Content categorized as News

DC residents owe the highest student loan debt per capita in the US. Councilmembers asked the federal government to cancel it

Among a tripling in national student loan debt from $600 billion in 2008 to over $1.7 trillion last year, D.C. residents lead the nation in debt, with the average borrower burdened with a whopping $60,651. In response, the D.C. Council has joined a growing chorus of cities asking the Biden Administration for debt relief.

Online court for involuntarily committed patients may continue post-pandemic

Virtual court proceedings for District patients involuntarily committed to treatment under the Ervin Act may continue, even post-pandemic, following recent recommendations made to the DC Council’s Committee on Health.

College students overlooked in measurements of hunger, housing insecurity, and poverty

Three in five college students in the United States faced problems like housing insecurity or hunger in 2020. Despite their effort to receive a higher education, many students are neglected by their institutions and the government in terms of basic needs. Strides are being made across the US by students and nonprofits to combat these issues.

DC’s first transitional drug treatment program for women opens

Samaritan Inns’ new facility provides homeless or at-risk women seeking sobriety with a six-month treatment program that allows them to live full-time in the building while receiving a personalized regimen of therapy and medical care, and later, assistance finding jobs and housing.

Thrive DC and CFLS open 12-bed housing center for women returning from prison or fighting addiction

Thrive DC and the Community Family Life Services are opening their second housing facility in the Kenilworth neighborhood in Northeast D.C. to help women returning from prison or struggling with addiction to have stable housing, access to mental health services, and a peer support network.

The United States Street Paper Movement: Resilience and strength in a year of challenges

Despite enduring a global pandemic, a growing climate and eviction crisis, and mass homelessness, street papers in more than 28 U.S. cities have come together with poise and purpose to help those in need.

Build-first redevelopment at Greenleaf Gardens may be moving out of reach

Redevelopment of the 15-acre Greenleaf Gardens housing community has been thrown into question now that developers have expressed doubts on whether new units can be built for the public housing residents before razing and redeveloping their current units.

DC’s proposed FY 2022 budget to increase funding for affordable housing

Highlights from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed $17.5 billion budget, which allocates $505.1 million in federal aid to support development of affordable housing.

Bowser calls for $400 million investment in affordable housing

As part of her goal to construct thousands of new homes across the city by 2025, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is seeking approval from the D.C. Council to invest an additional $400 million into affordable housing over the next two years.

Protests, occupations, and “takebacks” of unused public housing: Activists notch wins with militant tactics

Spurred by deepening housing, homelessness and gentrification crises, a nationwide wave of militant housing activism is growing as its successes go viral.

The DC region’s homelessness figures declined in 2021, but effects of COVID remain to be seen

The DC region experienced a decline in homelessness figures over the past year, but the true impact of COVID-19 remains to be seen as pandemic assistance programs expire.

DC Council says no to pressuring tenants to apply for rental assistance by threatening eviction

The D.C. Council voted down a controversial measure last week that would have allowed landlords to resume sending eviction notices during the pandemic, opting instead to revisit the proposal at a later date.

DC encampment ‘cleanups’ largely rely on free labor to temporarily move residents’ belongings

On May 13th, the DC Government exercised protocols to “cleanup” two encampments near Union Station and NoMa that caused substantial displacement of a number of residents.

Q&A with the founder of The h3 Project

Artist/Vendor Marcus McCall interviews Ami Angell on the mission and programs of The h3 Project, which focuses on homeless outreach efforts near NoMa and Union Station.

DC residents join nationwide rally to stop violence against Asian Americans

On May 15, a group of individuals assembled at Freedom Plaza in D.C. to bring attention to the problem of violent hate crimes against Asian Americans.

DHS is using the Patricia Handy Place for Women as an active men’s shelter after closing it for repairs

The Patricia Handy Center for Women, which closed earlier this year to repair long-standing plumbing, power, and air system issues, has actively been used by the DC Department of Human Services as a shelter since March 2021.

Services with a personal touch ended chronic homelessness in Bakersfield

Reporting on the Built for Zero program, which has been utilized by Bakersfield to effectively eliminate chronic homelessness through its innovative personalized approach.

12 residents sue DC over Comp Plan the same day it is passed

After 5 years of intense public input and massive revisions, the D.C. Council unanimously approved the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021 on Tuesday. The decision was made only hours after a lawsuit was filed by 12 District residents in D.C. Superior Court against passing the amendment.

Mothers rally to pass police reform in George Floyd’s name

Ahead of Mother’s Day, the Center for Racial Equity and Justice held an event asking Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. While the national legislation stalls, local reforms are being considered.

Tech issues hobble US tenants fighting eviction in remote hearings

As legal proceedings shift online, many of the most vulnerable are left without the tools they need to show up in court. These problems, legal aid workers say, are affecting eviction hearings across the US.