webex Housing Solutions Committee Nov. 15, 2 - 3 p.m. // Webex Strategic Planning Committee Nov. 23, 2:30 - 4 p.m. // Webex ***For call-in information, as well as meeting info for unlisted working groups, contact: ich.dmhhs@dc.gov

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NEWS

DC lapsed on contract to service porta potties, but is inching forward on public restroom pilot

BY MAYDEEN MERINO maydeen.merino@streetsensemedia.org

A

pilot program years in the making will soon address longstanding problems of access to sanitation and public restrooms for D.C. residents.

In mid-November, a working group appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser will submit a report to the mayor’s office identifying the model of standalone public toilets to be used for the pilot along with one or two locations where it will be installed. The working group consists of nine government agencies.

The public restroom pilot is one of two programs created by the Public Restroom Facilities Installation and Promotion Act, which was enacted without Bowser’s signature in 2019. Under the legislation, the mayor will also create a community incentive program to encourage private businesses to allow public use of their restrooms.

The law’s implementation will cost $66,000, which was included in the fiscal year 2022 budget, according to a September presentation by an advocacy group that fought for the program, the People for Fairness Coalition (PFFC). As a model facility, the city is considering installing a Portland Loo, a self-cleaning bathroom.

The Portland Loo is the size of a parking space and is being used in 58 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, according to PFFC. The facility has lighting inside and out. Most cities that use it hire an individual to maintain the bathroom’s cleanliness 2 to 5 times a day.

In 2014, research and advocacy from PFFC’s Downtown D.C. Public Restroom Initiative helped pave the way for the public restroom act. Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau helped to introduce the legislation in 2017 and the council passed it unanimously in 2018.

“This bill increases access to clean safe restrooms for all residents,” Nadeau tweeted at the time.

PFFC conducted two inventories of restrooms throughout five areas of downtown D.C., two years apart.

The group reported that within those five locations there were fewer available public restrooms in 2017 than in 2015, with only 13% of private restrooms available to the public.

The coalition also checked whether or not there were discriminatory factors as to why someone might not be able to use a private business’s restroom. Marcy Bernbaum and another PFFC member returned to the original five locations, one well kept and one dressing more poorly to see which person was allowed to access the restroom.

“We would go into the different places and see what the reactions were of the people at the counter. We did find some discrimination,” said Bernbaum, who has advised PFFC’s public restroom initiative since its founding.

“But the bottom line is, when you walk in, whoever is at the counter is going to size you up. Do you look like somebody they can trust?”

The public restroom pilot program was put on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic reached D.C. Then, starting in May 2020, the city deployed portable toilets and handwashing stations to help unhoused residents stay safe.

In September, however, the D.C. Department of Public Works and the D.C. Office of Contracting and Procurement fell behind on payments to Gotta-Go-Now, a portable restroom company. ABC7 first reported that Gotta-Go-Now stopped servicing about 40 of the 60 tent city toilets because D.C. was between four and five months behind on its bills.

Through a separate and more recent pilot program, the city is removing people from the four largest encampments in the District. Andrew Anderson, the outreach director at PFFC, is worried that the portable toilets will be removed alongside the people. The first area targeted by the program, two underpasses on M and L Street in NoMa, was shut down last month.

The encampment pilot program includes eventual housing for some but not all of the people it displaces.

“As these encampments are closed up, those [portable restroom] units are going to be taken away as well. So I look at it as being a sad day. But we’re still advocating for those public units to be kept in place,” Anderson said.

“10 of the 42 open to the public a year before had put locks or combinations on their doors; reducing restroom access among the 85 restaurants visited.”

People for Fairness Coalition report

Neither The Department of General Services’ Contracts and Procurement Division nor Gotta-Go-Now responded to Street Sense Media’s requests to confirm if the city paid the bill and whether the cleaning services resumed.

However, Anderson said he witnessed some of the portable toilets being processed at the NoMa location on L and M Street last week.

Another portable toilet is located at a small triangle park on 3rd St NW and Massachusetts Ave, where people can use it while waiting for the bus or after grabbing a drink at the nearby sports bar.

Ray, who lived in the triangle park until the National Park Service fenced it off on Oct. 15, said the toilet “is nasty, it is dirty.” The park was closed due to health and safety hazards, according to NPS. There are two portable toilets and a handwashing station in a park at New Jersey Ave. and O Street NW, the next site that will be closed as part of the city’s encampment pilot program.

Alex Lopez, a neighborhood commissioner in the area, representing ANC 6E02, said it took about nine months of advocacy to get the second toilet added. On Oct. 23,

when visiting the New Jersey and O encampment, Lopez witnessed there was no running water or soap, and trash had piled up around the restrooms.

However, a Nov. 2 email about the maintenance of the New Jersey and O Street NW encampments, obtained by Street Sense Media, says everything is in working order.

“The Porter-John continues to be serviced five days a week. At this time, we have no reports of it overflowing and we will continue to monitor and adjust accordingly,” wrote Jamal Weldon from the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services (DMHHS).

The shutdown of the New Jersey and O encampment is scheduled for Nov. 18, after which the park will be closed for renovations. On Oct. 5, there were 48 residents at the park, of which 32 were on the “by-name list” to receive housing through the pilot program, Lopez said. Sixteen were not, indicating roughly one in three encampment residents would be moved but not connected to housing. The numbers may have changed since then, with about 10 residents from NoMa moving to the New Jersey encampment after the place they were living was closed.

“The rationale for closing this encampment site is due to health and safety issues,” Lopez said. “If the city cannot provide basic sanitation and minimum level sanitation to house residents during a pandemic, that is horrible and unacceptable.”

Ultimately, the portable toilets and handwashing stations are a band-aid applied in response to a health crisis. While PFFC identified only two public restrooms in all of D.C. that are accessible 24/7, that will begin to change next year. The organization anticipates that sometime in December or January, once reviewed and approved by the mayor, the working group’s report will be issued for public comment.

“The next step, once public comments are incorporated (and approval obtained from the [advisory neighborhood commissions] where the standalone(s) are to be located), will be for DGS to procure and install the standalone public restroom in one or two locations,” according to PFFC. How many locations initially get standalone restrooms depends on the available funding. The D.C. Council is considering using the Portland Loo, which is cheaper than other fully automated toilets. Also, the price for aluminum and other materials has risen due to supply chain shortages during the pandemic, Bernbaum said.

As for the other part of the public restroom law, the business incentive program, the next step after public comment will be for the Department of Small and Local Business and the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District to negotiate agreements with businesses in its boundaries that opt-in to receiving incentives for making their restrooms available to the public.

“The hope is that the restrooms could be used by housed and unhoused residents alike, tourists, those needing restrooms for health reasons, and more,” Bowser’s office told Street Sense Media.

