Bowser Spreads the Wealth opens homeless shelters in each DC ward

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No worries, pp. Every shelter checks for residency...especially for families. DC, MD and VA all check for residency. They also collaborate on a regional level.

It's a myth that homeless people are "from someplace else."

Why would they check for residency? A homeless shelter should take in anyone in need of shelter and food.

Tell that to all of the communities that round up the homeless and ship them elsewhere. It's a fact that it happens, and more frequently than you realize.

Well, Rudy Giuliani famously did that...put them on buses and drove them to Jersey.

But this doesn't happen anymore. Lawsuits prevent this (for the most part).

Everyone thinks that homeless people flock to their communities for free housing and services, but the data proves that homeless people are locals.

Signed,

20 years of homeless advocacy

It does still happen, quite regularly.

The flipside of communities busing homeless out is organizations like Little Sisters of the Poor and others busing the homeless into the community from other locales. That also happens, quite regularly.

I've seen both of these scenarios, first hand.

Do you work for a homeless service provider in the region? While exceptions are sometimes made, the majority of programs are limited to residents. Period.

Sometimes communities will pay to transport someone to another jurisdiction/state if there's someone willing to take responsibility for them in the new community.

[Anonymous]

2619 wisconsin ave. What a great location in DC. New apartments. Maybe my underachieving kids could apply...NO ONE will ever leave these apartments.Hope they go to working families-ie cops, teachers etc. Or have more apt's and are for the elderly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2619 wisconsin ave. What a great location in DC. New apartments. Maybe my underachieving kids could apply...NO ONE will ever leave these apartments.Hope they go to working families-ie cops, teachers etc. Or have more apt's and are for the elderly.

well it's not metro accessible but would be great for families, since it's right by guy mason playground and rec center, and walking distance to Stoddert. also on the major bus lines and close to retail. not sure why you think regular homeless families can't live there - why does it have to be cops or teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2619 wisconsin ave. What a great location in DC. New apartments. Maybe my underachieving kids could apply...NO ONE will ever leave these apartments.Hope they go to working families-ie cops, teachers etc. Or have more apt's and are for the elderly.

well it's not metro accessible but would be great for families, since it's right by guy mason playground and rec center, and walking distance to Stoddert. also on the major bus lines and close to retail. not sure why you think regular homeless families can't live there - why does it have to be cops or teachers?

Don't have a problem with a shelter in W3, but that seems like a pretty expensive lot to take off the tax rolls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Homelessness in DC has been going up by double digit percentages in the last couple of years, whereas it's been going down in other major US cities... That's a problem.

Family homelessness has increased 40% since 2010. Housing prices have gone up at a similar rate during that time period. Wages have not moved much and there are not hundreds of new living wage jobs being created. You do the math.

That still doesn't really account for the big difference between DC vs. other cities.

Yeah, housing goes up, and wages have been stagnant. But that begs the question, why stay? I grew up dirt poor, and we moved when we couldn't make it. The reason for staying can't be because of family, as the families obviously can't help either, or they wouldn't be stuck in poverty. There are a lot of communities with a lower cost of living than DC. DC isn't much of a hub for jobs for unskilled or semiskilled labor either.

They have no resources, no family to go to, and no way to get there. Do you think they're going walk to a new town?

I think you are seriously underestimating the barriers to self-sufficiency that these people face.

I grew up dirt poor and was homeless for a while myself, so no, I don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No worries, pp. Every shelter checks for residency...especially for families. DC, MD and VA all check for residency. They also collaborate on a regional level.

It's a myth that homeless people are "from someplace else."

Why would they check for residency? A homeless shelter should take in anyone in need of shelter and food.

Tell that to all of the communities that round up the homeless and ship them elsewhere. It's a fact that it happens, and more frequently than you realize.

Well, Rudy Giuliani famously did that...put them on buses and drove them to Jersey.

But this doesn't happen anymore. Lawsuits prevent this (for the most part).

Everyone thinks that homeless people flock to their communities for free housing and services, but the data proves that homeless people are locals.

Signed,

20 years of homeless advocacy

It does still happen, quite regularly.

The flipside of communities busing homeless out is organizations like Little Sisters of the Poor and others busing the homeless into the community from other locales. That also happens, quite regularly.

I've seen both of these scenarios, first hand.

Do you work for a homeless service provider in the region? While exceptions are sometimes made, the majority of programs are limited to residents. Period.

Sometimes communities will pay to transport someone to another jurisdiction/state if there's someone willing to take responsibility for them in the new community.

