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Okay, don't be hard because it's picking up, is it picking up everything? Yeah. You gotta speak loud enough. Hello. Speak loudly too much. But that's okay. Everything looks pretty good. So say your name into the mic. This is the third interview for the Humanities homeless project. This is Vernon and I'm interviewing

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Andre Johnson. Okay, Andre Johnson. Yeah, Andre Johnson. Okay, I'm gonna ask you some questions. Andre. Where, where are we now?

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Dupont Circle? We in Dupont Circle, right? Okay, is this where you... do you live in the circle? I live up the street from the circle like in like a little abandoned little apartment. Okay, you gotta speak up a little.

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I mean I live up the street in an abandoned apartment. Ok, so you live in an abandoned apartment. I ask you that because I see a lot of these tents around here. Yeah. and... that seems to be with everybody, they like. Anyway...

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Thank you. Can you help me get a house? Help you get housing here. Well, that's what this is about. We putting it, it's a possibility. Okay. Okay, but I'm gonna ask you some questions, in reference to that too, okay?

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Okay. Okay, let's stop. Let's stop for a second. Okay. Okay, I want to state that today is August 29... Sunday. Sunday, August 29th, and my name is Vernon Suggs and your name is Andre Johnson. Okay. Do I have your permission to record this interview already doing it?

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You already doing it right? Right. Okay. We'll just give me a chance. Come on, man, we got to do it right. Cuz I won't be able to register it. Okay, could you tell us your... well, we alredy got his full name, Andre Johnson. Where, where and when were you born? I was born in North Carolina and I was born on 9/11/78. 9/11/78, North Carolina. Okay. Where were You Raised at?

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DC? DC, okay. And you, you stay that you are currently living in an abandoned apartment. So you are currently experiencing homelessness. Yeah, how long you been here? I have been experiencing homelessness for like 10 years.

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Have you had... okay... How do you describe your current situation? Just describe it in your own words. Like if I want to take a bath or some I got to go to the mall or something. You know what I'm saying, you know you can just wash up. You know, they bring me meals in the park over here so like Yeah, okay. Pretty good food? Yeah.

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Yeah, okay. All right, you have experienced a lot of homelessness before? Experienced what? For ten years, but I mean pride today. Oh no, I ain't got no family members in the city. All my family is dead, so I am by myself.

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Why do you think homelessness continues to be a big problem in DC? They don't give us jobs and stuff. You know, I'm saying? Lack of jobs leads to homelessness. So, so you said 10 years, you've been homeless in DC. Has, has anything changed over the years, and make it better or worse, as a homeless. They got a little couple little programs which are still messed up.

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What, what are some of the programs? program They help you. They say they provide you with food. What else? Apartments.

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And they try to get you apartments, the social worker. All right. What do you think of the biggest causes of homelessness and ... Alcohol and drug abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse.

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If I'm homeless, I ain't got nothing to do with it, you know what I am saying. It's the truth. Okay, and that's what we want the truth. I mean you don't have nothing to do, so, it's just easier to drink and drug and... and yeah... I got no hope. No hope?

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Yeah, I ain't got no hope, I ain't got no programs. They can't even help me get a job. They barely give me food stamps. So, you know what I'm saying. Okay, okay. Okay, and and you say your family from North Carolina? Yeah.

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Okay. So where will it y'all live before that? Tell me a little bit about that. Man in North Carolina man, I don't like to talk about my past... Okay well...

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I'm just saying man, it makes me want to cry. And I ain't crying for nothing. Okay, now, gentrification, you know what gentrification is? Gentrification is when you see all these different people moving in the city and they building all these new places that's expensive and they not for people like you and me necessarily. And they miss placing a lot of people and a lot of people like us who don't, can't afford, and we're going to end up out... homeless, right. So... so is your ability to access the prices of these this house has well, has it effect you? How do you feel about that? I can't get a job, so you know what I am saying. I don't even think about that. I just want me an apartment, man. I can't even apartment. I can't get an apartment soon. So I'm not even thinking about that to be honest with you. So I can't, I got no job. So this is gonna fuck me up. That what I drink and smoke like that because I know I can't get no job. I can't afford these high prices. Drinking, smoking.

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Yeah. So, so the city, what are they saying, when you go... I know the voucher thing... because I know that list something 20, 30 years long... and so they tell you, you on the list. What did they tell you when you go check on it? Come back. Come back? Okay... now this one right here, this a big one. How does the job situation in the city, right now, how is it impacting you?

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Well, I ain't got no high school education. So it's hard for me to get a job, you know saying I tried working McDonald's but they don't even want to hire me. So I may have to go to a program or something, you know, get my GED or something. You say, get your GED or go to a program. Okay. And you willing to work McDonald, you know, McDonald's are paying $15.00 an hour. I will work anywhere... I will try if you help me get a job. Well, we may be able to we gone... that's that's what this is about. Okay, would you say it's... well... would you say is hard to find work in the city?