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325 affordable apartments possible with NoMa development

BY SPENCER DONOVAN spencer.donovan@streetsensemedia.org

A

District-owned parking lot in NoMa may be turned into an apartment building with half of the units reserved for families below D.C.’s median income.

If the proposal is approved by the D.C. Council, a joint venture of local real estate entities would construct a residential building at 2 Patterson St. NE. The building would have 580 units, 325 of which would be affordable for a range of income levels. The joint venture would sign a 99-year lease with the District, Patrick Pendelton Smith, development manager at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, said. Pendelton Smith testified on Oct. 14 at a D.C. Council committee hearing.

Josh Olsen, executive vice president of Monument Realty, said during the hearing the project would bring 48 affordable units for renters making up to 30% of the Median Family Income (MFI) — $39,000 for a family of four — 147 for those making up to 50% MFI — $65,000 for that family —and 130 for those making up to 80% — $103,000 for that family.

Of those affordable units, 10 would have four bedrooms, 37 would have three bedrooms, and 30 would have two bedrooms. These specifications won’t be finalized until the D.C. Council approves the project and the developer signs the affordability covenant. Affordable housing advocates have criticized the lack of “familysized units” in many recent developments. Those larger apartments with three and four bedrooms better fit the needs of families with several children and possibly a grandparent.

The 2 Patterson St. NE development would generate more affordable housing in an area undergoing rapid development. If the District were to sell the parking lot to developers at the fair market rate, it would appraise at $17.5 million. That’s according to DMPED. But instead of a market rate, the District is offering a 99-year lease for $1, effectively subsidizing the creation of affordable homes in a community with grocery stores, shopping, and restaurants.

“It’s part of the NoMa neighborhood, which has seen tremendous growth ever since the NoMa-Gallaudet Metro station opened in 2004, and this is one of the larger undeveloped parcels left in the neighborhood,” Olsen said. He added that the ground floor would feature 4,500 square feet of “community-serving space.” At the request of ANC 6C, the developers would also create a new park on a closed portion of N Street north of the project, and a courtyard accessible to the public.

Pendelton Smith said the project is expected to generate about $56.9 million in permanent tax revenue over 30 years, create 779 temporary jobs through the construction period, and create 149 permanent jobs upon completion.

Councilmember Robert White noted only an

estimated 41 of the permanent jobs would go toward District residents.

White, who chairs the Committee on Government Operations and Facilities, questioned Pendelton Smith during the hearing on DMPED’s process for deciding how to use the land. He asked about meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness in and around NoMa, such as at the encampment at a park on New Jersey Avenue and O Street NW. “I wonder if 2 Patterson could’ve been put to any use, now or in recent years, that might’ve helped get those residents who are living in that park into housing,” White said. “Has DMPED analyzed whether there could be some housing opportunities for homeless individuals there?”

Pendelton Smith, from the District, didn’t directly answer the question. He said 48 of the units would be “deeply affordable,” referring to the units for those families making up to 30% MFI. Homeless residents could move into those units, provided they benefited from additional subsidy.

White asked if the District had considered using the property for replacement housing for Temple Courts, a nearby affordable housing community with 211 units that was torn down in 2008. Pendelton Smith said “all replacement housing had been accounted for” before the District designated 2 Patterson as surplus.

However, only 137 of those units have been completed, according to a follow-up email from DMPED to White’s office.

The SeVerna and SeVerna on K — two residential buildings located at 1st and K Streets Northwest — provided 30 and 48 replacement units, respectively, after the latter’s completion in winter 2014, according to the email. The 2M Apartments — a residential building across the street from 2 Patterson St. NE — provided an additional 59 units in fall 2014. There are still an estimated 211 replacement units from Northwest One — a District-supported development at K and North Capitol Streets NW — that will be completed in phases in the next few years, ending with phase 3 in 2026.

The recent surge in development in NoMa can be seen in the housing construction that surrounds the lot. At least three buildings are under construction in the area, but many don’t have affordable housing, unlike 2 Patterson St. NE. The 2 Patterson St. NE project is tied to two resolutions — one to transfer the property to the developer and one to approve the specific development plan. The earliest they would go before the full council for a vote is Dec. 7. If the resolutions are approved, the city would bring on the developer to negotiate the land disposition agreement, Pendelton Smith said. Then the 99-year lease would be executed at closing. If the lease is signed, ground-breaking would begin in fall 2023 and the building would be completed in spring 2026.

Design rendering for 2 Patterson St. NE, which could include 325 affordable units.

PHOTO COURTESY MONUMENT REALTY

2 Patterson St. NE is owned by the District and currently used as a surface parking lot. Nearby empty lots, including those pictured, have been developed into housing, hotels, and offices.

PHOTO BY SPENCER DONOVAN

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NEWS

DC contemplates action on digital divide amid concern over possible federal funding

BY WILL SCHICK will@streetsensemedia.org

T

hroughout the pandemic, the D.C. Council has heard calls to provide high-speed, reliable internet access to all residents who need it. But achieving such a goal is not as straightforward as it might seem.

As people across the country migrated to Zoom and other online platforms for work and school in the spring of 2020, the inequitable nature of internet access became undeniable. Not only could wealthier people afford steady, reliable, high-speed internet to stay connected to their jobs and online courses, but they were also more likely to maintain their income through remote work.

In contrast, people with lower incomes often struggled to keep up with this new pace of virtual life either because of the cost or a lack of internet service in their neighborhoods.

Recently published data from the Pew Research Center reveals the magnitude of this problem in the United States. According to an August survey, 39% of upper-income users of broadband internet services reported having issues with their connectivity either “sometimes” or “often,” compared to 60% of low-income users. In the same survey, 6% of upper-income broadband users reported worrying about how to pay for their internet connection compared to 46% of low-income users. The numbers for middle-income broadband users were 47% and 23%, respectively.

At the local level, the disparities are even more extreme. While only 13% of D.C. residents overall do not subscribe to internet services, that percentage is three times higher in wards with higher poverty rates. About a third of people living in wards 7 and 8 — where the poverty rate hovers around 30% — lack an internet subscription. In Ward 5, where the poverty rate is just over 15%, nearly a quarter of people do not subscribe to internet services.

The D.C. government has expanded its efforts to wrestle with the problem since the onset of the pandemic. In September 2020, Mayor Muriel Bowser launched a $3.3 million free internet initiative — Internet for All — intended to link students with cost-free 12-month subscriptions to services provided

by Comcast or RCN. This past summer, the District set aside $26.5 million in federal

funding to expand internet accessibility by providing devices such as computers and tablets to people who needed them.