That's what charities do - they bring in homeless from outside and "take responsibility" - except it's the local taxpayers who end up footing the bill whether they like it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone looked at the current distribution of homeless shelters, homeless families and schools with homeless kids? Charles Allen said Ward 6 already has more homeless shelters than the other Wards. http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/first-read-dmv/Homeless-Shelters-to-Open-in-Each-Ward-of-DC-353215441.html

And, they already have several new housing projects in planning and already under construction which will have significant accomodations for low income. There's far more of that kind of housing coming online in Ward 6 than anywhere else in the city.

It sounds like the proposal just figures on distributing DC General's homeless more or less evenly across all Wards without consideration of what's already going on in many Wards.

It seems to me that the other Wards should be stepping up to the plate. Ward 6 has already absorbed a huge brunt where it comes to accommodating the homeless and low income.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No worries, pp. Every shelter checks for residency...especially for families. DC, MD and VA all check for residency. They also collaborate on a regional level.

It's a myth that homeless people are "from someplace else."

Why would they check for residency? A homeless shelter should take in anyone in need of shelter and food.

Tell that to all of the communities that round up the homeless and ship them elsewhere. It's a fact that it happens, and more frequently than you realize.

Well, Rudy Giuliani famously did that...put them on buses and drove them to Jersey.

But this doesn't happen anymore. Lawsuits prevent this (for the most part).

Everyone thinks that homeless people flock to their communities for free housing and services, but the data proves that homeless people are locals.

Signed,

20 years of homeless advocacy

It does still happen, quite regularly.

The flipside of communities busing homeless out is organizations like Little Sisters of the Poor and others busing the homeless into the community from other locales. That also happens, quite regularly.

I've seen both of these scenarios, first hand.

Do you work for a homeless service provider in the region? While exceptions are sometimes made, the majority of programs are limited to residents. Period.

Sometimes communities will pay to transport someone to another jurisdiction/state if there's someone willing to take responsibility for them in the new community.

That's what charities do - they bring in homeless from outside and "take responsibility" - except it's the local taxpayers who end up footing the bill whether they like it or not.

Not true. You are delusional if you think the homeless people in dc were brought in from other jurisdictions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No worries, pp. Every shelter checks for residency...especially for families. DC, MD and VA all check for residency. They also collaborate on a regional level.

It's a myth that homeless people are "from someplace else."

Why would they check for residency? A homeless shelter should take in anyone in need of shelter and food.

Tell that to all of the communities that round up the homeless and ship them elsewhere. It's a fact that it happens, and more frequently than you realize.

Well, Rudy Giuliani famously did that...put them on buses and drove them to Jersey.

But this doesn't happen anymore. Lawsuits prevent this (for the most part).

Everyone thinks that homeless people flock to their communities for free housing and services, but the data proves that homeless people are locals.

Signed,

20 years of homeless advocacy

It does still happen, quite regularly.

The flipside of communities busing homeless out is organizations like Little Sisters of the Poor and others busing the homeless into the community from other locales. That also happens, quite regularly.

I've seen both of these scenarios, first hand.

Do you work for a homeless service provider in the region? While exceptions are sometimes made, the majority of programs are limited to residents. Period.

Sometimes communities will pay to transport someone to another jurisdiction/state if there's someone willing to take responsibility for them in the new community.

That's what charities do - they bring in homeless from outside and "take responsibility" - except it's the local taxpayers who end up footing the bill whether they like it or not.

Not true. You are delusional if you think the homeless people in dc were brought in from other jurisdictions.

Done discussing this with you if you're going to accuse others of delusion. You are free to sit back in your armchair and believe whatever you like and chastize anyone who doesn't comport with your comfortable and convenient little worldview. I happen to KNOW otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone looked at the current distribution of homeless shelters, homeless families and schools with homeless kids? Charles Allen said Ward 6 already has more homeless shelters than the other Wards. http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/first-read-dmv/Homeless-Shelters-to-Open-in-Each-Ward-of-DC-353215441.html

And, they already have several new housing projects in planning and already under construction which will have significant accomodations for low income. There's far more of that kind of housing coming online in Ward 6 than anywhere else in the city.

It sounds like the proposal just figures on distributing DC General's homeless more or less evenly across all Wards without consideration of what's already going on in many Wards.

It seems to me that the other Wards should be stepping up to the plate. Ward 6 has already absorbed a huge brunt where it comes to accommodating the homeless and low income.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

The crickets chirping here despite having posters who claim to be in the know on issues affecting the homeless in DC tells me that no, there isn't a more robust, equitable or well thought out plan. Sigh. Not surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is DC planning to build the shelters? The Ward 3 location is an empty lot that seasonally has been leased to Christmas tree sellers. It stands next to a house that has been rumored to be occupied by FBI Counterintelligence (with shuttered windows and three opaque skylights facing the Russian embassy compound). The site lacks Metro access but at least the homeless will be well-watched.

