02.23.2022

VOL. 19 ISSUE 14

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FEB. 23 - MAR. 1, 2022

Real Stories

Real People

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Real Change

Addressing climate change in affordable housing discussions

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The Street Sense Media Story, #MoreThanANewspaper Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper: They use film, photography, theatre, illustration, and more to share their stories with our community.

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AT A GLANCE VENDOR PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS • Vendors can bring in a complete CDC vaccination card for 15 free papers.

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Human Services Committee Oversight Hearing Feb. 24, 9 a.m.

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The Committee on Human Services is holding an oversight hearing, where the Department of Human Services, the Interagency Council on Homelessness and the District of Columbia Housing Authority (public witnesses only) will testify.

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UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

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Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2021 public hearing

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ICH Emergency Response and Shelter Operations Feb. 23, 1 p.m. // Virtual

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Housing Solutions Committee Feb. 28, 2 p.m. // Virtual

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CORRECTIONS Due to an editing error, two spelling errors appeared in our Feb. 16 edition art section story titled “Delays are set-ups for better things.”

In our Feb. 16 edition, the opinion article titled “We can — ­ and must— end homelessness from becoming a death sentence” inaccurately stated that five newspaper vendors died since December 2021. Four newspaper vendors have died since December.

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NEWS

Officials grapple with racial equity in Thrive 2050, Montgomery County’s proposed growth plan

BY ALLY SCHWEITZER DCist

This story was originally published by DCist.

Like much of the Washington region, Montgomery County has a shortage of housing that’s affordable to families who are low-income or even upper-middle class. The county’s new general plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050, puts an emphasis on housing affordability, but it might not do enough to address the problem, and may even make things worse for low-income residents of color.

That conclusion comes from a preliminary racial equity analysis by the Office of Legislative Oversight that has planners and lawmakers scrambling to address criticisms of the document that could further delay its approval by the council.

Planners and some council members had hoped to put the plan to bed last year so they could focus on other priorities, such as a new sector plan for the downtown Silver Spring area.

Now, it appears more deliberation is ahead.

Thrive Montgomery 2050, an update to the county’s general plan that has been in the works since 2018, guides the future of growth in Montgomery County for the next 28 years. The plan has drawn support from progressive and “smart growth” groups that praise its emphasis on walkable communities, housing affordability, and climate resilience, though many neighborhood associations are strongly opposed, saying the plan would attract too much development to single-family neighborhoods.

Now planners and council members must grapple with findings in the racial equity analysis, which elevated concerns from lawmakers and critics that the county hasn’t sought enough input on the document from Black and brown residents.

Detractors of Thrive have seized upon the report as evidence that the plan is deeply flawed, while supporters maintain that the ideas in Thrive — such as adding a wider variety of housing types to single-family neighborhoods — would actually foster more equity in the county.

The report, by senior legislative analyst Elaine BonnerTompkins, recommends that leaders “elicit the meaningful input of residents of color” to help update Thrive so the document “reflects a consensus of land use policies and practices aimed at advancing [racial equity and social justice].” It also advises council members to add a chapter to Thrive describing the historical and current drivers of racial and social inequities in the county, among other suggestions.

Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson and Montgomery County Planning Department Director Gwen Wright took turns defending the plan during a council discussion on Tuesday, pointing to multiple examples of racial equity policies that are already in the latest draft.

“Advancing racial equity through just planning policies and public investments in underserved communities, promoting the racial and economic integration of neighborhoods, and focusing on the potential for the design of communities to help build social trust and inclusion while encouraging civic participation are among the most significant elements of Thrive Montgomery 2050,” says a passage in the document’s introduction. “[Thrive] actually makes 72 recommendations directly or indirectly related to racial justice and social equity and includes metrics for evaluating progress toward equity goals,” Anderson said.

Wright and Anderson both remarked that the racial equity analysis — which is required for legislation and zoning changes, but not general plans — is ill-suited to something so broad as Thrive, which makes sweeping policy proposals

Downtown Silver Spring. Photo by Intangible Arts.

whose impacts are difficult to measure precisely. (Council President Gabe Albornoz requested the analysis of Thrive in response to an appeal from local advocates.)

“This kind of analysis is better suited to specifics that will come later,” said a PowerPoint slide that Wright and Anderson displayed during Tuesday’s discussion.

But Council member Nancy Navarro (D-District 4), who championed sweeping racial equity legislation in 2019, said Bonner-Tompkins’ analysis raises crucial points.

“I don’t think we should get defensive about it,” said Navarro, who represents a heavily Latino part of the county.

With people of color projected to make up almost threequarters of Montgomery’s population by 2045, officials have a responsibility to involve them in large-scale planning efforts, the council member said.

“We can’t set a general plan without authentically involving the people that are going to be affected by that general plan,” Navarro said. “I myself don’t feel comfortable saying, ‘All these things are going to help you people of color, just take it at face value.'”

Planners and Council member Hans Riemer, who chairs the council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, say the public engagement process for Thrive has been lengthy and comprehensive, encompassing multiple public

hearings, listening sessions, and discussions with community groups over three years. Still, hearings have attracted mostly white homeowners and advocates, and leaders have struggled to elicit feedback from renters, people of color and lowerincome residents.

“When you have a once-in-a-30-year document, you have to make sure you do this in a really intentional way,” said Council member Will Jawando (D-At Large), who sits on the planning committee.

Jawando has convened his own conversations about Thrive with Black residents and leaders. Some of his colleagues indicated on Tuesday that they are willing to do the same.

“I am ready to begin the deep dive into this document, so that we can all ask our questions, we can all engage with the community — the entirety of this community, the diverse community that we live in — so that we can all then set the course for Montgomery County’s future,” said Council Vice President Evan Glass (D-At Large).

But most legislators also expressed support for passing Thrive during the current council session, rather than letting it slide past the 2022 election.

“We don’t intend to extend this forever,” Council President Gabe Albornoz said Tuesday.

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Disasters can wipe out affordable housing forever unless communities plan ahead – that loss hurts the economy

BY SHANNON VAN ZANDT The Conversation

Courtesy of The Conversation / International Network of Street Papers.

The tornadoes and wildfires that devastated communities from Kentucky to Colorado in the final weeks of 2021 left thousands of people displaced or homeless. For many of them, it will be months if not years before their homes are rebuilt.

That’s especially hard on low-income residents.

The losses of hundreds of homes in towns across the Midwest and in Boulder County, Colorado, show two sides of the impact of disasters on affordable housing, resilience and recovery and illustrate why communities need to plan now to protect their most vulnerable residents as their towns recover.

In doing so, they also protect their economies.

Why low-income households face higher risks Middle- and low-income households tend to occupy the riskiest homes in communities for a few key reasons.

First, land values tend to be lower in areas that are risky or otherwise less desirable, such as low-lying areas that are known to flood, near toxic facilities or in outlying areas that fail to enforce codes designed to protect homes. The housing that gets built there tends to be more affordable.

Second, as communities grow, older homes become more affordable through a process called “filtering,” where wealthier households move into newer housing, leaving older, more dilapidated homes available for lower-income households.

