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Thank you for doing the interview, I appreciate it. No problem. No problem. Thank you. And the release is over here. What's todays date?

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The 26th, and now sign the back, where it says interviewee, the top line. This one? Yeah, yes thank you. Thank you very much. Not a problem.

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This is a lengthy interview, but I'll try to make it, um, there's all this paper work that goes with a project, just trying to keep it together. No problem. Okay, so this might be redundant but this is Mobilizing Against Homelessness oral history project and my name is Angie Whitehurst and we are at 1233 1st St SE, Northwest. And you? Corey Love.

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And I have your permission to record this interview? Yes. Okay. Could you tell us your full name and where you were born and where you were raised? My name is Corey Love. I was born in Washington DC and I was raised in southeast, DC. Born in Ward, 7 raised in Ward 8.

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Are you currently experiencing homelessnes? Yes. Can you talk about that? And for how long and describe what your current situations? My current situation is, I'm living with a--I'm in and out of a family members house, but sometimes I can't stay there and sometimes I can because they go through mood changes and sometimes they want to be bothered and then sometimes they don't want to be bothered. So, but other than overall, I just make the best of the experience and I just try to spread love to people and always get reciprocated love back even out on the streets. I don't like Panhandle or beg for people for money. I just try to do odd jobs to make money to keep some money in my pocket so I can eat daily, on a daily basis, you know. But my overall experience, it has been not real bad because I keep God first and so when I keep God and read my Bible and sometimes go to church. That helps me--keeps me--keeps my spirit up and keeps me my mind off or being like that sometimes but then sometimes they will let me stay for weeks and weeks and then sometimes they don't want to be bothered but overall, it's not that bad.

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Okay well, let me ask you this. On the causes of homelessness, why do you think homeless continues to be a big problem in this area? I think it's a lot when they closed St. Elizabeth down, that has a lot to do with um, people--mental--people have dealing with a lot of mental issues and they don't have a I think a lot of places like they had been St. Elizabeth was open with people with mental issues to be able to go somewhere and get some help. It's just a lot of people that's how here and some people choose to be, they can have places to go, but they just don't want to be with family members or don't want to be with people and they just want to be--sometimes I'm a loner. I like to be by myself. I don't like to deal with a lot of people sometimes, so. Oh, Okay. Um, Has you--has your family, or yourself since you're by yourself, ability to get to get a affordable housing changed over the years? Huh, What you said the question?

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Your ability to access affordable housing Oh, Okay. Okay. Has that changed? Or could you tell me about that? Okay, um, I got my name on a couple of--couple of--lists and apartments that put your name on the list and it's going pretty well. I got a couple of them that I went to look at and I might be moving in one soon, so.

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Have you seen the--have there been any changes that you've noticed in where and what is available and affordable? Um, there have been some changes. I have seen that they're building but it's seem like it's not affordable for homeless or people that don't make a lot of money, you know, it seemed like this going to be for the wealthy or the rich, you know. So what is available to you? But they aum--I have, um, a couple of places that you go according to your income that was available that I put my name on the list and that was available for me.

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Have you looked at them, have you seen them? Yes, yes. Yes, a couple in southeast and one in-- Are they different from any housing or-- are there any differences between what you see as available and what you call affordable housing? Are they the same? Some of them are the same and some of them are different, but some of them are the same.

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Okay. Now, let's talk about your work and unemployment. How does the job situation affect people's ability to access housing? I think we mentioned something about affordable paying jobs. Yes, because um-- like people--like some-- I think working, if you're working and they're paying pretty good, you know, if you can get in somewhere that go according to your income, you can be all right, but if it's a regular apartment and you just work a minimum wage, it's--it's--it's like hard to to able to stay there, to pay 1000 or 1500 a month for rent it's--It's impossible because all your money will be going to rent and you won't be able to buy food. You won't be able to pay your electric bill if you have electric bill. What kinds of jobs are available to you? They have on construction jobs. They have retail jobs warehouse workers.

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Does that pay enough to pay rent? Some of them does depends on if you get something like 20 something dollars or more an hour. And if you're in a place that going according to your income, you can afford it. But if you just by yourself, it's kind of hard. If you don't have a affordable pay, it's kind of hard to um-- So, do you think a job situation in DC has changed in a way that it impacts people's ability to access housing? Yes. I think it has impact people because some people is hard to get housing if you're making $15 an hour, you know, it's hard.

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So, is it hard--would you say it's hard to find work in the city or if you find work, is it hard to find work that's--that allows you to take care of yourself? In some areas, it is. Yeah, I think it is hard sometimes to find work that can allow you to take care of yourself. You might can feed yourself, but then you don't have a house, a place to stay because you can't afford to-- it cost us as much to get to work as it is--you spending all your money to get back and forth to work. And, and if you--then how much rent cause you don't make enough--just what every two weeks--you don't make enough, if you get 600 every two weeks, that's not enough to afford to be able to live in the District of Columbia. So you would say the problem is there are not enough jobs or those that exist that do not pay the right money? Yes. Yes,

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Okay, next topic is government programs and homeless services. In what ways does government services and changes to those services impact homelessness for better or worse? I think it's better because they got a lot of programs that's out here now--that-- that they have like sums, they have different program for Catholic Church. They have different programs that they will help you if you're willing to get the help. You can go there and there's a lot of places that's now that's available to help you, but you got to take that step, you know [Mic Falls] Sorry about that No problem.

