01.19.2022

VOL. 19 ISSUE 9

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JAN. 19 - 25, 2022

Real Stories

Real People

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Real Change

How to find housing if you're single and experiencing homelessness in D.C. Esto es lo que necesitas saber para coordinar e iniciar el proceso para hallar vivienda si se encuentra desamparado en D.C.

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The Cover

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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.

Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence. And our in-house case-management services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing.

At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents, and character, not through our housing situation.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

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AT A GLANCE

ANNOUNCEMENTS • Vendors can bring in a complete CDC vaccination card for 15 free papers and proof of a booster shot for 10 free papers.

Ivory Wilson on a recent visit to Street Sense Media. Photo by Will Schick.

Artist/Vendor launches new business to help people walk in style

BY WILL SCHICK

Editor-in-Chief

A Street Sense Media vendor/artist is starting a new business that markets and sells stylish walking canes.

Ivory Wilson, 66, hurt himself after stepping off a city bus three months ago. The incident re-triggered pain from a previous injury and caused him to rely on a walking aid to get around.

It also inspired him to develop a specialized product he hopes to market to people of all ages, especially those who have an interest in fashionable accessories.

An Army veteran and self-published author of five books, Wilson said he has long taken pride in his sense of fashion and style which he used to spiff up the walking stick he began using.

“When I hurt my leg, I said ‘damn, this is an ugly cane,’” he said. “So, I decided to put some flavor to it and add some bling.”

Wilson’s prototype cane uses a hood ornament from an older Cadillac as its handle. He hopes to raise enough money to place an order with a manufacturer to produce the canes, which he plans to sell in retail stores. So far, he has raised $141 of his $1,200 goal on Kickstarter (tinyurl.com/walking-cane).

Even though it's early in the process, Wilson said he has already received positive feedback from friends, colleagues, and other potential customers.​

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A close up view of Wilson's cane prototype. Courtesy photo.

“When I stand on the corner, passersby often stop and ask if they can take a photo of my prototype because ‘it is so cool,’” he wrote on his Kickstarter project page.

Though his cane has won many admirers, Wilson said he is also cautiously optimistic about his business.

“It’s not a success yet, I’m feeling my way through it now,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I can use all the help I can get.”

• The opinion section is open to submissions from all members of our community.

Please email opinion@ streetsensemedia.org with your pitches.

CORRECTIONS In our Jan. 12 edition, the article titled "District will receive millions to boost lead removal," listed Larry Martin was as the president of the Sierra Club. He is the conservation chair.

Follow more headlines at StreetSenseMedia.org/news

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NOTICIAS

¿Cómo solicitar vivienda en DC y que esperar?

POR WILL SCHICK TRADUCIDO POR ALFREDO SAN JOSÉ Street Sense Media

R

emontándonos a Febrero del 2019, Donte Turner se hacía una pregunta que tanta gente experimentando falta de vivienda se ha hecho una y otra vez: ¿Cómo alguien en mi situación puede encontrar un lugar propio donde vivir?

Turner, de 36 años, nunca ha tenido un lugar que pueda llamar “propio.” Oriundo de Chicago, ha invertido la mayoría de sus últimas dos décadas flotando entre empleos y hospedandose con amigos en D.C. Trabajó con “Shake Shack,” desde que inauguró en la ciudad para su apertura en 2011. Otro año, trabajó para una compañía que revitaliza y prepara viviendas para su venta o alquiler en el mercado. Por un tiempo trabajó para una agencia temporera. Turner en estos momentos es un vendedor/artista, para “Street Sense Media”, también pasó tiempo en la cárcel. Recuerda haber solicitado para conseguir un vale de vivienda allá para el 2009, pero dice nunca haber recibido respuesta de nadie acerca de su solicitud.

Una década más tarde, la pregunta de: – Cómo asegurar vivienda permanente? – comenzaba a consumirlo. Si solo pudiese conseguir un lugar estable donde vivir, consideraba Turner, podría comenzar a tener una mejor vida para mí mismo.

Entonces, ¿Quién está a cargo de la distribución de vales para vivienda? ¿Cómo funciona el proceso para recibir un vale?

Turner acceso a los proveedores de servicios para deambulantes por todo el Distrito en busca de una explicación. Pero, en lugar de hallar respuestas, el dice que inmediatamente fue golpeado con una lista de preguntas completamente diferentes. “¿Necesita terapia? ¿Necesita consejería? Necesita un psiquiatra o un doctor? ¿Necesita SSI, (Ingreso de Seguridad Suplementaria)? ¿En qué puedo ayudarle? Turner recuerda ser interrogado en su visita a por lo menos 5 organizaciones sin fines de lucro.

Todo el tiempo, Turner respondió que buscaba ayuda para asegurar una vivienda estable y permanente. Y todo el tiempo, alguien le ofreció una conferencia impromptu sobre algo que él sentía no guardaba ninguna relación, le decían que él necesitaba ayuda en cosas como suw responsabilidad personal y el manejo de su tiempo. Cada encuentro le ocasionó un poco más de enojo y crecía un poco más su desilusión con el sistema completo.

A Turner le seguía sorprendiendo él porque no había una respuesta concreta y directa. Para encontrar una, la línea de D.C. y “Street Sense Media” habló a varios proveedores de servicios para deambulantes y con deambulantes y personas que fueron deambulantes en el pasado que ya han navegado por el sistema. El resultado en esta guía está específicamente diseñado para hallar recursos para personas en su carácter individual.

Los recursos accesibles para las familias se diferencian significativamente.

Recién me he convertido en un deambulante. ¿Cómo consigo un vale para vivienda?

El primer paso para alguien que experimenta el desamparo de no tener hogar es buscar un proveedor de servicios al deambulante, “homeless service provider”, y pedir ayuda para encontrar vivienda. (tinyurl.com/SSM-provider-map).

Todos los proveedores de servicio en el distrito usan un proceso descentralizado llamado “coordinated entry”, (acceso coordinado), para parear personas con oportunidades de vivienda (tinyurl.com/SSM-provider-map). No hay manera de

que un individuo pueda registrarse a sí mismo en este sistema.

Cada persona debe conectarse a través de un proveedor de servicios.

Hay una variedad de programas de vivienda con las que una persona puede “parear”; estos incluyen: Apoyo Permanente de VIvienda (PSH) y re-ubicación rápida de vivienda (RRH), entre otras. En lugar de una lista de espera o una solicitud para cada programa, cada persona en necesidad es añadida a este sistema coordinado.

La información que los proveedores de servicio pueden requerir incluye el nombre de la persona, su fecha de nacimiento, y cualquier otra documentación accesible que identifique a la persona, (como la tarjeta de seguro social).

Adam Rocap, el miembro directivo de “Miriam’s Kitchen”, una organización proveedora de servicios para deambulantes local, que se encuentra en “Foggy Bottom”, enfatiza que la gente puede preguntar acerca de “coordinated entry” o (acceso coordinado), en cualquier lugar en donde reciben asistencia, ya sea comida, duchas o cualquier lugar donde se reciben vales para alimentos.

