PHOTO/TIM D’EMILIO
By Reginald Black, Da’ Street Reportin’ Artist
WASHINGTON, DC — Even though the homeless do not have “a place” per se, that does not mean that they are totally without rights or have to be silent about having rights.
Take my story for example. I became homeless when my father and I could no longer co-exist. I’ve spent six months in my neighborhood panhandling and scraping to find employment. Things changed when I discovered Street Sense. Street Sense is a street paper and it has been helping me financially. I can write and sell the paper and earn somewhat of an income. During the last five years writing for and selling the paper, I have encountered, from action after action, one thing is clear. People who are experiencing poverty need a little more from the community at large.
Since the early 2000s, we in the District of Colombia have lost more than half of the affordable units for low-income residents. On a wage of $8.25/hour, Washington residents would have to work at least 140 hours a week to afford the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment, according to Eugene Sanford, Assistant Director of People for Fairness Coalition. Although the City Council has passed a measure that raises wages for workers at large retail stores (the Large Retailer Accountable Act of 2013 – LRAA), there is no mention of involving the homeless, and the bill still faces an expected veto by Mayor Vincent C. Gray. It is as if Washington is saying to its workers that we do not want you to live here.
That is why I believe something like the Right to Housing is so important. It will make the District look at its Human Rights Committee and start to call for this committee to not just “learn” about human rights, but act on this obvious disparity present in the city. For me, this means being able to secure housing and furthermore, establish a specific timeline for ending homelessness. The only way to get there is to raise as much awareness as possible. Awareness, for instance, of Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed by the United Nations:
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of him/herself and the family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his/her control.”
With that awareness, we get politically organized. We will go on the offensive to require that DC upholds and implements its commitments to human rights. Every District resident deserves the best quality housing available and District officials need to support any policy that will meet the public’s need. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not a ceremonial gesture. It is an agenda for our survival.
Reginald Black can be reached at streetreporter227@gmail.com
It is now 2 years since I last sold my Street Sense newspaper.But still I remember how communication is very important when relaying issues,hence I dwelt so much writing on how the intelligence community work using their military technology.
Your message is loud and clear in writing I see above,but when it comes to other forms of communicating, it always comes out wrong.
That is why I am dwelling so much on gender issues for it is becoming apparent to me that the inequality that comes with it could be a major cause of homelessness when it comes to relaying the message to end homelessness.