Reply to absolutely absurd article on homeless encampment clearing on 17th st NW/Safeway

Forum Index » Metropolitan DC Local Politics

Reply to "absolutely absurd article on homeless encampment clearing on 17th st NW/Safeway"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Just FYI, one of the long-time unhoused people who lived on the streets near Safeway died of an overdose during the daytime in late 2019. My child and I watched her body being taken away in an ambulance after school let out. Alice's death was tragic. I have conversations with my child about drugs, unhoused people, and hard facts of life, but this community can't become skid row. We have the means to help these people. I understand they can't be involuntarily committed, but tolerating their encampment isn't the answer. Pushing for real help is. [/quote]

Similar experience. I also witnessed, with my child, an OD death connected to a "homeless" encampment that was actually a pop-up drug market.  I don't know if the person who died was homeless, but they had almost certainly gotten their fatal dose from that tent.  The people who "lived" in the tent turned down all offers of assistance and would come right back after the tent was cleared by DC and just set up camp again.  Anyone with a little common sense just had to observe that encampment for a second to realize that it was not innocent down-on-their-luck people, but nevertheless, there were plenty of people saying "don't harass our unhoused neighbors!"  The fact is - these newer encampments are almost inevitably connected to drug use and drug dealing, and plenty of other worse crime (I witnessed prostitution of a mentally disabled woman in that tent).  Older encampments downtown (like Franklin Park) I think were more legitimately people who could not cope elsewhere.  But the tent cities are basically open-air drug markets.  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics