Residents and visitors can take steps to protect themselves from common crimes in our area, such as stolen vehicles, thefts from vehicles and stolen packages, said MPD Lt. Bobbette Forrest during a recent neighborhood meeting. Earlier this month, Forrest and other DC police officers met with neighbors at Forest Hills Park. Forrest heads the Second […]
Creator of ‘Housing First’ model for homeless says DC’s version misses the mark
by Marlene Berlin The “Housing First” policy adopted by Mayor Bowser’s administration is missing a key element, according to the clinical and community psychologist who developed the model for housing the chronically homeless. Although the unhoused person’s need for intensive case management is an eligibility requirement, DC officials have stated that people who qualify for […]
Nov. 6 DC Council roundtable examines housing vouchers for homeless people in need of behavioral health services
by Marlene Berlin The District government’s permanent supportive housing program serves people who have been chronically homeless and struggle with one or more of the following conditions: substance abuse, mental illness, and physical or developmental disabilities. PSH vouchers come with intensive services – which recipients can refuse – but caseworkers must check in at least […]
Residents and landlords speak at an apartment-focused Council hearing on crime
by Marlene Berlin The DC Council, for the first time, is considering legislation that seeks to address crime in apartment buildings specifically. And at last month’s hearing on the bill, many of the nearly five dozen witnesses testified in detail about the personal and community impacts. The majority of witnesses at the December 10th hearing […]
After child deaths, ANCs press DC Council for apartment safety hearing
by Marlene Berlin Three advisory neighborhood commissions are urging the DC Council to use its oversight responsibility to address community concerns about apartment safety, and speak to the community’s outrage over the recent deaths of two young children connected to Connecticut Avenue buildings. Dozens of apartment buildings are within the boundaries of ANCs 3F, 3C […]
ANC 3F is hosting an Oct. 28 special meeting on recent child deaths and apartments safety
Following recent child deaths connected to the Connecticut House and Sedgwick Gardens apartments, ANCs 3F, 3C and 3/4G will be requesting a joint hearing by the three DC Council committees with oversight over housing, health and family services agencies. This proposed hearing will be the topic of an October 28th special meeting hosted by ANC […]
Another case of stolen wheels. Not the car. The wheels.
by Marlene Berlin A few weeks ago, I spotted the above car by the Owl’s Nest on Gates Road. As you can see, it was missing its wheels. I sent the photo plus the vehicle’s license plate information to the Metropolitan Police Department. “We are looking into it,” I was told. How frequently do wheels […]
After two child deaths in a week, DC agencies with apartment safety oversight will appear at ANC 3F’s Oct. 15 meeting
On Sunday, October 6th, five-year-old DeAndre Pettus died at Connecticut House. His father is charged with cruelty to children. The prior weekend, one-year-old Journee Moore died after medics were called to Sedgwick Gardens Apartments. Her death was ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma. No one, as of this writing, has been charged in that […]
The DC Council takes up the OAG’s apartments safety bill
by Marlene Berlin A gap in DC public safety laws makes it difficult for the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to sue landlords who do not follow police recommendations to improve the safety and security of their apartment buildings. The DC Council is about to take up OAG-authored legislation aimed at closing that gap. […]
Deputy mayor promises communication portal as a short-term fix for apartment buildings with “impactfully disruptive residents”
The DC deputy mayor charged with overseeing coordination between DC agencies that work on homelessness and behavioral health said in July that the District was creating a communication portal that apartment landlords and residents could use to request services for disruptive tenants. Wayne Turnage and a staff member suggested at the July 19th ANC 3F […]