“Vayan y busquen cualquier proveedor de servicios con los que ya estén conectados y aseguren su compromiso con ellos, preguntales sobre “coordinated entry” o (acceso coordinado), y las solicitudes para vivienda,” dice Rocap.

Pregunté sobre “Coordinated Entry” y ahora me están pidiendo toda esta información personal. ¿Realmente la necesitan?

Si y no. Hay un formulario de evaluación asociado a “coordinated entry” - conocido como el Índice de Vulnerabilidad - Herramientas para Evaluación y Toma de Decisiones para Servicios Prioritarios (VI-SPDAT) - Que exige una vasta gama de información personal para así determinar los mejores tipos de programas para los que un individuo puede ser elegible. La gente puede cumplir con los requisitos para diferentes tipos de servicios de vivienda dependiendo de un número de factores como edad o incapacidad, pero proveer esta información a un proveedor de servicios es algo opcional.

Completar el (VI-SPDAT), sin embargo, no le garantiza a una persona un pareo para vivienda.

“La evaluación ofrece una recomendación sobre el tipo de intervención que podría ayudar a resolver el problema de falta de vivienda”, dice Sean Reed, jefe oficial del programa de soluciones comunitarias en Friendship Place, otro proveedor de servicios a deambulantes en D.C. En el 2017, el Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de Estados Unidos, (HUD), le requirió a todas las jurisdicciones adoptar el sistema de acceso coordinado (coordinated entry),para el próximo año fiscal. La Agencia argumenta que estandarizando el proceso de búsqueda se crea un sistema más equitativo.

La gente se parea con servicios de vivienda basándose en si se encuentran o no en la lista “por nombres”, así son añadidos a un registro a través de una evaluación de “coordinated entry” o acceso coordinado, o también luego de acceder a servicios del sistema más amplio de servicios a deambulantes en los últimos 30 días. Los proveedores de servicios dan prioridad para ofrecer vales de vivienda permanente a gente que lleva más tiempo sin hogar y con mayores necesidades médicas, dice Rocap.

Apliqué para vivienda años atrás. ¿Porque aun no obtengo un vale para vivienda permanente?

D.C. vino a adoptar el sistema de “coordinated entry” o acceso coordinado en Febrero del 2014, pero un VI-SPDAT es válido por solo 12 meses y se supone que debe actualizarse si hay cambios mayores en la vida de un individuo, como en caso de matrimonio o de tener un hijo.

Pero Rocap y Reed aconsejan que si alguien busca conectar con un pareo de vivienda debe permanecer activo dentro del sistema de servicios a deambulantes. Si una persona rara vez visita un proveedor de servicios para deambulantes en el Distrito, la organización puede asumir que la persona se ha mudado de la ciudad.

Reed dice que algunas veces ve cómo los clientes llenan una evaluación, se mudan a algún otro estado y luego regresan. Lo que estos clientes no logran entender, dice Reed, es que hacer esto puede significar la pérdida de una oportunidad de vivienda.

Una vez un proveedor de vivienda es informado que una persona ha logrado parear con un espacio de vivienda, el manejador del caso tiene un tiempo limitado -usualmente un par de semanaspara reconectar con la persona y dejarles saber, incluso aun si la persona comenzó a buscar vivienda un año antes.

“Entra y registrate. Esto es muy importante. Esto nos ayuda a identificar que aun sigues aquí en el Distrito, y que tu situación no ha cambiado aun,”dice Reed.

Rocap está de acuerdo con el consejo de Reed. “Asegúrense de mantenerse en contacto con quien sea que estén conectando y asegúrense que los mantienen en el registro de la lista “por nombres”. De esa manera si llegase a aparecer un pareo de vivienda, alguien podrá contactarlo y dejarles saber.

Turner dice que no tenía ni idea que era importante mantenerse continuamente en contacto con los proveedores de servicio cuando comenzó a buscar vivienda.

“No fué sino hasta este año que aprendí sobre los puntos de control”, mencionó.

¿Cuánto tiempo va a tomar para conseguir vivienda?

No existe una respuesta simple y definitiva. En su mayoría depende de dos factores: circunstancias individuales, (edad, tener un impedimento, o una condición médica excepcional) y disponibilidad de vivienda. Para muchas personas el proceso puede tomar años.

Un antiguo vendedor y artista de Street Sense Media obtuvo una vivienda en 2018 después de dos días y medio de haber conectado con “Pathways to Housing”, otro proveedor de servicios contratado en D.C. (Antes de haber contactado con esta organización, había esperado por años).

Otro vendedor y artista estuvo cerca de 30 años batallando con una falta de vivienda crónica, pero no fue asignado a vivienda sino hasta un día después de morir. Luego, otro esperó diez años antes de recibir su vale de vivienda.

Un portavoz para el Depto. de Servicios Humanos de D.C.(DHS) ansia poder tener los recursos adicionales para el presupuesto de este año - incluyendo 1,924 vales de vivienda PSH para individuos, un aumento de casi el 30 por ciento del año fiscal anterior, gracias a un aumento en los taxes propuesto por el Consejo de D.C. El nuevo presupuesto que tomó efecto

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en octubre 1ro, también incluye 395 vales PSH para familias y 307 vales dirigidos a vivienda accesible para el año fiscal 2022. Pero el portavoz no contestó a la pregunta de cuántas personas que están experimentando falta de vivienda han sido rastreadas a través del sistema de acceso coordinado ni cual es el porcentaje de personas que han pareado con un vale de vivienda cada año.

¿Existen conceptos erróneos en cuanto a las políticas de D.C. en cuanto a este tema? Si así fuese, ¿Cuáles son?

Rocap aconseja a sus clientes a no poner todas sus esperanzas en el sistema de acceso coordinado. Y anima a la gente a explorar todas las opciones para encontrar vivienda.

Una de estas opciones sería encontrar compañeros de cuarto que minimicen el costo total del alquiler y otra forma sería reconectar con la familia si fuese posible.

Turner, Rocap, Reed y la vendedora de Street Sense Media, Michelle Rochon, comentan que el sistema de acceso coordinado o “coordinated entry” no siempre funciona como se espera. La gente muchas veces no consigue inmediatamente un vale para vivienda, incluso después de haber llenado una evaluación. “‘Seamos creativos.’” Tratemos de pensar si existe alguna otra forma, fuera del sistema de acceso coordinado, donde podamos ayudar a conseguir empleo y una vivienda accesible por otros medios”, dice Rocap.

¿Acaso el lugar en donde esté viviendo influye en la prontitud con que pueda recibir ayuda?

Oficialmente, no. Extraoficialmente, quizás. En el otoño de 2015, la Administración Bowser comenzó a eliminar campamentos de deambulantes y a ofrecer a residentes desamparados vales de vivienda. Esto comenzó a preocupar a defensores de los derechos a vivienda digna, que acusaban a la ciudad por desviar el proceso para asignar vivienda a aquellos residentes más vulnerables por razones médicas, negándole acceso prioritario a la misma. En los años que siguieron a este evento la ciudad determinó que el período en que una persona se mantuviese albergada en campamentos servirá como “desempate” para decidir como se dará prioridad a dos individuos igualmente vulnerables, y de esta manera no incentivar a la gente a vivir en campamentos al aire libre.