Older homes were often built under less stringent building codes and typically are less-well maintained, which can make them more physically vulnerable.

Third, durable patterns of historical segregation and ongoing discrimination in real estate and lending can compound these problems by limiting Black and Hispanic families’ ability to afford lower-risk neighborhoods.

Research has shown consistently that lower-income households are not only more likely to suffer damage in a natural disaster, but they are more likely to take much longer – two to three times longer – to recover.

Poverty and other household characteristics, such as being headed by a single mother, having racial or ethnic minority status, low levels of education, a disability, or renting rather than owning one’s home, define what researchers call “social vulnerability.”

The location and quality of housing, combined with the vulnerability of residents, means that those most affected by disasters are often those least able to recover from them.

How slow recovery affects the entire community Communities need to understand that slow recovery for vulnerable households can slow the recovery of the overall community.

Researchers have found that housing recovery is strongly linked to business recovery. Workers need housing so they can return to work, and businesses need workers so they can resume operations.

Rockport, Texas, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall in 2017, offers a cautionary tale. A year after the hurricane, hotels

Photo courtesy of John Middlekoop// Unsplash.com

and restaurants – even those that were part of national chains – struggled to reopen for Rockport’s critical tourist season due to the loss of affordable housing for workers. Many of those workers had relocated to San Antonio, two and a half hours away.

Why homes can’t be replaced for the same price Housing recovery typically gets left to the market. For homeowning households with good insurance, the market works reasonably well. But for lower-income households, including renters, it can be difficult to return to their homes or even their original neighborhoods.

In depressed markets with low-value homes, like many of those impacted by the December tornadoes in Kentucky and the Midwest, replacement values are not enough to rebuild equivalent housing. Home values in these areas may average under US$100,000. It is nearly impossible to build a home for that today.

Hot markets like Boulder County, Colorado, face a different challenge. Rebuilding in those markets allows developers and speculators to take advantage of redevelopment opportunities.

Research suggests that affordable housing will almost always be replaced by more expensive housing targeted to a wealthier demographic. And for low-income residents who rent and lose their homes to disasters, there is little chance that they will be able to return to their original development. Little is known about where they end up.

Safety nets exist but are inadequate Short-term assistance from FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program helps displaced households find temporary housing and make repairs to homes that qualify. Assistance can also come from Community Development Block Grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, but these

funds take months and even years to arrive, and spending plans submitted by states often misdirect funds and have almost no oversight.

What can be done?

What then, can be done to ensure vulnerable residents can rebuild and return? A few communities have tried new ideas.

La Grange, Texas, which flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is experimenting with community land trusts. These involve cooperative ownership of land coupled with individual ownership of units. Residents must occupy the unit for a prescribed period of time and gain only a small percentage of increases in land value, with the rest going to the co-op. This approach allows residents to pool resources for land purchases and maintains affordability over time.

Boulder County relaxed its rental rules to help displaced residents find temporary homes after the fire.

Monitoring recovery funds closely is also important to ensure they help those most in need. Following the 2008 Hurricanes Ike and Dolly, the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service, now called Texas Housers, sued the State of Texas, claiming the state recovery plan failed to address the needs of the most vulnerable Texans. The resulting agreement brought an additional $3 billion in aid, and ongoing monitoring of funding has ensured it helped rebuild hundreds of homes for low-income families.

Nearly every community in the United States is increasingly vulnerable to some kind of natural disaster due to climate change. A Washington Post analysis of federal disaster declarations found that 40 per cent of Americans lived in counties that were hit with extreme climate-related weather in 2021 alone.

Planning disaster recovery to ensure that the most vulnerable members of communities can return will result in greater resilience and community vitality.

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NEWS

How lack of Medicaid expansion fuels rural poverty in the Deep South

BY APRIL SIMPSON The Center for Public Integrity

This article was originally published by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit investigative news organization based in Washington, D.C.

Jabriel Muhammad pays up to $40 when he sees a doctor at the community health center in Jefferson County in rural southwestern Mississippi, and he goes to the center only when he is really ill. But there’s another price to pay for not having health insurance. In October, he was hit with a $1,394 hospital bill for an MRI scan to diagnose why he wasn’t breathing properly.

“We’re poor folks trying to make it as best we can,” said Muhammad, a 40-year-old self-employed carpenter and plumber. “If I make $10,000 with the work that I do in a year, that’s a nice feeling to me.”

In Mississippi, the poorest and blackest state in the U.S., single adults without children like Muhammad are not eligible for public health insurance, regardless of how little they earn each year. If he lived 30 miles west in Louisiana, across the Mississippi River, he could afford to see a doctor more often.

Louisiana is the only Deep South state that expanded Medicaid under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which extended health care access for the working poor. Like Muhammad, most of the 2 million people in the U.S. without expanded coverage live in eight states in the South, where the legacy of slavery continues to shape healthcare policies, efforts to alleviate poverty and the life circumstances for Black people.

In Mississippi, 78% of the people who would become eligible for health insurance with Medicaid expansion are like Muhammad — poor adults without children.

“The denial of Medicaid coverage is scandalous,” said Don Simonton, a retired professor from Alcorn State University, a historically Black college in Mississippi. “It is so typical of the power structure of the South from slave days forward: ‘If you’re poor, you better make some money if you don’t want to die.’”

Advocates such as the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank that supports policies to reduce poverty and inequality, say: “Many of the states that have refused expansion have a long history of policy decisions based on racist views of who deserves to get health care services.”

The pandemic and the racial justice uprising following the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd last year focused the nation’s attention on health care disparities among people of color that states have allowed to fester, even as the pandemic punctuated how those disparities can be deadly.

That’s especially true in rural Black communities that lack adequate access to basic preventive health care services to treat chronic diseases. Many uninsured people avoid doctor’s visits until it’s a life-or-death scenario.

Medicaid expansion was designed to reduce racial and geographic inequities in health insurance coverage. The expansion also sought to create a national standard; however, that didn’t happen because, as in the past, some states refused to participate.

Jefferson County, once the home of thriving plantations, sits just downstream and across the Mississippi River from Madison Parish, Louisiana. Both places are named for former presidents and slave owners and are among the poorest and blackest in the country. But in Madison access to health insurance for the working poor has cut the amount of unpaid care costs from insurers and patients. This demonstrates how access to health care can change lives and reduce longstanding racial disparities.

Prior to the Affordable Care Act, more than 20% of adults younger than 65 in both counties were uninsured. Then their paths diverged. In Madison Parish, the uninsured adult population has plunged 8 percentage points since 2015, while Jefferson County stayed the same.

Medicaid expansion has extended a lifeline to some rural hospitals that have faced closures across the country. Since the major Affordable Care Act Provisions took hold in 2014, charity care and bad debt, which pose a major financial burden to hospitals, have fallen among all hospitals. (Many states pick up some of the costs, burdening state budgets.)

However, the most significant declines were in Medicaid expansion states whose costs are less than half of the costs in non-expansion states. In Louisiana, hospitals spent 8.9% of their operating expenses on debt resulting from the costs of unpaid care in 2016. But that figure declined to 5.5% in 2020.

