02.16.2022

VOL. 19 ISSUE 13

$2

FEB. 16 - 22, 2022

Real Stories

Real People

suggested donation goes directly to your vendor

Real Change

In loving memory of the artists and vendors we’ve lost lost

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

@ STREETSENSEDC

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BUSINESS MODEL

© STREET SENSE MEDIA 2003 - 2022 1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347 - 2006 streetsensemedia.org info@streetsensemedia.org

How It Works

Street Sense Media publishes the newspaper

Each vendor functions as an independent contractor for Street Sense Media, managing their own business to earn an income and increase stability in their life.

$2.00

YOUR SUGGESTED

$.50 Vendors pay

DONATION

per newspaper copy

goes directly to your vendor, empowering them to overcome homelessness and poverty

NO CASH? NO PROBLEM.

Pay vendors with the Street Sense Media app!

S EARCH “S TREET S ENSE ” IN YOUR APP STORE .

VENDORS Abel Putu, Abraham Aly, Aida Peery, Amia Walker, Andre Brinson, Andrew Anderson, Angie Whitehurst, Anthony Carney, Anthony Pratt, Anton Mitchell, Archie Thomas, Betty Everett, Beverly Sutton, Brianna Butler, Carlos Carolina, Charles Armstrong, Charles Woods, Chon Gotti, Christina “Chris” Cole, Conrad Cheek, Corey Sanders, Cortney Signor, Daniel Ball, Darlesha Joyner, David Snyder, Debora Brantley, Don Gardner, Donald Brown, Donte’ Julius Turner, Doris Robinson, Earl Parker, Eric Thompson-Bey, Evelyn Nnam, Floyd Carter, Franklin Sterling, Frederic John, Gerald Anderson, Gracias Garcias, Henry Johnson, Ibn Hipps, Jacqueline Turner, Jacquelyn Portee, James Davis, Jeanette Richardson, Jeffery McNeil, Jeffrey Carter, Jemel Fleming, Jenkins Daltton, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jermale McKnight, Jet Flegette, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Joseph Walker, Juliene Kengnie, Katrina Arninge, Kenneth Middleton, Kym Parker, Lawrence Autry, Levester Green, Malcolm Scott Jr, Mango Redbook, Marcus Green, Marcus McCall, Mark Jones, Mary Sellman, Melody Byrd, Michael Warner, Michele Rochon, Mildred M. Hall, Morgan Jones, Patricia Donaldson, Patty Smith, Phillip Black, Queenie Featherstone, Reggie Jones, Reginald Black, Reginald C. Denny, Reginald Scott, Ricardo Meriedy, Rita Sauls, Robert Warren, Rochelle Walker, Ron Dudley, Samuel Fullwood, Sasha Williams, Sheila White, Shuhratjon Ahmadjonov, Susan Westmoreland, Susan Wilshusan, Sybil Taylor, Warren Stevens, Wendell Williams BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Brian Carome

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT

VENDOR CODE OF CONDUCT

As self-employed contractors, our vendors follow a code of conduct.

Doris Warrell

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

I will support Street Sense Media’s mission statement and in so doing will work to support the Street Sense Media community and uphold its values of honesty, respect, support, and opportunity.

I will treat all others, including customers, staff, volunteers, and fellow vendors, respectfully at all times. I will refrain from threatening others, pressuring customers into making donations, or engaging in behavior that condones racism, sexism, classism, or other prejudices.

I understand that I am not an employee of Street Sense Media but an independent contractor.

While distributing the Street Sense newspaper, I will not ask for more than $2 per issue or solicit donations by any other means.

I will only purchase the newspaper from Street Sense Media staff and volunteers and will not distribute newspapers to other vendors.

DIRECTOR OF VENDOR PROGRAMS

6.

“I will not distribute copies of “Street Sense” on metro trains and buses or on private property.”

Darick Brown

7.

I will abide by the Street Sense Media Vendor Territory Policy at all times and will resolve any related disputes with other vendors in a professional manner.

Leo Grayburn

8.

I will not sell additional goods or products while distributing “Street Sense.”

Paloma Camacho

9.

I will not distribute “Street Sense” under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Thomas Ratliff

10. I understand that my badge and vest are property of Street Sense Media and will not deface them. I will present my badge when purchasing “Street Sense” and will always display my badge when distributing “Street Sense.”

CASE MANAGER CASE MANAGEMENT INTERN DIRECTOR OF VENDOR EMPLOYMENT VENDOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATES

Aida Peery, Clifford Samuels

VENDOR PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS

Kevin Jaatinen, Jacob Kuba,

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Will Schick

DEPUTY EDITOR

INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW

Kaela Roeder

The Cover

Annemarie Cuccia

STAFF REPORTER

Candle vigil.

PHOTO BY MIKE

LABRUM

Unsplash.com

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.

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Hajira Fuad, Nate Kral, Jem Dyson, Nick Pasion, Ashleigh Fields, Ingrid Holmquist

ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

Willie Schatz (Writing), Bonnie Naradzay (Poetry), David Serota (Illustration)

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

Rebecca Koenig, Emily Kopp, Lydia DePillis

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

Ryan Bacic, Katie Bemb, Megan Boyanton, Lilah Burke, Lenika Cruz, Roberta Haber, Allison Hageman, Alison Henry, Kathryn Owens, Priya Rhoehit, Nick Shedd, Andrew Siddons, Jenny-lin Smith, Rebecca Stekol

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

EVENTS

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AT A GLANCE ANNOUNCEMENTS • The office will be closed Monday, Feb. 21, for Presidents Day. • The next Vendor Meeting, including lunch, will be Friday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m.

• For severe weather, the office follows federal government closures and delays. Search online for “opm.gov/status” or check the voicemail (x101).

Mayor Muriel Bowser speaking at a press conference. Photo by Matailong Du.

District-wide budget engagement forum Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m.

Virtual Meeting Platform Share your ideas about the city’s budget at this virtual forum hosted by Mayor Muriel Bowser. Visit tinyurl.com/ FairShotBudget for more details.

• Ensure your contact information is current if you would like to receive a text message whenever the office is closed due to weather or holiday.

BIRTHDAYS Doris Robinson, Feb. 18

Thursday, Feb. 17

Committee on Human Services, Performance Oversight Hearing 9 a.m.

Virtual Meeting Platform The Child and Family Services Agency will testify.

Thursday, Feb. 17

Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Performance Oversight Hearing

Tuesday, Feb. 22

Committee on Housing & Executive Administration, Performance Oversight Hearing

9 a.m.

Virtual Meeting Platform

12 p.m.

Virtual Meeting Platform

The Metropolitan Police Department, the Police Officers Standards and Training Board and the Use of Force Review Board along with the Office of Police Complaints will testify.

The Office of Tenant Advocate and the Housing Finance Agency will testify.

ARTIST/VENDOR

Sasha Williams, Feb. 18 ARTIST/VENDOR

ACCOMPLISHMENTS “Doctor” Queenie Featherstone was nominated to the Unity Healthcare Board of Directors.

