Anonymous wrote:We need affordable housing, not more luxury condos! But affordable housing is not a popular political topic. BTW, this is not a DC-specific problem. Take a trip to LA or SF and you'll realize that the problem in DC is nothing comparatively.

DC is already spending hundreds of millions on affordable housing, so that alone can't be the whole answer. Part of it is also recognizing that public disorder and unsanitary conditions are not OK.

We need affordable housing, not more luxury condos! But affordable housing is not a popular political topic. BTW, this is not a DC-specific problem. Take a trip to LA or SF and you'll realize that the problem in DC is nothing comparatively.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were a bunch of tents and homeless people by Union Station pre-shutdown as well. It seems to be an ongoing issue. The only answer I see is more mental health support, affordable housing, and shelters.

We need institutions and asylums. With actual oversight.

And we need police enforcing basic decency. No defecation on the sidewalk. No accosting other pedestrians for money to buy booze and drugs.

Permanent supportive housing costs less than incarceration for petty infractions, and is much more likely to yield productive citizens.

Nobody said incarcerate them. But police should call them out when they poop on the sidewalk. Intervene when there is booze and drugs in public. And tell them to move along and not block traffic panhandling in the middle of the street during rush hour. Again, basic stuff. Nobody has the right to trash our public space.

This sounds like San Francisco about 20 years ago. I remember being surprised as a tourist to being far outnumbered in certain areas of San Francisco -- easily 10 or more homeless in some places.

If DC residents don't do something about this, homeless will flock to DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were a bunch of tents and homeless people by Union Station pre-shutdown as well. It seems to be an ongoing issue. The only answer I see is more mental health support, affordable housing, and shelters.

We need institutions and asylums. With actual oversight.

And we need police enforcing basic decency. No defecation on the sidewalk. No accosting other pedestrians for money to buy booze and drugs.

This. If DC wants to build day station FOR the homeless have at it -- maybe coffee, donuts, computers (they love computers), newspapers and shower/toilets. Or work with shelters to keep their bathrooms open. Friendship Place receives a ton of funding, but doesn't provide many bathroom services.

I think we are all "over" poop on benches, bus shelters, sidewalks as well as supermarket, library and Starbucks campouts. The city shifts everything to these last.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were a bunch of tents and homeless people by Union Station pre-shutdown as well. It seems to be an ongoing issue. The only answer I see is more mental health support, affordable housing, and shelters.

We need institutions and asylums. With actual oversight.

And we need police enforcing basic decency. No defecation on the sidewalk. No accosting other pedestrians for money to buy booze and drugs.

Permanent supportive housing costs less than incarceration for petty infractions, and is much more likely to yield productive citizens.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what is your solution to the homeless problem? As it is, the counties all send their homeless to DC for us to deal with. Maybe there should be a regional task force and sharing of resources rather than just sloughing it all on us so your precious suburbs can appear neat and tidy?

OP here - my solution would be to ban, and enforce the ban, on any form of camping / sleeping in public areas, streets, sidewalks, parks, etc. I would sure as hell stop homeless people from entering union station.

Post your address and will send the homeless people your way!

Or they can just go home to McLean, Bethesda, etc.

Chronic homelessness is one of the most intractable problems cities have to deal with. The pandemic and economic disruptions have made it worse in recent years. I don't understand how people like OP are seemingly just discovering this problem and somehow think it's easy to solve.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what is your solution to the homeless problem? As it is, the counties all send their homeless to DC for us to deal with. Maybe there should be a regional task force and sharing of resources rather than just sloughing it all on us so your precious suburbs can appear neat and tidy?

OP here - my solution would be to ban, and enforce the ban, on any form of camping / sleeping in public areas, streets, sidewalks, parks, etc. I would sure as hell stop homeless people from entering union station.

Post your address and will send the homeless people your way!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There were a bunch of tents and homeless people by Union Station pre-shutdown as well. It seems to be an ongoing issue. The only answer I see is more mental health support, affordable housing, and shelters.

We need institutions and asylums. With actual oversight.

And we need police enforcing basic decency. No defecation on the sidewalk. No accosting other pedestrians for money to buy booze and drugs.

"Man arrested after alleged assault on George Washington University staff member" -- attempted sexual assault, attacked "with a nail", broken teeth, hospitalized victim.

They arrested Omar Williams, 27, "no fixed address", implicated in previous crimes

So it seems that traveling to DC is not the safest thing to do via Amtrak or the busses I’m sure people planning vacations/ weekend getaways are not going to want to go through homeless encampments. This along with the recent crime wave in areas like Georgetown are only going to further hurt tourism.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what is your solution to the homeless problem? As it is, the counties all send their homeless to DC for us to deal with. Maybe there should be a regional task force and sharing of resources rather than just sloughing it all on us so your precious suburbs can appear neat and tidy?

OP here - my solution would be to ban, and enforce the ban, on any form of camping / sleeping in public areas, streets, sidewalks, parks, etc. I would sure as hell stop homeless people from entering union station.

Well, they are homeless. What are you going to do with them? And they are people, and people are allowed to enter public buildings. So you fail twice on your policy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m frankly surprised people haven’t taken matters into their own hands by now, dismantling these budding tent cities. It’s so shocking how elected officials haven’t don’t anything. Just awful

But elected officials did do something. Where do think all the tents are coming from?

OP here - yes, interesting point! I was wondering where homeless people are getting relatively new looking tents!

Donated by naive do gooders.

Part of my heartburn with tearing down DC General was I thought it should be rehabbed into a state of the art mental health and drug treatment facility. Yes, by all means house families (who can show they are from DC) with caveats like they need to be job searching or in an educational or job training program while their kids are in school. These families are not the ones refusing housing.

There needs to be involuntary treatment and commitment for the itinerant, mentally ill or desperately addicted (or both) "campers".