I recently spoke to the actor Barkhad Abdi and others about homelessness and poverty in D.C. Abdi co-starred with Tom Hanks in the movie “Captain Phillips.”
They wanted to know why so many people were panhandling in D.C. and why so many people in the capital were homeless.
I explained to them that it is best to come downtown and panhandle, especially during rush hour periods. I also told them that people come to D.C. looking for help and trying to obtain services from the government for housing.
They were in town visiting the Somalian Embassy.