ARTIST/VENDOR

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NEWS

Remembering Chad Jackson

BY HAJIRA FUAD Editorial Intern, Street Sense Media

Chad Jackson. Photo courtesy of Brandy Shorts.

o

n Dec. 28th, 2021, Street Sense Media vendor Chad Jackson passed away at the age of 46. Jackson, a military veteran who suffered from chronic homelessness, left behind five children: Kiara, age 26, Chad Jr., age 23, Cameron, age 19, Charlie, age 18, and Destiny, age 16. Jackson was never able to meet his first grandchild, a boy named Kalani, born just the day before Jackson passed away.

Born in Queens, New York, on September 26th, 1975, Jackson was an outgoing, charismatic and talkative youth, his mother, Sharron Jackson, said.

“He brought an energy to any room that he walked into,” she said. “He was uplifting. And I’m not saying that because he was my son. That’s just who he was.”

That liveliness and vivaciousness extended well into his adult years, as well.

“Everybody knew him for being a funny guy,” said Brandy Shorts, the mother of Jackson’s oldest son. “He always had a story to tell you.”

But beyond that lighthearted playfulness, there was an intense earnestness to him, too.

Growing up, he was extremely protective of his younger sister, Bethany.

“Guys couldn’t talk to her, they couldn’t look at her, they couldn’t date her,” Jackson’s mother said.

He was also a driven and passionate dancer throughout his youth. He performed regularly in school talent shows and, throughout high school, did several gigs as a backup dancer.

He was even part of a trio of dancers starring in a commercial that aired in the Tampa, Florida market.

Jackson graduated from high school at the age of 17 and, deciding that he was done with school, went on to join the U.S. Navy. During his time in service, he was a welder aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Independence.

After a few years of serving in the Navy, Jackson came back home to the U.S. sometime in the mid-nineties.

Upon returning home, he soon entered into what became a very difficult period of his life, according to his loved ones.

Jackson “just kind of drifted” from job to job, his mother said.

He was soon diagnosed with bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. He struggled with alcoholism, too.

His untreated mental health disorders, according to Sharron Jackson, was what led her son to enter into a period of chronic homelessness.

While living on the streets, Jackson was charged with possession after dealing drugs and was sentenced to several years in prison.

But throughout his years of struggle and turmoil while homeless, Jackson stayed in touch with his mother and father.

He talked to his father, Keith Jackson, on a regular basis. In

recent years, before Chad Jackson died, they spoke once or twice a week.

Jackson never ended a conversation with his parents without saying “I love you,” his mother said.

Jackson also loved to read, his mother said. He was an especially big fan of James Patterson’s Alex Cross series.

The same day that Jackson died, she sent him a book in the mail. It was Will Smith’s new memoir and autobiography, “Will.”

“Will’s description of himself and his life reminded me of Chad in multiple ways,” his mother said.

It may have been motivational for Jackson to read how Smith, “someone much like himself,” was able to overcome the many obstacles and setbacks in his life, Sharron Jackson said.

“I thought it would be encouraging for him,” she said.

But Jackson’s life is a source of inspiration in its own right.

Despite chronic homelessness and various mental health illnesses that, left untreated, became an increasing source of pain and adversity for Jackson over time, he never lost his singular capacity to love with an uncompromising resolve, those closest and dearest to him said.

“Chad was very loving and had a good heart, and most of all he loved his kids,” said Brandy Shorts.

“He may have been homeless, and all of that,” said his mother, “but he was very sensitive and had a heart of gold.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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Honoring the life of Ayub Abdul: The poet, linguist, martial artist and entrepreneur

BY WILL SCHICK Editor-in-Chief, Street Sense Media

A

yub Abdul, 70, Street Sense Media artist and vendor, died from complications with epilepsy on Feb. 2, 2021. He lived in Washington, D.C. Born in New York City on Dec. 19, 1951, Abdul grew up in the Bronx and Manhattan before settling in the Washington region in the 1970s. Ever since Abdul was a young boy, he was naturally curious and would often venture into new neighborhoods, eager to learn more about the world around him, according to his sister, Divane Pitttman.

“He wasn’t a kid that would just sit down and watch TV,” Pittman said. “He was adventurous.”

Charming, rambunctious and playful as a child, Abdul had initially struggled with learning disabilities in his early life.

But he overcame these challenges and grew up to become a polymath. He had a knack for mastering nearly anything he set out to learn, including how to speak Mandarin Chinese.

In 2007, Abdul had a chance encounter with a Chinese American woman and her family while he was working as a shoe salesman at Macy’s in downtown D.C. Upon meeting her, he soon discovered that her elderly father, who was from Shanghai, was lonely and needed someone to help him learn English. Abdul volunteered to spend his lunch break every day with the woman’s father for several years, trading informal Mandarin lessons for English. Before long, the two men developed a friendship that would culminate in his first trip to China in 2010.

He would later complete 7 to 8 more trips to China and, on one of these trips, he attended the wedding of his longtime language partner’s son as a guest of honor.

While Abdul could speak conversational Mandarin Chinese, he was also known for getting by in a smattering of other languages, surprising members of his family on occasion.

“In 2013, he came to Florida to visit me. And some people were downtown speaking another language with each other and he just started speaking to them, and then, they started speaking to him back,” his sister Althea Williams said. “And I was like, ‘Wow, he really knows how to speak this other language.’”

Abdul was always able to connect with people from all walks of life — regardless of cultural or language obstacles — a talent that no doubt helped him make sales as a newspaper vendor with Street Sense Media.

Williams attributes some of her brother’s entrepreneurial talents to his early upbringing. Growing up, their parents owned and managed a grocery store, and Abdul and his siblings helped with inventory and sales. But even as Abdul was successful at running his own business, he was also incredibly generous with his friends and family.

“He would come to my house and bring my kids things,” Williams said. “He bought my daughter her first boombox when she was around 6 years old.”

However, Abdul’s success with the newspaper extended far beyond his sales. He was perhaps better known for his literary work—the poems and articles he published with Street Sense Media.

“He was crazy about his poetry,” his close friend Terry Snead recalled. “He would just break out and write lines on all these little pieces of paper [he kept] in his pocket.”

Snead, who had previously been homeless for 10 years, said

Ayub Abdul sits on the steps of the Church of the Epiphany next to his scooter. Photo courtesy of Camille DeSanto.

he met Abdul for the first time outside of St. Luke’s shelter nearly 20 years ago. But the two ended up developing a friendship after taking a cooking class together a few years later.

A former Black Panther, Abdul completed his GED in 2014 and also enrolled in classes at the University of the District of Columbia. Always eager to learn and develop new skills, Abdul also had become a practicing martial artist who taught tai chi in his spare time.

Snead said that he remembered at least one martial arts class where Abdul dazzled his students.

“He taught one or two of the classes at the senior program that he was involved in, and he taught tai chi,” Snead said.

“And folks gave him a standing ovation. I mean, that guy was proficient.”

Abdul began his martial arts training about seven years ago, according to his sifu and instructor Raymond Wong.

“He came to class suited up with a kung fu outfit that he bought from a local gift shop,” Wong said. “Fully decked out from top to bottom.”

At first, Wong wasn’t quite sure what to make of Abdul and whether he would stick with the lessons.