In Mississippi, however, the same debt has hovered above 7% during the same four-year period, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Still, beyond shoring up some rural hospitals and improving health care access, these communities face an uphill battle due to years of neglect. The pandemic has exacerbated existing problems. Unemployment is up. Fewer people are seeking primary care and treating underlying medical conditions.

Amid these challenges, there’s a deep bent toward selfreliance. By following public health guidelines, Jefferson County has done something Mississippi won’t — become the most vaccinated county in one of the least vaccinated states.

The modern-day slavery Jefferson County, where Muhammad was born and raised, was once one of Mississippi’s wealthiest counties controlled by few white families until the end of slavery and the Civil War set it on a path to becoming among the nation’s poorest today.

About 38% of residents live below the poverty line. Nearly 70% are on some form of government assistance. The median household income is $20,000 below the state’s.

In September, Mississippi’s state economist released a report showing that Medicaid expansion would add 11,300 jobs between 2022 and 2027, significantly reduce hospital costs for unpaid care and pay for itself for at least a decade. Governor Tate Reeves insists, nevertheless, that opting in would be bad medicine. “I firmly believe that it is not good public policy to place 300,000 additional Mississippians on governmentfunded health care,” Reeves, a Republican, wrote last year in his budget recommendation.

Living in a Medicaid expansion state is a protective factor for rural hospitals that have faced closures across the country.

The hospitals in Jefferson County and Madison Parish are the nuclei of their communities. But the Jefferson County Hospital & Behavioral Health Unit has been limping along for years, in part because it’s being reimbursed at a rate that’s too low to cover its costs.

The jobs that would bubble up if Mississippi were to expand Medicaid could benefit Jefferson County, whose unemployment rate of 18.4% last year was the fourth-highest in the country.

Highway 61, the "Blues Highway," runs up and down western Mississippi and through Jefferson County. Lined with thick timber and comfortable homes, it's bypassed the county seat for decades.

Without the highway traffic, Fayette, like much of the

county, feels apart. Main Street is a mix of empty storefronts, low-income housing, single-family homes, a bank, government buildings and a sprinkling of notable businesses, like a Muslim theatre and bakery. Around the corner, dozens of narrow, rusty trailers look like squeezed accordions.

Locals say that the only grocery store sells rotten produce.

The next nearest option is 30 minutes away. “You can’t get to Natchez and so you end up buying brown meat and fruit that lasts for two days,” Pastor Tracy “Rev” Collins said.

Like Muhammad, a member of The New Nation of Islam, many here create work for themselves because there aren’t enough well-paying jobs outside of the school system, healthcare and government. The state has graded the school district an F. And people with four-year college degrees have trouble finding a job.

“I call it the modern-day slavery,” Alford Perryman, a local health insurance salesman said on a recent morning. He sat at a tall table at 61 One Stop, a gas station and community gathering space in Fayette owned by Janell Edwards and her husband. “It’s the new way to keep us from progressively moving forward at a faster pace than they are.”

Edwards hummed in agreement. “It is a big conundrum of obstacles that really comes from the same source.”

“Four hundred years,” Perryman said. “Four hundred years,” Edwards replied, “of how we came to this country and then the mentalities that were birthed out of that.”

Federalism, racial inequality and medicaid The Medicaid program was birthed in 1965, a critical year for healthcare in America and also for civil rights. The seeds of the safety net program were in civil rights legislation that sought to advance economic, legal and political rights of Black people and President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society, a massive social reform initiative that sought to end poverty, among other things.

Healthcare was a critical part of combating poverty.

Initially, the government had considered a federally run national healthcare program to serve vulnerable populations.

But Southern politicians, who opposed civil rights legislation, shaped federal health policy. Administering Medicaid as a staterun program promised to temper their resistance to what they considered federal overreach. Medicaid has been hamstrung ever since.

During the same year in Natchez, next door to Jefferson County, the local NAACP president started his car one day and it exploded. The city’s African-American community boycotted white-owned businesses in protest and made several demands of local officials. Months later, the city surrendered.

Charles Evers came to southwest Mississippi to lead the Natchez protests. Evers had succeeded his brother, Medgar, as head of the state NAACP after a white supremacist assassinated Medgar in his driveway. Weeks before Evers arrived, a suspected Klansman shot and killed a disabled Black man on Main Street in Fayette.

When Medicaid was created, it met little fanfare because a similar, prior program had done little to address healthcare disparities, according to Jamila Michener, co-director of the Cornell Center for Health Equity at Cornell University.

“Even while recognizing the path-breaking value of Medicaid, we must concede that it has taken constant political struggle to keep the program alive,” Michener writes in her book, “Fragmented Democracy: Medicaid, Federalism and Unequal Politics.” “The political compromises spawned by that struggle have paved the way for geographic inequities.”

The Medicaid program, which matches federal dollars to state money to provide health care to the most vulnerable, is of special benefit to Mississippi. For many states, the match is roughly dollar for dollar. For every $1 Mississippi spends on Medicaid, the federal government spends $5.46, more than any other state.

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Photo courtesy of National Cancer Institute // Unsplash.com

Federal law mandates that states cover certain qualified, low-income groups such as families, people with disabilities, seniors, pregnant people and children. But the state ultimately decides who else is eligible, often by using a specific percentage of the official federal poverty level as a requirement.

A 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision gave the states the option to decline to expand eligibility and the decision fell largely along partisan lines. That left what came to be called a coverage gap where some people were too poor to qualify for the health insurance subsidies the Affordable Care Act made available, but not poor enough to be covered by Medicaid under state guidelines.

The ACA provides subsidies to people whose incomes are between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. States that expand Medicaid cover adults with incomes up to 138% of poverty, or $30,305 for a family of three in 2021.

The American Rescue Plan Act President Joe Biden signed in March 2021 also temporarily expands the subsidies and extends them to people with incomes above 400% of poverty through next year. Mississippi is among the eight southern states, 12 in all, that continue to refuse to expand this healthcare service.

In 2016, Louisiana’s newly elected Democratic governor opted in by executive order, and since then Medicaid coverage of the adult population has increased by nearly 40%. Not so in Mississippi and the southern states that stayed out, where the proportion of the adult Medicaid population has not improved or even declined. For now, parents in Mississippi must earn less than $5,712 annually for a family of three to qualify.

"There's nothing inherently more deserving about the people in Louisiana,” Michener told Public Integrity. “We can say, 'well it's Mississippi's choice.' I think we always have to balance that logic, which is historically grounded in racism, frankly and white supremacy. I think we always have to challenge that logic and hold it up to the other things we value."

Everything ‘revolves around the hospital’ In Madison Parish, 46-year-old Alvin Brown risked crushing medical debt earlier this year when he found himself in the emergency room. The Medicaid program saved him from paying a whopping $9,000 hospital bill.

Brown’s ordeal began the last full week of May. "All of a sudden, I just felt bad," Brown said. His back hurt and it was painful to urinate. The next day, he visited the emergency room at Madison Parish Hospital. That’s when a doctor told Brown he was passing a kidney stone and prescribed him medication.

