That panda looks like it's desperately fleeing a fire.

Fires or rat poison, I'm not sure which is worse.

Washington Business Journal did a story a few months back about hiring programs for the homeless. There was a major outreach effort on the part of construction companies downtown to bring unemployed and homeless DC workers onsite for training and basic manual labor. The retention rate was abysmal because most of the workers didn't show up on time (if at all) and those who did stay gave up after a few days. One guy gave up because he "didn't want to get dirty." It's like the guy begging for food on the street but when you give him a sandwich, he complains that it isn't the kind he wanted.

A lot of this has to do with drug abuse and mental health issues. Until they get clean and on medication, work training (let alone work) isn't a realistic option. You'd think DC would be able to coordinate housing, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, job training AND placement. Isn't that we're paying for?

I was always suprised that Tipton Airport is basically right across the street from NSA. You'd think the NSA folks wouldn't be too happy with civilians overflying their headquarters, especially considering how testy they get when you take the "NSA Employees Only" exit off the B-W Parkway.

DC has band-aid solutions for the homeless. And wehave an overly active 'homeless advocacy' culture that is more concerned about making a political statement than about actually ending homelessness.

If we were really serious about actual longterm solutions we'd do the following:

Sell the Mitch Snyder homeless shelter and probably several other centers that are sitting on land 50 times more valuable than the actual decrepit shelters. The Mitch Snyder center takes up an entire city block, 3 blocks from the Capitol. You'd get, what, $30 million for it? Or, better yet, maintain ownership but build a 12 story office building in it's place and collect rents for the next century.

The sale or the rents would build several mighty fine comprehensive centers for ALL services for the homeless. It just wouldn't be on astonishingly expensive downtown real estate.

These centers would not just be a bed at night, turning the homeless loose to panhandle all day. They'd include onsight job training, mental health facilities, and substance abuse facilities. It'd be one stop shopping. Manned by professionals that would actually care enough to make a safe environment for the homeless (one frequent and apparently very legit complaint is that many DC shelters are very violent and the staff either doesn't care or isn't equipped to help much).

Also ideally, we'd locate these centers near places where the homeless could actually get away from the environment that fosters their problems. That is, get them to the burbs or other places that won't tolerate them panhandling and killing themselves slowly in public parks. Putting them back out on the street all day in areas with a police force that tolerates their illegal activities is killing them slowly.

Once we actually knew we had actual facilities in place, we'd change public space laws. We've been seeing the same sad people that are clearly mentally disturbed slowly rotting in place in public parks and such for years now. We need to pony up and be willing to commit that lady screaming at trees in the park for psychological help, whether she wants it or not. And we need to refuse to tolerate panhandling, drinking in public, shitting in public, etc. We've made it far too easy to live in public spaces. Turns out living in a park or on a street is very bad for you. Yes, I know, this isn't rocket science, but we've been pretending for forty years now that it's ok and that it's somehow a 'right'. It's not ok. It shortens lifespans by decades, it introduces people to drugs and liquor abuse and violence. And it has a massively negative influence on neighborhoods and the quality of life for both the homeless and residents.

It's a two-prong approach. Make sure comprehensive services are actually available.

Then start arresting panhandlers and educate our populace on the negative side of panhandling. Panhandling is at the root of a lot of the problem. Why should someone show up and get a job if they can harass people into buying them liquor money? Things will NEVER change as long as we think it's ok to give panhandlers money.

Then make it illegal to sleep in public spaces. The National Park Service can do it (although their enforcement is sporadic). Why can't the rest of the city follow suit? Once we know we have actual treatment centers, make it absolutely illegal to live on the street. There is no right to living on a park bench, shitting in people's front yards, harassing people for money, etc.

And we need to be honest and admit that many panhandlers aren't homeless. They are con artists. Stop giving them money already.

And we need to make public crapping and drinking real offenses, with an automatic referral to substance abuse and mental health counselling. If that doesn't work, then real jail time.

This is the only way to really get a handle on homelessness.

I had a brother that was homeless in San Francisco for several years. Why? Because it was much easier than getting a job. 'Homeless advocates' literally fed him in the parks so he wouldn't even have to walk to a shelter, gave him liquor money, and convinced people that it was his 'right' to be living on the street. His every basic need was met. Except, you know, his actual need to not be living in a fucking gutter by the side of the road. What was the end result? His street buddies got him hooked on heroin and a variety of other things. His time on the street probably shortened his lifespan by twenty years.

I really wish I could find every 'homeless advocate' that insists there is some idiotic 'right' to living on the street and how 'we need to keep the homeless downtown and visible as a political statement' and show them my brother and let them explain to me how it was ok for them to enable him to ruin his life in such spectacular fashion.

Fuck off, MB. If you'd been through this with one of your relatives maybe you'd have strong feelings about it as well. So screw your condescendingly cute little post.

Okey dokey.

Hillman - great post!

We see so much of what you describe in Logan Circle Park every day. The same guys are there year after year (some we know by name now). There is just no incentive for them to work when they have everything they need.

I agree with Logan Resident on this....why do the people in DC put up with the way the homeless have basically invaded and taken over parks in this city?

The homeless in my neighborhood (west Adams Morgan) have moved out of the park next to the bus stop and into the larger Kalorama park because they can sleep on the ground, unbothered by peole waiting for the bus and going to work. It's only a matter of time before that park is as ruined as McPherson square, which is as squalid as an open sewer.

On Columbia Road, the 7-11 hands out food to homeless people who come into the store. The bums then hang out in front of the 7-11, begging for change, and scaring away people trying to take their kids out for a walk.

I've called the cops about the park sleeping, which is illegal in all DC parks, I believe, but nobody has done anything to make these folks move along. I once even saw a bum sleeping on a bench in the bus stop park with a 10" hunting knife on the ground beneath him. Apparently no cops ever responded, at least according to the check-up I did with the 911 call center later that day (i.e., the call was still "unanswered").

So, will anyone do anything about this? And why if there are so many "homeless advocates" is nobody actually doing anything to help these folks?