Politico article : CAPITAL CITY Downtown D.C. Confronts a Grim Prospect: A Return to the Dismal 1980s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s going to go into Capitol One arena??

Mixed use. DC can use the business taxes to subsidize housing. Win win.

But the immediate and overwhelming need in DC is to provide homes for the unhoused, which is what should be built where the Capitol One arena now stands.

that’s a fast way to circle the drain. Fine more space for the drug addicts , mentally ill and free loaders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Folks, when you talk about building housing for the unhoused, what are you talking about? Homeless shelters free housing? Who is going to pay for all this? If you become a mecca for free housing, it will just attract more people who want free housing. But who pays for it. Taxpayers will only stay in a jurisdiction so long if their taxes are going to house the unhoused rather than paying for excellent schools, police protection, etc. There is a balance that needs to be struck. I think our goal should be getting the unhoused into jobs so they can pay rent and taxes.

homeless people don’t want jobs. you people are so so clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks, when you talk about building housing for the unhoused, what are you talking about? Homeless shelters free housing? Who is going to pay for all this? If you become a mecca for free housing, it will just attract more people who want free housing. But who pays for it. Taxpayers will only stay in a jurisdiction so long if their taxes are going to house the unhoused rather than paying for excellent schools, police protection, etc. There is a balance that needs to be struck. I think our goal should be getting the unhoused into jobs so they can pay rent and taxes.

homeless people don’t want jobs. you people are so so clueless.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s going to go into Capitol One arena??

Honestly why not make it a shelter for the unhoused and safe space for substance users with lots of social services? Well funded wrap around services could create tons of jobs downtown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we did a ton of work to get Franklin Park like it is. And to add tourist destinations (word museum) and micro-hotel units (moxy etc) to this area. Then the city killed every bit of progress by ignoring and encouraging crime. Without fixing the crime, all that we have done will go to waste. Clearly you are not walking around every day and night if you aren’t experiencing the hellscape feeling.

Who is "we"? If you haven't been here at least 30 years or are not a native with references being two Congressmen/women, a picture your wall with Marion Barry and a police report of being robbed, you didn't put any work in: Sorry to break it to ya, but you're not qualified for real city living!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we did a ton of work to get Franklin Park like it is. And to add tourist destinations (word museum) and micro-hotel units (moxy etc) to this area. Then the city killed every bit of progress by ignoring and encouraging crime. Without fixing the crime, all that we have done will go to waste. Clearly you are not walking around every day and night if you aren’t experiencing the hellscape feeling.

Who is "we"? If you haven't been here at least 30 years or are not a native with references being two Congressmen/women, a picture your wall with Marion Barry and a police report of being robbed, you didn't put any work in: Sorry to break it to ya, but you're not qualified for real city living!

Some of us have been. I am one. I have personally worked extremely hard for this city. I have lived downtown for thirty years, and it disgusting how much the city no longer even cares. Those of you who come to this neighborhood occasionally don’t get how bad it has become. It is worse than 1995, by far.

[Anonymous]

Try getting a police report taken! Good luck! The numbers, as grim as they are, don’t come close to telling the story as they haven’t been accepting reports in years. Nobody even bothers calling them now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s going to go into Capitol One arena??

Honestly why not make it a shelter for the unhoused and safe space for substance users with lots of social services? Well funded wrap around services could create tons of jobs downtown.

We subsidize the things we want and tax the things we don't. If you think DC is bad now, wait until your idea is made a reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks, when you talk about building housing for the unhoused, what are you talking about? Homeless shelters free housing? Who is going to pay for all this? If you become a mecca for free housing, it will just attract more people who want free housing. But who pays for it. Taxpayers will only stay in a jurisdiction so long if their taxes are going to house the unhoused rather than paying for excellent schools, police protection, etc. There is a balance that needs to be struck. I think our goal should be getting the unhoused into jobs so they can pay rent and taxes.

homeless people don’t want jobs. you people are so so clueless.