“So, I was like ‘Oh, good. Here we go, we’ve got another one of these guys coming fully dressed up when they haven’t even learned anything yet,’” Wong said.

Little did Wong know, Abdul was serious and fully committed to learning. Over time, Abdul made steady progress with his training, eventually becoming proficient enough to instruct beginners in tai chi.

“He put a lot of time and effort into it,” Wong said. “And he really enjoyed tai chi.”

Throughout the years, Abdul had participated in various Chinatown community events for festivals and holidays, and participated in the lion dance as part of his kung fu training.

“He was always looking out for the community,” Wong

said.

While Abdul was heavily involved in the local Chinese American community, he was also an outspoken advocate for people experiencing homelessness.

Penny Nance, a friend who knew Abdul for nearly 30 years, described him as a passionate, caring person who was always willing to go out of his way to help people.

Both Nance and Abdul served as speakers with the nonprofit National Coalition for the Homeless, raising awareness on issues related to homelessness and poverty.

“He was always someone I got a hug from or gave a hug to,” Nance said. “He really cared about being a homeless advocate and cared about being a good friend.”

Abdul’s son Martin Pointer also has fond memories of his father, like the time he watched him interact with his grandson for the first time.

“When he met my son, he started to teach my son how to count in Mandarin and teach him some words,” Pointer said.

“So, I got to know him as a teacher.”

Over the past three years, the two had developed a close relationship with one another, and would often exchange text messages and talk to each other on the phone.

“We had a lot of plans,” Pointer said. “I'm just sad that we won't be able to carry them out… but I'm happy that he's no longer suffering.”

Abdul is survived by Pointer and his grandchildren Brandon and Kezia Pointer, in addition to his sisters Marlene Worrell, Williams and Pittman and his half brother Geno Foster. He is also survived by his many beloved nieces and nephews: Langston Williams III, Lisa T. Lee, Terryayne Pittman, Ulyrichia Pittman, Kacey Crews, Yvette Edwards, Nepreil Foster and Damali Morgan. He is preceded in death by his elder brother Geno Worrell Jr., his niece Lacey A. Williams, and his parents Geno and Lillie Worrell.

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NEWS

Street Sense Media staff share memories of beloved artist and vendor Colly Dennis

BY NICK PASION Editorial Intern, Street Sense Media

Photo by Lina Simonian// Unsplash

C

olly Dennis, a Street Sense Media vendor and artist, died in his apartment on Jan. 13.

He was 35.

At the time of publication Dennis’ cause of death is currently pending, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Those who knew Dennis said he was an empathetic, observational, thoughtful, and caring person. He was described as a smiling face who would laugh to himself about all the little absurdities of existence.

Darick Brown, the director of programs and Dennis’ case manager at Street Sense Media, said he worked closely with him. Brown said that even as Dennis was a somewhat private person, he was extremely vocal about injustices or frustrations he saw everyday in the street.

“He was very fond of Street Sense; it’s somewhere where he came on a weekly basis,” he said.

Originally born in Kampala, Uganda, Dennis immigrated to the United States later in life. He had been working as an artist and vendor at Street Sense Media for about eight years before his passing. He was also deeply passionate and involved in Street Sense Media’s mission, and came to the offices weekly, to work both the writers workshop and with case managers.

“He would come in and sometimes just want to talk about whatever he was dealing with in the community,” he said.

Dennis sold papers on 14th and U Street in front of the Tropicalia Lounge and the Jumbo Pizza. He would also occasionally sell newspapers at the Whole Foods on Florida and Sherman Avenue.

Dennis will be remembered for his upfront attitude, and those who knew him could instantly tell his mood.

Eric Falquero, the former editorial director for Street Sense Media, said Dennis was “entrepreneurial” and always had ideas on how to improve the newspaper, often suggesting video, photos and news stories to include on the cover. He said Dennis did quite a large amount of work behind the scenes at Street Sense Media too. He pitched a photo series called “Streets and Selfies” where vendors published selfies between themselves and their customers as a way to build community.

“Overall, I think he again just was super outgoing and liked to talk to people and connect with people,” Falquero said.

Dennis had also recently moved into permanent housing, in Northwest D.C. Thomas Ratliff, the director of vendor employment at Street Sense Media, said Dennis had a political worldview informed by his involvement in the unsheltered community. He said Dennis cared for the community and would advocate for those

who were less fortunate than him, but still tried to understand where everyone was coming from. “[He would go] out [to] protests, to meet people with his vest on and sell papers to them, no matter what political cause they were here for..”

Dennis talked with people from all walks of life, who differed in political ideology, race, religion, gender and philosophy. His goal was always to understand where people were coming from, he wanted to look into each person’s world to get a glimpse into their perspective.

“He also seemed to believe that everyone was the way they were for reasons that were out of their control,” Ratliff said.

“And so, while he would always take the side of the powerless of the powerful, he was empathetic to why the powerful behaved the way they did even if he was pointing at [them] as the problem.”

Ratliff said Dennis had a big and boisterous laugh that could be heard across the room, and he could often be heard laughing to himself about people or situations he found comedic.

“He was a warm presence. A person who was always smiling and sweet and kind, and also thoughtful,” he said.

If anyone would like to further contribute or add to Dennis’ story, reach out to nick.pasion@streetsensemedia.org.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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Buena Vista tenants form cooperative under TOPA

BY ABIGAIL WILLIAMS Volunteer, Street Sense Media

A mural near the Buena Vista Apartments in Columbia Heights. Photo by Abigail Williams.

T

he tenants of Buena Vista Apartments are forming a cooperative — a win for the 21 residents who have been on rent strike since May 2020.

The residents have withstood the pressures of being priced out of Columbia Heights and the deteriorating conditions of their building for years. On Jan. 23, they voted unanimously to purchase their building and form a limited equity cooperative (LEC) under TOPA, DC’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. TOPA promotes a unique pathway to tenant ownership. Under TOPA, tenants are first in line for purchase when a landlord states intent to sell their property. Landlords are required to give notice and allow a window of time for their tenants to form an association, declare interest and agree to purchase.

As owners and members of a LEC, the residents of Buena Vista will each have a share of their property and make collective decisions about governance and maintenance.

Untethered from DC’s inflating housing market and the periodic rent increases by their landlord, the future owners must preserve the affordability of their units by keeping the resale price of their units within the reach of low-income earners in DC. Buena Vista LEC will contribute to the more than 4,300 affordable housing units that have been saved by tenants since TOPA was first enacted in DC in 1980. In addition to financing the purchase of their building, the tenants will secure public financing assistance from the DC government for a full renovation of their building to rectify poor conditions.

The poor living conditions of the Buena Vista building, including mold and bed bug infestations, coupled with rent increases at the onset of the pandemic, first precipitated their rent strike in 2020. The building deteriorated to the point the DCRA condemned it in February 2021. The same day that

D.C.’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs deemed the building unsafe, property management called tenants to demand rent. The tenants plan to continue their strike until the landlord addresses the poor living conditions.

“Very Bad Condiciones,” was painted in red and black on a banner that was hung across a second-story window of the Buena Vista building throughout the summer. The words were flanked by depictions of bedbugs with frowning faces, looking down on Sherman Avenue. The name of the property manager, “UIP” was painted on the banner in bold. UIP Property Management and the building’s owner, Peter Burnell, absorbed PPP loans and emergency rental assistance funding during the pandemic.

