Street Sense Media
@streetsensedc.bsky.social
Empowering those experiencing homelessness & informing the public since 2003. Donate to help us continue our work. Visit our website at streetsensemedia.org. Still getting set up here!
While D.C. residents received their November SNAP benefits earlier this month, that won’t be the end of the story as a region with “persistently high” food insecurity faces ongoing changes to the federally-funded program.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/8ebnxb5c
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/8ebnxb5c
SNAP returns, but hunger in the D.C. region is here to stay - Street Sense Media
Despite the government shutdown ending, food banks and distribution centers in D.C. say there's been a spike in need this year.
streetsensemedia.org
November 26, 2025 at 6:52 PM
While D.C. residents received their November SNAP benefits earlier this month, that won’t be the end of the story as a region with “persistently high” food insecurity faces ongoing changes to the federally-funded program.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/8ebnxb5c
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/8ebnxb5c
Unhoused families in D.C. and Maryland face numerous obstacles when accessing affordable childcare, including programs with age restrictions, strict shelter rules, lack of transportation, and lack of long-term support.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/4tv76f5c
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/4tv76f5c
The childcare challenges faced by homeless families
The plight of unhoused families is compounded by the difficulty of finding childcare and the rules and regulations in shelters.
tinyurl.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Unhoused families in D.C. and Maryland face numerous obstacles when accessing affordable childcare, including programs with age restrictions, strict shelter rules, lack of transportation, and lack of long-term support.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/4tv76f5c
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/4tv76f5c
The D.C. government is attempting to respond to long-standing concerns from residents in wealthier parts of the city about people exiting homelessness moving into their buildings.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ppemuxam
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ppemuxam
DBH launches programs for voucher holders amid concerns
DBH launched a hotline and case managers in apartments to improve community relations with neighbors of PSH voucher holders.
streetsensemedia.org
November 24, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The D.C. government is attempting to respond to long-standing concerns from residents in wealthier parts of the city about people exiting homelessness moving into their buildings.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ppemuxam
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ppemuxam
Street Sense is looking for winter/spring interns to help us report and write articles, design our paper, and run our social media accounts. Apply by Dec. 1 by sending a resume, cover letter, and three clips/work samples to [email protected].
https://bit.ly/4hW7wbs
https://bit.ly/4hW7wbs
November 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Street Sense is looking for winter/spring interns to help us report and write articles, design our paper, and run our social media accounts. Apply by Dec. 1 by sending a resume, cover letter, and three clips/work samples to [email protected].
https://bit.ly/4hW7wbs
https://bit.ly/4hW7wbs
A documentary following Street Sense vendor Sheila White will now be available for the community to watch! Catch it on WETA tonight, Nov. 22, at 7:30 p.m. or anytime after on WETA+ as part of the Community Voice Lab at American University series.
https://bit.ly/47UVc8v
https://bit.ly/47UVc8v
November 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
A documentary following Street Sense vendor Sheila White will now be available for the community to watch! Catch it on WETA tonight, Nov. 22, at 7:30 p.m. or anytime after on WETA+ as part of the Community Voice Lab at American University series.
https://bit.ly/47UVc8v
https://bit.ly/47UVc8v
Despite a decrease in scheduled encampment closures, sweeps at the MLK Library downtown have caused uncertainty among those who frequently sleep outside it.
“It makes everyone go like, ‘When they coming? When they coming around?’” Al Benny Morales said.
https://bit.ly/4rb6fSi
“It makes everyone go like, ‘When they coming? When they coming around?’” Al Benny Morales said.
https://bit.ly/4rb6fSi
MLK Library target of repeated city clearings
The city has conducted repeated encampment closures at the MLK Library, a refuge for people experiencing homelessness downtown.
streetsensemedia.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Despite a decrease in scheduled encampment closures, sweeps at the MLK Library downtown have caused uncertainty among those who frequently sleep outside it.
