Posts tagged Poverty
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DC pledged to end homelessness by 2020, yet 54 people died without a home this year
On December 20, advocates, faith leaders, and community members gathered for the annual Homeless Memorial Vigil to remember the 54 people who died without the dignity of a home in DC in 2018 thus far. Those who died ranged in age from 25 to 87, with the median age being 57. Keep reading…
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DC General closed, Arlington got HQ2, Bowser wants a new stadium. What’s next for Hill East?
Residents in the Hill East neighborhood are still in the dark about the future of 67 acres of ill-used land sandwiched nearby between Capitol Hill and the Anacostia River known as Reservation 13. Keep reading…
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LGBTQ youth disproportionately experience homelessness. Some are also entrepreneurs.
Homelessness impacts people from many backgrounds, so it may not seem like an LGBTQ issue. However, the District's 2017 Homeless Youth Census found that 31% of young people experiencing homelessness self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, or queer/questioning, and 6% self-identified as transgender. Keep reading…
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The DC Council just cut $20 million for homeless services to fund tax breaks for commercial properties
On December 4, the DC Council moved to divert an estimated $20 million in new tax funds it had pledged for homeless programs to instead reduce the property tax rate for commercial entities valued at $10 million or more. That could have funded permanent supportive housing for about 730 people or long-term housing vouchers to about 1,000 very low-income families. Keep reading…
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Changing your neighborhood school will not destroy your community
In response to growth in attendance, Arlington County Public Schools (APS) is opening some new schools and shifting the location of county-wide “option” programs to better utilize resources. As a result, the School Board must approve new boundaries for neighborhood schools in the southern portion of the county on December 6. Keep reading…
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Public bathrooms downtown? Activists say the DC Council should stop stalling
Since 2014, the small group of community activists has met weekly and pushed for access to public restrooms in downtown DC, resulting in a bill introduced by the DC Council in April 2017 that called for the installation and maintenance of stand-alone public restrooms. Keep reading…
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Video: The only cities worth building are those that include all of us
Cities need to focus on the humanity and the agency of the people living there regardless of socioeconomic status, says writer and activist OluTimehin Adegbeye. She poses some important questions we should ask about cities: “How are they run?”, “How do they grow?” and most importantly, “How do they decide who belongs and who doesn’t?” Keep reading…
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Nowhere to “go”: DC’s growing need for 24/7 public restrooms
“We need public restrooms” is the growing cry among advocates, public officials, visitors and citizens alike. The People for Fairness Coalition’s Downtown DC Public Restroom Committee has been championing the need for clean, safe, accessible and available public restrooms. Keep reading…
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Should you go to jail over the cost of a bus or Metro ride?
It’s hard to believe a severe level of force improves our Metro system or makes riders and transit workers safer. Under our current law, the consequences are very serious: up to a $300 fine (133x the base rail fare), 10 days in jail, and a potentially lifelong criminal record. Keep reading…
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DC’s black residents aren’t benefiting as much from the city’s prosperity
The District’s long-term success depends on ensuring that everyone has economic opportunity and the chance to succeed. Yet new income and poverty data from the Census Bureau tell us while many District residents are benefitting from DC’s strong economy, many Black residents are still struggling to make ends meet. Keep reading…