Criminalization of Homelessness

Global coronavirus pandemic could help the homeless or hurt them more

COVID-19 presents another challenge for the unhoused community in Washington, D.C. Will local leaders take the right actions to create positive social change after this unprecedented crisis?

Response to protests upends daily life for homeless people downtown

The influx of people into downtown DC and the aggressive police response has put people experiencing homelessness in DC on edge.

The Trump Administration’s false and damaging narrative on homelessness

The founder and executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty says how the Trump administration has only hindered those who are experiencing homelessness.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has a bold vision for criminal justice reform, and it calls for decriminalizing poverty and homelessness

U.S. congresswoman Ayanna Pressley unveiled a resolution titled The People’s Justice Guarantee which proposes decriminalizing sex work and other low-level offenses “which are byproducts of poverty, homelessness, discrimination and/or addiction.”

Street Sense vendors react to downtown bench removal

Multiple Street Sense vendors give their opinions on bench removal in the downtown area.

A simple solution to homeless encampments: End homelessness

The NoMa Business Improvement District said in an “open letter” on its website that “conditions are worsening at the encampments in the underpasses and on First Street NE, and that people are worried about their ability to safely traverse these public spaces.”

Two Street Sense Media vendors and three local service provider and advocacy organizations respond.

Stop blaming the homeless

The NoMa Business Improvement District said in an “open letter” on its website that “conditions are worsening at the encampments in the underpasses and on First Street NE, and that people are worried about their ability to safely traverse these public spaces.”

Two Street Sense Media vendors and three local service provider and advocacy organizations respond.

Just say no to BIDs

The NoMa Business Improvement District said in an “open letter” on its website that “conditions are worsening at the encampments in the underpasses and on First Street NE, and that people are worried about their ability to safely traverse these public spaces.”

Two Street Sense Media vendors and three local service provider and advocacy organizations respond.

Responses to NoMa businesses calling for purge of homeless

The NoMa Business Improvement District said in an “open letter” on its website that “conditions are worsening at the encampments in the underpasses and on First Street NE, and that people are worried about their ability to safely traverse these public spaces.”

Two Street Sense Media vendors and three local service provider and advocacy organizations respond.

Grosso makes a second bid to expand anti-discrimination protections to people experiencing homelessness

Though the Michael A. Stoops Anti-Discrimination Amendment Act did not gain traction in 2017, it was reintroduced to DC Council earlier this year.

White, Yellow or Black

Artist and vendor Laticia Brock shares a poem about the criminalization of homelessness.

Unhoused people are more frequently victims of hate crimes, report says

The National Coalition for the Homeless released its latest report on hate crimes against homeless people in December of 2018.

Compassion is needed in the cold

Andre Brinson writes about an experience with a police officer on an extremely cold night.

Mr. Burns

Laticia Brock shares a poem about police harassment.

Lyft offers a low-income discount on scooters in DC. It also lobbied against a tax to fund shelter beds in San Francisco.

Lyft started a pilot program offering 400 scooters in D.C., and residents with proof of low-income who qualify for a form of “welfare” like Medicaid or SNAP, can get a Lyft scooter subscription for just $5 per month. Low-income residents in D.C. have less access to public transportation like the Metro.

The non-solution solutions to end homelessness

The Western Regional Advocacy Project discusses common “solutions” to poverty that, while having the best of intentions, do not stop the epidemic of homelessness and waste millions of dollars.

United Nations report: The U.S. has the wealth to end homelessness and chooses not to

United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston visited several locations throughout the United States to observe and report on extreme poverty and its human rights implications.

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.  

D.C. ACLU sues U.S. Marshals for degrading eviction

The American Civil Liberties Union D.C. filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Marshals Service for an eviction that occurred in June 2015, where marshals entered the home of a woman with weapons drawn and evicted her and her twelve-year-old daughter.

D.C. needs public toilets

A Street Sense Media vendor shares her views on the availability of public restrooms.