But two days passed and Brown was still feeling lousy. He wanted a second opinion so he tried to make an appointment with his primary care doctor located in another parish. Brown didn’t get to see his doctor. Instead medical staff at the

emergency room in Richland Parish referred him to a kidney specialist. St. Francis Medical Center even further west in the city of Monroe, nearly an hour away from where he lives, admitted him.

“That was my first time ever being in the hospital,” he said about the week-long hospital stay. “I never had no [health] issues or nothing.”

It so happens that Brown was dehydrated. As a result, his kidneys began to malfunction. "It was kind of scary," said Brown, a father of a 15-year-old boy. "I don't want to be on no dialysis. It was just that I had a bad kidney."

He learned his accidental insurance, which is supplemental, had expired. A hospital employee asked if he was interested in enrolling in Medicaid, which he didn’t know he qualified for. The coverage kicked in just in time to pay $7,000 of his $9,000 hospital bill. It would have been "rough" to pay off the debt without it, he admitted.

Brown, who stocks liquor and wine for retail outlets, has a $28,000 annual household income for a family of three.

That puts him just under the threshold of earning 138% of the federal poverty level to qualify for Medicaid coverage. "You never know what life throws at you so always be prepared," he said. That debt could have turned into care the hospital wasn’t paid for.

Since Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016, uncompensated care costs dropped 55% among the state’s rural hospitals, according to a study in the March 2021 issue of Health Affairs.

“In this one dimension, compared to hospitals in non-expansion states, hospitals in Louisiana appear to be much better off after Medicaid expansion,” said lead author, Tulane University Professor Kevin Callison.

Hospitals that serve large numbers of low-income patients like Brown receive Disproportionate Share Payments, federal funds with a state match that help to offset unpaid patient or insurer costs. These payments are a larger proportion of Louisiana's Medicaid budget relative to most states. “If they did away with the supplemental payments, eventually a place like this would close,” said Madison Parish Hospital CEO Ted Topolewski.

Sitting in his basement office, Topolewski rattles off the hospital’s ailments: a shot roof, fire partitions that don't meet code, asbestos in electrical cabinets. In Madison Parish, local and hospital leaders are building a new facility that they hope will mean people won’t have to travel 20 or 30 miles to specialty clinics that treat conditions like diabetes or cancer.

Some residents question whether the new hospital can draw qualified providers given the parish, rolling flat land dotted with farms, lacks jobs and recreational activities. They would have preferred local leaders to prioritize investments in clean water before a new hospital. Residents like Latrice Dismuke, a 41-year-old native of Tallulah, the Madison Parish seat, says that there are times when she runs water to take a bath, and “you're looking at water that looks like tea.”

Back in Mississippi, Jefferson County Hospital & Behavioral Health Unit has been limping along for years, in part because it’s being reimbursed at a rate that’s too low to cover its costs.

But it’s also been mired in leadership turnover, according to county leaders. Hospital and county leaders say it’s faced high labor costs, few specialists and a lack of equipment that can delay access to emergency care. All this on top of declining

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reimbursements, and therefore, increasing costs.

Medicaid expansion would help more people receive preventative healthcare services, so that they could manage their chronic conditions and avoid emergency room visits, said Mike Harrell, interim hospital administrator.

“Our hospital had been for a long time one of the biggest concerns in the community,” said Anthony “Bruce” Walton, president of the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors.

“Because if we lost our hospital, then it’s like a trickle-down effect. We can’t have our prison, our schools. Everything that we have in our small community pretty much revolves around the hospital.”

A future we can control Charles Evers became mayor of Fayette in 1969. His tenure drew some industry to Jefferson County and helped launch the local community health center, among the pioneers in the movement to provide free and low-cost healthcare to indigent populations. (It was initially named for Medgar.)

Evers’ tenure, though — four nonconsecutive terms through 1989 — coincided with white flight.

“Jefferson County still suffers a bit from that, not because it doesn’t have white people, they’re not actually necessary, but because they took with them their backgrounds and their skill sets and their wealth,” said Simonton, the retired Alcorn State University professor.

At any time of day, locals cycle in and out of 61 One Stop, the part-convenience store, part-town square along Highway 61 in southwest Mississippi. “We’re not successful because we don’t have the tenacity or the determination,” Perryman said.

“We’re not successful because we don’t have people in place that are vouching for us.”

Locals dutifully wear masks when outside pumping gas or inside local businesses. Eight miles north of Fayette, Arthur Davis, owner of the Old Country Store in Lorman, tells patrons to wash their hands as soon as they come in. Davis says selfprotection measures like the vaccine and mask mandates work here because Black folks are the majority and in power.

“We’re not stuck with that stupid stuff,” said Davis, 74.

Davis, though, waves off notions that Jefferson County lacks local or state power. His signature fried chicken draws a largely white clientele and a loyal Black following. Pressing beyond symbols of white supremacy, he sells Confederate flag head scarves for a $22.95 profit because "we can use this as a tool."

Through their work building up Main Street in Fayette, the New Nation of Islam, a Black nationalist group that advocates for self-empowerment, is taking a different, albeit autonomous approach. This tight-knit community supports projects like a K-12 school tucked away on a windy two-lane road in an unincorporated area known as Red Lick. Muhammad, a Muslim whose friends call him brother, is working on his biggest carpentry project to date — a furniture store in the old cleaners building on Main Street in Fayette.

“The best future that you have is the one that you can control,” said the community’s spiritual leader, whose followers call him Son of Man. He envisions Main Street as a “beautiful, thriving Black community that will be a model for our people, all over the earth.”

Muhammad and other community members say the redevelopment work is possible because they make charitable contributions to Son of Man. The members of the group live and work cooperatively. That means Son of Man is helping Muhammad pay off his hospital bill — and filling a healthcare gap left by the state of Mississippi.

When it comes to healthcare access or affordability, Son of Man says, “Whatever my followers need, they get.”

Muhammad is grateful, and is paying off the $1,394 bill bit by bit. “It hurts my pocket a little because that's a good little piece of change for somebody who doesn’t make money every day.”

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NEWS

Here's what members of the D.C. Council think the city's $900 million in unallocated money should go toward

BY ANNEMARIE CUCCIA Staff Reporter, Street Sense Media & The DC LIne

This article was co-published with The DC Line.

D.C. has hundreds of millions of dollars in unallocated money, and legislators are hoping to convince Mayor Muriel Bowser how to best spend it.

The District had a budget surplus of $566 million during fiscal year 2021, which ended Sept. 30. D.C. officials also expect to receive an additional $357.8 million in unanticipated revenue in the current fiscal year, which adds up to $923.8 million the city could allocate to one-time funding, according to Jen Budoff, the council’s budget director.

Separately, the District also has an estimated $340 million in new recurring revenue that could be used to fund new programs annually.

While the city’s budget process means that none of this money, which came from a combination of unexpected revenue and underspending, can be spent until May at the earliest, the debate over what to do with it has already begun.