They don't know they want jobs. Given housing and sufficient mental health treatment, they will realize they want to be contributing members of society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks, when you talk about building housing for the unhoused, what are you talking about? Homeless shelters free housing? Who is going to pay for all this? If you become a mecca for free housing, it will just attract more people who want free housing. But who pays for it. Taxpayers will only stay in a jurisdiction so long if their taxes are going to house the unhoused rather than paying for excellent schools, police protection, etc. There is a balance that needs to be struck. I think our goal should be getting the unhoused into jobs so they can pay rent and taxes.

Agree with you, but your last sentence is not going to be possible, except for the smallest percentage of people, because a very large number of “unhoused” have moderate to severe preexisting mental health challenges, and various substance dependences, that they simply cannot get themselves out of, even if they had the clarity and determination to do so, which many don’t, without significant investment and time - by them and by those who will pay for it. And even then, for many it will not be possible. Building housing won’t work, it doesn’t solve the real challenge.

Then they should be in a shelter or halfway house where services can be provided -- not in private apartments.

People could steal their possessions. You have a private dwelling, do they deserve less than you?

People are currently stealing our possessions in our private dwellings. Is that the goal? Make it all equally bad?

It's at least equal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks, when you talk about building housing for the unhoused, what are you talking about? Homeless shelters free housing? Who is going to pay for all this? If you become a mecca for free housing, it will just attract more people who want free housing. But who pays for it. Taxpayers will only stay in a jurisdiction so long if their taxes are going to house the unhoused rather than paying for excellent schools, police protection, etc. There is a balance that needs to be struck. I think our goal should be getting the unhoused into jobs so they can pay rent and taxes.

Agree with you, but your last sentence is not going to be possible, except for the smallest percentage of people, because a very large number of “unhoused” have moderate to severe preexisting mental health challenges, and various substance dependences, that they simply cannot get themselves out of, even if they had the clarity and determination to do so, which many don’t, without significant investment and time - by them and by those who will pay for it. And even then, for many it will not be possible. Building housing won’t work, it doesn’t solve the real challenge.

Then they should be in a shelter or halfway house where services can be provided -- not in private apartments.

People could steal their possessions. You have a private dwelling, do they deserve less than you?

People are currently stealing our possessions in our private dwellings. Is that the goal? Make it all equally bad?

It's at least equal.

Well then, your goals have been met. But they haven’t. Those living in poverty now just have a worse existence and those who can leave are. Equally bad is bad all around. What an awesomely simplistic solution if you were right though. So glad you entered the conversation to ensure this “equality.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s going to go into Capitol One arena??

Mixed use. DC can use the business taxes to subsidize housing. Win win.

But the immediate and overwhelming need in DC is to provide homes for the unhoused, which is what should be built where the Capitol One arena now stands.

that’s a fast way to circle the drain. Fine more space for the drug addicts , mentally ill and free loaders.

Require drug tests for voucher and public housing and most other welfare type services. Even San Francisco is doing this now. Taxpayers shouldn’t make an open ended commitment to support those who spend their days high and for some, committing crimes to support their drug habits.

[Anonymous]

It's starting to feel a lot like Barry Time once more. DC Deju vu all over again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's starting to feel a lot like Barry Time once more. DC Deju vu all over again.

There was crime during Barry’s tenure and plenty of corruption but a lot of the crime was drug related and contained in certain areas. There weren’t tent cities everywhere either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks, when you talk about building housing for the unhoused, what are you talking about? Homeless shelters free housing? Who is going to pay for all this? If you become a mecca for free housing, it will just attract more people who want free housing. But who pays for it. Taxpayers will only stay in a jurisdiction so long if their taxes are going to house the unhoused rather than paying for excellent schools, police protection, etc. There is a balance that needs to be struck. I think our goal should be getting the unhoused into jobs so they can pay rent and taxes.

homeless people don’t want jobs. you people are so so clueless.

They don't know they want jobs. Given housing and sufficient mental health treatment, they will realize they want to be contributing members of society.

Have you ever known a mentally ill drug addicted person?