In recent months, the D.C. Council has been exploring ways to bridge this gap in access, commonly known as the digital divide. In April, 10 members introduced legislation calling for the establishment of a digital equity division within the Office of the Chief Technology Officer to study how internet access impacts households across the District.

Implementing some of the measures envisioned by the bill presents several challenges. At a Government Operations and Facilities Committee hearing held on Oct. 20, local officials and representatives from various D.C.-based nonprofits discussed ways to approach the issue. While there was broad consensus that affordable highspeed internet service should be accessible to all, the discussion became mired in debates over what could qualify as “high speed” and whether local legislation might get in the way of possible federal funding.

Some participants argued that President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill — still being negotiated in the Senate — could offer solutions to the problem local officials are trying to solve themselves.

At-large Councilmember Robert White, who chairs the committee and co-introduced the Internet Equity Amendment Act of 2021, stressed that the issue of internet access affects a wide demographic.

“It’s not just households with schoolaged children that need affordable internet connections. Most households need it now,” White said during the hearing, which was itself held virtually via Zoom.

Anyone lacking adequate access to the internet, he added, is likely to encounter problems with searching for jobs, participating in online training, and accessing telehealth services.

White’s sentiment was echoed by others who relayed similar concerns in their testimonies at the hearing.

“What may seem like mere technological challenges has major substantive impacts, especially when experienced in the context of trying to participate in remote hearings, applying for benefits, or otherwise accessing critical government services,” said Zenia

IMAGE COURTESY OF FREE-HOTSPOT.COM / UNSPLASH

Laws, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of D.C. Laws went on to recount the challenges many of her clients face in trying to attend virtual legal proceedings and other critical online events.

But as several attendees pointed out, simply expanding access to the internet does not address all of the problems created by the digital divide. Speaking briefly at the hearing, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen — another co-introducer of the Internet Equity Amendment Act — highlighted a related issue.

“In some cases, fast internet is available but it’s either out of a family’s budget or a cost burden that prevents them from spending money on other necessities,” he said.

Data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau through the American Community Survey shows a strong correlation between household income and internet subscriptions within the District. From 2014 to 2018, 51% of D.C. households making less than $20,000 did not subscribe to internet services. By comparison, only 6% of households making more than $75,000 did not have internet subscriptions.

The average monthly cost of broadband internet within the city in 2020 was about $70, according to a study conducted by think tank New America. Prices vary, however,

depending on the speed and the provider.

Members of Byte Back, a local advocacy group focused on digital literacy, testified that some households in the city pay as much as $200 per month for the internet services they need.

At the start of the hearing, Allen cited similar concerns as he called for the city to identify a baseline internet speed that serves the needs of all its residents.

“While we can’t regulate ISPs [internet service providers], we can certainly set out a goal for what our own programs will do,” he said.

But as Chief Technology Officer Lindsey Parker pointed out, establishing a baseline speed for high-speed access is not a straightforward endeavor.

This is because ISPs have no way of guaranteeing the speed of their services at all times.

“They say that they’re providing a certain speed, [but] they cannot guarantee that they’re going to provide that speed at every single minute,” Parker said.

There’s an inherent limitation to bandwidth, which depends on many variables, including how many people are accessing the service at any given moment, according to Parker.

Parker also discussed DC-Net, which the

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

city owns and operates. Consisting of about 800 miles of fiber, this network is connected to 650 buildings and provides internet access to an array of organizations, including some federal agencies. She said her office has been looking into whether the city could leverage this existing infrastructure to provide internet services to its residents.

There are about 3,000 households in the District who do not have any access at all to high-speed internet, according to Parker. Given that this lack of access affects a relatively small portion of the city’s population, she said, the broad challenge is not infrastructure but instead adoption of internet services.

“There are a significant number of residents that lack the digital literacy skills to engage in basic online tasks like job searches, telehealth sessions, and digital government benefits,” she said.

Robert Oliver, president of the Friends of the D.C. Public Library, said that free computers and Wi-Fi are two of the most sought-after services provided by the library system. Many visitors endure long waits or even stand in line to access a computer, he said, and some even use Wi-Fi by hanging around library branches when they’re closed.

While most people testifying at the hearing “The only caution that I do want to impress said they agree with the spirit of expanding upon you and your colleagues, as you consider access to high-speed internet, some worried this important topic, is that we have a very about the unintended opportune moment to use effects of adopting new federal funds to address local legislation. this divide,” the chief Laura Miller Brooks, a technology officer said. senior transportation and While agreeing infrastructure associate it was “prudent” to with the Federal City consider the potential Council, a pro-business for federal funding, civic advocacy group, White cautioned against urged against actions that waiting on something might make it difficult for that is not yet approved. the city to take advantage Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. of any federal funding Va., and Sen. Kyrsten made available through Sinema, D-Ariz, among Biden’s infrastructure plan. other lawmakers, have “Because we have opposed parts of the $1.3 this opportunity, I think trillion infrastructure plan, that we should be very which includes increased Charles Allen, cautious about how our investments in bridges, Ward 6 Councilmember local recommendations roads, and railways as well align with some of these as expansion of broadband federal opportunities to catalyze this work,” internet. The bill — criticized by Republicans Brooks explained. as too expensive but hailed by supporters Parker told White she agrees this is reason as full of essential investments — has hit a to tread carefully. number of roadblocks in Congress since it was

“In some cases, fast internet is available but it’s either out of a family’s budget or a cost burden that prevents them from spending money on other necessities.”

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introduced this summer.

Meanwhile, the local bill introduced in April calls for a series of actions to take place. Within 90 days of enactment, OCTO would have to deliver a detailed report to the council regarding internet accessibility in the city. The report would also require the identification of households that do not have internet connections and a recommendation on minimum connection speeds.

As drafted, the bill would also set a sixmonth time frame for ensuring that families earning under 50% of the median family income not pay more than 0.5% of their household earnings for service with the recommended internet speeds. One year after the law is enacted, OCTO would have to provide a master plan to the council on how to provide accessible high-speed internet to all District residents.

“We can’t delay forever,” White said. “If this window closes, we can’t say, ‘Well, let’s wait till next time it opens.’ I do think it’s right to understand what the federal government might do. But I also think that if we’re going to see it, we’re going to see it relatively soon.”

This article was co-published with The DC Line.

Magruder’s and Rémy Cointreau Team up to Support Street Sense Media Charity Activities Rémy Cointreau and Magruder’s (a DC liquor and gourmet food store) are partnering with Street Sense Media in its mission to end homelessness in the Washington, D.C. area by empowering people in need with the skills, tools, and confidence to succeed. All November long, Rémy Cointreau will donate a portion of sales to Street Sense Media for each bottle purchased of select brands from Magruder’s of DC. These are:

SHARING GOOD CHEER Calling all gift-givers!