Councilmembers voted unanimously on Feb. 15 on a resolution calling on Mayor Murial Bowser to spend some of the excess funds on a variety of different programs.

While the resolution — drafted by at-large Councilmember Elissa Silverman with input from other legislators — does not include any specific numbers, it calls for added funding for the following initiatives: emergency rental assistance, COVID-19 safety in schools, violence prevention, youth programming, and expanded pandemic leave for District employees. Meanwhile, multiple organizations are asking D.C. officials to make eviction prevention their top priority for the available funds.

“What we are achieving with this resolution is to identify consensus funding priorities focusing on our urgent needs,” Silverman said while introducing the resolution on Feb. 15.

“This matters because in a time like this with so much going on, our most important conversations can get overshadowed by the crisis du jour, and we lose sight of the big picture.”

If the council and mayor do nothing, D.C. law stipulates that last year’s $566 million surplus will be split equally between the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF), used to build affordable housing, and the Pay-As-You-Go Capital Account, which funds capital projects in the District as a mechanism to reduce borrowing costs. The other $357 million in onetime revenue and $340 million in recurring revenue could be handled during the normal budget process. Alternatively, the mayor and council could choose to allocate any or all of the $923.8 million elsewhere by amending current law and expediting the process of amending this year’s budget.

Support for eviction prevention

The first priority listed in the council’s resolution is also the leading demand from 38 community organizations: Use the money to prevent evictions. As the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI) wrote in a letter in late January to Bowser and the council, over 40,000 families are at risk of being evicted for non-payment of rent now that the eviction moratorium is lifted.

In a Feb. 8 council administrative meeting, legislators shared their budget priorities. At least nine members supported adding up to $187 million to boost the Emergency Rental Assistance

Photo by Cytonn Photography//Unsplash.com

Program to help pay unpaid rental and utility payments. This proposal could also fund the STAY D.C. program, which awarded rent and utility assistance to about 80,000 residents.

The DCFPI coalition — which includes groups such as Bread for the City and Coalition for the Homeless — is also calling for an extension for the 350 families enrolled in the District’s rapid rehousing program. RRH is a program that serves families and single adults experiencing homelessness by providing housing subsidies that last for up to one year with the possibility of a six-month extension. The city extended the subsidies during the pandemic and terminations are currently set to resume in March, which could plunge many families participating in the program into homelessness.

DCFPI also urged the council and mayor to extend rapid rehousing subsidies further so that families can stay in their units longer or move into other guaranteed housing through September. Proponents say they don’t have an estimate as to how much this would cost.

Timing is a key element of the proposals. Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George and the DCFPI-led coalition made similar demands — that the city allocate the money as soon as possible rather than wait for the usual budget process that will culminate with D.C. Council votes in May and June. The government could do this by drawing on its reserves and then essentially paying back the money during the normal budget process, according to DCFPI. This route could be taken not just for housing, but for any surplus money the city desires to spend.

“If we move forward while ignoring the thousands of Black and brown residents who are still out of work, out of cash, and out of emotional energy to keep pushing boulders up a hill every day, we will be creating a perfect storm of housing

instability that exacerbates displacement, homelessness, and crime,” Lewis George said at the vote.

Councilmembers also discussed the merits of boosting other programs that help prevent homelessness. Ward 1’s Brianne Nadeau and Ward 2’s Brooke Pinto suggested using some of the money for permanent supportive housing (PSH) vouchers.

Though the program itself needs to be funded with recurring dollars each year, Nadeau proposed spreading available funds across several years to fund 500 new PSH units for individuals and an unspecified number of new PSH and Local Rent Subsidy Program units for families and returning citizens.

This year the council has already provided money for an unprecedented number of vouchers, with about one-third used so far, according to Pinto. With this in mind, Pinto suggested using part of the unallocated funds to speed up the process for matching people with permanent supportive housing vouchers.

Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White also spoke in favor of funding emergency rental assistance and permanent supportive housing, and at least two council members are interested in spending money to help condominium owners who are facing foreclosure.

What about the Housing Production Trust Fund?

Before deciding where the money should go, councilmembers and the mayor also need to determine how much they are willing to spend — that is, how much should go to the HPTF and PAYGO funds, the two beneficiaries under existing D.C. law. The proposal from DCFPI suggests shifting the PAYGO money to other projects and leaving the half designated for the HPTF. At a Feb. 3 hearing, Silverman questioned that idea,

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given that the HPTF ended FY 2021 with $266 million that was not dedicated to specific projects.

In response, City Administrator Kevin Donahue said that number is misleading. With both the money left in the fund and the additional $283 million from this year’s surplus, the HPTF would have just enough to fund all the projects currently in the queue for funding, he told councilmembers.

Public safety and violence prevention

Aside from eviction prevention, the most-discussed priority at the administrative meeting was public safety, given the recent increase in homicides and gun violence in D.C. Though the resolution seeks funding for “measures designed to prevent violence and improve public safety,” it’s unclear what these measures would be, as councilmembers are divided over how to best make those improvements.

One option is to increase funding to the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation to provide additional recreation center hours and camps for young people over the summer — an idea backed by Silverman, Trayon White and at-large member Christina Henderson. There’s also wide support on the council for funding after-school youth programs and D.C.’s Summer Youth Employment Program, according to Silverman. Multiple studies show working or attending a program over the summer helps prevent gun violence among young people.

Given that youth violence is already such a problem this winter, while kids are distracted by school, “we’re gonna have a problem this summer,” Henderson said.

Another option, championed by Trayon White and supported

by Lewis George, is increasing funding for violence interrupters, who deescalate conflict in neighborhoods that historically have experienced high rates of gun violence. The District has programs run by the mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and by the Office of the Attorney General Other proposals to improve public safety included Henderson’s push to bolster funding for the justice grant program — which supports rehabilitation and prevention initiatives — and Ward 3 member Mary Cheh’s call to increase funding for the Metropolitan Police Department. The mayor has said she intends to propose funding 4,000 officers in her budget proposal; the number of officers currently stands at 3,500.

Addressing COVID-19 and education

Two weeks ago, Silverman released a first draft of the resolution that would have urged the mayor to spend money on COVID-19 mitigation in schools, a focus that remained in the final version.

According to Silverman, money could be used for surgical masks for public school students and staff and to upgrade ventilation and HVAC systems in public schools, jails, and other government-owned buildings to reduce the risk of COVID-19. Other council members wanted to expand school mental health services. Finally, the city could use part of the surplus to fund COVID tests for students too young to be vaccinated.

“We are hearing from teachers, principals, parents saying to us every single day that there are real mental health needs and public health needs in our schools,” Councilmember Robert White said at the vote. “When we have this one-time funding, let us make the investments necessary to address these so the effects don’t linger for a long time.”

Other proposals in this area centered around pay inequities.

Bowser’s decision to raise pay for substitute teachers has given rise to a new disparity between substitutes and permanent

Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya //Unsplash.com

support staff such as teacher aides, according to Henderson, who endorsed a bonus for those workers.

While Council Chairman Phil Mendelson hasn’t taken a lead on the use of the surplus, he released a statement supporting using some of the surplus to aid schools. Nadeau has also expressed support for increased funding to schools.

