Content categorized as Virginia

Three Tenants Were Facing Eviction Threats. Amid A Summer Of Protest, Dozens Of Activists Mobilized

Dozens of people turned out to protest a landlord threatening to evict three tenants.

The CARES Act expiration may leave millions without support

Congress’ emergency federal aid expansion is set to expire at the end of July, cutting millions of Americans who became unemployed during the Covid-19 pandemic from vital support. Experts advise that the aid package be extended to return poverty rates to pre-crisis levels.

The global pandemic and political discord highlight the importance of the Poor People’s Campaign

The Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington planned for this month will be digital, due to the ongoing pandemic. Organizers hope the assembly will bring about change while COVID-19 disproportionately affects poor and Black Americans and nationwide protests demand reckoning with systemic racism.

Poor and homeless people are included in the CARES Act stimulus, but will probably have to “raise their hand” to get it

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides for stimulus payments to every adult and every child with a valid Social Security number. The legislation is more inclusive than previous recession relief packages but experts say D.C.’s most vulnerable residents are still the farthest away from receiving help.

COVID-19: Separating Fact from Fiction

With the coronavirus pandemic impacting people across the country, here these are five myths and the truth about them.

Aging out, and into homelessness

I grew up living in Baltimore City. When I was 18, I was independently living until I turned 21 when I aged out of foster… Read more »

Arlington residents say new mental health diversion court program was rushed

While attendees of a public forum on Aug. 15 agreed that a docket on behavioral health could benefit individuals with mental health issues, they said the program should not require participants to plead guilty and requires more public feedback before becoming final.

The region has built a lot of housing – but not enough, and not in the right places

The authors of a new Brookings Institute report break down their findings about where housing has been constructed in the D.C. metro area and how that affects affordability.

Stranger Danger: The Norfolk Experience, Finale

Artist and vendor Jet Flegette shares the final installment of the story of her time with Shelley.

Arlington’s first step toward more affordable housing

The city is moving in the right direction, says freelance writer Sarah Tascone.

Capital Region Housing Challenge looks to raise $1 billion for affordable housing by 2020

The Capital Region Housing Challenge was announced by the Housing Leaders Group of Greater Washington March 20. The challenge aims to encourage $1 billion in commitments to fund affordable housing projects in the D.C. metro area.

25th annual resource fair strives to compensate for the high rate of denials for veterans’ benefits

On Jan. 26, the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center hosted its 25th Winterhaven Stand Down, a resource event for homeless and at-risk veterans. The day included on-the-spot hiring, legal aid, warm meals and more.

Affordable Housing Advocates prepare for more competitive housing market

The report says there has been an increasingly expensive and competitive housing market in northern Virginia.

Financial abuse is more stealthy and just as sinister as physical violence

Legal, financial and social service experts agree that financial abuse is an integral component of most abusive relationships and can prevent victims from seeking help.

Product of Progression: Life after rapid rehousing is not easy

A Street Sense vendor talks about his struggles after rapid rehousing.

Getting homeless services effectively

A Street Sense artist and vendor shares her ideas on a more effective way to provide services to those experiencing homelessness.

Love, always, for Elizabeth Kitsos-Kang

A memorial for Street Sense Media Artist-in-Residence Elizabeth Kitsos-Kang.

I am the DMV

A poem by a Kimball Elementary School student about her identity as a member of the DMV community

A $1 million donation from Amazon is keeping D.C. families out of homelessness

With the help of a $1 million donation from Amazon, the D.C.-based nonprofit Friendship Place recently launched Family Connect, a privately funded homelessness prevention and diversion program. The 115-day program focuses on getting participants into stable housing and helping them gain employment as quickly as possible.

Discrepancy in City’s Median Income

Funding for housing programs is based on the area median income as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The District is at a disadvantage because HUD defines the AMI to include all of the D.C. Metro Region, which means more affluent parts of Maryland and  Virginia affect the data.