“It makes everyone go like, ‘When they coming? When they coming around?’” Al Benny Morales said.
https://bit.ly/4rb6fSi
“It makes everyone go like, ‘When they coming? When they coming around?’” Al Benny Morales said.
https://bit.ly/4rb6fSi
D.C.’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) reopened this morning after being closed for over a year, transitioning from an online portal-based application system to an appointment-based system.
Read more here: https://streetsensemedia.org/article/erap-reopens-nov20/
Read more here: https://streetsensemedia.org/article/erap-reopens-nov20/
D.C. rental assistance reopens with an appointment-based system - Street Sense Media
D.C.’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) reopens November 20 with a new appointment-based system some worry could be a barrier.
streetsensemedia.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:45 PM
D.C.’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) reopened this morning after being closed for over a year, transitioning from an online portal-based application system to an appointment-based system.
Read more here: https://streetsensemedia.org/article/erap-reopens-nov20/
Read more here: https://streetsensemedia.org/article/erap-reopens-nov20/
Street Sense Vendors are gearing up for winter. And our case management team REALLY needs hand warmers, gloves and toiletries. An in-kind donation goes a long way!
https://tinyurl.com/WinterVendorNeeds
(Let us know if you know an Amazon alternative.)
https://tinyurl.com/WinterVendorNeeds
(Let us know if you know an Amazon alternative.)
November 18, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Street Sense Vendors are gearing up for winter. And our case management team REALLY needs hand warmers, gloves and toiletries. An in-kind donation goes a long way!
https://tinyurl.com/WinterVendorNeeds
(Let us know if you know an Amazon alternative.)
https://tinyurl.com/WinterVendorNeeds
(Let us know if you know an Amazon alternative.)
DC is debating whether to make DC Flex, a rent subsidy program the city has piloted since 2017, a permanent option for residents. DC Flex provides eligible low-income participants with a fixed annual subsidy that they can access for rent.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/y5en4k9v
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/y5en4k9v
DC Flex, a pilot rent subsidy program, could become permanent
DC Flex will be here to stay if a bill passes the D.C. Council, but advocates wonder if the program will change to address the growing need.
tinyurl.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:00 PM
DC is debating whether to make DC Flex, a rent subsidy program the city has piloted since 2017, a permanent option for residents. DC Flex provides eligible low-income participants with a fixed annual subsidy that they can access for rent.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/y5en4k9v
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/y5en4k9v
Have somewhere you always want to see a vendor? What about a question about homelessness you've been wanting someone to dig into? Let us know in our audience survey at bit.ly/SSMsurvey2025. But don't wait - it'll just be open til Nov. 18!
November 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Have somewhere you always want to see a vendor? What about a question about homelessness you've been wanting someone to dig into? Let us know in our audience survey at bit.ly/SSMsurvey2025. But don't wait - it'll just be open til Nov. 18!
Marcus May is the executive chef at Miriam’s Kitchen, a D.C. outreach organization that caters to people experiencing homelessness.
“We may be categorized as a soup kitchen,” May said. “But there’s nothing soup kitchen about what we do.”
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ycxsc2tf
“We may be categorized as a soup kitchen,” May said. “But there’s nothing soup kitchen about what we do.”
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ycxsc2tf
“Super” kitchen: How a chef in D.C. is combating homelessness, one meal at a time - Street Sense Media
Marcus May feeds hundreds of people a day, and he can't afford not to have his kitchen running at peak form. This is how he does it.
tinyurl.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Marcus May is the executive chef at Miriam’s Kitchen, a D.C. outreach organization that caters to people experiencing homelessness.
“We may be categorized as a soup kitchen,” May said. “But there’s nothing soup kitchen about what we do.”
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ycxsc2tf
“We may be categorized as a soup kitchen,” May said. “But there’s nothing soup kitchen about what we do.”
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ycxsc2tf
The D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) has drafted the city’s winter plan as the District heads into hypothermia season with shelters nearly full.