Helping workers and small businesses

The council also discussed using the surplus in various ways to bolster the economy and provide relief to city workers.

One such proposal from Silverman would improve COVID leave for D.C. government employees, the final suggestion included in the council’s list of official priorities. This would allow D.C. government employees to take paid leave to care for a family member who is sick.

Another suggestion from Pinto was to direct some of the unallocated funding to provide relief to undocumented immigrants and informal workers, most of whom were excluded in COVID relief bills. But she did not provide any specifics as to how this would work, and it didn’t make it into the approved resolution.

Another proposal popular among the councilmembers is providing one-time funds for small businesses that were hit hard by the pandemic. Nadeau, meanwhile, suggested using $18 million to expand the new Strong Families, Strong Futures program to wards 1 and 4. This initiative — currently operating as a pilot in wards 7 and 8 — provides direct cash assistance to new mothers. And Councilmember Charles Allen suggested part of the surplus could be used to implement the planned 2023 increase in D.C.’s earned income tax credit ahead of schedule.

None of these suggestions were included in the resolution, though they could resurface in future budget deliberations.

Making racial equity a priority

Both Trayon White and Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie responded to Silverman’s initial list of proposed spending priorities with disappointment because they said racial equity was not a clear priority. McDuffie suggested one such effort could seek to introduce police into communities of color in positive ways.

Meanwhile, the Council Office on Racial Equity (CORE) recently worked with research organization MITRE to prepare

a study on D.C.’s Black-white racial wealth gap, finding the median white family in the District has a net worth 81 times the median Black family.

Though CORE is not allowed to provide specific recommendations on proposals, director Brian McClure said key priorities for his office include investments in education, employment for Black residents, affordable housing, and Black businesses. McClure also noted that the District has implemented “promising” policies such as the Baby Bonds Bill, which provides annual payments of $1,000 to low-income D.C. kids, and the Strong Families program.

“Ensuring that the community is at the center of whatever those decisions are” is another suggestion from McClure, who hopes to see more residents who are directly affected by the budget brought into the process.

Possible infrastructure investments

In addition to these categories, some councilmembers proposed using the money for infrastructure projects. Notable proposals included renovations at the University of the District of Columbia, suggested by Mendelson, and conversion of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s fleet of buses from diesel to electric. Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray included several PAYGO projects, and Councilmember Anita Bonds suggested some of the money be used for mold inspections and removal in public housing.

What comes next?

Bowser will need to send a supplemental budget to the council for a vote before the city can allocate funding to any proposed projects. If there is only one supplemental budget proposal, it will be sent to the council along with the mayor’s proposed budget for the next year, which is due by March 16.

Council votes would come in May and June.

If there are two supplemental budgets, as there were last year, they still have to be initiated by the mayor. Bowser’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

With months to go in the process and a budget far from being finalized, residents have time to provide feedback to Bowser and the council on what they’d like to see included and join in the debate themselves.

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OPINION

Our kids need social and emotional learning opportunities

BY MICHELE ROCHON Artist/Vendor

I believe local school districts should seek ways to engage students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade with activities that provide in-person participation. As a grandmother and a former educator, I know that young persons have to be emotionally, socially, and mentally balanced, not just in academics, but in communication styles. As the United States conducts business pursuits in a global society, communication and body language play a significant role in cultivating healthy relationships, formally and informally, both in your own culture or with other ethnic groups.

I want my grandchildren to be intellectually intelligent, but I also want them to be socially and emotionally mature.

Several key components to children’s education were lost during the academic year 2020-2021 as a result of virtual learning. These include lessons about how to share classroom supplies with other classmates (such as scissors, crayons, paper, flashcards, games, videos, books, toys, and other ageappropriate supplies); how to wait your turn to ask a question or answer a question; and how to stand in a straight line. Also lost were gym classes and other recreational and after-school activities, such as soccer, tennis, swimming, football, and chess, just to name a few.

Braided and blended government funding could provide money to offer summer and after-school programs in 2022 that would support such in-person activities. These after-school programs could be supported with digital-learning activities as necessary. And to address food deprivation and hunger in low-income wards, organizations like Capital Area Food Bank

Photo by Neon Brand // Unsplash.com

and Feeding America could provide meals that low-income children sometimes miss when schools are closed or during the weekend.

Children who are well-rounded academically and socially will provide for our future human talent. They will be well-

prepared, mentally stable adults who may become future leaders.

Human or animal?

BY DONTÉ TURNER Artist/Vendor

At the beginning of 2022, things changed for the worse for the homeless. There are now fewer places for us to go.

One organization has closed some places to get out of the cold and take care of our personal needs, all because one of their staff members caught the coronavirus. Every time there’s an incident, leaders of certain organizations make it harder for the homeless to maintain their living environment.

Instead of making stricter rules for homeless people, there should be an expectation of respectful behavior from both the staff and clients. When the homeless make mistakes or wrong choices, we have to suffer the consequences, but staff face no consequence for their actions. Why is it that every time I turn around, help is harder for us to find? Staff at these service providers say that they’re here for us, but the truth is they are just watching out for themselves.

As the weather and times change, so do the rules.

Why are people putting their frustrations and troubles on us when they can’t handle certain situations? It’s not fair. If no one stands up for us, then who will?

We go through problems on a daily basis and don’t need more. We have to find showers, laundry, drop-ins, places to sleep during the day, or just find help in general.

People take jobs helping the homeless, but hardly want to do them because of the frustration that comes with it. Before signing up for the job, you are supposed to understand that you will encounter people with all types of mental issues and dangerous, upsetting situations. You are supposed to be prepared to handle situations like these, but they escalate the problem.

So many scams, so many promises. What does it mean if there is no result for the better and not for the worse? Who’s fighting for us, besides the Lord and the minority of the upperclassmen and upperclasswomen who actually care?

Even public places, like grocery stores, libraries, and restaurants, are coming up with stricter rules to force out people of less fortunate environments from these spaces, even though a lot of us pay to use their services. For instance, some grocery stores have stopped us from using food stamp cards. They say the EBT system in their store is down (6 months in one of them and 11 months in another) and we can only use cash, debit or credit, but the same franchise or corporation in a different store location accepts them. If one of the stores' EBT system is down, shouldn't all or most, even half of the same stores, be shut down?!

Quite interesting how that seems a little bit strange. Wouldn’t you agree?

They even shut off the power of the outlets so we can’t charge our phones or use our laptops to handle whatever business is necessary for us to handle. These days an email, phone and even a tablet is important. So why can’t we use public services like the people with suits and uniforms without being judged by how we look? We pay taxes just like everyone else.

When are people going to start opening up doors instead of closing them? When are there going to be cleaner and better shelters? When are there going to be more programs with people who actually care about your well-being, like Miriam’s Kitchen? When will we get better services and within a timely manner? We need help because we are running out of options.

We need more help rather than less.

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From The Mitten to Maryland part IV

CORTNEY R. SIGNOR Artist/Vendor

During my last week in D.C., I had to leave my spot in my shelter for missing my curfew. As a result, I began staying in a vacated apartment that a young gentlemen found for me.

