What was the question? They have electric and water in McPherson SQ.

You did not even attempt to answer that question.

You can file it will just be from the date you prove you contacted the office. So send emails, have call records ready from the earliest date.

Ok, but we're going to be doing this again with another park in 6 months. I'm tired of this total waste of tax dollars.

Oh I absolutely don't think it should be housing + no rehab. It's just housing first. Having people in a stable location makes it much easier to connect them with services like substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, job training & placement, etc.

Here's one study that looked into it:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10737824/
Conclusion: "The program's housing retention rate over a five-year period challenges many widely held clinical assumptions about the relationship between the symptoms and the functional ability of an individual. Clients with severe psychiatric disabilities and addictions are capable of obtaining and maintaining independent housing when provided with the opportunity and necessary supports."

Here's another, this time with more mixed results:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448313/

"Participants in the Housing First program were able to obtain and maintain independent housing without compromising psychiatric or substance abuse symptoms."

People were more likely to remain stably housed with a housing first approach.

The most interesting highlight for me is that the housing first group had lower levels of engagement in substance abuse treatment, but basically the same levels of actual substance use. This shows that forcing people into substance abuse treatment in order to receive housing is ineffective.

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They aren't living on "public land" this isn't fucking Montana. They built a shanty town in a park 2 blocks from the White House. Everyone in that park knew this would happen and they laughed and saw how long they could play it out.

We aren't going to let McPherson SQ be a shanty town because a dozen people put their tents up.

"Without electricity or water" bullshit.. they are sleeping a few hundred yards from the president of the United States of America. Stop it.

You want me to say something less agreeable so you can do some virtue signaling? Am I getting that right?

Honestly you’d have to otherwise they’d lateral

Are they coming here from out of state, or are there proud boys living here?

I've heard the janitors who work cleaning the SCIFs with a TS/SCI and higher clearance needed get paid huge salaries.

What’s your point? That there are other homeless people in other parts of dc? If you have something to say then articulate it

"a dozen or 2 homeless people who decided to build a shanty town in a central park"

I'm not a landlord, and I never said anything about private landlords, not sure where you're getting that idea from.

And I would have no problem living next to a formerly homeless person. If they were causing problems with noise, damage to the building, etc., I would deal with that the same way I deal with any neighbor causing those problems.

i mean the alternative is what you have now, with people shooting up on the street -- is that any better?

i don't think harm reduction programs solve these problems easily, but they're at least worth exploring

I literally just left working for them 2-3 weeks ago. For a foot in the door gig, it’s an excellent opportunity. My supervisor was an absolute angel and the folks I worked with were absolutely lovely.

Why would someone who isn't homeless choose to live in a tent on public land without electricity or water

How would you classify them?

More than zero

Yes, one of those consequences is that they're more likely to get sober than if they were on the street. Another is that it's likely to save the city money on emergency services. Yes, it has its own problems, it's not a silver bullet. But it's far more effective than what we're doing with that same money now.

So, the minority of.

So you are or are not willing to rent to a known drug user?

How would you feel if they lived next door and brought their drug user friends over all the time?

I mean it’s not. Giving housing to people who are active drug users has consequences too.

I’m not doubting you but do you have a source that housing + no rehab is effective?

Just show up! It’s easy to identify who’s “in charge” once you get there.