The Buena Vista strike is part of a network renter strikes in DC that sprung up during the early months of the pandemic.

Buena Vista residents found their impetus to strike when they connected with tenant leaders at the Meridian Hill Apartments through church. The Meridian Hill building is also owned

by Burnell and managed by UIP, and has been on strike since 2019. Meridian Hill leaders linked Buena Vista tenant leaders to Stomp Out Slumlords, or SOS, a campaign that supports tenant organizing in DC. The Buena Vista residents collaborated with the group to form a tenants association and launch their strike. Now, the Buena Vista Tenants Associations is continuing work with SOS to secure ownership and actualize their co-op plans.

Some residents of Buena Vista have lived in Columbia Heights for over two decades. “People were motivated to start the co-op because they want to stay in the area,” said Katharine Richardson, an organizer with SOS who works closely with the Buena Vista tenants. “They have seen family and friends displaced, pushed out of the area into Maryland and Virginia. The co-op presents an option to stay, take control of the conditions, and to keep the rent affordable.”

Buena Vista residents’ TOPA rights were activated when speculators eyeing the Sherman Avenue building purchased a contract from the building owner. Within a 45-day notice of their opportunity to buy the building from the owner, they submitted a letter of interest and secured their right to purchase ahead of the speculators interested in developing the property.

The interested buyer initially offered $5,000 to each tenant to hand over the rights to their unit. When unsuccessful, they followed up with offers of $15,000. Unswayed by attempts to be bought-out, the residents are moving forward with their plan.

“From the beginning, it was clear that this group was especially driven to fight for something better than themselves and their families,” said Richardson. “There is really strong leadership at the building; people with experience organizing with the labor movement at their workplaces and through the church.”

Support from the community funded an initial feasibility evaluation through the tenants’ gofundme campaign. Now, the Buena Vista tenants are working with the National Housing Trust to secure an initiation deposit loan and will continue to fundraise for the renovations needed for the building. After entering a contract with the owner, tenants have 120 days to secure the funds to purchase their building from government funding streams, including DC’s Housing Production Trust Fund.

According to Richardson, there is significant work to be done before the co-op is confirmed. However, she said she believes the tenant organizers, who she describes as a “powerhouse,” are more than capable of making it happen.

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NEWS

DCHA allows self-certification for housing vouchers

BY ANNEMARIE CUCCIA Reporter, Street Sense Media & The DC Line

Housing advocates across the District are demanding that the D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA) reform the way it administers housing vouchers so people experiencing homelessness can be matched sooner with a place to live. On Feb. 9, DCHA’s Board of Commissioners took the first step, voting to allow selfcertification for people applying for some housing vouchers in the District.

The vote came months after the D.C. Council included a provision in the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Support Act of 2021 that called on DCHA to establish such a process. The emergency resolution will allow self-certification for tenant applications to the local rent subsidy program (LRSP), including requests for permanent supportive housing (PSH) vouchers available through the program. The resolution will now be sent to the council for review before it returns to the board for a final vote.

DCHA manages several rental subsidy programs, including LRSP and other project-based vouchers. The PSH program — which is administered jointly by DCHA and the Department of Human Services, and which received a substantial funding boost from the council in this year’s budget — provides vouchers to individuals who experience chronic homelessness, with a focus on the elderly or otherwise vulnerable. While PSH vouchers cover the full cost of rent, LRSP subsidies do not.

Distributed through developers and nonprofits they cover the difference between market rent and what tenants can afford.

Though the programs differ in nature and logistics, advocates report similar problems with both. People who do not have photo IDs often experience long delays with certification, and applicants frequently have trouble getting updates on their status. Moreover, existing requirements restrict eligibility and can cause confusion, and nonprofits report inefficient or inconsistent DCHA oversight.

Self-certification allows potential tenants to verify their own identity, birthdate, and disability status. Without DCHA’s new regulations, people applying for PSH vouchers must present a photo ID to be reviewed by DCHA. But to get an ID, if those applying don’t already have one, they need other proof of identity such as a birth certificate or Social Security card. Many people experiencing homelessness lack this documentation. To match people to housing quickly, emergency housing vouchers provided through the American Rescue Plan waived this requirement. It worked, according to Interagency Council on Homelessness numbers — reducing the average wait in D.C. from 126 days to nine days.

For PSH applicants who were born in the District, the process to get these documents is fairly straightforward, according to Kate Coventry, a senior policy analyst at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute. Coventry’s church, Foundry United Methodist, helps D.C. residents pay for and get a copy of their birth certificates.

For someone born out of state, it generally takes about a year to secure a birth certificate — and can take up to three years, Coventry said. This timeline, she added, is with the assistance of a group that has experience requesting birth certificates — without that help, it likely takes even longer.

Though many advocacy organizations are encouraged

by DCHA’s move to allow self-certification as well as other improvements they’ve observed over the last year, representatives told a D.C. Council committee recently that poor communication remains a problem within the agency.

“While not every issue has been resolved, DCHA has and is developing a variety of monthly dashboards and updating processes,” testified Melissa Millar, director of policy and

The District of Columbia Housing Authority. Photo by Will Schick.

advocacy at Community of Hope. “That said, these issues do remain problematic.”

The various chronic delays, housing advocates argue, jeopardize the lives of people experiencing homelessness who have been matched with vouchers — and such lags, by frustrating landlords who are eager to earn rent from their properties, may dissuade them from working with people relying on LRSP. The entire PSH process ordinarily takes about four months, and extra delays intensify the risk to unsheltered residents, especially during the winter months.

Nearly a third of the 69 people who died experiencing homelessness in D.C. last year had been matched with PSH vouchers but hadn’t yet found suitable accommodations to move into, according to Jesse Rabinowitz, senior manager for policy and advocacy at Miriam’s Kitchen.

“People who are matched to vouchers are matched in large part because they’re really sick because they really need housing that will keep them healthy and safe,” he said.

“The fact that so many people died before they were able to move into housing just underscores that people experiencing homelessness are at such an elevated risk of dying without housing.”

Communication is lacking, according to service providers A significant roadblock to matching tenants with housing is a lack of communication, according to many of the advocates who testified at the D.C. Council’s Jan. 27 oversight hearing about DCHA’s performance over the past year. After people submit their voucher applications, they have no means of tracking the status until DCHA contacts them. A solution widely agreed upon by those who testified is the creation of

a portal where those applying could track their applications.

Christine Goodman, supervisor of media relations at DCHA, told Street Sense and The DC Line that the agency has begun developing such a portal — which would allow those on the waitlist to update their contact information, income, and family size — but doesn’t have a timeline yet for its public launch.

Rabinowitz is pushing the council to ask DCHA to expedite the portal so it’s ready as soon as possible. He also said the system needs to encompass as much information as possible.

Ideally, according to advocates, the portal would allow clients, case managers, DCHA, and landlords to see what clients have submitted to improve transparency and communication, and could be used both for the PSH and LRSP programs.

Currently, some caseworkers said they often don’t know why their clients’ housing applications are denied. Sometimes, they said, applications disappear from the system or documents go missing.