We are asking for new hats, gloves, scarves, socks and hand-warmers to provide 125 gift bags to our vendor/artists. Street Sense Media will also be including a gift certificate for 25 newspapers!

All gifts may be dropped-off Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM at our offices at 1317 G Street NW, Washington DC 20005. If possible, call us at 202347-2006 before you come by. Please have gifts to us by December 3.

It's hard work being a vendor. You can share the season's good cheer by helping ensure they stay warm while working.

If you have any questions, please contact Doris Warrell at doris@streetsensemedia.org.

The Botanist Gin Rémy Martin 1738 Cognac Rémy Martin XO Cognac Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac Rémy Martin Tercet Cognac Cointreau Orange Liqueur Mount Gay Barbados Rum Bruichladdich Classic Laddie Single Malt Scotch Port Charlotte 10 Year Peated Single Malt Scotch As our community moves into the holiday season, we hope customers will be able to share some of their joy through supporting the 120 Street Sense Media vendor/ artists. While this partnership is new, Rémy Martin has produced exceptional spirits focused on craftsmanship and legacy since 1724. From their beginnings in Cognac, France, to the internationally recognized brands they produce today, Rémy Cointreau has maintained their emphasis on quality and luxury.

The partnership’s goal is to raise $1,000 to support the vendor services, multi-media workshops, and case management provided by Street Sense Media. When you stop by or order from Magruder’s, consider buying a select Rémy Cointreau brand knowing $10 per bottle will go to work in the community.

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NEWS

A resource tent at the Monroe Street farmers market in Brookland. PHOTO BY GORDON CHAFFIN

Changes are coming to local fresh food initiative

A

fter working with the nonprofit D.C. Greens for seven years, the D.C. Department of Health is contracting with a new administrator for the city’s Produce Plus program. The new partnership will be unveiled in the next few weeks, program director Jo-Ann Jolly said.

Produce Plus is a 17-week program that runs each summer. People who qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), often referred to as food stamps, and other government food-support programs can receive $20 to be used strictly at farmers markets to buy fresh produce. Beneficiaries can participate in up to 12 out of the 17 available weeks.

D.C. Greens first partnered with Produce Plus through their advocacy in 2012, they were allocated $50,000 in the city budget, according to their website. Today, they report Produce Plus receives a $1.2 million recurring investment.

This is why D.C. Greens is ending the partnership, co-founder and Executive Director Lauren Biel said.

“The funding is in place with the city… and there are other entities in the city that really focus on farmers markets and are ready, willing and able to lean in and take on this very important program for the long haul,” Biel said. “We felt the moment was right to hand the reins over to another entity that can really focus all of their attention on farmers markets.”

One in 10 households said they were food insecure before the pandemic, according to D.C. Hunger Solutions. Then local food

BY MICHELLE LEVINE michelle.levine@streetsensemedia.org

insecurity doubled, according to the Bowser administration, and safety precautions due to the onset of the coronavirus meant farmers markets could not meet in 2020 as they had in years past. While Produce Plus Direct was created to deliver groceries, an evaluation of the program found participation

One in 10 households said they were food insecure before the pandemic ...

Then local food insecurity doubled. was roughly half that of previous years, with over 4,500 people using the direct service compared to the typical 8,000 - 9,000 participants in Produce Plus. Farmers Markets and the traditional Produce Plus program resumed in 2021.

Creating access to fresh produce in low-income areas was a main goal for D.C. Greens, Biel said.

When the program started, 13% of D.C. households were food insecure according to data reported by the USDA. In a questionnaire featured in the 2019 Produce Plus annual report, it was found that 72.9% of participants identified being “at risk for food insecurity.” There is a large focus on increasing accessibility in Wards 7 and 8, the District’s only food deserts.

Approximately 45% of Produce Plus customers resided in those wards according to the 2019 report.

As Street Sense Media previously reported, only three fullservice grocery stores served more than 160,000 people in wards 7 and 8 in 2020 — with three more under construction.

By comparison, 11 full-service grocery stores served roughly half as many people in Ward 3.

Focussing on those who need it most is something that will not change, Biel said. The main goal for the future administrator, she said, is to “continue in a way that honors and centers the folks who are most impacted by the problem.”

Jo-Ann Jolly, who has been with the Department of Health for four years and started managing Produce Plus in February, said she is extremely happy with the progress the program has seen.

Beneficiaries agree: “[Produce Plus] encourages shoppers to buy more fresh foods,” said Mary Regalado, a Park View Market patron who said she has been using government assistance programs on and off throughout the past few years.

Regalado said she enjoys using Produce Plus because it is also a chance to support local farmers.

7, and 8, which exacerbates the challenges These findings affirm that it is more to accessing healthy food; challenging to access nutritious food 3. Wards 5, 7, and 8 do not have significant Blackest lowest-income STRE E T S E N Sand EME D I A . O R G // 9neighbo disparities in the number of communityin the city. This impact can be felt not based food programs, such as Healthy the health outcomes, but also the eco Corner stores, farmers’ markets, and outcomes of these wards. Despite co community gardens, when compared with interventions, the grocery gap and fo the other wards, but still lack sufficient and insecurity continue largely unchange reliable access to healthy and affordable time to challenge that status quo. food;

Food Access and Fo Food Access and Food Insecurity Challenges In The D Unequal food access in DC, mapped

Challenges In The District

Almost 1/3 of DC census tracts are low income & low food access food insecurity Pandemic

Pa do

While the program has created a 2019 Produce Plus Customers Grocery Store Locations documented increase in access to fresh in Washington, D.C., by Ward in Select Zip Codes produce, multiple obstacles have come Foo up through the process. One pressing pan 49 census tracts are both low income and have issue with the program is that there is more demand than supply, said ac low food access (33% of residents >0.5 miles from Aliza Wasserman, who managed the Food insecurity doubled in DC during the rea a full-service grocer) program while under D.C. Greens. In pandemic, reaching its height at 21% in June 2020, 49 census tracts are both low income and have order for the program to continue to be (DC successful, she said, there needs to be a combination of a lack of economic resources & low food access (33% of residents >0.5 miles from an increase in funding.

Low Income, ready access to healthy, affordable foodLow Access One example has up through grocer) a come full-service customer feedback. Beneficiaries are (DC Food Policy Council) asking for all funds to be loaded on an electronic card, something similar to a debit card. This has been done Ap Low Income, Low Access successfully for SNAP benefits and res WIC benefits. This would allow users pa to easily keep track of their benefits and have them automatically loaded mi onto their cards. A priority for the Approx. 65% percent of neighborhoods (162k an new administrator is to work toward residents) in Wards 5, 7, & 8 have low food access getting cards set up.

(O “Some of these things that seem like paired with low transit access, defined as being 0.5 they should be so simple to accomplish miles or more from a WMATA bus or metro corridor are actually incredibly difficult when you get into the nitty gritty [details]. and a high percentage of households without a car.

There’s so many minutiae that make it so (Open Data DC) complicated just to move in a direction that seems so obvious,” Wasserman said.

On To address this and other customer DC Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas concerns, Jolly said that Produce Plus plans to host listening sessions for 160 anyone in the community to participate.

The date for these sessions has not yet A map from the D.C. Greens 2019 Produce Plus report.

A map from the D.C. Hunger Solutions 2020 “Still Minding the Grocery Gap in D.C.” report. been decided but Wasserman said they Only 3 out of 79 of the full-service grocery stores in will take place before the next farmers d 20019 (two which operate on two market season starts.Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas DC are located in Wardsdoubled 7 and 8, in serving over the Food insecurity DC during 1% of participating locations, they Seven years ago, Biel said she pandemic, reaching its height at 21% in June 2020, 49 census tracts are both low income and have 160,000 residents could not have imagined the program would have come as far as it has. a combination of a lack of economic resources & low food access (33% of residents >0.5 miles from Food insecurity doubled in DC during the When they started, farmers markets ready access to healthy, affordable food a full-service grocer) were associated with white wealthy pandemic, reaching its height at 21% in June 202 49 census tracts are both low income and have people, Biel said. Now, access to (DC Food Policy Council) a combination of a lack of economic resources & fresh, local food is available for those low food access (33% of residents >0.5 miles from The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program of all economic levels. access to0% healthy, food a full-service grocer) 100% (SNAP) ready provides nutrition benefitsaffordable to supplement Low Income, Low Access “The Produce Plus program really the food(DC budget low-income families. Wards 7 secured the market for farmers to open FoodofPolicy Council) up shop in communities where they and 8 households have a higher utilization of SNAP previously had believed they wouldn’t Low Income, Low Access compared to the rest of the city. make sales,” Biel said.

Approx. 65% percent of neighborhoods (162k A primary goal of the program was The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program residents) in Wards 5, 7, & 8 have low food access to create markets where at least 10% of the population used SNAP, their (SNAP) provides nutrition benefits to supplement paired with low transit access, defined as being 0. website says. The original purpose Approx. 65% percent of neighborhoods (162k miles or more from a WMATA bus or metro corrid food of the program was tothe disprove thebudget of low-income families. Wards 7 residents) in Wards 5, 7, & 8 have low food acce stereotype that farmers markets are and a high percentage of households without a ca and 8 households have a higher utilization of SNAP “elite white spaces,” Biel said. paired with low transit access, defined as being (Open Data DC) This success is widely celebrated, to the rest of the city. compared miles or more from a WMATA bus or metro cor she said, and something D.C. Greens is proud to have been involved in. and a high percentage of households without a As the program looks forward to (Open Data DC) starting with a new administration, CORONAVIRUS.DC.GOV Jolly said it is important for users to know that the eligibility criteria is not changing.

Only 3 out of 79 of the full-service grocery stores i “We are very excited at this Forty-nine census tracts are both low income and have low food access (33% Wards 7 and 8American households have a higher utilization of the Supplemental Nutrition Source: Community Survey are located in ofWards 7 and 8,ofserving USDA Food Atlas of residents live more thanAccess half a mile Research from a full-service grocery store). Data AssistanceDC Program compared to the rest the city. Data courtesy the Americanover opportunity to continue workingSource: Community Survey. to increase access to fresh foods,” courtesy of USDA Food Access Research Atlas.

160,000 MAPS FROM THE “FAIR SHOT DC: FOOD ACCESS INVESTMENTS IN THE FY22 BUDGET” DOCUMENT PUBLISHED BY THE D.C. OFFICE OF PLANNING, OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PLANNING AND Only 3residents outTHEof 79 of the full-service grocery store Jolly said.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER.

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Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas CORONAVIRUS.DC.GOV

DC are located in Wards 7 and 8, serving over Page 2 160,000 residents

1 0 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A / / N O V. 3 - 9 , 2 0 21

OPINION

A call for the faithful to create a city where everyone has a home

BY SHIRI YADLIN

Take a moment to imagine a vision of a “just city.” What does this city look like? What does it feel like? What does it smell or sound like? What do you see in that city?

What don’t you see?

Now compare that vision to the reality of Washington, D.C. If your imagination is anything like mine, there’s quite a chasm between the vision you conjured and the status quo. You don’t have to look far to see injustices sprawled across the District: inequitable access to education, health care and food; cultural displacement; disenfranchisement; and of course homelessness and housing insecurity, to name a few.

Each year thousands of D.C. residents live — and more than 100 die — without the dignity of a home.

Tens of thousands of households spend the majority of their paychecks on housing, leaving little else for other necessities. More than a thousand kids lack a stable address, sometimes jumping from school to school.

But in a just city, no one lives or dies on the street. In a just city, no one spends more than half their income to keep a roof over their head. In a just city, everyone has a home.

When it comes to housing, D.C. is not yet the just city we long to see. But I believe that it can be.

We can easily feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the injustices we face. It’s enough to make us want to shut down and give up, believing we’re never going to reach anything resembling justice. But that can’t be the answer.

As a Christian, I cannot accept that answer. When I imagine a vision of a just city, I am inspired by the foundational text of my faith: a vision of a new heaven and new earth that God communicates to the prophet Isaiah, recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. In this new heaven and new earth, there is a city filled with joy and delight and devoid of suffering, people live out their full lives, those who build houses are able to actually live in them, and those who plant crops reap the benefits of their labor (Isaiah 65:17-25). It’s a beautiful vision, where all of creation — human, animal, nature — can flourish in wholeness, with people living as their full, authentic selves.

As part of that creation, I’m called to not only dream about this beautiful vision, but actively pursue it by partnering in the restorative work that the God I believe in is already doing on this earth and embodying the wholeness and flourishing that defines true justice.

Across the District, faith communities are already issues? Instead of starting something new, lend your doing this critical, meaningful work pushing back against gifts and resources to existing causes, led by those housing injustice. Groups like Washington Interfaith experiencing housing insecurity themselves. Enter with Network are organizing and advocating, churches are humility and self-awareness and find out how you can opening their doors to unhoused neighbors to help meet contribute. Start by listening. basic needs, and multiple houses of worship have built Stay informed about what’s happening in your affordable housing on their own property, adding critical community. Get on your Advisory Neighborhood supply to close the gap in availability.

