It’s been over 3 weeks since a DC bulldozer injured an unhoused neighbor in an attempt to throw his tent away. While several Councilmembers have issued statements (Nadeau, Robert White, Silverman, and Lewis-George), we’ve seen no concrete action. The DC Council has their next legislative meeting this Tuesday and we’re calling on them to step in and stop the harm. Take action to send an email and demand that your Councilmembers take action!

Despite mounting objections, Mayor Bowser remains unphased.

In the face of wide-ranging pushback from The Way Home Campaign, DC voters, The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, community groups, foundations, advocates, and a powerful OpEd in the Washington Post, Mayor Bowser refuses to modify this pilot to focus solely on housing Encampment evictions are traumatic and dangerous even when nobody is injured by heavy machinery. This is doubly true as the temperature drops. Shockingly, DC is moving forward with its plan to evict residents from homeless encampments and create “no tent zones,” a move that further criminalizes homelessness.

DC must focus on housing without the threat of eviction or displacement.

This misguided approach jeopardizes DC’s unprecedented opportunity to make a serious dent in our homelessness crisis thanks to the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which can end chronic homelessness for over 2,350 of our neighbors. Permanently closing encampments destroys trust with our unhoused neighbors and monopolizes the time of service providers and government agencies who should be focused on housing.  

ACT NOW! This Tuesday’s legislative meeting is our best shot for the Council to stop the harm and focus on housing. This won’t happen unless they hear from you.