Lynn Amano, director of advocacy at Friendship Place, testified that DCHA needs to improve post-application communication as well. In particular, Amano recommended including caseworkers in communications with clients — especially any that seem to threaten the client might lose housing if they fail to complete a certain requirement — so they can guide the client through the process.

And beyond that, advocates are asking for overall data sharing, so the public can see each month how many people submitted applications, how many people signed leases, and how many people remained in the search process. Both Amano and Rabinowitz also asked that DCHA clarify their organizational structure online and make it clear who the point people are.

Nonstandard requirements create confusion

When the D.C. Council approved the Budget Support Act

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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Outside the District of Columbia Housing Authority offices on North Capitol Street. Photo by Will Schick.

that pressed DCHA to start accepting self-certifications, it included another request raised in the past by advocates — that the agency change its rules so no one is excluded from vouchers because of immigration status or past criminal convictions.

Though the new DCHA regulations incorporate this change for PSH and other tenant-based vouchers, existing restrictions would still apply to other LRSP programs, according to Martin Mellett, vice president of external affairs at Jubilee Housing.

DCHA’s spokesperson said the matter is pending. “We received the LRSP eligibility recommendation and it is under consideration,” Goodman wrote to Street Sense and The DC Line in an email.

Jubilee provides much of its housing through LRSP — a program funded by local money, allowing D.C. to set its own eligibility rules. When the program was created, however, it adopted federal restrictions, which prohibit vouchers for unauthorized immigrants, certain sex offenders, and anyone who has been convicted for meth production in public housing.

Since then, D.C. has eliminated the immigration requirement for one arm of the LRSP program — sponsor-based vouchers.

Additionally, applicants for sponsor-based vouchers with a meth production conviction are no longer categorically denied and can receive a voucher if they can show a degree of rehabilitation. Meanwhile, the other two arms of LRSP — project-based (which Jubilee utilizes) and tenant-based — have retained virtually all of the federal requirements. While the new DCHA regulations will waive most of those requirements for tenant-based vouchers, they remain in place for those that are project-based.

This system can create a lot of confusion, especially as organizations like Jubilee often house tenants under all three standards. Mellett said it also unnecessarily blocks some people from qualifying for subsidies, especially undocumented immigrants and returning citizens who are already more likely

to struggle with securing housing due to systemic barriers.

“It creates confusion for the tenants, it creates confusion for us, and we would argue there’s no real need to have three standards,” Mellett said. “We want to be a city that’s inclusive — and we’re trying to deal with racial equity issues and mass incarceration, so we’re trying to reduce barriers.”

Even once residents are in housing, the inconsistencies among the programs can cause difficulties. Jubilee’s residents receive many types of subsidies, including some administered by the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health. Sometimes, multiple subsidies apply to the same unit. And all of those programs have different standards — as does the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development, which provides capital funding for some of Jubilee’s projects. This means that each year, many units must undergo multiple inspections, disrupting the lives of residents.

Mellett wants all the programs to establish one set of standards to simplify the process and reduce the burden on staff as well as tenants.

“It’s just an intrusion on the lives that’s unnecessary,” he said.

Nonprofits cite issues with LRSP administration

Advocates point to another problem with LRSP vouchers in project-based housing: DCHA does not always make payments on time. While the speed of these payments is improving, they’re often still late, Mellett said.

Millar testified that Community of Hope has encountered numerous instances when landlords did not receive rent payments from DCHA, or when the agency delayed its rent payments for several months.

Project-based providers testified that they get a fixed subsidy under long-term contracts with DCHA that can last 10 or 15

years. This presents issues with inflation since prices increase almost every year for costs like electricity and labor, Mellett said. As a result, providers sometimes have to reduce the number of people they can serve, or limit the choice of units they can offer tenants. With many of these contracts up for renewal in 2023, Jubilee and several other organizations plan to propose new language that will allow the subsidy amounts to go up with inflation. According to Goodman, DCHA officials are reviewing possible changes to the contracts.

The failure to account for inflation has concrete impacts on the tenants those programs are serving, Millar said. “This flat funding limits our clients’ choice for relocation,” she testified, saying the issue is especially severe for those looking for multibedroom units.

Another provider, Pathways to Housing, will be asking that the new contracts include an administrative rate, Executive Director Christy Respress testified. This rate is called for in the District’s recently passed Nonprofit Fair Compensation Act of 2020, which says nonprofits must be compensated for indirect costs in contracts with the District. Over 13 years, Pathways has had to raise almost $3 million to cover these costs on its own — money the organization would rather put into providing services for its clients, Respress said.

Finding financial solutions to these issues would allow nonprofits to serve even more people, which Rabinowitz from Miriam’s Kitchen says is the ultimate goal.

“When we get the money out the door, when people do get housing, it works,” Rabinowitz said. “By working together with all of the stakeholders and the community, we can ensure all of the vouchers are used efficiently and effectively for their intended purpose, which is to end homelessness.”

This article was co-published with The DC Line.

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OPINION

We can — and must — prevent homelessness from becoming a death sentence

BY BRIAN CAROME CEO, Street Sense Media

Since late December, we at Street Sense Media have learned of the passing of five newspaper vendors. Each of their deaths are a harsh reminder of the impact that homelessness has on life expectancy. The oldest of the five was 70. The youngest, only 35. They were writers, artists, brothers, sisters and parents.

Each contributed unique gifts to our community, and their premature deaths leave irreparable tears in its fabric.

While the average American lives for 79 years, it is only 48 for persons who are homeless, according to the Health Care for the Homeless Project. The brutality of life on the streets takes its toll on lifespan in myriad ways, most especially for persons who had preexisting health conditions before they became homeless. It’s impossible to fully measure the lost potential that these early deaths signify, but we can all agree that in a nation of such wealth, we can and should be doing more to address this inequity.

What is perhaps most tragic is that we’ve long known that it is far more expensive to neglect homelessness than it is to solve it. A 2015 analysis of 828 chronically homeless adults in Washington, D.C. conducted by the Advisory Board Company found that the average cost to taxpayers for responses to emergency needs of these individuals was $40,843. The average cost to both house and provide them with case

A rose set atop a casket at the 2019 Annual Homeless Vigil. Photo by Rodney Choice.

management services was $20,500.

Initially, the D.C. government embraced the Advisory Board report and invested heavily in an effort to move people from the streets into housing. But funding for this cause has waned.

And despite fierce attempts to clear encampments of tent dwellers throughout the city, new, scattered tent communities keep appearing, including five tents that have recently been erected on the sidewalk in front of our offices on G Street near Metro Center.

Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been especially devastating for persons who are homeless, has also opened the door to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drastically reduce homelessness. As of October 2021, less than 25% of downtown D.C. office workers had returned to their offices. It’s now widely presumed that we are seeing a permanent shift in how, and more importantly where people work. It’s imperative that we make a massive investment of

public funds to repurpose a large portion of what is now vacant office space for the provision of affordable housing to our most vulnerable neighbors. In the long run, that investment could ultimately pay for itself, as the Advisory Board study demonstrates.