Un nuevo programa piloto que promete cerrar permanéntemente tres de los más grandes campamentos de la ciudad y conectar a la gente que esté viviendo en estos campamentos con oportunidades expéditas de vivienda ha vuelto a plantearse sin embargo estas nuevas políticas.

Cuando se le preguntó, el portavoz de DHS respondió en un correo electrónico que, “Vivir en campamentos no aumenta las posibilidades para obtener un vale más rápidamente, ya que el programa de acceso coordinado utiliza el proceso de acuerdo comunitario como métrica para priorizar sus guías para otorgar viviendas.

Durante el último año, la agencia se dio a priorizar a aquellas personas “crónicamente desamparadas” y con “vulnerabilidades médicas excepcionales” para recibir vales de vivienda.

HUD designo a una persona como “crónicamente desamparada” cuando ha llevado al menos doce meses sin vivienda o si ha tenido al menos 4 episodios deambulando sin hogar en un período de tres años.

El Distrito Interagencial del Consejo para Deambulantes (ICH), reciéntemente voto para cambiar sus criterios, llegando a un acuerdo con Reginald Black, Director de “Defensa para los derechos de la Coalición de Justicia para el Pueblo” y representante constituyente en el ICH. La nueva política exige al

Distrito a dar prioridad de recursos de vivienda a personas con un historial de “tres años o más” sin tener vivienda, vulnerabilidades médicas excepcionales y enfermedades mentales severas.

¿Qué dicen los críticos?

Mientras Turner continúa su misión por obtener vivienda, el problema principal ha sido la falta de información junto con la falta de seguimiento. Nos dice que ha estado trabajando con su manejadora de caso por meses pero que dejó de saber de ella en Abril. Y que no fue sino hasta Septiembre que se enteró que su manejador de caso anterior había cambiado de trabajo y que alguien nuevo se supone que estuviese trabajando con él.

“Eso son 5 meses. ¿Por qué toma tanto tiempo?” - dice Turner. “Nunca se tomaron la molestia de decirme, ‘¿Oye, tienes un nuevo manejador de caso?’”

Rochon dice, que ella siente que la fuerte dependencia en D.C. en los múltiples proveedores de servicios, hace que la gente tenga experiencias muy diferentes a la hora de buscar ayuda.

Y eso es solo uno de los factores que complican la situación. “No hay continuidad” dice Rochon, al encontrarse con dificultades justo al cruzar fronteras estatales en el area Metropolitana de D.C. Rochon, que tiene un bachillerato en Ciencias Políticas de la Universidad de Morgan State y una maestría en Liderato Organizacional de Nyack College, trabajó previamente en el Sistema de Servicios para Deambulantes de Maryland, en donde dice que había una mayor consistencia, ya que no dependen tanto de los contratos de servicio de los proveedores.

Después de perder su empleo en Agosto del 2019, Rochon dice haberse hospedado en Airbnb’s y hoteles hasta que sus ahorros se acabaron y eventualmente se vió forzada a quedarse en un refugio en D.C. Ella nos menciona que los proveedores de servicio deberían acotar notas sobre su interacción con sus clientes, que entonces podrían compartir con colegas que aseguren una continuidad consistente de apoyo. “Pero no veo esto suceder”, dice Rochon. “Nos vemos obligados a comunicarnos con cada una de las personas que conocemos, individualmente, y es algo desorganizado”.

Cuando se le preguntó, DHS dijo que todos los proveedores de servicios tienen el mismo acuerdo de Cuidado Humano (HCA), con el mismo nivel de cuidados y contactos constituidos en el contrato, para que el mínimo de los requisitos sean consistentes”.

Conseguí un vale de Vivienda. ¿Ahora que?

Una vez alguien recibe un vale de vivienda, comienza el proceso de hallar un lugar para alquiler. Mientras que los arrendadores en D.C. legalmente no pueden discriminar contra arrendatarios que usen vales de vivienda, suele suceder. Así que es importante que la gente que obtiene un vale conozca sus derechos legales. La Oficina en Defensa de los Arrendatarios de D.C. se puede contactar en el 202-719-6560, allí se puede encontrar recursos que ayude a los arrendatarios que experimentan discriminacion.

Otras organizaciones que pueden ayudar son la Oficina de Derechos Humanos, en el 202-727-4559, la Oficina de la Procuradora General de D.C. (OAG) en el 202-727-3400, la Consejería de Servicios para Vivienda en el 202-442-7200, y el Comité de Derechos Humanos y Asuntos Urbanos de la Colegiatura de Abogados de Washington en el 202-319-1000.

El año pasado, la OAG entregó múltiples casos judiciales en contra de media docena de compañías de Bienes Raíces que alegadamente discriminaron contra residentes por motivos de etnia, discapacidad, o ingresos económicos.

Un arrendador puede preguntar a futuros arrendatarios

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verificaciones de crédito, pero no pueden negarle la vivienda basados solamente en puntuación de crédito. Tampoco pueden rechazar la solicitud de un arrendador porque su fuente de alquiler sea un vale de vivienda. En casos de discriminacion, la Oficina en Defensa del Arrendatario puede asistir a los arrendatarios a hallar representación legal.

No es en contra de la ley que los arrendadores impongan onerosos costos de solicitud no-reembolsables en sus viviendas a posibles inquilinos, pero los defensores de los derechos a vivienda critican estos métodos como una práctica legal de discriminación.

¿Qué tal acerca de opciones de Vivienda Pública?

La lista de espera para unidades en la Autoridad de Vivienda para D.C.(DCHA), han estado cerradas por años, con casos pendientes acumulados para miles de familias, en parte, debido a los retos que representa reparar unidades vacías dilapidadas y llevarlas a estar disponibles para uso. En una declaración de La Línea de D.C. y de Street Sense Media, la agencia indicó que hay unas 43,000 personas en lista de espera para vivienda pública.

“DCHA está trabajando para hacer disponible rápidamente unidades de vivienda pública tradicional para asistir individuos y familias, eliminándolos de las listas de espera”. Comunicó la agencia a través de un correo electrónico.

El gobierno federal ya no está invirtiendo en nuevas facilidades públicas de vivienda ni en el mantenimiento adecuado para facilidades de vivienda públicas ya existentes, lo que significa que hay un suministro limitado ante una demanda significativa. Desde el año 2000, el gobierno federal ha ofrecido fondos insuficientes para vivienda pública con excepción con excepción solo en tres años, según la investigación sin fines de lucro del Centro de Presupuestos para Políticas Prioritarias.

¿Qué acerca de las familias?

Tanto Rocap, como Reed, dicen que los proveedores de servicios para deambulantes de D.C. normalmente, logran conectar familias con recursos de vivienda más rápidamente, que para personas en su carácter individual. Como con los individuos, las familias que buscan conectar con recursos permanentes de vivienda deben parear con proveedores de servicios en la ciudad, para que así los manejadores de casos puedan servirles de ayuda en el proceso de obtención de vales de vivienda.