Commission mailing list, community listserv, or The rest of us need to step up and add to these efforts. neighborhood newsletter. Pay attention to what kind of In my work I have seen that most churches understand development is coming to your neighborhood. How much that housing is an issue. They recognize the call to engage affordable housing is included? Who is fighting against it? in housing justice, yet don’t know how. The initiative that Who is supporting it? Ask yourself how it relates to the I work on, Just Homes, exists to answer that question. ultimate vision: a just city where everyone has a home.

We mobilize and equip churches in the D.C. area to Will this development get us closer to that vision? Move meet the affordable housing needs of the region. We help us backwards? How can you advocate for the presence resource churches as institutions and church members as of justice in this process? individuals to live out their calling to pursue and embody Are there conversations in your neighborhood housing justice. surrounding tent communities or rules for parks and So what does this look like? No one can do everything, public spaces? Is the rhetoric dehumanizing and othering? but everyone can do something. And we can learn from How can you be a voice for justice in those discussions? each other as we figure out what that something is.

What do your elected officials have to say about housing A good first step is to learn about the nature of justice? What is their record? Have you told them how you housing injustice in D.C. Don’t jump straight to answers feel? We have direct access to local elected officials who without taking time to learn about make decisions every day that can the problems. This step isn’t for take the District closer to that vision everyone. Many faith communities of justice. Seize that opportunity. have lived experiences with Consider your resources: financial, housing injustice—churches getting professional, circumstantial. What displaced as their congregants are passions, gifts, or experiences do you priced out of their neighborhoods, have that can be put to work toward vulnerable congregations forced to housing justice? What networks are sell their property, historic buildings you a part of, where do you have turned into luxury condos. But influence? Take stock of where predominantly-white churches and you’re situated, what privilege or new churches need to do the work power you have and consider how to understand housing injustice in you can put that to work in pursuit D.C. We must unpack the history of housing justice. of systemic injustice and racial And of course, people of faith discrimination in housing, and must be in a constant posture of the ways in which racism and prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to dehumanization are embedded in the guide us, show us when to take a structures and plans for the District. lead and when to follow. The gap And we need to listen to those with lived experience with between our vision of a just city and our current reality homelessness, gentrification and displacement. is wide, but as a Christian I believe that with God all A key part of this education is repentance and lament. things are possible, and that includes realizing a vision We must reflect on our own complicity in these injustices of wholeness and flourishing. and employ the biblical practice of lament to sit with So let’s join in the good work that is already happening that complicity. Have startup churches played a role around us, keeping this image of a just city where in displacing historic churches? How are newcomers everyone has a home at the center of all we do. May the fueling the housing crisis? Lamenting injustice, selfvision keep us pressing forward when we are weary, give interrogating and owning our roles in unjust systems is us hope when all we feel is despair. The vision is big and a key part of this education step. bold, but it is within reach.

But we can’t stop there. Education without action is Shiri Yadlin is the director of Just Homes, a church-led initiative incomplete. Next, we must engage. We must find ways that mobilizes and equips faith communities to respond to the to take this understanding and channel it into active affordable housing crisis in D.C. participation in the ongoing efforts to address these inequities.

Maybe this looks like community - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community? participation.

- Want to share firsthand experience?

Start by learning - Interested in responding to what someone else has written? what is already happening in your Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding. neighborhood. What We aim to elevate voices from across the housing spectrum and foster healthy debate. community groups Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org. are at work meeting tangible needs and addressing systemic

“In a just city, no one lives or dies on the street. In a just city, no one spends more than half their income to keep a roof over their head. In a just city, everyone has a home.”

Join the conversation, share your views

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

ART

ILLUSTRATION BY CARLTON “INKFLOW” JOHNSON, ARTIST/VENDOR

Beautiful Man

Coping Skills

BY ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor

BY ANTHONY PRATT Artist/Vendor

For that most beautiful man, my Brothers, do you stand in solidarity? They give up their substance to the needy and the orphan child, the widow all the while.

Oh, my beautiful brothers in all shades of brown, the whispers from the whisperer have blackened your hearts.

That beautiful man, per the Lord, has said the first beautiful man will be the last, and the last beautiful man will be the first Oh, beautiful man, they call you a Black man and feast their lives on you, for your beauty still shines through. The world takes from the things you do mathematically, scientifically, astronomically, spiritually, mentally. Your beauty taught them how to believe and achieve all these amazing things and best the evil they perceived.

Oh, beautiful man, my brothers will one day stand on lofty thrones looking down on those who thought it would be the other way around. But, not you, oh, beautiful man in all shades of brown. The Earth, the Lord made to cherish you for you, who was the created beautiful to worship the Lord.

I go to MBI Health classes and I’ve come to realize I love those groups. My groups help me to get a better understanding about my life and the way I think.

I came to realize I had to change my way of thinking. It helped me to cope with many different ways of dealing with many different types of people. We all have different life experiences and perspectives.

What I am trying to teach everyone, all God’s people, is that every person is different. You have to adjust to their personality. And that goes both ways.

That is just a thought that I am trying to put in your mind. Stay and pray up. Love God’s people. Peace!

// 11

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ART

A shared memory

BY SYBIL TAYLOR Artist/Vendor

Dove

BY KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor

All of God’s animals Why does she make this one special?

Why does it speak to us the way it does?

The symbolism that God will always love us, and be back.

Treading the Waters, Part 40

BY GERALD ANDERSON Artist/Vendor

When we were last with Gerald in New Orleans, he was running the streets with his long-time friends, Greg and Minew...

We had a partner, called him Nathan. His real name Michael.

Right now he in the Federal system, full life sentence.

We had another little homie, Derrick. He was a cool cat. Derrick was out the Magnolia Project.

Nathan got a full life sentence.

Derrick dead. And what we didn’t know was them boys start working for the Feds.

Nathan and Minew couldn’t get along. Minew been wanting to knock him off. Mean kill him.

But he never could get to him.

Cause he always working for the Feds.

We pull in the project, we see him.

When Minew be looking, you could tell.

Minew said, “Look at that b****a** n*****.”

Excuse the language, but that’s the way it was.

I said, “Man, we can’t touch him.”

He looked at him.

I say, “Man, you know he might be wired.”

Come to find out a few weeks later, Derrick and Nathan start working with the Feds who was trying to bust Clio and First St. That’s where we all come up, all the addicts, dope fiends, and junkies.

We never thought Derrick would turn and work with the Feds. But one night a few days after we seen Nathan, somebody killed Derrick.

And when they was killing him, Derrick wearing a wire. When they hit him, they seen the wire. They seen the wire. That’s when they found out him and Nathan working for the Feds.

They still killed him.

That’s how the street was, it’s a dirty game in the street. That’s how the street pays out, you good with it.

I told Minew, “Man, they hit him and we going down.”

To be continued. Gerald Anderson’s first book, “Still Standing: how an ex-con found salvation in the floodwaters of Katrina,” is available on Amazon.com.