Read more here: https://streetsensemedia.org/article/d-c-drafts-winter-plan-shelter-beds/
Read more here: https://streetsensemedia.org/article/d-c-drafts-winter-plan-shelter-beds/
D.C. drafts winter plan, proposing hypothermia beds at new sites
The D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness has drafted a winter plan focused more on year-round shelter instead of temporary sites.
streetsensemedia.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
The D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) has drafted the city’s winter plan as the District heads into hypothermia season with shelters nearly full.
Read more here: https://streetsensemedia.org/article/d-c-drafts-winter-plan-shelter-beds/
Read more here: https://streetsensemedia.org/article/d-c-drafts-winter-plan-shelter-beds/
We're planning our 2026 at Street Sense! Let us know what you think we can work on by taking our audience survey at bit.ly/SSMsurvey2025. It's only open for one more week and will just take a few minutes!
November 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM
We're planning our 2026 at Street Sense! Let us know what you think we can work on by taking our audience survey at bit.ly/SSMsurvey2025. It's only open for one more week and will just take a few minutes!
From Oct. 7 to Oct. 29, D.C.’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) cleared seven encampments across the city, including one that was the scene of a recent fire.
https://streetsensemedia.org/article/encampment-updates-d-c-continues-regular-closures-throughout-october/
https://streetsensemedia.org/article/encampment-updates-d-c-continues-regular-closures-throughout-october/
D.C. continues regular encampment closures in October
Between Oct. 7 and Oct. 29, D.C.’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) cleared seven encampments across the city.
streetsensemedia.org
November 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
From Oct. 7 to Oct. 29, D.C.’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) cleared seven encampments across the city, including one that was the scene of a recent fire.
https://streetsensemedia.org/article/encampment-updates-d-c-continues-regular-closures-throughout-october/
https://streetsensemedia.org/article/encampment-updates-d-c-continues-regular-closures-throughout-october/
The D.C. Council is considering a proposal that would close a loophole in the city’s housing policy which lets rent-controlled buildings charge voucher holders more, eroding the power of rent control.
https://streetsensemedia.org/article/rent-stabilization-to-housing-voucher-programs
https://streetsensemedia.org/article/rent-stabilization-to-housing-voucher-programs
Bill would extend rent stabilization to housing voucher programs
A new bill would close the loophole that exempts housing voucher tenants from rent control and allows landlords to charge them higher rent.
streetsensemedia.org
November 10, 2025 at 12:56 PM
The D.C. Council is considering a proposal that would close a loophole in the city’s housing policy which lets rent-controlled buildings charge voucher holders more, eroding the power of rent control.
https://streetsensemedia.org/article/rent-stabilization-to-housing-voucher-programs
https://streetsensemedia.org/article/rent-stabilization-to-housing-voucher-programs
Our new issue is out! Look for a vendor to read about affordable housing changes in the city, D.C.'s new approach to hypothermia season, and the "souper" kitchen that feeds hundreds each day.
November 6, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Our new issue is out! Look for a vendor to read about affordable housing changes in the city, D.C.'s new approach to hypothermia season, and the "souper" kitchen that feeds hundreds each day.
We want to hear your voice! Tell us what you think about our newspaper and take our audience survey here! http://bit.ly/SSMsurvey2025
November 6, 2025 at 12:40 AM
We want to hear your voice! Tell us what you think about our newspaper and take our audience survey here! http://bit.ly/SSMsurvey2025
We’re hiring! We are looking for an employment specialist. See more information and apply here!
https://bit.ly/47U9XZ0
https://bit.ly/47U9XZ0
November 3, 2025 at 6:30 PM
We’re hiring! We are looking for an employment specialist. See more information and apply here!
https://bit.ly/47U9XZ0
https://bit.ly/47U9XZ0
Since mid-September, unusual small groups of uniformed health care providers from the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) have been spotted around D.C., speaking with people experiencing homelessness.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/3fw7798e
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/3fw7798e
Federal public health team engages with homeless people in D.C.
Nearly 20 members of the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service were deployed to work with the city.
tinyurl.com
November 1, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Since mid-September, unusual small groups of uniformed health care providers from the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) have been spotted around D.C., speaking with people experiencing homelessness.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/3fw7798e
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/3fw7798e
Rachel Pierre is poised to be the next head of D.C.'s Department of Human Services (DHS), which oversees homeless services in the city.
