Solar Works D.C., through the DDOE, employs low-income residents in a solar installation and job training program. Panels are installed across the District, and low-income residents can request installations for free.
Content categorized as Environment

Solar Works DC program creates jobs and can reduce expenses for low-income households

How the climate emergency exacerbates homelessness
Kathryn McKelvey explores the connection between climate disasters and homelessness.

The danger of diesel
Street Sense artist and vendor Ayub Abdul writes about the harm caused by diesel fuel.

DC attorney general focusing more on environmental issues
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine participated in an event with The Sierra Club to tout his offices work with the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and lead hazard enforcement.

Barry Farm residents fear displacement as housing authority reconfigures plans for decade-old redevelopment
A handful of residents of Barry Farm, a public housing complex in Anacostia, breathed a sigh of relief earlier this year when plans to demolish and redevelop the neighborhood were sent back for revision.

Traveling exhibit visualizes redlining and systemic inequality
“Undesign the Redline” is an interactive look at how the effects of discriminatory selling practices present in the 1930s housing market still affect low-income neighborhoods today. The Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND) featured the exhibit as the centerpiece of its annual meeting and housing expo this year and in its downtown D.C. office throughout June.

DC Council examines city’s bathroom shortage
The D.C. Council Committee on Transportation and the Environment held a public hearing Jan. 10 to discuss Bill 22-0223, the Public Restroom Facilities Installation and Promotion Act of 2017. The bill seeks to increase access to restrooms in downtown neighborhoods where they are scarce. Community representatives testified to the benefit such an initiative would have for tourists, residents, and the homeless alike.

Seeking Justice: Cory Booker talks housing, environment & employment for all
Street Sense Media Vendor Aida Peery interviews Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) about jobs, homelessness, the housing crisis, health care, incarceration and more.

Thousands left homeless in wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma
Houston, Texas Residents living in the homeless encampment under House’s U.S. 59 overpass got some good news recently when they received a temporary restraining order… Read more »

Oxon Run: A preview of things to come?
Jennifer McLaughlin shares her feelings on the closure of Oxon Run Park.

Homeless Artists Explore How Society Defines Poverty
Street Sense artists give their definitions of “Poor” and “Homeless”

“Women’s Rights are Human Rights” Anthem Brings Many Voices to Washington
The day after the inauguration, the Women’s March on Washington brought 500,000 demonstrators to the National Mall to affirm women’s rights and for many, to protest the new Trump administration.
The Rabbit and the Dinosaur
Vendor Michael Craig provides a lesson on environmental destruction through the story of a rabbit and a dinosaur.

I’m With Her – Because She’s With Us
Hillary Clinton will defend racial equality and if elected, says lawyer and community activist Aileen Johnson.

Community Organizers Appeal McMillan Park Zoning Decision
A development battle rages over the McMillan Sand Filtration Site at North Capitol Street.

Stein Campaign Responds to Voter Questions on Poverty
On Sept. 23, Street Sense began equal outreach to the Clinton, Johnson, Stein and Trump campaigns seeking response to the following four questions posed by the artists and vendors of our Writers Group. Despite an extended deadline of Oct. 19, only the Stein campaign chose to respond.

Buzzard Point Residents Air Environmental Concerns
Empower D.C. hosted an environmental brunch on Sept. 17 where activists and Southwest D.C. residents met to discuss the challenges facing Buzzard Point. Among these issues were fears about the environmental impact of redevelopment in the area and displacement. A new D.C. United Stadium is to be built in the Buzzard Point neighborhood.

Communities Feel Left Out of Planning Optimal DC General Closure
Ward 5 residents shuffled into New Canaan Baptist Church on February 11 to hear details about the proposed location and amenities of yet another shelter… Read more »

A Refreshing City Response to the Snow
The Madam Mayor did an excellent job. She was visibly present, responsible and followed the play book. Safety first. It was refreshing to see emergency… Read more »

New Year, New Beginnings!
Ken Martin During the past year I, while overloaded with issues—not the least of which is chronic and acute pain— by the Grace of God… Read more »