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All right, today is 11/22/21. My name is Shelia White. I will be interviewing Daniel Ball. We'll be talking about homelessness. We're doing an oral project with American University, and do I have your permission to interview you, Daniel? Yes, you do. All right. Thank you. Can you state your name for me, please? My name is Daniel P. Ball.

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And what state do you live in? Well, I live in Maryland, PG County side of Maryland and I stay with my mother sometimes. I'm not homeless. I just stay up here because my job is up here and that's all I can say right now. All right, and do I have permission to interview you? Yes, you do.

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When were you born? I was born in 1960. 1960 in PG, Prince George's Hospital. My date of birth is 10/25/60. Where were you raised? Were you raised in DC? I was raised right over here in Paradise over here with Kenworth is at, where my family is. My mother moved out to Maryland, in Pleasant, Maryland.

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What brought you here? What brought me here? Well my girlfriend named Sybil L. Taylor and she did wanted to introduce me to Street Sense. So that's how I got here through somebody that was selling papers already and they interested me to help, you know, to help sell Street Sense papers. So, you know, here I am. It's not about Street Sense, you don't have to mention them. So are you currently experiencing homelessness? Yes, I am.

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How would you describe your living situation? Like, are you bouncing from home, place the place, you don't have an address? Yeah. Yeah. It's so to speak just like you said, just like that. I'm here, there, you know, several places. And do you think homelessness continues to be a big problem in Washington DC, and in the larger region? Yeah, I think they needed to address it more and whatever, reach out to people, try to get them housing or something, or shelter.

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Has the ability to live changed over the course of your life in ways that have made homeless, more, or less prevalent? Well, I would say, in the public [recording stops breifly] Okay, has the ability to live in the city changed over the course of your life in ways that have made homeless more or less prevalent? I don' think it has changed because, you know, trying to get through every night, every day is just being homeless. It's just what it is, or what it's called, homeless.

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What do you think is the big cause of homelessness in the city? No job. No jobs. And what do you mean about no jobs? Well, you know what I'm saying is unemployment and stuff like that and you know, like I say you staying in tents and all the stuff. I'll be hanging on the streets and you know, all I can say- oh, I can't speak for nobody but I can speak for Daniel. All I can do is try to get out here and do the best I can.

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Have your family had the ability to access housing or has it changed over the course of living in the area? Uh, somewhat because my brother, my sister, and them all, they all got houses and all them're married. I'm the only single-only in my-In my immediate family, I'm the only one not married. In what way do your family impact homelessness or do they impact it? I don't think they know too much about it, too much about it.

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Have you seen a significant change in the neighborhood where you live at? Well, my mother lives in Maryland. I'm down in DC. I don't believe the areas- I really don't see no difference. What kind of housing situation do you see around the neighborhood that you are in? Well, okay I-

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Do you see homeless people alot? Well, all I can say is that people that I meet on the street and people that are homeless, people in tents, you know, you have to sit and talk to them, whatever this- communicate. It's communication. Has the job situation over the course of the time in DC impact homelessness and people with the ability to access housing? Well, I filed for housing, I know I ain't got it yet. But I think each individual have to you know, find out how do you get-- how you get to housing and stuff out here. Just things out here in the street.

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And in ways do the government need to help like the social services, what ways do you think they need to help? Well, the government certainly needs to send out some more stimulus checks for homeless people. Has accessing public housing changed over the time or course of your life? And if has changed, did change to impact the good or the better? Well I think it goes--it sounds like--those were both to me. It can be good one minute. It can be bad tomorrow. It just things like that.

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How could it be good? Okay, you know, I said that uh, you have to go online now, and there ain't too many-- in these days ain't too many application nowhere you to--if you don't go online with that computer, you through. So has--has the welfare benefits impacted homelessness in anyway? Well, I've never been on welfare. So, you know, but as you know, I have been around people that receive some welfare, you know, welfare stuff, you know in my life but you know, more than that I don't know too much about that because I never filed for it, stuff like that.