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Yeah, I tried, but I keep getting denied. Keep getting denied based on...? My education level Your education level, okay. So that's one of the questions we's going to ask.

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And social services and changes to those service, they impact, your homelessness for better or for worse? It's for better, a little better. They give me food stamps, you know what I'm saying, try and do something with them. It's alright. Speak up a little bit. I hate your mics man. How much more we got?

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We got another like 15 minuets, 15. What kind A Target? You're giving a homeless person, a Target, Target gift card. What do you, what a homeless person can do to Target gift card? I can't fix nothing.

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There's a Target right up the street. Anyways, what kinds of... and you say it's hard to find work... because of your... education level Education, level? Okay, and you know, what's your education level is, what? What's the...

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I dropped out in eighth grade. Okay now and this social services thing... Have welfare, any benefits... then package you in the way. How do they... And I told you give me food stamps, know what I'm saying. They help me eat, you know saying. And far as other stuff, man, I got pray to God for that. Okay. And in the shelters, you ever experience the shelters?

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Yeah, you know what I'm saying. But I don't like being around people. You know what I'm saying, that shelters says I gotta jump. I don't like to be around people everything and everyone trying to kill. Okay, so... so, like the housing program, so what would you... if you had to explain the housing programs they offer. how would you? What's your opinion about them? They backed up, you know. They send it, yeah, roll you... You might be stuck in the shelter for like 20 years, you know what I'm saying. I don't care about, they just say they help you, the whole time they just put you somewhere. They throwing your ass away, Throwing you away you say how?

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They throwing you in the shelter, be like jail. You know, say anything with a rack of people remind me o jail. So it's just like jail to me, man. Okay like yeah. Okay. Yeah. I can understand I have been in the shelter. Okay. Now the criminal justice system... how has the police, policing in this city impacted you as a homeless person and has it changed anyway, because of your homelessness, that ways that it affects your own? Police don't worry about me because they know, I ain't got shit, you know, saying. So it is look at me like I'm a bum. knows a and it's not a problem, I ain't got shit. Even, even the federal police? Park police?

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No, you know what I'm saying. They used to be terrible. So that's been an issue. Do you think the homeless affect the criminal aspect of what's going on in the city and the crime rate being homeless? Not really... Not really, not really, not the crime. The homeless part don't affect no fucking crime. No said, well, what a homeless person gonna do? Go steal from the fucking store? No, the police gonna press them up for it. Go find these killers out here, man. I don't even like the police. So I don't like police questions. You know I'm saying fuck that. I'm not answering no more police questions.

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Okay, and, and now your health care in what way does homes impact your- people's health care? They give you, they give you medical assistance, you know say so, it's good. They make sure you alright. So, it's good with that. So, far as helping foods, I say they've got no problem, helping food stamps. Finding house or shelter Housing Shelter thts the problem. And what about the mental health? What is the impact of existing mental health and substance abuse program on you- on homelessness, in this area. It's good, they helping me.

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Okay, what about substance abuse? Well, I'm doing that myself, meaning with the good Lord you know what I'm saying. All right, and you over the years, you think it's got better or worse? It got better though.

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In what ways? Just like, you know, like mental health programs and as far as my substance abuse. I got a little better because, you know, I mean shutting out, but I got some... I feel like I got something to live for. I don't just want, you know, smoke crack all night. I used to smoke crack all night and stuff like that. I didn't want to do that. No more. Okay... and you said, you went, you went only to the eighth grade? I stopped, then smoking crack early

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So you can do you use...Yeah, I did for a long time. So yeah, I know. I've been through the same thing. Okay, how do you assess the skills and training programs that are available to you? It's all right, it's good. But only thing they can do is try. You go to the project and empowerment for six months. Right? And then they give you a job, six months, but this is not permanent. So, it's if it's shaky. Shaky. Well, that's the problem, they pick and choose. That's what I'm saying, it is shaky. Yeah, shake. I'm just saying. So, you guys go to jail, just to get a job. Only time they if you go to jail. I can't just go in and say, I'm homeless. I ain't with this shit. I'm just saying.

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Okay, okay, now the current the effort, this is important because this what we've kind of get a handle on, get a gauge on to try to change it for the better. Okay? If, if you are aware of any, what are you think of any other current group or strategies people are engaged in to try to and end homelessness? Say that again. If you are aware of any, what do you think of any of the current groups and all the strategies people are engaged in to try and end homelessness? Some of the things you see that they're doing. They will help you to give you hotels and stuff only in the winter. Don't know so they got to do a program for that. I can't sit at you know, son. You didn't think of me like that. Still fucked up.

