Bowser Spreads the Wealth opens homeless shelters in each DC ward

[Anonymous]

While the reasons are all good on paper, I agree with everyone comparing it to the ems debacle. What you will end up with is eight shiny new fiefdoms who, given enough ropw, will probably all spend as much as DC general and then some. Having a centralized place like DC general funneling PERMANENT housing into all right wards would be smart. Splintering your case records so that eight different fiefs are calling hotels in Maryland to place homeless families is just going to be inefficient. Although I guess the eight new fiefdoms chiefs are probably happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While the reasons are all good on paper, I agree with everyone comparing it to the ems debacle. What you will end up with is eight shiny new fiefdoms who, given enough ropw, will probably all spend as much as DC general and then some. Having a centralized place like DC general funneling PERMANENT housing into all right wards would be smart. Splintering your case records so that eight different fiefs are calling hotels in Maryland to place homeless families is just going to be inefficient. Although I guess the eight new fiefdoms chiefs are probably happy.

Yep.

[Anonymous]

The same folks who are argumentative outraged and ready to write their council member in objection to this attempt to address homelessness are probably the same people who damn near break their fingers from dialing as fast as they can to pledge "just 10 cents a day" to save a damn stray dog. Don't give a shit about another human being but are so charitable and concerned when it comes to any other mammal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given the debacle of the Fire / EMS resignation that just happened and the lack of accountability in city departments that it cited, I am highly skeptical that there will be good management and oversight of the shelter facilities. Seems more like wild flailing that will only end up indiscriminately spreading the fire of the mismanaged, poorly run DC General mess to shelters throughout the rest of the city.

Lol. Of course not. Remember what they say about good intentions? Just another "feel good" gesture and a huge waste of money.

Maybe the DC Government can buy some storage facilities and warehouses in Ivy City and let the homeless children fend for themselves. Think of the savings. Or put some scows on the Anacostia. It would make some great reality TV that Would generate some income for the City. Think Dickensian dystopia.

Moving homeless kids to a more "simple" middle class neighborhoods would make a lot more sense. They could witness lifestyle that is actually attainable. Inserting them in areas and schools filled with very wealthy seems almost brutal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given the debacle of the Fire / EMS resignation that just happened and the lack of accountability in city departments that it cited, I am highly skeptical that there will be good management and oversight of the shelter facilities. Seems more like wild flailing that will only end up indiscriminately spreading the fire of the mismanaged, poorly run DC General mess to shelters throughout the rest of the city.

Lol. Of course not. Remember what they say about good intentions? Just another "feel good" gesture and a huge waste of money.

Maybe the DC Government can buy some storage facilities and warehouses in Ivy City and let the homeless children fend for themselves. Think of the savings. Or put some scows on the Anacostia. It would make some great reality TV that Would generate some income for the City. Think Dickensian dystopia.

Moving homeless kids to a more "simple" middle class neighborhoods would make a lot more sense. They could witness lifestyle that is actually attainable. Inserting them in areas and schools filled with very wealthy seems almost brutal.

How patrician of you Ms. Thurston Howell III.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given the debacle of the Fire / EMS resignation that just happened and the lack of accountability in city departments that it cited, I am highly skeptical that there will be good management and oversight of the shelter facilities. Seems more like wild flailing that will only end up indiscriminately spreading the fire of the mismanaged, poorly run DC General mess to shelters throughout the rest of the city.

Lol. Of course not. Remember what they say about good intentions? Just another "feel good" gesture and a huge waste of money.

Maybe the DC Government can buy some storage facilities and warehouses in Ivy City and let the homeless children fend for themselves. Think of the savings. Or put some scows on the Anacostia. It would make some great reality TV that Would generate some income for the City. Think Dickensian dystopia.

Moving homeless kids to a more "simple" middle class neighborhoods would make a lot more sense. They could witness lifestyle that is actually attainable. Inserting them in areas and schools filled with very wealthy seems almost brutal.

Some people never learn that the path to hell is paved with good intentions.

[Anonymous]

The housing should come with daycare vouchers and job interviews - there are tons of businesses of Wisconsin ave. These homeless parents could work at while their kids are in school/daycare and start the move to independence.

[Anonymous]

The shelter in Ward 3 will have its own playground, recreation space, computer lab, wraparound services and programming for those 38 families. I am sickened but not surprised at the NIMBYism. How many of you were anguishing over Relisha Rudd's sad story and now are turning around and calling Wisconsin Avenue too fancy for these struggling families? Wisconsin Avenue, of all places.

The mayor ran on a platform that included addressing homelessness. She is now taking action to address it in a way that is being praised by homeless advocates and has already been endorsed by many members of the Council, including Mary Cheh. I think it's brilliant to put one shelter in each ward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The housing should come with daycare vouchers and job interviews - there are tons of businesses of Wisconsin ave. These homeless parents could work at while their kids are in school/daycare and start the move to independence.