The burden of this initial investment should be shared by the local D.C. and federal government, and similarly in communities across the nation. Such an investment would come tragically too late for Chad, Scott, Latisha, Collins and Ayub, the five Street Sense vendors who recently died. But it’s not too late for thousands of others who are homeless. Let us not pass up this opportunity to build a better, more equitable community.

Brian Carome is the CEO of Street Sense Media.

It’s taking way too long to fix the Metro

BY JEFF TAYLOR Artist/Vendor

Just a few years ago, riders of the Washington D.C. Metro system had to deal with entire lines being shut down for months at a time while the entire system was inspected due to years of inadequate maintenance. It was a major inconvenience that should not have been necessary had the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority done its job in the first place.

Now, having endured the system's so-called Back2Good plan, area riders are once again being inconvenienced due at least in large part to WMATA’s failure to do its job. Yes, Kawasaki shares the blame for selling defective cars to begin with. And I would certainly hope that Kawasaki is paying a hefty portion of the cost for fixing this problem.

But the question I keep asking in my mind and out loud to anyone who will listen is: What the hell is taking so long? If the wheel assemblies are defective, insist that the manufacturer replace them. Immediately! That should have been the first course of action when this issue was first discovered, well before the incident at Arlington Cemetery station this past October.

With the pandemic still raging, this is definitely not the

time to be packing people on six-car trains running on limited schedules. Sure, they suggest that riders consider Metro buses as an alternative. But that's not a viable option for many folks, and we still end up with overcrowded buses and trains alike.

Look, I get that sometimes stuff happens. But the depth and breadth of seeming incompetence among Metro leadership is truly frustrating.

On the day of my writing this rant, they decided in the middle of the day to temporarily close the Pentagon City station for Covid-19-related cleaning. I needed to get back home to D.C., so I thought the most efficient course would be to catch a bus one station stop away at Pentagon and take the train from there. Ha! I thought wrong.

I waited for my train on the upper platform where it would normally arrive, but was redirected to the lower platform, only to be informed later that the Pentagon station was also going to be closed. I and many, many others were told to go back up to the bus bays where shuttle buses were due to arrive. We waited and waited in the bitter cold, desperately hoping that one of the many buses that pulled in would be a shuttle. When

half a dozen not-in-service buses had gone by and a seventh arrived, I shouted to the only Metro employee in sight, "Hey, why don't you turn that one into a shuttle bus?" Eventually, that's what the employee ended up doing.

On another occasion, while on a six-car train during morning rush hour on the green line between Anacostia and Navy Yard stations, a rider vomited. That particular car was taken out of service and all passengers, at least those that would fit, were transferred to other cars. As passengers from the out-ofservice car crammed themselves into our car, one rider asked a common sense question. "L'Enfant Plaza is only one more stop away and a lot of people will get off the train there anyway.

Why not take the car out of service there?" Anyone familiar with Metro Rail knows full well the practicality of such a suggestion. Yet the WMATA employee calling the shots wasn't interested, and we all were delayed.

Metro’s general manager is stepping down and new leadership is on the horizon. We can only hope it will make a difference.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

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Honoring Ayub GRACIAS GARCIAS Artist/Vendor

The last time I saw Ayub, he was standing in front of all of us at the vendor’s group meeting dressed in a pristine black Chinese robe - the type of robe that only a wise old Kung Fu theater master would be authorized to wear. He looked powerful, eloquent and inspiring. He had style. And he looked great!

His words were full of good-hearted intentions. He was advocating for cohesion.

He asked that we unite to fight for our rights. He also shared his thoughts about advocating for children, explaining how society can be cruel and how important it is to protect the rights of all children.

He even went to the extent of proposing the need for us to establish a regular column specifically designed for children’s issues to be printed in every issue.

Moreover, Ayub motivated us to write our stories, to make them known, to share our opinions and to be present. His mind was always clear and full of energy.

I wish you the best of journeys, bro! Thanks for your conversations in Spanish.

Thank you for your kindness and also for the magical way you had of transcending this mundane experience. Your last words have left a lasting message for us of universal solidarity. In my eyes, this is quite a formidable final act of appearing and disappearing, bro.

May your presence keep shining in those you touched with your good.

God is a giving God

JEFFREY J. CARTER Artist/Vendor

He give us life to live, food to eat, and the sun that shines And never asks for anything in return.

He gives in all forms and all kinds of ways, He gave his son, so we may live.

He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending Most and best of all, he is love.

Remembering Ayub

CHRIS COLE Artist/Vendor

Ayub Abdul will surely be missed. We always had a few chuckles every time I saw him at Street Sense for class. He’d bother me about my “Chi” and “inner-being”. (For those of you that don’t know, Ayub was a talented Tai Chi expert). I’d then bother him about his various girlfriends. Ayub was 70, but he was still easy on the eyes… And he knew it too! Everywhere we went, women would stop to talk to him. He’d surprise me because no matter the woman’s nationality, Ayub would speak in THEIR native tongue! What a flirt! French, Arabic, Chinese, Ethiopian. He was a legend, and I will miss reading his poetry and seeing his smiling face riding up on his scooter. Rest in Heaven, Friend. You taught me a lot.

To all of our street vendors, to yesterday ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor

It is so hard to say goodbye to yesterday, the good times that made us laugh, good times that made you sad. From the writer’s group, the times that they made things right. Selling the Street Sense paper kept you going for tomorrow. It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.

Now today I hope and pray that they made right with God for the memories that keep us alive today. How could it be you were here today and gone tomorrow? I will take my love and say goodbye.

Juggernaut of joy -Inspired by Walt WhitmanFREDRICK JOHN Artist/Vendor

A bartering song (“what should I barter?”)

• Light for Darkness, • Darkness for Light?

• Sadness for Joy? • Plenty for Penury or, • Prana for Profligacy Is that what’s Right?

• Crystals for pot shards, acres for nooks.

• Ignorance for wisdom: Flames for books?

Then let us honor: Sidney, Glynn, and Bokeern?

Bert Williams, Redd Foxx, Sid Caesar, all Hail!

• So, acting is deemed art A balm of sweet reason So I’ll make my mark My yawp of new seasons…

Tis’ a Bartering song, Taste of Freedom as with Bookman’s pride.

Time, than, let’s move up And Alive!

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ART

A good mother

A good daughter/child

REDBOOK MANGO Artist/Vendor

REDBOOK MANGO Artist/Vendor

Will go through the snow, sleet, and hell to make sure she don’t fail. We real cool but mom sent us no mail.

We love our mother.

Can someone tell her we left school to find her in D.C. We stayed out late– It’s Black History– Months we strike straight with no sound of her voice or sound.

We sing sin hoping she’s not underground. A good mother does not drink or thin gin.

A good mom is your best friend.

We Jazz, June, big mama coming soon. I hope you see her before we die soon.

Balloons, Balloons, Balloons

Honor your mother and father and your days shall be long, A good daughter finished school and does no wrong, Now nobody is perfect, but my daughter is.

She’s 23, a school teacher, and has no kids, Her life has just started, How can I fit in?