¿Puedo acelerar el proceso?

No hay mucho que una persona pueda lograr individualmente para acelerar el proceso, más allá de mantenerse con regularidad en contacto con su proveedor de servicios.

En una declaración prevista por La Línea DC y Street Sense Media, DHS dice que está trabajando para desarrollar protocolos revisados que aceleren el proceso para conectar personas con los recursos. Con la esperanza de aumentar la disponibilidad de unidades a través de la ciudad. La agencia dice que planea asociarse con el Depto. de Vivienda del Distrito y con Desarrollo Comunitario para "Atraer y comprometer grandes dueños de propiedades y pequeños arrendadores, para asegurar que todos los residentes sean tratados justamente y se les provean oportunidades equitativas de vivienda”.

La agencia también indicó que estará señalándole a los arrendadores para que “Suavicen sus requisitos de ingreso y de crédito, ya que el Distrito estará financiando la totalidad del pago total de la renta.”

Este artículo fue co-publicado por The DC Line.

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NEWS

FAQ: How to apply for housing in D.C. and what to expect

BY WILL SCHICK Editor-in-Chief

B

This story was originally published in October 2021.

ack in February 2019, Donté Turner asked himself a question that so many people experiencing homelessness have posed time and again: How does someone in my situation go about getting a place of their own?

Turner, 36, has never had a place to call his own. Originally from Chicago, he spent much of the past two decades floating between jobs and staying with different friends in D.C. He worked at Shake Shack when it first opened in the city in 2011. Another year, he worked with a homestaging company. For a while, he worked with a temp agency.

Turner, now a Street Sense Media artist and vendor, has also served jail time. He remembers applying for a housing voucher back in 2009 but says he never heard back from anyone about it.

A decade later, the question — how to secure permanent housing — began to consume him. If only he could find a stable place to live, Turner reckoned, he could start to make a better life for himself. So, who was in charge of distributing housing vouchers? How did the process for receiving one work? Turner turned to homeless service providers throughout the District in search of an explanation. But instead of finding answers, he says he was immediately hit with a list of entirely different questions. “‘Do you need therapy? Do you need counseling? Do you need a psychiatrist or a doctor? Do you need SSI [supplemental security income]? What can we help you with?’” Turner recalled being asked on visits to at least five nonprofit organizations.

Every time, Turner would respond by saying he was seeking help to secure stable permanent housing. And every time, someone would give him an impromptu lecture about something he felt was unrelated, telling him he needed help with things like personal responsibility or time management.

Each encounter made him a little more annoyed and a little more disillusioned with the whole system.

Turner still wonders why there was no straight answer.

To find one, The DC Line and Street Sense Media talked to various homeless service providers and with homeless and formerly homeless people who have navigated this system.

The resulting guide is specific to the resources available to single individuals. The resources available for families differ significantly.

I’ve just become homeless. How can I get a housing voucher?

The first step for anyone who is experiencing homelessness is to seek out a homeless service provider and ask for help with housing. All service providers in the District use a decentralized process called “coordinated entry” to match people to opportunities for housing. There is no way for an individual to log themselves in this system — each person must connect with a service provider.

There are a variety of housing programs a person may be matched with; they include permanent supportive housing (PSH) and rapid rehousing (RRH), among others. Instead of

"For Rent" sign in the front yard of a rowhouse. Photo by Eric Falquero.

a waiting list or application for each program, everyone in need is added to this one, coordinated system.

Information that service providers might request includes a person’s name, birthdate, and any other personally identifiable documentation that’s available (such as a Social Security card).

Adam Rocap, the deputy director of Miriam’s Kitchen, a local homeless services provider based in Foggy Bottom, emphasized that people can ask about coordinated entry anywhere they might be receiving other assistance, whether that’s meals, showers, or help applying for benefits like food stamps.

“Go try to find whatever service provider you’re engaging with already, and make sure you’re engaging with them, and ask them about coordinated entry and housing applications,” Rocap said.

I asked about coordinated entry, and now they want all this personal information. Do they really need it?

Yes and no. There is an assessment form associated with coordinated entry — known as the Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision and Assessment Tool (VI-SPDAT) — that asks for a wide range of personal information in order to best determine what kinds of programs a person is eligible to obtain. People might qualify for different kinds of housing services depending on a number of factors such as age or whether they have a disability. But providing information to a service provider is optional.

Completing the VI-SPDAT, however, does not guarantee a person that they will be matched with housing.

“The assessment gives a recommendation of the intervention that can be helpful to ending homelessness,” said Sean Reed, the chief program officer of community solutions at Friendship Place, another homeless services provider in D.C. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) required all jurisdictions to adopt the coordinated entry system by the next year. Standardizing the

process for seeking housing, the agency argued, makes the system more equitable.

People are matched with housing services based on whether they are on the “by-name list,” a roster they are added to either through a coordinated entry assessment or after accessing services from the broader homeless services system within the last 30 days.

Service providers prioritize giving permanent housing vouchers to people who have been homeless the longest and have the highest medical needs, Rocap said.

I applied for housing years ago. Why don’t I have a voucher yet?

D.C. first adopted the coordinated entry system in February 2014, but a VI-SPDAT is valid for only 12 months and is supposed to be updated if there are any major changes in a person’s life such as getting married or having a child.

Both Rocap and Reed advise anyone who is seeking to be connected with housing to stay active within the homeless services system. If a person seldom visits a homeless service provider in the District, the organization might assume the person has moved out of the city.

Reed said that sometimes he sees clients fill out the assessment, move to another state for some time, and then return. What these clients may not realize, Reed said, is that doing so could mean they miss out on an opportunity for housing. Once a housing provider is informed that someone has matched with housing, the case manager has a limited amount of time — usually a matter of weeks — to reconnect with the person and let them know, even if the person began seeking housing a year earlier.

“Come in, check in. This is really important. It helps us identify that you are still here in the District and that your situation has not changed,” Reed said.

Rocap agreed with Reed’s advice. “Make sure to keep staying in touch with whoever you’re engaging with to make sure you stay on the by-name list. And that way, if you ever

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

do get matched, someone would be able to find you and let you know,” he said.

Turner said he had no idea that it was important to stay continually connected with providers when he first started looking for housing.

“It wasn’t until this year that I learned about the ‘checkpoints,’” he said.

How long is it going to take to get housing?

There’s no simple, definitive answer. It is mostly dependent on two factors: individual circumstance (age, having a disability, having an exceptional medical condition, and so on) and housing availability. For many people, the process can take years.

One former vendor and artist for Street Sense Media obtained housing in 2018 just two and a half days after connecting with Pathways to Housing, another contracted service provider in D.C. Before connecting with this organization, he had waited for years.

Another vendor and artist spent close to 30 years struggling with chronic homelessness but wasn’t approved for a voucher until one day after he died. Yet another waited 10 years before she received a voucher.

A spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) said the agency is excited to have additional housing resources in this year’s budget — including 1,924 PSH vouchers for individuals, an increase of more than 30% from the prior fiscal year thanks to a tax increase passed by the D.C. Council. The new budget, which took effect Oct. 1, also includes 395 permanent supportive housing vouchers for families and 307 targeted affordable housing vouchers for fiscal year 2022. But the spokesperson did not respond to a question about how many people experiencing homelessness are tracked through the coordinated entry system or what percentage of those people are matched to housing resources each year.

Are there common misconceptions about D.C.’s policies? If so, what are they?

Rocap advises clients not to put all their hopes into the coordinated entry system. He encourages people to explore all their options for possible housing.

One such option could be finding roommates to lessen the overall cost of rent, and another could be to reconnect with family, if possible.

Turner, Rocap, Reed and Street Sense Media vendor Michelle Rochon all said the coordinated entry system doesn’t always work as hoped. People aren’t always immediately connected with a housing voucher even after filling out an assessment.

“Let’s be creative. Let’s try to think if there is something else outside of [coordinated entry] where I can help you try to find employment and find affordable housing somewhere else,” Rocap said.

Does where I stay influence how soon I get help?

Officially, no. Unofficially, maybe. In the fall of 2015, the Bowser administration began clearing homeless encampments and giving unsheltered residents housing vouchers. This worried housing advocates at the time, who accused the city of bypassing its process for giving the most medically vulnerable residents first access to housing. In years following that event, the city considered the length of a person’s shelter stay as a

“tie-breaking factor” when deciding how to prioritize housing to two equally vulnerable individuals, so as not to incentivize living outdoors.

A new pilot program that promises to permanently close three of the city’s largest encampments and connect the people living there to expedited housing opportunities has once again called this policy into question, however.

When asked, the DHS spokesperson wrote in an email that “living outside does not increase chances for obtaining a voucher sooner since the coordinated entry process utilizes community agreed upon prioritization metrics to guide housing placements.”

During the past year, the agency prioritized people who were “chronically homeless” and had “exceptional medical vulnerabilities” to receive housing vouchers. HUD designates a person as being “chronically homeless” when they have been living without a home for at least 12 months, or have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.

The District’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) recently voted to change the criteria, according to Reginald Black, advocacy director for the People for Fairness Coalition and a constituent representative on the ICH. The new policy calls for the District to prioritize housing resources for people with “three or more years’ history of homelessness, exceptional medical vulnerabilities, and severe mental illness.”

What do critics say?

As Turner continues his quest for housing, the main problem has been a scarcity of information coupled with a lack of follow-up. He said he had been working with a case manager for months but then stopped hearing from her in April. It wasn’t until September that he learned his previous case manager had switched jobs and someone new was supposed to be working with him.

“That’s five months. Why does it take so long?” Turner said. “They never followed up to tell me, ‘Hey, you got a new caseworker.’”

Rochon said she feels that D.C.’s heavy reliance on multiple service providers means that people often have varied experiences when seeking to be connected with help.

And that’s just one of the complicating factors. “There is no continuity,” Rochon said of the difficulties encountered just by crossing state lines in the DC metropolitan area.

Rochon, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Morgan State University and a master’s in organizational leadership from Nyack College, previously worked in the homeless services system in Maryland, where she says there was more consistency because they don’t rely as much on contract providers. After losing her job in August 2019, Rochon said, she stayed in Airbnbs and hotels until her savings ran out.

Eventually, she began staying at a shelter in D.C. She said service providers ought to log notes about their interactions with their clients, which they should then share with colleagues to ensure consistent support. “But I don’t see that happening,” Rochon said. “You’re having to communicate to everybody you meet, what you’re doing. And it’s kind of unorganized.”

When asked, DHS said that all of its service providers “have the same Human Care Agreement (HCA) with the same level of care and contacts built into the contract, so the minimum requirements are consistent.”

I got a voucher. Now what?

Once someone receives a voucher, they begin the process of finding a place to rent. While D.C. landlords are not legally allowed to discriminate against renters that use vouchers, it

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happens. Therefore, it’s important for people with vouchers to understand their legal rights. The D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate at 202-719-6560 has resources to help tenants who are experiencing discrimination.

Other organizations that can help include the Office of Human Rights at 202-727-4559, the D.C. Office of the Attorney General (OAG) at 202-727-3400, Housing Counseling Services at 202-442-7200, and the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs at 202-319-1000.

Last year, the OAG filed multiple lawsuits against half a dozen real estate companies that allegedly discriminated against residents on the basis of race, disability, or source of income.

A landlord can ask prospective tenants for credit checks but are not allowed to deny a person based on a credit score alone. They also cannot reject a renter because their source of income for rent is a voucher. In cases of discrimination, the Office of the Tenant Advocate can assist tenants in finding legal representation.

It’s not against the law for landlords to impose hefty, nonrefundable application fees of all prospective renters, but housing advocates criticize the practice as a legal form of discrimination.

What about public housing?

The waiting list for D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA) units has been closed for years with a backlog of thousands of families, in part due to challenges in repairing vacant, dilapidated units so they are available for use. In a statement to The DC Line and Street Sense Media, the agency said there are approximately 43,000 people on the waiting list for public housing.

“DCHA also is working to quickly turn vacant traditional public housing units to assist individuals and families, while also moving them off the waitlist,” the agency said in an email.

The federal government is no longer investing in new public housing or sufficient maintenance of existing public housing, which means there’s a limited supply amid significant demand.

Since 2000, the federal government has underfunded public housing for all but three years, according to the research nonprofit Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

What about families?

Both Rocap and Reed said that D.C.’s homeless service providers are generally able to connect families to housing resources more quickly than they can do for individuals. As with individuals, families who are seeking to connect with permanent housing resources should connect with service providers in the city, so case managers can help guide them with the process for obtaining a housing voucher.

Can I speed up the process?

There’s not much a person can do individually to speed up the process other than staying in regular contact with a service provider.

In the statement provided to The DC Line and Street Sense Media, DHS said it is working to develop revised protocols to expedite the process of connecting people to resources. In hopes of increasing the availability of units across the city, the agency said it plans to partner with the District’s Department of Housing and Community Development to “engage large property owners and small landlords to ensure that all residents are being treated fairly and provided an equal opportunity for housing.”

The agency also said that the city will be asking landlords to “relax income and credit requirements since the District is paying all of the total rent.”

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NEWS

New cash assistance program for new parents will launch in February

BY KAELA ROEDER Deputy Editor

HELP! WE’RE LOOKING FOR 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.

You’ll support hard-working newspaper vendors by volunteering your time, four hours a week, distributing newspapers at the Street Sense Media office.

If interested, please contact

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the launch of a direct cash assistance program for new and expectant parents in wards 5,7 and 8 on Thursday.

The “Strong Families, Strong Futures DC” pilot program, which is managed by the social services organization Martha’s Table, aims to address the expenses of parenthood.

New parents, who are classified as those who are raising a child 3 months of age or younger and/or who are pregnant in their second or third trimester, will receive no-strings-attached payments of $900 per month for one year.

People who are 250% below the poverty level are eligible.

“These payments will give moms the autonomy and flexibility that they need to provide care for their kids and themselves,” Mayor Bowser said at a press conference.