However, shortly after moving into it, the man started to act weird. As soon as he left for work, I grabbed my bags, left some things behind and headed for the train station.

There was a nasty snowstorm the morning I left, and the buses were shut down and I didn’t know where to go. So I asked a man I didn't know for directions. We walked for two hours and I couldn't go any longer. My shoes had holes in them and they were soaked. My gloves and my coat were also wet.

I couldn't feel my toes, my face or my feet. I stopped at a local grocery store to blow dry my socks and a woman called the cops on me. I sure hope she's never in a bind, I forgive her.

At this moment, I sent a direct prayer to my father in heaven that I needed help.

Traffic around the White House sent us on a detour for eight blocks when suddenly I stumbled upon a heat vent! Another homeless man standing by it allowed me to warm up on the vent by him.

I wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for that man

and I appreciate his willingness to reach out to me and let me thaw. Standing there, I asked the Lord what his plan was for me. Where was I supposed to go from here? My friend from the day center invited me to stay with her and her other half.

I prayed about this and my safety and went. The first day was nice, we stood outside and earned our dinner by asking the community for help as we had no food stamps and no cash.

Someone gave me a ticket back to Michigan. So I went to Union Station with it and came across multiple homeless people inside and outside the station trying to keep warm.

Security was kicking anyone who didn’t have tickets out of the station. I waited two hours for my bus to finally arrive and departed from D.C. to our first destination which was Baltimore. We got out and had a break. It was in the middle of a snow storm so things were being delayed, and I prayed not to get stuck in Baltimore. From there, a gentleman sat with me on the bus. There were many seats, but he chose to sit by me. He was a very kind man and we laughed and talked about the crazy life in the D.M.V. The snow caused many layovers, so I had to wait in Cleveland, Ohio for an hour, then we were off to Sandusky,

and then arrived in Toledo, Ohio. Originally I was going to have to go from Toledo, Ohio to Detroit, Michigan and then to Jackson, Michigan with four hours of layover time.

My mother and my kids met me when I arrived in Toledo and we went out for breakfast. It sure felt good to hold and hug my children. They couldn't wait to tell me about Christmas and the New Year. I heard all about all their presents, and their time with family and their father's visit as well. From here, my mom brought me to the place I was staying with a family member in the middle of the woods. I didn't have my home in Michigan anymore.

Things were not as easy as they were before back in Michigan. I am homeless staying with a family member, trying to keep my job which is difficult because I do not have a vehicle.

I also don't have my children which is the reason I left in the first place. I was trying to get reestablished in life. I wanted to get a job, get a place and provide for my family. Instead, I went from having a home, a vehicle, a dog and three kids to having nothing but a few pieces of clothing and some hygiene items.

This too shall pass

REDBOOK MANGO Artist/Vemdor

Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass He’s always there when you call, He’s bingo, when they drop the last ball, He’s Amen when you close a prayer, He’s here right now, he’s always there, God is our friend, but he should be our bestie, When I walk through the world, I pray he don’t test me, The things I see rekindle memories, Holding onto faith, realizing destiny, The pain you feel may wither away, But the testimony I give is the reason I say, GOD is GOOD, but this trail won’t last, I gave it to him so, THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

ANGIE WHITEHURST Artist/Vendor

Dear Street Sense Media

BY WARREN STEVENS Artist/Vendor

Happy New Year to all of you. We enjoyed the Christmas holiday and the children enjoyed opening their gifts. God blessed us with a good meal every year. I had Christmas dinner at my sister’s and her boyfriend’s house. The house was decorated beautifully. My son and his family had Christmas at home. They are doing fine.

On Nov. 9, I took my 21-speed bike to a bike shop to have air in both of my tires.

I tried my bike out and accidentally fell off the right side and broke my right arm.

Someone called 911 and I was rushed to the Holy Cross Hospital to get an X-ray and treatment. I had to go to physical therapy for about four months. Now God healed it and I can go back to normal. Valentine's Day is around the corner with all the sweethearts. Stay safe and wear your mask. I hope we’ll get through this together in 2022. Happy New Year.

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ART

Two characters: A fiction story

DANIEL BALL Artist/Vendor

First of all, these two characters don’t like each other, nor do they understand one another. Instead of listening to each other, they listen to other people who try to make them fight amongst themselves when they should be supporting civil rights.

So, I go by and ask them what they are

talking about. This is happening behind my house on Addison Road in Maryland.

Both of these guys are wearing black clothes and are speaking American English.

Finally, I interrupt them and say, “Thank you, Street Sense for this opportunity to write a story.”

The hard lives we live

REGGIE JONES Artist/Vendor

Life is hard, I can say. At 43 years old, I can see that life gets harder the longer you live and want to be here. But all I can say is that you should just hang in there, and keep on pushing for greater things, especially if you’re trying to live good in life. Eat good food and buy yourself things. Feel good about yourself and keep on pushing. There’s no limit to what you can achieve here. So take care, don’t worry, and be happy.

Sad to see Eric go, but welcome the new editor MARCUS GREEN Artist/Vendor

Eric has helped me and so has Thomas. So it has been a team effort. Without the editor you don’t have a paper. So it’s important that people acknowledge the brother Eric and his work at Street Sense. Actually, I thought he would never leave. I’m so thankful for his patience, humility, and for the time he spent working hard on people’s work. He surely is going to be a great asset to any organization that he goes to. He will always be family no matter what.

I will always miss him. I hope the new editor can carry on the legacy. Our regular customers can help us keep on pushing. My writing needs some work but I’m willing to do the work. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts on Eric and the love he has shared. God Bless.

Queen and We Love You a King All KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor

To understand, we come just as we are, Deep in love, we are beautiful, We are God’s gifts, She created all of us, one in the same, To know her is to love her, I know myself, That’s why I’m blessed, For her to talk to all of us, It’s like a silent window, Mother to daughter, Queen to queen.

KYM PARKER Artist/Vendor

It is truth that gets us started, It is the honesty and the kindness that you’ve shown, We should love you because God made you, You are one of his best creations, You are the only one, We need to honor you truthfully, For all the things that you’ve done, They hate because they don’t understand color.

We love you Black, white, and Asians, You fought for us at our side, The injustice that was given to you, Your pain, We never washed it clear, For us to say, We love you all.

Beautiful Love

BY DON L. GARDNER Artist/Vendor

Love so sweet So rich and complete Sounds like a melody No simple love can be For you and me Jesus is that love Contagious blight Hearts so right A masterpiece to behold Can’t be bought nor sold Pleasure of divine measure Travels through light A love after life Placed at the throne Blessed beyond time Adorn like a bride to be I’ll cherish that love That beautiful love

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My appreciation to my great customers EVELYN NNAM Artist/Vendor

Dear Customers, Thank you so much for all the support you have given Street Sense D.C. You are the reason we go, we move, we strive. Your support is so dear to us and I would just like to take this time to say a big thank you. Your generosity has helped many homeless to get better from where they started. Giving them this support helps them become better every day.