A good daughter is a Mom’s best friend

Poem inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem “We Real Cool”

I think the city’s voucher system will work MARCUS GREEN Artist/Vendor

There are thousands of openings all around the city for people to move straight into apartments. It takes time, but work with your case manager and it will work out. The process took me about 3 months and I eventually got an apartment. The tents are working for the people that want to stay on the street. The ones that don’t are in a comfortable space so that’s where they are. I’m an advocate to support people getting housing. The mayor is doing a great job. We all have to keep our best foot forward. Thanks for your support and keep up the good work. God Bless.

In memory of Chad Jackson

BY REGGIE JONES Artist/Vendor

Chad Jacks was an okay fellow and a good person to me. He was one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. This is because he was straight up and real about what he wanted out of life. He had a good spirit and a good soul. He would share with others what he knew and he got along with many people. Rest in peace, Chad Jackson. I hope you’re in a better place now.

I know

BY CARLOS D. CAROLINA Artist/Vendor

32 Experience!

I know I know what I know How do I know, Because I know what I know; you know?

“Nope” I know, And I ain’t think so

MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

One of my biggest faults is thinking everybody is my friend. I’m too nice to people. When I see someone I’m cool with, I give them my time and listen to their problems.

When I was young I had a lot of issues with paying attention and trusting people. I grew up in foster care where my back was against the wall because of trust. Now that I’m 32 it seems like all those same problems are coming back.

People’s smiles do not match up with their actions. It seems easy for me to get in trouble or mixed up in drama. Since the onset of Covid-19, people don’t want to be around too many other people and I’ve found they don’t want to help people

either. This is a difficult experience.

I know I’m not the only one who befriends a person before realizing they are fake and then wants out of that friendship. It’s the same with families too. It can seem like it’s love there but then they have different feelings about one another.

Wow, the way the brain works and how our emotions can be crazy. After all, I’m only human and I also have many faults.

I would like to say thank you for buying my papers when you see me and for making those anonymous donations. I really do appreciate your time for stopping and reading.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 1 3

From the Mitten To Maryland part III CORTNEY R. SIGNOR Artist/Vendor

Week three in the DMV was chaotic. The man I stayed in with came home intoxicated. I had my own tent given to me by a local center, and the man held me over the overpass and threatened my life. By the Grace of God, I was saved. This again allowed me to lean on the Lord for everything as my suitcase was all I had left. I went to the local day center and took my vehicle back to Maryland. I would stay in Maryland and drive to D.C. this whole week for food and shelter services.

Church and my van were all I had left.

I was forced to give my dog Buffy a better home, so I took her to the 24-hour vet in D.C. He gave her an exam for free and found out she is going to have pups as I suspected. I can't have my baby having puppies in the cold. I did the hardest thing in my life. I gave my dog, which me and my children had for three years, to a better home. The owner, God bless her, worked in the clinic with the vet and Buffy absolutely loved her and was attached to her when we were there. The Lord spoke to me about her care, and doing what was right

even when it was hard.

The final day I stayed here, I was carjacked and sexually assaulted. Multiple men against one woman, however, I did break one man's jaw in the process, but my car was taken and found a week later. The room I was staying in in was nasty had trash blankets and a nasty pillow covered in bodily fluids, a broken window and I was locked in from the outside of my door. By the grace of God, my pastor found my vehicle, knew I was staying in it, and called it missing. That morning I was let go. I called my preacher to tell him what had happened and why I wasn't around, and he said he was looking after me and he knew it was in a strange area.

That morning I spent all day and night going through a very intense program. I went through the initial report with the police, to the special victim's crime report, to the sexual assault testing which takes four hours and is very intense. By the time I made it to a safe place it was 2 a.m. the next morning and I was ready to just sleep. I ended up in a women's shelter

in Maryland. This shelter was probably the best out of any I have been to. But I had to travel by bus and train now, and I wasn't familiar with our routes, so I got lost and missed my curfew, so I lost my bed.

This again left me in tears, and in doubt. It seemed as though every corner I tried to get stabilized and ahead on, things got shut down. The Lord allowed me to start realizing things about myself. That I needed to start making more time for me and my family and that I needed to start preparing to go back home.

The Lord helped me humble myself as I for the first time in my life had to beg for a warm place to stay in New Carlton. I ended up staying the night in a hotel with two men and getting into a mess that I didn't want to be into.

I ended up getting a vacated empty apartment from a local complex and keeping warm in it for this week. I was thankful that the man did that for me, as it rained for several days, and snowed recently.

Surrounding my sound with elementals

BY LEVESTER GREEN Artist/Vendor

Delays are set-ups for better things

BY MICHELE ROCHON Artist/Vendor

I believe that Washington, D.C. can attract more visitors and prospective business owners and homeowners to the area because of its unique blend of cosmopolitan city culture and down-home Southern hospitality.

After returning to the city in November, 2020 I was elated to observe Mr. JR Robinson, the sous chef, complete his goal of opening a restaurant called Kitchen Cray. Mr. Robinson told me on July 30, 2014 told me that he intended to open a restaurant with this name. I was attending an event at the Trulia Building when I learned of Mr. Robinson-- a young, intelligent and articulate African American man--- who had a dream and vision to open his own restaurant.

I am driven and motivated to excel by people who are what I call “Eagles.” Eagles spot their prey from a significant distance when they are flying always keeping their eyes on their goasl. We need poositive energy and motivation in a world where negative news, toxic relationships, cynical opinions are pervasive daily.

I want to encourage all of you to keep your eye on your goals. Don’t let minor setbacks discourage you. Sometimes God actually redirects your steps to take you higher. I have noticed when I have a delay sometimes, I am learning other things. It’s like having spiritual “clear eyes.”

I used to be the marketing assistant for a music studio called “Wired For Sound.” They later became “Wired for Sound Records.” Anyhow, one time, while I was working there, I became inspired by this group I spoke to in the studio called Raw Deal. They had some feng shui energy with their raps. They had this song called “Politicking.” And their music inspired me to get together with some of my rap cats.

At the time, I wanted to form a group called “The Elementals” — I wanted the name to be a spin on the elements of earth, wind, and fire — but we ended up settling instead on the name “Surround Sound.”

Anyhow, we produced a few songs and made an EP together. One of them was called “Black on Black Crime” or B.O.B. for short.

We also had another that was called “My Time to Shine,” which was a pretty fly song. These were some original concepts.

I also did a solo joint called “Southeast Soldier” to round out my demo record after the group split up. The boys pulled a coup on me a little after I introduced them to each other and before my studio hook-up fell apart. After all this, I went back to school at UDC to continue my communications education.

Let’s talk about the snow and cold weather DANIEL BALL Artist/Vendor

Where does snow come from? I think it comes from clouds in the sky.

Did God create Summer, Winter, and Fall every year? I say yes he did do this. For all us people. So now, are your hands and feet cold today? Yes, they are really cold right now. Do you know my feelings are hurt when the shelter hotline tells me they didn’t have enough blankets to keep me warm in my tent tonight? So now I stay warm thanks to Thomas and the rest of my Street Sense brothers and sisters.

OnlineCrosswords.net

1 4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // F E B . 1 6 - 2 2 , 2022

FUN & GAMES

Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 1

5 3 5 6 4 7 9

5 9 7

6 2 4 7

4 3 9 4 7 6

8 6

8 5 9 8

© 2013 KrazyDad.com

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

If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

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 if you really get stuck.