But some are concerned about the development of the program and other cash assistance initiatives in the District.

Melody Webb, the co-founder of the local nonprofit Mother’s Outreach Network said she’s happy this pilot is being launched but wishes the mayor’s office reached out more to the community in the development process.

Also, there’s a need for more cash assistance programs for other vulnerable groups including

youth who have aged out of the foster system and formerly incarcerated populations, she said.

“We absolutely embrace what she’s doing,” Webb said in an interview. “But we would like to see her have more of an open, consultative process where she's talking to the community, and particularly, to impacted communities across the board.”

The D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, which supports the program, did not respond to a press inquiry on the development of the program at the time of publication.

The wards chosen house the highest proportion of Black residents in the District and the least amount of access to prenatal care. Raising a child costs nearly $29,000 in the nation’s capital, the most expensive place to do so, according to a report by LendingTree.

Day care alone costs $24,000 annually, which is more than double the national average.

Martha’s Table previously spearheaded a cash assistance program at the beginning of the pandemic and gave a grand total of $1.2 million to 137 families. That initiative turned into the larger assistance program THRIVE East of the River. Under that program, 500 families in Ward 8 were given no-strings-

attached $5,500 payments over a period of five months.

“We believe cash assistance is an efficient, impactful and transformational way to support family stability during times of extreme vulnerability,” said David Lloyd, the deputy chief of programs at Martha’s Table, at the press conference. “For families in wards 5, 7, and 8, this level of unconditional support is absolutely critical. Through this initiative, we expect to see significant long-term advancement in both maternal and child health outcomes in economically vulnerable areas of the District of Columbia.”

Enrollment in the program includes access to Martha’s Table benefits, such as weekly access to groceries and the opportunity to enroll your child in early education programming. About 130 people will be accepted to the program.

Recruitment for the program is expected to begin in February. For questions on how to enroll, contact Ra’Chelle Dennis, the family engagement specialist at Martha’s Table, at rdennis@marthastable.org.

Thomas Ratliff thomas@ streetsensemedia.org 202-347-2006 (x103) For more information about these opportunities and other volunter positions, visit StreetSenseMedia. org/volunteer

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How COVID-19 has changed learning

BY MICHELE ROCHON Artist/Vendor

Hey little babies don’t you cry, We are going to get you back in an academic environment, Where you can run, play, laugh, smile and talk with your friends, And enjoy school with your teachers.

Remember all the good times waiting for you this year, Spelling, math, science, English, gym, art and reading, We want you to learn more than just academic skills.

We want you to learn social skills And to have the ability to conduct national and international business Students stay positive Keep your heads up, Parents and guardians remain hopeful, A brighter day is on the horizon for your children Keep looking ahead.

The thing with no

BY MILDRED HALL Artist/ Vendor

BY KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor

In all things No to hate No to the innocent No to ignorance No to being without your love Yes to love To being free Of thoughts Yes to all that is What of truth Yes is beauty

The Tree

BY KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor

The power is knowing when we are truly free Grace, peace, mercy Tree They are deep within us They strengthen us They give us beauty Wisdom A tree’s strength is because we love deeply

No matter rain or sunshine

BY BRIANNA BUTLER Artist/Vendor

Look up and see the beauty of this colorful Earth around you. Think about how well you’re really doing in life. Wrap your hands around your body and tell yourself that you are a lovable, happy person. You’re above all stressful things.

Spread your wings and soar over every winding road and you’ll get your victory with hope and by believing in yourself. Look at the abilities you have within yourself. No one can take that away from you.

Build your confidence in knowing your worth. Know that you can do anything if you focus on what you want to achieve. It's a good thing if you use your wisdom and diligence to go after your goals. Enjoy the life that has been given to us. Smile and love one another. It’s for the good of humankind.

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1 0 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 1 9 - 2 5 , 2022

OPINION

What should become of Donald Trump and his enablers if justice is to be served?

BY JEFF TAYLOR Artist/Vendor

It's easy to look at the seemingly never-ending list of Donald Trump's alleged crimes both in and out of office and wonder: How on earth is this man not already in jail awaiting trial?

However, it could be difficult to determine what parts of Trump's antisocial behavior are due to an intentional disregard for the rule of law and the well-being of others, or to being born without a conscience, or to being conditioned by his father to have no conscience—or at the very least to develop an incredibly warped sense of right and wrong.

If Trump knows the difference between right and wrong and chooses to break the law anyway, then he obviously belongs in prison. However, if his sense of right and wrong is a brain condition due to no fault of his own, then the American people still need to be protected from his actions nonetheless. In my opinion, given the remarkable scope of damage Trump has wrought in countless lives, he should be subject to a psychiatric evaluation to see if some kind of rehabilitation is possible. He must never again be allowed to hurt people with abandon as he has done his entire adult life.

We knew before he was elected that Trump was, by many people's standards of decency, not a good person. We knew he was an alleged sexual predator, that he was a bigot, a liar, and he sued people to get out of paying his bills, to name just a few of his irredeeming qualities. I believe those who voted for him were either ignorant (willfully or not) or possessed some kind of antisocial disorder themselves. The latter voted for Trump because they knew who he was and liked what they saw. (So one must wonder about the priorities and morality of those folks as well.)

Laws act as buffers that allow each of us as much freedom as possible while not doing harm to each other. And therein lies the rub. Too many of those with the most money believe they have a right to more freedom than others have a right not to be harmed. Money shouldn't equal freedom; in particular freedom from accountability when knowingly harming others’ lives and livelihoods.

That's the problem with Trump and others of his ilk. They believe that despite the so-called laws of the land, money is all that matters in their lust for power and uh, “personal freedom.”

Donald Trump and Mike Pence walking off of Air Force One in August 2017. Photo courtesy of History in HD // Unsplash.

But what about all of the many Trump enablers? Trump didn't commit his alleged crimes against the United States in a vacuum. There were precious few around him who tried to keep him on the up and up. Many more aided and abetted him in his possibly criminal enterprises, not the least of which was a concerted effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Whether or not these enablers also may be afflicted with some kind of antisocial personality disorder is a tougher question. We don't know as much about them as we do about Trump. What we do know is they have a twisted world view and love power and dominance to a degree that poses a very real threat to American democracy. Their allegedly criminal behavior must be held to account if the rule of law is ever to be restored.

The congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection is getting a great deal of cooperation from many witnesses, and early indications are that the committee already has what one panel member called a “powerful and substantive narrative” possibly implicating not just Trump but also numerous other co-conspirators as well. The vexing question at this point is whether or not Attorney General Merrick Garland will rise to the occasion, as the American people so desperately need from him.

So put Trump in a psychiatric ward and put Steve Bannon, John Eastman, Peter Navarro, Jeffrey Clark and the other architects of the attempted coup on trial. We must send the clear message that no criminal behavior will go unpunished.

Join the conversation, share your views - Have an opinion about how homelessness is being addressed in our community?

- Want to share firsthand experience?

- Interested in responding to what someone else has written?

Street Sense Media has maintained an open submission policy since our founding.