Conservative here. I fully agree. And should also come with some kind of psychological counseling and job training/educational enhancements. If you are going to provide aid, do it right so you can launch people into independence. Those that don't comply? You have case to remove the children from the parent(s) and find them better circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The shelter in Ward 3 will have its own playground, recreation space, computer lab, wraparound services and programming for those 38 families. I am sickened but not surprised at the NIMBYism. How many of you were anguishing over Relisha Rudd's sad story and now are turning around and calling Wisconsin Avenue too fancy for these struggling families? Wisconsin Avenue, of all places.

The mayor ran on a platform that included addressing homelessness. She is now taking action to address it in a way that is being praised by homeless advocates and has already been endorsed by many members of the Council, including Mary Cheh. I think it's brilliant to put one shelter in each ward.

I think people are concerned that the individuals placed in ritzier areas will not see how to get from where they are to where these people are - they will see a chasm rather than a bridge across it. Without a well-rounded support and training plan, the program will fail and people will be even more resentful.

My concern is that DC officials will simply pat themselves on the back for 'trying'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The housing should come with daycare vouchers and job interviews - there are tons of businesses of Wisconsin ave. These homeless parents could work at while their kids are in school/daycare and start the move to independence.

Conservative here. I fully agree. And should also come with some kind of psychological counseling and job training/educational enhancements. If you are going to provide aid, do it right so you can launch people into independence. Those that don't comply? You have case to remove the children from the parent(s) and find them better circumstances.

Ah, to be young and naive again ;0)

DC has adopted a housing first approach, and they are well aware of best practices and data driven success. Wraparound services will be provided.

Your quip about removing kids and finding better circumstances for them is hilarious! The child welfare system is a million times worse for kids than keeping them with poor parents. Abuse is one thing; benign neglect is another.

I just love armchair quarterbacks who pontificate about systems they don't understand. Very entertaining!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The shelter in Ward 3 will have its own playground, recreation space, computer lab, wraparound services and programming for those 38 families. I am sickened but not surprised at the NIMBYism. How many of you were anguishing over Relisha Rudd's sad story and now are turning around and calling Wisconsin Avenue too fancy for these struggling families? Wisconsin Avenue, of all places.

The mayor ran on a platform that included addressing homelessness. She is now taking action to address it in a way that is being praised by homeless advocates and has already been endorsed by many members of the Council, including Mary Cheh. I think it's brilliant to put one shelter in each ward.

I think people are concerned that the individuals placed in ritzier areas will not see how to get from where they are to where these people are - they will see a chasm rather than a bridge across it. Without a well-rounded support and training plan, the program will fail and people will be even more resentful.

My concern is that DC officials will simply pat themselves on the back for 'trying'.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The housing should come with daycare vouchers and job interviews - there are tons of businesses of Wisconsin ave. These homeless parents could work at while their kids are in school/daycare and start the move to independence.

Conservative here. I fully agree. And should also come with some kind of psychological counseling and job training/educational enhancements. If you are going to provide aid, do it right so you can launch people into independence. Those that don't comply? You have case to remove the children from the parent(s) and find them better circumstances.

I disagree with removing children from the parents, but there should be robust, coordinated wraparound services and supports for the kids, counseling, stress and anger management, educational enrichment, life skills training, et cetera so that the kids don't end up as dysfunctional as the parents and that the cycles of poverty can be broken. Also with regard to vouchers I think there need to be some checks and balances there - daycares are horrendously expensive in the DC area, they take advantage of the high cost of living and working parents, it seems like a ripe opportunity for daycare operators to fleece the city with overpriced offerings. I would want to know that there is robust oversight and maybe that any social services and counseling and support services be coordinated with and conducted at the daycare with some of their function being to significantly reduce the rate charged by the daycare as well as helping provide oversight by being extra eyes and ears that can report on any problems or abuses at the childcare. But, given DC's history this is probably far too idealistic thinking... I might also suggest that families be given free access to, counseled on, and strongly encouraged to use long term birth control, so that they might have a better chance at getting some stability rather than being faced with yet another child to care for, making their burden even greater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While the reasons are all good on paper, I agree with everyone comparing it to the ems debacle. What you will end up with is eight shiny new fiefdoms who, given enough ropw, will probably all spend as much as DC general and then some. Having a centralized place like DC general funneling PERMANENT housing into all right wards would be smart. Splintering your case records so that eight different fiefs are calling hotels in Maryland to place homeless families is just going to be inefficient. Although I guess the eight new fiefdoms chiefs are probably happy.

Ok, well I suggest that they place this centralized location on Wisconsin Avenue. Maybe the city can purchase Fannie May and make a great big housing complex for the homeless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The housing should come with daycare vouchers and job interviews - there are tons of businesses of Wisconsin ave. These homeless parents could work at while their kids are in school/daycare and start the move to independence.

Now this is something that I think most people can agree. But, why are people only concerned about Ward 3. Are the people in Ward 3 more precious than the citizens in the other 7 Wards where these facilities will be placed. The answer to that is "Hell to the No".