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Would you be willing to file for it if you need it? If I had the chance, I will. How would you describe the homelessness shelter or have you been in the homeless shelter? Well, back in [inaudible] I say about seven years ago, I used stay in uh--before they moved it-- uh Center, Center Union mission when they was up on Fourth, and it was up there before they moved down to First Street or Second Street down there now. I used to be in the shelter. But it, you know, it's, I don't know. What I hear now, most people don't even want to go in the shelters.

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Can you tell me the reasons why they don't want to go on the shelters? Maybe the environment, bed bugs and whatever. I don't know. I'll just stay--I'll stay outside. How has policing in the city impact homelessness? Have policing--policing changed in any ways that affect homelessness? Uh, Well, I never talk to many police officers but I like what they do. They do try to ride around here. And I think stay on the [inaudible], you know, under there. They do try to ride around, make sure that you know, the peoples alright that is homeless.

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Has police brutality had an impact on homelessness. Well. That's that's that's that's a good cook. Good question. I will say that varies to me, you know, just like George--George, what was the name? It was George Floyd and all that? You know, it just varies to me. Have criminalization of probably a homelessness been an issue? No, it hasn't. No, it hasn't.

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Why hasn't it been an issue? Why do you think it hasn't been an issue? Well, you know, criminals, when you talk about a criminal which we might be talking about somebody that's in in jail, might be talking about somebody in, you know, in an institution and stuff like that. I don't know 'cause I don't know, I don't try to commit no crimes. Right. So that doesn't impact that, that doesn't have an issue with homelessness? It probably do and--and then, I don't-- I don't know. It probably don't.

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In what ways are people lives shaped by criminals records? That's good. That's another good question. You know, I don't know cuz you know, you got some--maybe ask a criminal if he ever been homeless? I don't know, you know because I don't involve myself around no criminals. That's good. How would you describe the Healthcare System? How would you feel about the healthcare system like clinics? You know you go see your doctor? Oh, that's good. That's good. That's a good question. Something wrong, you got issues, you know you just got to just go and talk to your doctors, huh?

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So you think the Health Care system is helping the homeless? It's--I don't know. You know, I've just thought about the mayor--mayor--mayor Bowser or whatever her name is. You know, it's just, it's stuff like that. You have to get yourself--you know, when they had these little rallies or whatever, protests, you got to just go and you got to get involved, got to get involved. [inauble] Okay. So what impact does the existing mental health and substance abuse programs have on homelessness? Oh, I've never been in a mental institution and stuff like that.

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Can you elaborate? I mean, like not--knowing that you had not been in one, would--do you think it's a helpful thing to have a mental institution? Do you think it's a helpful thing to have a substance abuse programs? Do you think we need these things? Yeah. Mhmm. Okay, if you are aware of any groups or think of any groups or strategies people are engaged and to try to help end homelessness, do you know any groups that are trying to help end homelessness? I could say someone like, Some of the activists and people like that. They're trying to get out of here and help.

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Are you willing to help? If I could, I would. Yes I will. Okay, so if you--if you-- if you're not involved in any groups, would you--why would you not--why haven't you been getting involved in any of these groups? Well, you know that I don't go to meetings and stuff this and that and don't know when they're going to have it on a certain day and this and that. I just don't know.

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Okay, what is the most critical issues that a movement-- that a movement can do to end homelessness that they should focus on? What do you think that they should focus on and how? Well, I think they should stop tearing people's tents down, taking them out of parks and stuff like that. Where they going to go cuz--oh boy. If you can get 50 people-- this just a hypothetical question--if you get 50 people to help to join you into doing something to end homelessness, what would that be? What would you have them do? Go in the Parks. Make sure people got something to eat. Let people take showers and stuff like that, you know/

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If you could change your own housing situation, being as creative as you want it, what might that look like for you? An apartment. Gotta get out. You know, like I said, [inaudible] a voucher and stuff like that. I was, you know, involve myself to do-- all I can say those type of things like that--I tried--I want to be better and good at it and I will try to help our people if I could. Okay, what might be an ideal job? Help the homeless.

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If there are any questions as I haven't asked, do you want? No, you did fine. You have any ideas that you would like to share? No, I just-- think I'm not feeling all that good today. I don't know what it is. I don't know what got up--I don't know what it is.

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Well, I apologize that you not feeling good but thank you. Thank you for your interview. Thank you.