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

Please send submissions to opinion@streetsensemedia.org.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 11

The encampment

BY ROBERT WARREN Artist/Vendor

Say the birds have reclaimed the homeless encampment grounds with high fences all around No one sits on the benches beside the old dying tree that bears no leaves.

Does anyone care to see the next encampment grounds?

My Lord knows whenever a leaf falls to the ground, We say those poor people have fallen to the ground, And in his holy name who will help them up from the homeless encampment grounds?

To a home somewhere around, full trees with plenty of leaves, with life's peace all around.

To wonder about the sounds and the power of one’s thoughts,

I know there will come a day when there will be no homeless encampment grounds with fences all around, No dying trees, To be the reason the homeless can’t be, A part of the community with the power to give and receive life’s blessings, And remember when the old dying tree was full of leaves And lives and birds of prey for some, A home for who does my Lord leave homeless?

For all shall come home someday.

BY QUEENIE FEATHERSTONE Artist/ Vendor

BY CARLTON JOHNSON Artist/ Vendor

When I was growing up

BY MILDRED M. HALL Artist/Vendor

W

hen I was growing up, I learned how to travel to and from where I lived in Prince George’s County, Maryland to my grandfather's place in Aquasco. My grandfather's name was George Washington England Reeder (now deceased). I would help him with his grocery list and with writing messages to his colleagues. I often transcribed for him.

He would spell his words out alphabetically and would also tell me to write down the numbers for inventories. I remember how he would pronounce the sounds of different words and tell me whether those sounds were vowels or syllables or prefixes or suffixes. He would also ask me to clarify if I understood what he said. And then I would take the lists I wrote for him to the grocery store or the post office in Aquasco and they would fill his orders. He

mostly used a white piece of paper and a pencil to write in print.

I remember how I used to wait until orders were completed by people filling out forms for stock items. I paid for these items with money from my grandfather and carried them back to him.

I am still learning more about my past each day and hope to learn more about my grandfather. He helped me learn the alphabet and how to count. And both these skills are part of my everyday life.

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ART

My hopes for the new year

BY AIDA PEERY Artist/Vendor

This year I would like a fridge that works so my food doesn’t spoil. I can’t buy food every day and the housing provider hasn’t reimbursed me for the food the fridge has spoiled. I would also like new blinds and a cleaner stove.

I live in a permanent supportive housing apartment complex. And the staff who work there treat it like a shelter and that’s what it feels like sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful to have a key to an apartment and a mailbox. But I don’t like the disrespect

from some of the staff members.

The director of the program called me twice to ask if I had a new refrigerator. I wasn’t sure if the comment was meant to be sarcastic. It certainly sounded like it. I mean, of course, I don’t have a new refrigerator. How could they not know that?

My life would be less stressful if there were more people there like Ms. R. and Mr. A. because at least they explain what they are doing and why some repairs aren’t happening.

They both go out of their way to help me and others stay safe in their apartments. They care about people.

When a staff member asked whether I wanted my rug cleaned by Stanley Steamer, I said “yes!” Then everyone’s rug was cleaned except mine. When I asked the same staffer why, she just hunched her shoulders. I’m still waiting for my rug to be cleaned.

Anyhow, these are my hopes for the new year.

life no matter what mistakes they might have made in the past. You go through life making mistakes so you can learn from them. As long as you are learning, you are living.

I’m just starting to see that in life you cannot put too much trust in and focus on most people because they will let you down. So, you gotta focus on trusting people who will build you up because they’re the ones who don’t want

to see you hurt. Likewise, you have to build them up as well.

I will work twice as hard to uplift my friends, my family, and my peers—but only the ones who want to come together and build. The only reason to build is to grow, and this new year I’m looking to grow! So, peace and love.

My 2022

BY CARLOS D. CAROLINA Artist/Vendor

I’m looking forward to the new year because I know I will be doing things differently. I will be focusing on myself, my health, and my family.

I also want to form a plan that can prevent people from being homeless, such as helping with shared housing. I also want to create jobs—REAL jobs, maybe in the janitorial field—for people who just need a fair shot at

Your opinion!

BY MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

Hi there readers. I have a question for you and your opinion matters! I would love to get some answers back or just your opinion. My question is do you fault someone for not knowing some things in life like being taught the Bible? I was taught the Bible at a young age. And I learned all about the first Chronicles. Some people might know it as 1 Chronicles.

It's about the Jews returning from exile in Babylon. Having felt God’s wrath during their defeat in captivity, they were restored to a new life in Jerusalem. To move forward, they needed to recall all that had come before God’s promises of blessings for obedience and warnings of Judgement for disobedience. They needed to recall God’s steadfast love and faithfulness and the dire consequences for not seeking God. As with ancient Israel, an honest look at our past can prepare us to embrace the future with hope. We can face our failures and determine

not to repeat them if we know where we've been. We can trace God’s merciful care even in our darkest days or hours.

Whatever your past, the 1 Chronicles offers hope. If the people of Israel had been carried into captivity because of their blatant rejection of God and were not beyond God’s grace, neither are you. God will restore all those who return to him. We just need to return, acknowledging our sins and submit to him as our Lord.

There are a lot of people that don’t know how to talk about themselves without blaming or judging others. Some people have not been taught things in life at a young age such asrespect or money management. Please email me at marcusmccall16@gmail.com.

Street papers

BY RITA SAULS Artist/Vendor

Just thinking about street papers takes me down memory lane, then stops at many places in my neighborhood. I can see those papers lying on someone’s front porch. Yes, I confess I stole them once or twice. No, I hope that’s not the reason I’m selling this Street Sense paper! Fortunately, I write articles for this street paper dedicated to the homeless and those among them who live a camp life (They are also known as tenters not renters, haha. Come on, you know I have to make it funny.)

Seriously though, lack of money is not the only reason people tent. It’s also because God sent them throughout the land to hold these people by the hand. Thank you for buying Street Sense!

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

Footprints, Second Edition

Walking for the New Year

BY “REDBOOK MANGO”

BY CARLTON JOHNSON

Artist/Vendor

Artist/Vendor

When it rains it pours How much will you endure?

The sun will come through to shine directly on you.

What goes up must come down; sow your seeds in solid ground.

From the bottom to the top the battles never stop.

If you slip, don’t trip; grab again a firmer grip ‘cause sinked ships don’t float you’re the captain of your boat remember that God is your map and this sea is full of traps.

Let the angels be your crew ‘cause the rest is laid out for you.

// 1 3

Time will tell as I walk this Earth to my last day to stay out of D.C. Hell working day to day of all days from Hell I pray to the Lord for all my days to come for all the new beginnings to come.

From the Mitten to Maryland

BY CORTNEY R. SIGNOR Artist/Vendor

O

n the evening of Dec. 2, 2021, I received a phone call that would change my life. My children were awarded temporary custody to my mother. I dropped the phone, cried, and cried, and took a hot shower and worshiped and praised God. That evening I asked for a direct arrow to come down from heaven and it needed to happen then, so the Lord gave me direction to pack just the essentials and head for the nation's capital D.C. This is the story of a woman that started life over and realized that our nation’s capital and the surrounding states make it nearly impossible to get help and to get out of low income government assistance programs. This article is about my life in the DMV. The date that I started my journey was on Dec. 3, 2021.