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Yeah, you say now you they give you hotels when you get real cold. Only when it's cold, know what I'm saying is still fucked up. Okay. So are there any group... any movement, you are involved only? Only Mirum's Kitchen.

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Oh Mirum's kitchen that's the only one. They help me. I heard about Friendship House and all that, but you know, that's sad because you can't go to ones like a gang. So if I go to Mirum's Kitchen, I can't go to Friendship House. That's crazy because they see I messed with them, they ain't going to help me. So that's fucked up. You should be, everybody should be united, you know what I'm saying. Just want to help the homeless, so I can't because I go to Friendship House because of this. Right, I guess they try to keep records. Yeah, to see whose who, and then and they want to make sure that use the money. I don't know. Yeah, okay... are there any groups you would like to get involved with if it could?

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I want to get if I could, I want me a voucher. Okay. Yeah, okay. Why do you think there is little being done to end homelessness? Because... for one, homeless, get, bigger and bigger, you know what I'm saying. It's like the list grows every year, every fucking week, every day, you know what I'm saying, so fucked up. So what, what should we be focusing on the most?

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Well, alright. I hope to get a job, you know what I'm saying. Jobs, so what else? Jobs, helped to get jobs because you can't do shit without no money. I mean for real even organizations want some type of money from a homeless man. Yeah.

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I'm telling the truth. Okay. now we are getting to the end. If you could... if you could get 50 people If you could get 50 people to join you in doing something to end homelessness. What would you have those people do? If you can put a group of 50 people together, to help end homelessness. What would y'all be doing? What would you instruct them to do? Educate their self.

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Education? Yep. Okay, what else? Anything else? You need a brain to maintain, you got to be smart. Like it's like I say, it's it's too much competition for one. So you got to educate yourself. So we've got the Migos. You got the Spanish, you got, you got everybody trying to get what you got, you know. You gotta dedicate yourself.

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Educatation, okay, education... I say that because... shit what? Just because you're sitting on life skills. You don't say like some life skills. Some people will not take care this to do now. I cook on that new shit. They can't know saying, so life skills, Yeah, you know taking care of yourself, life skills. Okay, focus on life skills, okay. What do you think all the barriers making it difficult for people to obtain these, these skills special and especially unhoused people to come together against homelessness? What it was what's in their in their way? I don't know.

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Well, every individual got- it's different for every individual. Me personally, I got to say, I got messed up smoking cocaine, so long. My drug abuse is mine, you know what I'm saying. It's my burden, but I don't know the next man's burden. I just speak for myself, Andre Johnson Yeah, your drug issue. Yeah, my drug issue. Pretty much, you deal with that.

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I'll be okay. You be able to keep a job, get a job and all that. Yeah. I havn't had a job in like so long. I've forgotten how money look like. Well, you think you... you ready for a job once you get through that?

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Yeah, I'd be ready. I'm getting ready to maintain the job. Yeah, all right, just be concluding question, I got like three more for us. If you could design your own housing solution. What would you design? Well, instead of building all these fucking condos, but for these rich motherfuckers, I build condos for like homeless people, know what I'm saying. They only build it for the rich, you know I'm saying, instead of giving like 25 simple vouchers and shit. You got all this empty space. That's my fucking building, probably empty. You needed for homeless, people don't give a fuck. Okay. And, and then the same question for employment. What would your ideal employment relations look like for you?

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I'll just give them job. Job training skills and all that. Just don't give in class. Give me class and give them a step. Give them take them to these mother fucking companies and give them a job. Me partners with the companies to get these people jobs and shit. You don't say, you gotta, this is a lot of work to do. So you're saying partnership with companies. Like the government. Right, okay. That's a great answer there and I'll tell you why after the interview, okay? So how what can we do to make those visions come as a movement? We get all this stuff together and we- we are empowered. What can we do to make your vision a reality, those visions a reality?

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I guess, it puts more money into the budget. More money into the budget. Which budget, our budget, the government budget? More money to help people different programs. The more money to do different things, you know, different areas. So, say that again.

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More money, you do different things with different areas. So files, know what I am saying, selling the house, job trails, all kind of things. Okay. And needs to final two questions. Is there question or questions? I should have asked you, it's just something that I forgot to ask you. Now you did. Okay... do you have any other ideas you would like to share?

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No. Okay, because it will help other people. I don't like that question... Sorry, I wasn't being rude. I just don't... it's like an interrogation. This is it, right?

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Okay, interviewee. Got to put your name, your name, you have an address. I ain't got no address. And the date. There is three forms, and you got to sign here on the back. reform for that. Let me see on the back and you got a sign on the the the back.