The blessing you give us will most certainly

come back your way, and there will be many blessings to you. You are very dear to our hearts and we thank you for all that you do.

You make us better when you buy our papers and you show that you care by contributing.

When you read our poems and what we write in the papers, you make us want to write more. I love coming out in the morning and seeing Steet Sense, seeing your faces makes me want to do it every day. Thank you so much again.

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Destructive habits to quit MARCUS MCCALL Artist/Vendor

Hey reader. This week I’m giving out some mental health pointers you might already know, but it’s good to have a little reminder.

• Don’t stay quiet: Not speaking your mind is disregarding your feelings as if they are not important. Say how you really feel instead of keeping it all inside.

• Find space for yourself: Keep distance from any source or interaction that you think would deplete your mood drastically.

• Be active: Living without exercise - without stretching, walking, or any sort of movement can make you feel sadder. Get outside or move for at least 10 minutes a day to be more connected with your body.

• Think for yourself: When you stop forming your own opinions about the world, you let other people control your life. Start caring about what is happening in your life and take care of yourself.

Take charge of your life. Speak your truth, believe in yourself, take care of yourself.

You are worthy of all things good! You deserve love even if you feel broken.

Only for a short time

JACQUELINE TURNER Artist/Vendor

I don’t think that the city council should give out metro cards for $100 a month to encourage people to ride public transportation because people who ride public transportation do so out of the fact that they have no other way. People who ride the bus don’t pay anyway in some areas and lowincome people only ride the bus when they are in a hurry. It’s for people who have no choice. If you can pay for car service or have a car which is what people would like, you don’t need the card for $100 each month.

And how much would this cost D.C. in a year’s time? Maybe they should concentrate on education and jobs.

The key to friendship

ROCHELLE WALKER Artist/Vendor

Friendship is how we connect with the world, our families, loved ones, our God, and Savior, the people who we enjoy working with, or the people around us, or in service with the community. What a pleasure it is to have friends. They truly are a blessing to have in our life. Friends you can share with. A smile and a warm heart can really unlock the door to friendship.

My earliest memory MICHELE ROCHON Artist/Vendor

I attended a now closed nursery school located on Carrollton Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. This was in 1965. My aunt Marie Louise Bailey who was 8 years older than me was a middle school student attending Harlem Park Middle School. We lived in the same house together. She would drop me off at nursery school and pick me up after she left for school every day. On a number of occasions we would also visit my great-grandfather who lived not far from us. He was a boarder and lived on the second floor of a duplex.

After nursery school, I attended Mary E. Rodman, School #4, which was a half day kindergarten program. My uncle, the late Melvin Bailey, would pick me up and together, we would walk back home from school. During this time, my mother was a fourth grade teacher.

My parents and I lived in an apartment in Edmondson Village. My father worked

for Bethlehem Steel as a full time union employee alongside my uncle Gregory Mears Bailey Sr. I also attended ballet classes every Saturday. This is what I recall. I also remember my grandmother, the late Myrtle Bailey. We were extremely close.

We were like best friends. These are some of my fondest memories from when I was about 4 years old.

1 4 // S T R E E T S E N S E M E D I A // F E B . 2 3 - M A R . 1, 2022

OnlineCrosswords.net This is the Daily Crossword Puzzle #2 for Jan 19, 2022

FUN &#2 Sudoku 4 2 6 GAMES 6 8 7

Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 1 7

Sudoku #7 4 2

3 1 Novice Sudoku Puzzles, Volume 1, Book 1

7 9 5 8 4 6

8

9 7 1 6 4 7 8 Sudoku 3 #4 1 8 9 7 6 8 4 9 8 6 8 94 3 2 4 1 763 32 85 56 76 28 27 9 3 1 3 94 8 18 7 5 7 4 2 9 1 7 8 3 6 9 32 1 5 9 4 7 8 7 9 1 6 3 2 4 4 1 5 9 7

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© 2013 KrazyDad.com

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each Sudoku #6 all of the digits 1 thru 9.

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3 9 4 8 6 7 5 really >> This crossword 4 8 6 7 9 3 5 2 3 5 9 1 2 8 4 7 6 7 6 2 4 3 5 1 9 8 4 8 7 9 1 6 2 3 5 2 3 5 8 4 7 6 1 9 9 1 6 2 5 3 7 8 4 1

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

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puzzle’s answers: tinyurl.com/SSMcross-02-23-2022

<< LAST EDITION’S PUZZLE SOLUTION

Down 63. King novel

64. Ill-gotten goods

1. Trickle 2. Tiny bit 3. Brat’s comeback

© ONLINECROSSWORDS.NET

1

1. Vertebral cushion 5. Finger painters' protection 5. Finger painters’ protection 11. Explosive sound 11. Explosive sound 14. Thundering sound 14. Thundering sound 15. Outcast 15. Outcast 16. Nuptial agreement 16. Nuptial agreement 17. Explanation of golf's 17.popularity Explanation(Part of golf’s popularity 1) (Part 1) 19. Stones' Wood 19.20.

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BeerBeer buyer, presumably buyer, presumably 38.38.

OneOne of Hi and Lois’ kids of Hi and Lois' kids 39.39.

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"Many a man in love with a dimple makes the mistake of marrying the whole girl."

-- Stephen Leacock

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Across Across

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Find the solution at https://onlinecrosswords.net/6500

4. Intersection 31. Monsoon occurrences 5. Accelerated 32. World’s fair 1.Long Trickle 41. Clarinet parts 22. Sarcastic 6.

March leader 33.response Sanction wrongdoing 2.

Tiny bit 43.

24.

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Brat's comeback With great intensity 8. Quote an authority 38. Type of bond44. or compound 25. Be obligated 4.

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57. Spotlight grabber 38. Type of bond or 18. Fit for the front 30. Option for the jet set 58. Kind of chest or paint

Down

page

compound 40. The whole kit and caboodle

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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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

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

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

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 Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar // 801 9th St NW

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

Cuba Libre is looking for a busser to work nights and weekends.

REQUIREMENTS: 6 months continuous work experience at one company.

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

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

// 1 5

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

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

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

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

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

Busser/Food Runner Brasserie Liberté // 3251 Prospect Street NW

Full-time / Part-time Brasserie Liberté is looking for bussers and food runners to support wait staff.

REQUIREMENTS: 1 year of restaurant experience (preferred)

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

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

Housekeeper Hyatt // 1201 24th St NW

Full-time Hyatt is looking for a housekeeper to maintain the cleanliness of the hotel.

REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to lift a moderate amount of weight.

APPLY: https://tinyurl.com/hyatt-housekeeper Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless 1200 U St., NW // 202-328-5500 legalclinic.org

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

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

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

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

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

Wonderouse Tho bad luck wives aguish.

Windos distort owr view-a-night.

Els viral byrdas fain caw.

BY FRANKLIN STERLING Artist/Vendor

Thank you for reading Street Sense!

From your vendor, FEB. 23 - MAR. 1, 2022 | VOLUME 19 ISSUE 14 NO CASH? NO PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN APP! SEARCH “STREET SENSE” IN THE APP STORE

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