It was a very long day, when my mother took my children temporarily away from me for supposedly endangering them.

She argued that by housing the homeless, I was putting them in danger. The homeless couple that stayed with us was young

and had no criminal history. They were living out of a jeep with no heat and had a baby.

I helped them obtain a local job and housing. They left shortly after. Ironically, little did I know that I too would become homeless shortly thereafter and have my children taken from me for helping the homeless.

I had a home, a van, three kids, and a dog. Life was very content. I worked a full-time job running my own cleaning company and was busy going to school events and being very involved in the school board and with my children’s extra activities. Our family has always given back to the community and to the churches that have helped us along the way. The Lord blessed me with the heart of compassion, and this means I care. Every other weekend my children and I would hand out gift bags, goodies, food, clothing and many more items to the homeless in and out of our community.

My children and I also attended church every Sunday and Wednesday. If you’ve seen my sassy yet cute 5-year-old, she would be sure to sing “let me tell you about my Jesus.” My 6-year-old always turns heads, holds open doors and says

things like “have a blessed day.” My 11-year-old, she has a heart like her momma. She is caring, kind and always willing to give.

It took me ten hours to drive to D.C. from Michigan. I was blessed from the very beginning of my journey, as I generally have a very hard time driving through traffic. I travelled through Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pennsylvania, Baltimore, and D.C. Along the way, there were many blessings. I have had a hard time since my car accident a year ago driving over bridges and high mountains. The Lord gave me the strength and courage to get across not one, not two, but seven bridges over bodies of water and overpasses to get to my final destination.

The nation’s capital had so much beauty, yet hidden behind this beauty is a world of hurting. There are many people who are homeless and so many neglected humans searching for their next meal, their next shower, and their next place to sleep at night. Soon after arriving, I learned just how dark D.C. and Maryland are as places.

1 4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // J A N . 1 9 - 2 5 , 2022

FUN & GAMES

Across

1. Root ____ 5. Leftover dish Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 1 9. Extra tire 14. Talk irrationally 15. She, in Madrid 16. Kidney, e.g.

17. Consumes 18. Mast 19. Gall 20. Provisional 22. Be abundant 23. Unattended 24. Rock band ____ Dan 26. Soup cracker 29. Duplicate 30. Psychic’s phrase (2 wds.)

31. Most bizarre 35. Noise 36. Put in order 39. Dixie general 40. Diners 42. Make arrangements 43. Give temporarily 44. Tolerant of delay 47. Enjoy a book again 50. Craze 51. Actor ____ Idle © 2013 KrazyDad.com 52. Asserted 56. Raves Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 1 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

58. Track shape Sudoku #1 Sudoku #2 If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

59. Midwest state 6 Resource 5 1 7 8 4 6 9 3 2 9 4 2 60.

1 7 5 8 3 Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle.

Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page 61.

Green 6 8 7 3 6 3 2 5 7 9 1 8 4 5 2 fruit 4 9 1 if you really get stuck.

62. Large quantity 8 4 9 1 3 2 6 7 5 >> This crossword3 1 5 8 9 4 6 2 7 63. Impoverished puzzle’s answers:2 5 8 7 6 1 3 4 9 1 6 8 7 5 3 2 9 4 64. Rip apart tinyurl.com/SSM9 Shore 2 8bird7 1 5 4 7 5 2 9 8 1 6 3 cross-1-12-2022 4 3 6 65.

Sudoku #2 9

Answers

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

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

6

1

7

5

8 7

2

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

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

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

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

7

8

4

1

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

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

<< LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

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

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6 8 9 5 4 1.2 Wine 8 bottle 3 6 9 1 word 2. Relieve 3 8 7 4 5 2 4

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3. Tied

© ONLINECROSSWORDS.NET

Are you the same person you were ten years ago? twenty?

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

4. Tell again 5. Actor Charlton ____ 6. Like Swiss mountains 7. Work hard 8. Tortoise’s opponent 9. Daughter’s brother 10. Make believe 11. See eye to eye 12. Fray 13. Opponent 21. Legendary boxer 24. Guzzle 25. Fatigue 26. Aspect 27. Tibet’s locale 28. Fasting season 29. Hamilton bill 31. Existed 32. She, in Bordeaux

33. Actor ____ Connery 34. Camp shelter 36. Locality 37. Orange peel 38. Vermilion 41. Voted in 42. Ray Charles, e.g.

44. Straw hat 45. Moose’s horn 46. Gift for Dad 47. Televised again 48. Rub out 49. Wash lightly 50. “Star Wars”, e.g.

52. Young male horse 53. Distribute 54. Water jug 55. Sunup 57. Pig’s pad

Sudoku #4 5

2

7

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

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

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

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

7

6

5 3 7

2 4 6

5 7

9 3 1

3 1

7 2

6 8 5 9

8

4

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

4 1

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.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

COMMUNITY SERVICES

SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

(202) 399-7093

YOUTH HOTLINE Línea de juventud

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE Línea directa de violencia doméstica

(202) 547-7777

1-800-799-7233

Housing/Shelter Vivienda/alojamiento

Education Educación

Health Care Seguro

Clothing Ropa

Legal Assistance Assistencia Legal

Case Management Coordinación de Servicios

Food Comida

Employment Assistance Assitencia con Empleo

Transportation Transportación

Showers Duchas

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

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

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

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

1-888-793-4357

Laundry Lavandería

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

JOB BOARD Warehouse Package Handler

FedEx // 1501 Eckington Place NE Part-time // $16.02/hr FedEx is looking for someone to provide

movement of packages and documents in a timely manner through effective scan/load methods.

REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to lift 50lbs.

APPLY: tinyurl.com/FedEx-Package Busser

Clyde’s Restaurant Group // 707 7th Street NW Full-time // Afternoon shift Clyde’s is looking for someone to bus dining

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

accessories from tables to kitchen, assists servers, clean spills, and fold napkins to be used for service.

APPLY: tinyurl.com/Clydes-Busser Unity Health Care 3020 14th St., NW // unityhealthcare.org - Healthcare for the Homeless Health Center: 202-508-0500 - Community Health Centers: 202-469-4699

Team Member – Dishwasher

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

Sbarro is looking for a dishwasher to clean and

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

Sbarro // 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest Full-time / Part-time sanitize restaurant dishes as well as maintain sink area, dining room tables, floors, and restrooms.

REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to lift 50 pounds.

APPLY: tinyurl.com/Sbarro-Dishwasher Freight / Receiving Associate

Home Depot // 901 Rhode Island Ave NE Full-time / Part-time

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

Home Depot is looking for associates to ensure

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

APPLY: tinyurl.com/HD-Freight-Receiving

the store is stocked. Associates will load and unload trucks and move material from the receiving area to the store.

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

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

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From your vendor, JAN. 19-25, 2022 | VOLUME 19 ISSUE 9 NO CASH? NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN APP! SEARCH “STREET SENSE” IN THE APP STORE

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