Oh FFS, the 30s buses run down Wisconsin every 10 minutes to downtown and, guess what, poor people prefer to take the f'ing bus because it's cheaper. But nice of you to be soooooo concerned about how they'll get around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No worries, pp. Every shelter checks for residency...especially for families. DC, MD and VA all check for residency. They also collaborate on a regional level.

It's a myth that homeless people are "from someplace else."

Why would they check for residency? A homeless shelter should take in anyone in need of shelter and food.

Tell that to all of the communities that round up the homeless and ship them elsewhere. It's a fact that it happens, and more frequently than you realize.

Well, Rudy Giuliani famously did that...put them on buses and drove them to Jersey.

But this doesn't happen anymore. Lawsuits prevent this (for the most part).

Everyone thinks that homeless people flock to their communities for free housing and services, but the data proves that homeless people are locals.

Signed,

20 years of homeless advocacy

It does still happen, quite regularly.

The flipside of communities busing homeless out is organizations like Little Sisters of the Poor and others busing the homeless into the community from other locales. That also happens, quite regularly.

I've seen both of these scenarios, first hand.

Do you work for a homeless service provider in the region? While exceptions are sometimes made, the majority of programs are limited to residents. Period.

Sometimes communities will pay to transport someone to another jurisdiction/state if there's someone willing to take responsibility for them in the new community.

That's what charities do - they bring in homeless from outside and "take responsibility" - except it's the local taxpayers who end up footing the bill whether they like it or not.

Not true. You are delusional if you think the homeless people in dc were brought in from other jurisdictions.

Done discussing this with you if you're going to accuse others of delusion. You are free to sit back in your armchair and believe whatever you like and chastize anyone who doesn't comport with your comfortable and convenient little worldview. I happen to KNOW otherwise.

Your anecdotes are meaningless. I've worked in the homeless advocacy arena for two decades...on the national, state and local levels. I'm intimately aware of how providers are funded and how they function...particularly in our region.

Communities do not ship off mass quantities of homeless people.

If you actually worked with homeless providers in the metro area, you'd realize this. The majority of homeless people in dc are residents...lifelong residents. They turn away people from other jurisdictions (as if people would flock here anyway). In MoCo, they turn away dc and PG residents. Fact.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone looked at the current distribution of homeless shelters, homeless families and schools with homeless kids? Charles Allen said Ward 6 already has more homeless shelters than the other Wards. http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/first-read-dmv/Homeless-Shelters-to-Open-in-Each-Ward-of-DC-353215441.html

And, they already have several new housing projects in planning and already under construction which will have significant accomodations for low income. There's far more of that kind of housing coming online in Ward 6 than anywhere else in the city.

It sounds like the proposal just figures on distributing DC General's homeless more or less evenly across all Wards without consideration of what's already going on in many Wards.

It seems to me that the other Wards should be stepping up to the plate. Ward 6 has already absorbed a huge brunt where it comes to accommodating the homeless and low income.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

The crickets chirping here despite having posters who claim to be in the know on issues affecting the homeless in DC tells me that no, there isn't a more robust, equitable or well thought out plan. Sigh. Not surprised.

I don't have the information you are seeking. However, I saw a tweet from Kenyan McDuffie earlier tonight describing the number of homeless facilities in Ward 5. I would suspect that they would rival, if not exceed, the number in Ward 6.

Basically, the city has gone from concentrating homeless and other similar shelters in certain geographic areas to spreading them out. I understand there is some opposition to those who feel they are starting in a sort of hole already. But, any plan designed to concentrate these facilities in other geographic areas would probably be dead on arrival. At least this one has some chance of success. Consider it a good start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No worries, pp. Every shelter checks for residency...especially for families. DC, MD and VA all check for residency. They also collaborate on a regional level.

It's a myth that homeless people are "from someplace else."

Wait. If these people are homeless, how can they have “residency?"

Their last address was in DC, they've paid taxes, utilities, drivers license, etc.

Duh.

Then, why don't they go live close to their last known address, where someone is more likely to know them and help?

Duh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No worries, pp. Every shelter checks for residency...especially for families. DC, MD and VA all check for residency. They also collaborate on a regional level.

It's a myth that homeless people are "from someplace else."

Wait. If these people are homeless, how can they have “residency?"

Their last address was in DC, they've paid taxes, utilities, drivers license, etc.

Duh.

Then, why don't they go live close to their last known address, where someone is more likely to know them and help?

Duh

???

They go to whichever housing program in their jurisdiction can accommodate them. Duh.

The mayor should be commended for dedicating resources to addressing homelessness. Her approach will actually save money in the long run. Her approach is also the commonly accepted best practice with the best shot at yielding your results. If you can set your fear and racism aside, you'd realize that.

DC is actually poised to make great strides in addressing homelessness with Laura Zeilinger, the former head of the USICH, at the helm.