I know everybody wondered why I have not been writing my stories and why my articles have not been in your weekly papers.

I have been through a seriously upsetting moment in my life and have felt painful sadness and grief. My godmother, who was my boyfriend Danny’s aunt, passed away recently. When I met Danny back in 1996, I used to sometimes help his aunt. His cousin and I were friends and I began to know more of Danny’s family members and neighbors.

Danny and I, we hit it off with a strong spark and are very compatible. His aunt had a major stroke, so sometimes I would come past to help out and sometimes I would just come and sit with her. Her daughter had to work and sometimes Danny worked. I had an apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, but I gave up my place and moved in with Miss Ella and her daughter.

Miss Ella was like my second mother. She and I clicked like magic. She trusted me to bathe her and help her dress and make her meals and give her her meds. I was like a live-in nurse’s aide. I was always there to go with her to her doctor’s appointments, watch TV with her, and listen to church on Sundays.

Gospel music might be playing when her daughter fixed a nice Sunday dinner, maybe with fried chicken and fried fish, collard greens, cornbread and potato salad. She would be in the kitchen, cooking. Danny always read the Word of God to her. He sat on the side of her bed, writing out different passages from scriptures. He was very understanding of her needs and wants.

She often bathed at night. I would help her with her diapers and help her put on a fresh nightgown. She was an angel. Later, as the years passed, she got sicker and sicker. All the love and memories stuck with me throughout

many years. Danny’s sister always helped out.

I called myself a wonderful caregiver who put work into what I did for her.

The last time that Danny and I saw her was in August. We had our last laugh and smiles with her and we were full of heartfelt joy and love. Then we found out that she was very sick. She went to the hospital and was sent to a nursing home to be cared for. She was too sick to be cared for at home anymore. She had dementia and other complications.

When she passed away, I took it very hard.

Danny did, too. Her daughter, Danny, and I were one big happy family. I miss her truly.

I have many feelings at the same time: tears of joy and happiness and pain and sadness, sometimes depression and heartache.

Memories of her play back in my mind daily.

Words can’t explain the pain that I feel. She is going to be missed and not forgotten. She will always be in everybody’s heart. She and my father are up In heaven, rejoicing with each other and other loved ones. They all welcomed my godmother Ella with open arms and flowers and presented her with her golden robe that sparkles and twinkles, and with her halo, her crown, and her beautiful angel wings.

There were smiles and kisses from all the angels who greeted her as she came through the Golden Gates of Heaven and the Streets of Gold and Glory.

I still feel upset and tearful and so does Danny. Please pray for us and his family to have strength. We appreciate all the help and support from everybody and all the Love. I am healing from the pain and trying to be strong through this storm.

Playlist songs:

1. “God is My Friend,” by Marvin Gaye 2. “Ask the Lonely,” by The Four Tops 3. “I’m Going Away,” by Walter Hawkins 4. “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” by Marvin Gaye

Mary?

BY CHAD JACKSON // Artist/Vendor

In 2007, a careful study exposed rats to THC, the active compound in marijuana, at different phases of their development: before birth, soon after birth, and prior to maturity. All three samples demonstrated significant problems with learning and memory function later in their lives. Other related studies showed that exposure to THC prior to maturity increased the likelihood that the individual would selfadminister other drugs.

Scientists like Dr. Amy Porath-Waller have raised concerns about the effects of cannabis on young people. There is a need to take a pause and consider that this is the future of our country. We certainly want to prepare our youth so they can be productive members in our community. We have our downfalls. Just

keep your head above water and if you feel you can’t do it, call somebody or get on your knees and pray. Regardless, what you’ve done or are about to do, He will always have your back. Like Tupac said, Keep your head up cuz if you don’t love you, He always will.

You’re God’s child. Just stay strong and stay true to yourself.

You’re here for a reason. Every day you walk on this planet, praise and bless Him. You are above ground and you have 10 toes down.

Love yourself first. Then worry about everybody and everything else. Because you can’t take everybody to Heaven if you aren’t trying to get there yourself.

I love God like He will always love us.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

ECLIPSE

BY AYUB ABDUL Artist/Vendor

The Sun rises and just before the Sunset on those beautiful evenings ...

The Moon comes out with her face to the West.

The urgency of Love shouldn't wait forever.

Like all things that have nature it gets kissed.

The Yin and Yang turns around always at opposite corners.

When the Moon meet the Sun day lights become night as the Moon kisses the Sun. The lips become a total eclipse.

PHOTO BY MATT NELSON / UNSPLASH.COM

POEM AND ILLUSTRATION BY GRACIAS GRACIAS Artist/Vendor

// 1 3

The youth today

BY CARLOS CARLOLINA Artist/Vendor

The youth today get carried away Don’t love one another like back in the day Use guns and knives to get their way Snort a little coke, smoke a little hay Don’t feel loved but nothing they say Then get mad at the world for walking away Maybe things would be better If we all stick together To turn our strong nights Into sunny weather We need to find another way Rather than killing one another today Now one of your loved ones Has gone away And all they gonna say is, “Mm, mm, mm, that’s the youth of today.”

I wrote this piece when I was in ninth grade for my English teacher, Mrs. W. and for my ninth grade classmates. “As a youth, for the youth.”

Love will find its way

BY JEFFREY CARTER Artist/Vendor

My dear brother and sister, what’s the matter with this world? Has the world gone mad?

My brother and sister, there’s nothing wrong with the world; it’s the people in it.

Our young people need something to look up to in life. Ben Carson, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Jesus Christ.

Some young people are without a father or mother and have to raise themselves. They don’t know which direction to go in or how to live, themselves.

Our young people need role models to look up to. The only thing they have is the love within themselves.

May peace and blessings be with you and them.

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FUN & #2 Sudoku 2 1 7 GAMES 9 6

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6 3 5 © 2013 KrazyDad.com

FillSudoku in the blank #6 squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

1 use3logic8 you9can5solve 4 the6puzzle 2 without 7 guesswork.

If you

9 a little 4 help?

6 3The2hints7page 1 shows 8logical order to solve the puzzle.

5 a Need Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page 5 really 7 stuck.

1 8 6 9 4 3 2 get if you 8 7 3 4 2 9 4 6 6 5 1 8 4 8 9 2 7 1 2 5 3 6 5 7

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

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

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

9

>> This crossword puzzle’s answers: tinyurl.com/SSMcross-11-03-2021

<< LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

1. 5.

Football Dramathrow divisions 5. 9.

Drama divisions Business gp.

9. 14.

Business gp.voice Chorus 14.15.

Chorus voice Zip 15.16.

ZipHorned animal, for short 16.17.