Pierre, who has served as the acting DHS director for the last year, was nominated by the mayor this summer.
https://tinyurl.com/mr49a3ww
Pierre, who has served as the acting DHS director for the last year, was nominated by the mayor this summer.
https://tinyurl.com/mr49a3ww
Rachel Pierre poised to be the next head of D.C. social services - Street Sense Media
Rachel Pierre is set to officially become the head of the D.C. Department of Human Services after months of acting as interim director.
tinyurl.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Rachel Pierre is poised to be the next head of D.C.'s Department of Human Services (DHS), which oversees homeless services in the city.
Pierre, who has served as the acting DHS director for the last year, was nominated by the mayor this summer.
https://tinyurl.com/mr49a3ww
Pierre, who has served as the acting DHS director for the last year, was nominated by the mayor this summer.
https://tinyurl.com/mr49a3ww
A new halfway house for formerly incarcerated men is set to open in Ward 7 on Dec. 1. The facility, HeRise Growth Center, will be the only halfway house for men in D.C after the closure of Hope Village in 2020. Read the full article online at https://bit.ly/3LhuFZU
October 28, 2025 at 9:15 PM
A new halfway house for formerly incarcerated men is set to open in Ward 7 on Dec. 1. The facility, HeRise Growth Center, will be the only halfway house for men in D.C after the closure of Hope Village in 2020. Read the full article online at https://bit.ly/3LhuFZU
We're gearing up for winter! But our case management team already has most of the clothing items we need for now. So we could really use toiletries! Can you help out with an in-kind donation? Thank you!
https://tinyurl.com/WinterVendorNeeds
(And let us know if you know an Amazon alternative.)
https://tinyurl.com/WinterVendorNeeds
(And let us know if you know an Amazon alternative.)
October 28, 2025 at 7:31 PM
We're gearing up for winter! But our case management team already has most of the clothing items we need for now. So we could really use toiletries! Can you help out with an in-kind donation? Thank you!
https://tinyurl.com/WinterVendorNeeds
(And let us know if you know an Amazon alternative.)
https://tinyurl.com/WinterVendorNeeds
(And let us know if you know an Amazon alternative.)
A new proposed bill to create a deposit-based bottle reclamation program could provide some homeless and low-income D.C. residents with a small but steady monthly income.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/5n96e6z9
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/5n96e6z9
A deposit-based bottle recycling program could offer homeless communities an opportunity to make a profit - Street Sense Media
Councilmember Brianne Nadeau sees a proposed bottle bill as an income opportunity for low-income residents.
streetsensemedia.org
October 27, 2025 at 7:18 PM
A new proposed bill to create a deposit-based bottle reclamation program could provide some homeless and low-income D.C. residents with a small but steady monthly income.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/5n96e6z9
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/5n96e6z9
We are hiring an Employment Specialist (Full-Time) to assist Street Sense media vendors in their transition to further full-time employment.
Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/3pp28pyz
Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/3pp28pyz
Employment Specialist
Street Sense Media is now hiring for the position of Employment Specialist in Washington. Apply today.
www.idealist.org
October 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM
We are hiring an Employment Specialist (Full-Time) to assist Street Sense media vendors in their transition to further full-time employment.
Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/3pp28pyz
Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/3pp28pyz
A city plan to significantly reduce poverty in the District by 2026 and eliminate it entirely by 2036 is still in the works, nearly two years after the group tasked with making the plan first convened.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ne4324f7
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ne4324f7
D.C.’s plan to cut poverty in half by 2026 still hasn’t been released - Street Sense Media
A city plan to significantly reduce poverty in the District by 2026 and eliminate it entirely by 2036 is still in the works.
tinyurl.com
October 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM
A city plan to significantly reduce poverty in the District by 2026 and eliminate it entirely by 2036 is still in the works, nearly two years after the group tasked with making the plan first convened.
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ne4324f7
Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ne4324f7