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The wind--okay--thank you No problem. Now we have to find our spot. Alright. Can you tell me about has public housing changed? [Something falls] Sorry, this wind wind wind. Alright, let's talk about public housing, has public housing changed? We don't need this there. Tell me about public housing. Yes, I think public outing have changed because they have they taken a lot of public housing away. So that knocking them down. And when they rebuilding up, they have some that's affordable, but most of them uh--They have a few people that they let in that go according to income, but it's not affordable for or regular person, you know, for a person working at McDonald's or warehouse that aint making a lot of money, is not affordable for them.

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Okay, um, what about welfare benefits have there been any changes with that? They have been increase-- I think they have been--I been hearing people say they increased--They've been increasing. Is that for the better, for the good, have the changes made help? I think it's I think it's for the good in some ways.

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Yeah, what would you say about the city and federal government funds? I think the city and federal government funds are sometimes being used for good use and sometimes not. Okay. So let me ask you. What do you think about the DC or federal state of--Because DC isn't a state yet-- No.

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How-- the shelters that they run, what do you think about those? I think they're um--I think they're it got-- I think they got a lot better than what they used to be. I think they got a lot better, alot of them have but some of them are still not ran as like they should be but they have gotten a lot better than what they used to be. Um, what about the housing programs, do you think that they help? Or have they gotten better? I think they got little better. Yes. I think they got-- yes.

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And do you think that they're helpful? Yes, they're very helpful. Okay. Now, we're going to go to criminal justice. Um, how has policing in the city impacted homelessness? Have policing policies changed in any ways that homelessness? Have police brutality had an impact on homelessness? Has the War on Drugs had an impact on homelessness? Um, from all of those things, can you talk about that? Yes, um, the War on Drugs have impacted because it's a lot of homeless people that uses drugs to get by because-- so they won't think about them being homeless. They just use different drugs and just have a good time all the time and and it's not good.

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What about police brutality, does that have any impact on homelessness? Sometimes because sometimes they do--some of the officers I have seen them just pick with homeless people, for no reason. If they ask you to move just get up and move but-- don't--you know, sometimes they just seem like they can just come and just pick with certain people--pick with certain homeless people. They're just--everyday the same homeless person, they pick with them and they might not be doing anything wrong. Not panhandling, not doing nothing, but they pick with them. So would you call that--uh, type of criminalization of poverty or compensation of homelessness and do you think that is an issue? Is that an issue in this area? Yes.

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Okay, and have you noticed if that criminalization effects immigration or immigrant communities? Yes. Yes. Yes, it does. And what impact would prisons have on homelessness? It has a lot. I think um--prison has a lot on homeless people.

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And what ways are people's lives shaped by their criminal records? Because they don't, they don't want to give you a second chance. Sometimes, for your crim-- whatever--what your charge was. Sometimes you can get a break and get a second chance, but a lot of times certain jobs, they don't want to give you a second chance that you might qualify for. But because of your background, they won't allow you to work that type of job. Okay, let's move on to healthcare. In what way does, um, Homelessness impact one's health? I think it impacts your health because you should be going to get like regular check-ups. A lot of homeless people just don't care about going to the doctor or getting a phys-- annual-- a phys-- an annual physical. They just don't care. They just I'm not, they're not worrying about that, you know.

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Can you describe what the healthcare system is like for DC? I think DC has a great healthcare system for the city or the residents, especially for the poor that get Medicaid or you know, they think they have a great system that provides a great health care for people. Have you noticed any significant changes that you've seen? No, I'd say about the same.

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What about the mental health and substance abuse programs in the region? I think it needs to be a better Mental Health Services for-- Have they gotten better or worse? I think it got worse since Reagan closed St. Elizabeth down. I think it got worse. Because they have no in no place and people used to, like, people that had jobs there. They had nice jobs. They would love to come and they didn't mind helping the people. People had somewhere to actually stay that can get their mental health under control, but when they closed St. Elizabeth dpwn, I think that was the worst thing they could ever did.

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Okay, Let's talk about education. Does education have an impact on homelessness? Yes. Okay, is it has it gotten better or worse? It gotten a little better.

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How would you assess that education in terms of the skills of training programs that are available to people experiencing homelessness? They have a lot of trade--like they have a lot of places you can go. For homeless people that get trades-- to get-- to get skills and to learn how to do things but you got to take--you got to be willing to go and do it. You can't--they can bring you, but if you come out there and try to help me and I don't want the help, I should want to help, but most of them don't want to help because they're dealing with their mental and they don't have that under control first. So, yeah. Next thing, domestic violence and sexual violence. Has physical and sexual violence within the home had an impact on homelessness? Yes.

