The Capital Homeless Crisis at McPherson Square
The capital’s homelessness crisis can be considered a game of whack-a-mole, in which dense populations of homeless people are being relocated and resurfacing throughout the city. Washington D.C’s dense encampments in neighborhoods like Franklin Square, Union Station , and Scott Circle have already been cleared out. Their execution has been overly disappointing largely due to the administration. Washington D.C.’s lack of coordination in regard to the relocation of the homeless population in McPherson Square, their most recent clearing, has resulted in an adverse impact on homeless people, leading to prolonged housing insecurities.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has allocated a $400 million investment into the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF) during her second term to authorize the city to finance affordable housing amidst D.C.'s housing crises for low-income residents. From January 2019 to July 2022, Mayor Bowser supported the development of 22,814 net new units, 4,286 of which are affordable housing. The new endeavors have resulted in a $170 million Housing Protection Trust Fund gap along with Housing Tax Credits and Rent Supplement Vouchers to allow 80% of affordable homes to households making less than 50% of the Median Family Income ($71,150) for a family of four and 20% of affordable homes to families making less than $113,850. From January 2019 through the end of January 2023, her team has supported the development of 27,577 new housing units, 6,990 of which are affordable. However, Mayor Bowser has not invested in nearly enough initiatives in the homeless community specifically. Her endeavors have been relatively fruitful for low income families but have had no effect on homeless people. Homelessness in Washington D.C. is two times the national average.
The city is currently receiving complaints for the massive encampment of 65 homeless individuals in McPherson Square, 1.66 acres of public green space, just minutes away from the White House. In response to the complaints, the plan to disperse the concentration of encampments in McPherson Square has been expedited to February, sooner than the previous deadline of April 12, due to management complications and rising cases of health hazards including the death of three homeless individuals from drug overdoses. In response to the pandemic, the city council and the National Parks Services had been relatively lenient with the green space in McPherson Square, allowing those with housing insecurity to seek temporary refuge. However, as DC’s economy gradually transitions to its post-pandemic era, the encampment itself poses eminent public health and safety risks where open drug use, alcohol use, public harassment of visitors, trash, and debris blocking access are prominent, says Jeffrey P. Reinbold, NPS's superintendent of the National Mall and memorial parks. Many local residents are also especially frustrated at the stagnant progression toward housing the homeless and providing them with adequate resources.
With card council members expediting the disbandment of the camps, many homeless individuals residing in McPherson Square struggles to find housing security. Lisa, 54, a handicapped homeless individual who resided in McPherson Square, has voiced her frustrations with the government’s outreach and resource team. She had expressed negative experiences of assault at homeless shelters in which she confided with an outreach individual for resources and housing assistance. She states that she has not heard any updates from the outreach staffers who discussed potentially accessible overnight accommodations hours after McPherson Square’s clearout. Consequently, she was forced to seek sanctuary in the emergency room of a hospital. Due to the district’s shortage of outreach teams and lack of agenda-setting within the decampment programs, thereby prolonging the “social service engagement” trajectories till mere weeks before the decampment, Umi, an encampment resident who formerly lived at Franklin Square says. Yet, Wayne Turnage, deputy mayor for health and human services, states that his team has been proactively working with homeless individuals, implementing supply vouchers and housing assistance to try to reduce dense homeless populations in public areas.
The district should invest additional funds into homeless community initiatives by subsidizing activism groups or prioritizing stricter requirements to employ credible social outreach workers. Employing reputable social outreach groups, particularly those who specialize and have substantial experience in mental health can support homeless individuals' transition with ease. Jamal Weldon, deputy chief of staff for Mr. Turnage's office, notes that the post-encampment program is easier said than done. They should require outreach teams to commit to individuals in order to effectively eradicate the ongoing cycle of homelessness, thereby reducing subsequent encampments in other parts of the city. It is imperative to empathize with homeless individuals especially since they could feel hesitant to reach out due to connections to consequences of past criminal activities, general distrust, and general miscommunication from the lack of consistency from short-lived outreach and resource programs. They are far more likely to experience substance-use disorders and a range of trauma and mental health disorders. By providing housing, a sense of security, and grounding, homeless individuals who are in need of specific services can receive the treatments they need, thereby encouraging voluntary mental health treatments (or other health problems). Commitment and strict agenda-setting can allow outreach workers to see visible progress, rather than erratic visits or consultations. Persistence and coordinated approaches are most effective in assisting homeless populations but due to D.C.’s mishandling of the recent Mcpherson Square clearance, many homeless individuals are at risk of continuing the cycle.