Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.

Liberal here. (non-fascist, opposed to the GOP from Reagan through Trump and all in between. Does that make me a liberal? Anyway.)

The tent cities are bad. No one should be living on the streets. This is 100% Bowser's problem to address and the only way to fix it is to provide services to get people off the streets (carrot) and then require they not camp on the streets (stick.)

Is there any effort out there to do this?

Not all that liberal (well, by DC standards, but very "classically" liber) and I agree with you 1000%. Giving people the "freedom" to camp outdoors is a travesty.

You think the problem is that they have too much freedom? I don't understand. Do you think that if we had the police kick them out and toss their belongings that they would suddenly clean up, get a job, and rent an apartment??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.

Liberal here. (non-fascist, opposed to the GOP from Reagan through Trump and all in between. Does that make me a liberal? Anyway.)

The tent cities are bad. No one should be living on the streets. This is 100% Bowser's problem to address and the only way to fix it is to provide services to get people off the streets (carrot) and then require they not camp on the streets (stick.)

Is there any effort out there to do this?

Not all that liberal (well, by DC standards, but very "classically" liber) and I agree with you 1000%. Giving people the "freedom" to camp outdoors is a travesty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.

Liberal here. (non-fascist, opposed to the GOP from Reagan through Trump and all in between. Does that make me a liberal? Anyway.)

The tent cities are bad. No one should be living on the streets. This is 100% Bowser's problem to address and the only way to fix it is to provide services to get people off the streets (carrot) and then require they not camp on the streets (stick.)

Is there any effort out there to do this?

Anonymous wrote:I agree stop passing stuff out in the street. Donate to a shelter or not at all. And we need beds in institutions and day shelters, period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree stop passing stuff out in the street. Donate to a shelter or not at all. And we need beds in institutions and day shelters, period.

+ 1 DC used to have this. The city has truly gotten worse, not better.

Anonymous wrote:I agree stop passing stuff out in the street. Donate to a shelter or not at all. And we need beds in institutions and day shelters, period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Totally. Free sandwiches cause homelessness.

I think we can all agree that the problem is lack of services -- mental health, shelter, food -- as well as secondarily, a tolerance for living in tents on a residential sidewalk.

(Liberal here again)
What's the Bowser plan for fixing this, for providing more services?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.

+1 to both PPs

It’s not just the Gonzaga boys; I’ve lots of other volunteers (women in their 30s, families with small children) doing the same thing all over the city. It’s truly door-to-door, A+ service. Why wouldn’t the homeless stay?

And then these women go back to their suburban homes, where they can live without having to deal with the direct effects of homelessness on THEIR neighborhoods. And feel good about themselves, to boot.

Totally agree with this statement.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.

+1 to both PPs

It’s not just the Gonzaga boys; I’ve lots of other volunteers (women in their 30s, families with small children) doing the same thing all over the city. It’s truly door-to-door, A+ service. Why wouldn’t the homeless stay?

And then these women go back to their suburban homes, where they can live without having to deal with the direct effects of homelessness on THEIR neighborhoods. And feel good about themselves, to boot.

Totally. Free sandwiches cause homelessness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.

+1 to both PPs

It’s not just the Gonzaga boys; I’ve lots of other volunteers (women in their 30s, families with small children) doing the same thing all over the city. It’s truly door-to-door, A+ service. Why wouldn’t the homeless stay?

And then these women go back to their suburban homes, where they can live without having to deal with the direct effects of homelessness on THEIR neighborhoods. And feel good about themselves, to boot.

Anonymous wrote:

Totally. Free sandwiches cause homelessness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.

+1 to both PPs

It’s not just the Gonzaga boys; I’ve lots of other volunteers (women in their 30s, families with small children) doing the same thing all over the city. It’s truly door-to-door, A+ service. Why wouldn’t the homeless stay?

And then these women go back to their suburban homes, where they can live without having to deal with the direct effects of homelessness on THEIR neighborhoods. And feel good about themselves, to boot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.

+1 to both PPs

It’s not just the Gonzaga boys; I’ve lots of other volunteers (women in their 30s, families with small children) doing the same thing all over the city. It’s truly door-to-door, A+ service. Why wouldn’t the homeless stay?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saw Gonzaga students handing out care packages and talking to residents in the NoMa encampments today. We can sit behind our screens and complain about how things should be, but nothing is going to change until a quorum of people put actions behind words.

They've been really active on that front! I saw a ton of them doing the same thing a week before. Lots of volunteers in NoMa and by the Hill are coming to the encampments with wheelbarrows of food, supplies, etc.

I'm sure that makes them feel good, but all it does is help/encourage these tent communities to stay, which isn't good for anyone.

Agreed.

How does this help the problem long-term? It just encourages people to stay in these tent communities, which are definitely not what the city should be aiming for as a permanent solution.