Horned animal, for short Glide 17. Glide 18. Tavern drinks 18. Tavern drinks 19. Ceremonial events 19. Ceremonial events 20. Taco ingredient 20. Taco ingredient 22. Most sensible 22. Most sensible 23. Fore's opposite 23. Fore’s opposite 24. Without expression 24. Without expression 26. Paddle's kin 26. Paddle’s kin 27. Branch of math 27. Branch of math 32. Indian of Peru 32. Indian of Peru 36. More selfish 36. More selfish 37. Bound 37. Bound 38. Helps a crook 38. Helps a crook 40. Delight 40. Delight 41. Cleveland shore sight (2 41. Cleveland shore sight (2 wds.) wds.)

43. Singer ____ Fitzgerald 43. Singer ____ Fitzgerald 44. Stricter 44. Stricter 45. Nile viper 45. Nile viper 48. Moderately slow, in music Moderately slow, in 50.48.

Shade of blue music 53. Blood component 50. Shade of blue 57. Aircraft with pontoons 53. Blood component 59. Soup dipper 57. Aircraft with pontoons 60. Cowardly person Soup dipper 61.59.

Bullring cries 60. Cowardly person 62. Laker Shaquille ____ 63.61.

IceBullring pellets cries 62.

Laker Shaquille 64. “____ dead people!” ____ (2 wds.)

63.

Ice pellets 65. Trials "____ dead people!" (2 66.64.

Previously 67.wds.)

Brashness

Trying to be happy is like trying to build a machine for which the only specification is that it should run noiselessly.

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

Across Across

65. Trials

66. Previously Down

1. 67.

Ziti,Brashness e.g.

2. Unfriendly 3. Begin 4. Categorize

© ONLINECROSSWORDS.NET

8

Find the solution at https://onlinecrosswords.net/49424

5. Flowering shrub

35. One who mimics 36. Wow! 1. Staircase Ziti, e.g. part 22. ____ tax 38. Fight site 45. Weak 7.

2. Distress Unfriendly 25. Separate 8. signal 39. Wren, e.g. 46. Paper fastener 3. Organize Begin 28. Outer limit 9.

42. Glossy paints47. Vitality 4.

Categorize 49. Japanese, e.g.

29.

Invoice 10. Leg bone 45. Weak 5. Flowering shrub 50. Hot sauce 30. Whirl 46. Paper fastener 11.

Locale 6. Basement 51. Leg joints 31. Site 12.

Till bills 47. Vitality 7. Staircase part 32. Misfortunes 13.

Price 49. Japanese, e.g.52. Positive replies 8. Distress 21.

Groom’ssignal response (2 wds.)33. Tidy 50. Hot sauce 53. Conspiracy 9.

34. Birthday51. treat 22.Organize ____ tax Leg joints 54. Highway section 10.

Leg bone 55. Thirst quenchers 35. One who52. mimics 25. Separate Positive replies 11.

Locale 36. Wow! 53. Conspiracy 56. Bed support 28. Outer limit 12.

Till bills 58. Reporter ____ Lane 38. Fight site 29. Invoice 54. Highway section 13.

Price 60. Which person?

39. Wren, e.g.

30. Whirl 55. Thirst quenchers 31. Site 56. Bed support 21.

Groom's response (2 42. Glossy paints wds.)

32. Misfortunes 58. Reporter ____ Lane 33. Tidy 60. Which person?

34. Birthday treat

Down 6. Basement

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

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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

1-888-793-4357

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

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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

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

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOTLINE Línea de salud del comportamiento

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

For further information and listings, visit our online service guide at StreetSenseMedia.org/service-guide

// 1 5

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HELP! WE’RE LOOKING FOR

volunteers Become a Street Sense Media volunteer and help further our mission to empower people experiencing homelessness by amplifying marginalized voices and meeting the information needs of people in poverty.

Our editorial team seeks volunteers skilled in either Adobe InDesign or the WordPress CMS to help expand two teams for publishing our content in print and online, respectively.

If interested, please contact our editors, Eric Falquero and Gordon Chaffin: editor@streetsensemedia.org 202-347-2006 (x 201) For more information about these opportunities and other volunter positions, visit StreetSenseMedia.org/volunteer

Concrete barriers were deployed on the sidewalks of the L Street NE underpass the same day as the documentary screening, Oct. 28, after the last tents were removed from the area. Encampment residents were removed from M Street and part of L Street in NoMa, the same encampments shown in the 2019 footage seen in the documentary, at the beginning of the month. PHOTO BY GORDON CHAFFIN

Laura Waters Hinson and Sheila White. Approximately 200 people attended the Oct. 28 outdoor screening of “Street Reporter” at Metrobar D.C. PHOTO BY WILL SCHICK

We just screened my documentary, what’s next?

BY SHEILA WHITE Artist/Vendor

D

oing the documentary film “Street Reporter” (streetreporterfilm.com) with American University was a great pleasure and success.

I learned so much by telling my story.

I learned that my story can help make a difference in someone’s life who is homeless.

Being homeless doesn’t define you. You define you. Seeing all the people that supported me in all my endeavors made me feel so honored and proud that I did the film. It had already gone to several film festivals around the country and been screened in-house for Street Sense Media vendors — but last week at Metrobar D.C. was its public premiere in our city.

Street Sense family who came out to support the film, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you also, to the different organizations. To Laura Waters Hinson and the staff who worked on this project with me and Reggie Black, I appreciate the experience that you have taught me. I will take this and apply it every day of my life. I will continue on this journey of advocating for the homeless community in any way I can.

My next step is to graduate from The University of the District of Columbia in May of 2022. After school, I would like to continue taking photos and telling other people’s stories through the lens of a camera.

Even though I did this short film about myself, I look

forward to being behind the scenes and learning more about editing and storytelling. Sue Dofman, thank you for introducing me to the camera.

I am so honored to be a part of so many organizations that really care about homeless people such as me.

To my fellow vendors, I can’t leave you out. You really warmed my heart when you came out and supported the project. Thank you. It meant a lot.

Street Sense Media and American University, you rock!!! Thank you for the opportunity to share my story in such a positive way.

Being homeless doesn’t define you.

You define you.

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

From your vendor, NOV. 3 - 9, 2021 | VOLUME 18 ISSUE 40 NO CASH? NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN APP! SEARCH “STREET SENSE” IN THE APP STORE

WWW.INSP.NGO SSM staff reporter Will Schick covered the screening for NYU’s “The Click.” One attendee said the film completely changed their view of homelessness as an issue: “Usually, when you read articles in the news, it’s about homelessness in general. But here, you’re getting to hear individual stories ... It makes me understand more the complexity of what people might be going through.”

To read the full article, visit tinyurl.com/street-reporter-premiere

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