>> This crossword puzzle’s answers: tinyurl.com/SSMcross-02-16-2022

<< LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

When I reflect upon the number of disagreeable people who I know have gone to a better world, I am moved to lead a different life.

3 1

1. Adjective Brown for Georgia Brown 6. Gin 6. flavoring Gin flavoring 10. “. . . sting ___” 10. ". . .like sting like ___" 14. Pageant crown crown 14. Pageant 15. The man, e.g.

15. Piltdown The Piltdown man, e.g.

16. “Agreed!”

16. "Agreed!"

17. Suffering from nyctophobia 17. Suffering from 20. Kyoto cash nyctophobia 21. Heist haul cash 20. Kyoto 22. Maltreat 21. Heist haul 23. Helvetica, for one 22. Maltreat 24. Equipped 23. Helvetica, for one 25. Brings down 24. Equipped 28. Bird Old Rome 25. of Brings down 29. CBS showof setOld in Las Vegas 28. Bird Rome 32. Not moving 29. CBS show set in Las 33. Without Vegas ___ (daringly) 34. Hemoglobin component 32. Not moving 35. Xenophobia 33. Without ___ (daringly) 38. Object of desire? component 34. Hemoglobin 39. Settles with certainty 35. Xenophobia 40. Send to seventh 38. Object ofheaven desire?

41. School of tomorrow?

39. Settles with certainty 42. Dolt 40. Send to seventh heaven 43. Examine 41. School of tomorrow?

44. Shed, snake-style 42. Dolt 45. Pro ___ (free) 43. Examine 46. One way to be washed 44. Shed, snake-style 49. Spring bloom 45. Pro ___ (free) 50. Ceiling figure 46. One way to be washed 53. Suffering frombloom zoophobia 49. Spring 56. Home of ancient Irish kings 50. Ceiling figure 57. Triumphant cry 53. Suffering from 58. Pathogens zoophobia 59. Follow the code 56. Home of ancient Irish 60. Meshworks kings 61. Explosive trial 57. Triumphant cry 58. Pathogens Down

59. Follow the code

1. Word to a boxer?

60. Meshworks 2. Calpurnia, to Caesar 61. Explosive trial 3. Make, as a living 4. Baseball stat

© ONLINWECROSSWORDS.NET

1. Adjective for Georgia

9

2 9

Find the solution at https://onlinecrosswords.net/2179

Across Across

Sudoku #6 8 5 1

This is the Daily Crossword Puzzle #3 for Jan 18, 2022

5.

Adapt for Down 6. “Go ahead and ask” 1. Word to a boxer?

7. Studio site, sometimes 2. Calpurnia, to Caesar 8. Bit in a horse’s mouth?

3. Make, as a living 9. Initial bit of evidence 4. Baseball stat 10. Discombobulate 5. Adapt for 11. Gal’s sweetheart 6. "Go ahead and ask" 12. They usually listen well 7. Studio site, 13. Sommer of films sometimes 18. Gangland bigwigs 8. Bit in a horse's 19. Pipe bends mouth?

23. Take to the bank?

9. Initial bit of evidence 24. Says with no uncertainty 10. Discombobulate 25. Permanent pen pal?

11. Gal's sweetheart 26. Bridge bid, briefly 12. They usually listen 27. Intertwine well 28. Paid to play 13. Sommer of films 29. Floorboard sound 18. Gangland bigwigs 30. To some degree

31. Map feature 33. Knotted neckwear 42. Heart 19. Pipe bends 34. Home of “Nanook of the North” 43. Cut of meat 23. Take to the bank?

36. Worked as a sub 44. Coral reef denizen, 24. Says with no 37. Advertising lure perhaps uncertainty 42. Heart 25. Permanent pen pal? 45. Grain husks 43. Cut of meat 46. Concerning 26. Bridge bid, briefly 44. Coral reef denizen, perhaps 27. Intertwine 47. Striker's anathema 45. Grain husks 28. Paid to play 48. Fabled napper 46. Concerning 29. Floorboard sound 49. "___ ain't broke . . ."

47. Striker’s anathema 30. To some degree 50. Supervision 48. Fabled napper 31. Map feature 51. Poor box donations 49. “___ ain’t broke . . .”

33. Knotted neckwear 52. "Hey, over here!"

50. Supervision 34. Home of "Nanook of 54. Have bills 51. Poor box donations the North" 55. Bumped into 52. “Hey, over here!”

36. Worked as a sub 54. Have bills 37. Advertising lure 55. Bumped into

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

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SHELTER HOTLINE Línea directa de alojamiento

(202) 399-7093

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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

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

// 1 5

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

JOB BOARD Busser / Food Runner Daikaya // 705 6th St NW

Full-time Daikaya is looking for a busser and food

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

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

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

runner that’s great at multitasking and works well under pressure.

REQUIREMENTS: Weekend night availability APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/daikaya-busser

Busser / Food Runner Doi Moi // 1800 14th Street NW

Full-time / Part-time Doi Moi is looking for bussers and runners to support servers and clean tables

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

Martha’s Table // 202-328-6608 marthastable.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

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

REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to lift 50 pounds

APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/doimoi-busser

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

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

Busser / Food Runner Cork Wine Bar & Market // 1805 14th St NW Part-time Cork Wine Bar & Market is looking for a busser and food runner who can work evening and weekend hours.

REQUIREMENTS: High school or equivalent (preferred), 2 years of food running experience

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

(preferred) and 1 year of bussing experience APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/winebar-busser

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

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

Hiring? Send your job postings to editor@StreetSenseMedia.org

Bowl of fruit. Photo by Sasha Williams.

My daughter made me laugh SASHA WILLIAMS Artist/Vendor

I snapped a selfie while getting ready to eat a Nature’s Cereal fruit bowl. It had some fruit coconut water and fruit seeds in it. And I planned to just eat it like a bowl of granola cereal.

Health is a lifestyle so I recently decided to start healthy practices. I’m slowly trying to transition these healthy choices into steady choices and eventually turn them into permanent habits. At least, that is how I look at it. These kinds of foods look yummy when I watch videos of people eating it. Right before I took the picture of me eating this cereal bowl, my daughter made me laugh. Here I go.

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

From your vendor, FEB. 16 - 22, 2022 | VOLUME 19 ISSUE 13 Steve Leinwand and Ivory Wilson Photo courtesy of Ivory Wilson

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Classy walking canes

WWW.INSP.NGO

BY IVORY WILSON Artist/Vendor

My friend the editor Steve Leinwand and I are making history during Black History Month. Steve and his wife Ann have been part of my life for 17 years. Over the years, they have frequently visited me on the corner of 7th and E. Now, Steve is helping me launch my newest project on Kickstarter: my plan to manufacture, market and sell classy walking canes that I have personally designed and prototyped.

Steve, 72, is an educator, and believes that to whom much is given, much is expected. Supporting me is one of many ways that Steve and Ann are trying to give back to the community at the micro-level.

In the coming months, Steve and I will collaborate on overseeing the manufacture of the canes in China and the marketing of this unique product back here in the United States.

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