Living at the shelter at 1355 New York Ave. NE was an experience I will never forget. I’m saying this because to have a bed, you have to be there before 7 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. However, some of what goes on there could be a health hazard, like letting people in who don’t want to bathe and have bedbugs and lice. They just let anybody in. I recognize those people have rights, too. But what about those who come to the shelter and keep their bodies clean? Something should be done about it.
The New York Avenue shelter would be a better place to live if they kept out those who don’t want to bathe. That may sound like discrimination, but what about the other residents’ rights? Don’t they have a say in what type of shelter it should be? Some things that could be done include keeping the bathroom clean at all times, cleaning the beds and screening the staff.
I think an organization should inspect this shelter just to see what it is like. Now, not all shelters are bad. But many things need to be done about the New York Avenue shelter.
