Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The plaza in front of the Cathedral Commons Giant has become the beggars bazaar. On many days there are multiple panhandlers there. This was not the case several years ago. Thanks, Bowser and Frumin!

Lmao at beggars bazaar! No lies detected here. And it used to be such a nice neighborhood. Now it’s very run down

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I supported the construction of the Brooks family shelter and have donated money and supplies, but I'm beginning to regret it. The shelter worked well for the first couple years, but it has been less well run this year. An increasing number of residents smoke weed and panhandle aggressively in front of the Giant. I also routinely witness them throwing trash, including used diapers, in the planters instead of nearby trash cans. If their basic needs are being met, why are they panhandling? And aren't drugs against the rules at the shelter? They are definitely illegal in public places. And I know it is people from the shelter because I've witnessed them returning there.

People who used to walk to the Giant are now driving to avoid the mess in front. What is the best approach to dealing with this?

The best approach is close the shelter, stop feeding, donating to and accommodating bums smoking weed, and call the police when they harass people for money and throw litter all over the place.


You’re trying to interact rationally with irrational people, expecting normal responses and interactions. Stop that.

Panhandling is legal in DC and therefore MPD does not do anything about it. At least that's what I've been told in the past by MPD..

Police will react quite willingly to aggressive panhandling and will make arrests. This includes panhandlers who congregate too close to retail entrances, follow customers into stores, etc. They also encourage retailers to ban disruptive people from their establishments and the police will enforce.

Anonymous wrote:I’m a single mom who had been considering a move to NW DC for my kid to attend JR - but I just can’t risk renting in an unsafe building. It’s kind of wild because I have a really good and stable job, but the only places I could afford to rent in W3 are apparently at risk of being de facto homeless shelters. If it comes down to it I may have to really stretch my budget to rent in City Ridge. I do not begrudge the city taking care of its homeless at all, but this is a truly f’d up scenario that is really screwing the middle class.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone knew this would happen - that the place would be a magnet for drugs and crime bc that is what always happens with these places. Most folks who supported the shelter simply dont mind being the victims of crime bc its the price they pay for their white privilege. But it is maddening to hear people who supported the shelter now complain bc of the drugs and criminality. Stop pretending that you thought this wasnt going to happen. I live in Ward 3, but far away from the shelter. I was opposed to shelter, but I am delighted that on account of it going through, it has damaged the value of the properties in that area. It's a just price for the people who supported it to pay. That livability of that area has been permanently damaged.

Anonymous wrote:The plaza in front of the Cathedral Commons Giant has become the beggars bazaar. On many days there are multiple panhandlers there. This was not the case several years ago. Thanks, Bowser and Frumin!

Anonymous wrote:I'd be happy to have the Brooks in teh neighborhood if they enforced rules about drugs. The administration just closes their eyes as residents smoke week in front of giant and in the garage.

Anonymous wrote:I’m a single mom who had been considering a move to NW DC for my kid to attend JR - but I just can’t risk renting in an unsafe building. It’s kind of wild because I have a really good and stable job, but the only places I could afford to rent in W3 are apparently at risk of being de facto homeless shelters. If it comes down to it I may have to really stretch my budget to rent in City Ridge. I do not begrudge the city taking care of its homeless at all, but this is a truly f’d up scenario that is really screwing the middle class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a single mom who had been considering a move to NW DC for my kid to attend JR - but I just can’t risk renting in an unsafe building. It’s kind of wild because I have a really good and stable job, but the only places I could afford to rent in W3 are apparently at risk of being de facto homeless shelters. If it comes down to it I may have to really stretch my budget to rent in City Ridge. I do not begrudge the city taking care of its homeless at all, but this is a truly f’d up scenario that is really screwing the middle class.

I think a ton of places are at risk of this even on the higher end. We're not ward 3 (ward 2) and pay a bit over 5k/month for a 2 bedroom and our building has voucher tenants who panhandle across the street...

Anonymous wrote:I’m a single mom who had been considering a move to NW DC for my kid to attend JR - but I just can’t risk renting in an unsafe building. It’s kind of wild because I have a really good and stable job, but the only places I could afford to rent in W3 are apparently at risk of being de facto homeless shelters. If it comes down to it I may have to really stretch my budget to rent in City Ridge. I do not begrudge the city taking care of its homeless at all, but this is a truly f’d up scenario that is really screwing the middle class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I supported the construction of the Brooks family shelter and have donated money and supplies, but I'm beginning to regret it. The shelter worked well for the first couple years, but it has been less well run this year. An increasing number of residents smoke weed and panhandle aggressively in front of the Giant. I also routinely witness them throwing trash, including used diapers, in the planters instead of nearby trash cans. If their basic needs are being met, why are they panhandling? And aren't drugs against the rules at the shelter? They are definitely illegal in public places. And I know it is people from the shelter because I've witnessed them returning there.

People who used to walk to the Giant are now driving to avoid the mess in front. What is the best approach to dealing with this?

Do you know how many buildings along Connecticut Avenue are now de facto homeless shelters? It’s absolutely criminal what our Ward Rep and ANCs have allowed to happen to a once safe and family friendly corridor.

In the process, they are pushing out workforce renters and seniors who have looked to older apartment buildings on Connecticut in Ward 3 for rent-stabilized housing. When a building owner accepts a DC voucher for a rental unit it takes that unit out of rent control. In time the whole building can be re-set to market rate rentals (or above market in the case of vouchers).