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Does violence on the streets effect homelessness? Yes. And what is the impact on the family? I think it breaks the family apart and it um--it messes the children--If you have children in a relationship like that, it-- it damages them and they might become an abuser or be getting abused because that's what they used to seeing. So they might even-- even a man or woman--they might abuse somebody that they're dealing with because that's what they're used to seeing.

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If you are aware of any, what do you think of any of the current groups or strategies people are engaged in to try to end homelessness.? Are you aware of any of these groups that say they're working toward ending homelessness? I heard of some groups that said they're um, like, helping to stop homelessness and trying to-- they putting up these buildings, but they're not trying to provide something for the homeless. Yes. I heard of that. Are you aware of any--Are there any movements or groups you are involved in? No. No.

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Do you think these groups are doing a good job or should they be doing things differently? I think sometimes they should do things differently because some of them are--they come out and march, but they really not doing nothing. They just come out, and then they not--and then after they come out, you don't hear from them no more. You're wondering where they're at, but they marching but then--they don't--they don't--they are not-- they're not putting the footwork in, but they out there marching, but then after that you don't hear from them,no more and they're not going to the Congress or to where they need to be gone that to voice their opinion about homeless. Why haven't you been involved? What keeps you, or why have you not been involved with those groups? Sometimes I be skeptical because some of them just seemed fishy and I want to be involved with someone that's going to move---we gon--move across the world. We not just want to just march and stop. I want to keep going to the Congress. Go to this person, go to that person, keep going and never--and not stop.

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Let's talk about that vision. What are the most critical issues that a group or a movement should focus on to end homelessness? And if you could get 50 people to join you and doing something to end homelessness, what would you have those 50 people do? I think we can try to get-- get somebody that can work on getting the people that mental health first, so they can get their mental health stable. Get some--some-- some people in some trades that maybe wants to do something or train some people how to work with us so that we can help other homeless people that are homeless, that might not have the willpower to get up and fight with us, but then if they see a group of us doing it and then they might want to get up and say, "okay oh they doing it, I'm going to go with them. We going to--we going to help." So the barriers--you see mental health as a major barrier? Yes.

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Okay, um, and if I'd say, "how might we overcome those barriers?" you'd say you need mental--you mentioned--you talked about we needed mental health treatment first? Yes. Yes. Okay, are there any other things that need to be done along with that? Yes, they can get like--going to a--get them some trades, show them how to take care of theirself, show them how to go to the doctors, show them how to be independent and maybe get some housing and show them how every month you have to pay your bills, you know, if we can help you out you have to maintain these things and do these things on a consistent basis. Not stop and get back and go back out. [Mic Falls]

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Sorry, I keep letting the wind blow the paper away. What would it take to get you involved in such a group? Um, I have to see that they're really committed. Like a committed group of people that are really passionate about homelessness and really passionate about about about people whatever their race is, but just about people in general. Okay, let's talk about the vision for a better world. If you could build a better world, what would it look like? It would look like every body would be treated equally fair, you know, it would be-- I would try my best to end homelessness, you know, end this crazy drug war that's going on and these killings that we are killing each other. We March for--for, if a police kill us, but we don't march for us killing each other. We are out here killing each other, but we won't march for us and we won't fight for us to stop killing each other, but you know, so that's what I would pray for a peaceful world and a loving world.

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And what would a community ideally be like that you wanted to live in? I would like a community to be with peace, love, like back in the day when the families,--when the community-- we all got along on the block and every-- all the mothers, they was like mothers and all the fathers were like-- everybody looked out for everybody, you know, so that's what I -- I would like a good community like back in--Like back in the 70s when we all got along and this block, nobody, we all looked out for each. Mary looked out for your kids. She looked out for Mary's kids, but we all got along. Okay if you could design your own housing solution, and being as creative as you want to be, what would your housing solution look like? How would you design? I probably would have a building, that would be designed with different--with different--with different organizations in there that's in the building, like a mental health that's in the building, a recreation room, a fitness room and people that they can come to if they having a breakdown, they have somebody in the building that they can go to a place where they can go where-- to get help before they go into a crisis and maybe hurt somebody or hurt they self.

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Okay. Let's talk about what the ideal employment situation would look like for you. Getting a nice trade. And--and then once I get on help some other people get on, just show them how I did it and um. And how do you think we might make your visions become a reality? By just-- I have to keep God first and I have to believe that I can do it and tell myself every day that you can do it. Anything is possible. You can do it. So if I believe that I can do it and I keep telling myself that I can do it and I got to put the footwork in and I got to stop saying I can do it and do it, you know, and I can't tell a lot of people. I just have to get out and do it.

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Are there any questions that--Thank you for the interview. No problem. Are there any questions that I didn't ask? Or is there something else you'd like to add? No.

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Thank you for-- No problem. And do you have--and you can call me later if you have any other ideas you want to share. Thank you for sharing. Okay. Okay, not a problem. Not a problem.

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Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Alright.