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Okay, this is Humanities Interview. Homeless Interview. This is Vernon Suggs. I work for the Humanities truck, I'm one of the team members and I'm interviewing...Say your name. Hewitt Williams. Okay, Mr. Willams where... what location is this ? 12th...12th Street. I forgot the name of the park.

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Okay, the name of the park... but this 12 in New York. Yeah. 12th and New York Avenue. Okay, this is... This is May...No, This is March. No, this is April... April, the 11th. I'm sorry. [In the background] Vernon, I just texted it you. Did you get it ? You good? [Mumbles] yes.[ inaudible ] Yeah, I got it. Let me see. Let me make sure. Hi.

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I'ma let you go then. [inaudible] Alright Dan. Ok, alright then. [inaudible] Okay...Okay ... Living ... Living in DC and homeless. I'mma ask you some questions and just answer them as candid and as honest as you can, okay. Alright, how long have you been living in Washington. D.C.? All my life. All your life. Yeah. Okay, where else have you... well you aint live nowhere else besides Washington D.C.?

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Washington D.C. That's it? That's it. Okay, what was it like to move around?

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It was alright to move around in D.C. In D.C. You moved around alot in D.C ? From different shelters. Different shelters. Okay, like where? Which...

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New York Avenue, 801, Mark [Martin Luther] King Avenue, Second and Dean ... different shelters. Different shelters. Okay... okay how did the neighborhood differ as you were coming up? A lot of things changed. They put up a lot of buildings, tore down a lot of neighborhoods. Made a lot of people homeless, you know. So that's how ... and even then growing up. How did they ...

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Growing up, I was alright. I had a good childhood, good school, played like regular kids, you know. As I got older, I got it into PCP, marijuana you know. So, how did the neighborhoods change over the course of your life? [inaudible] Where you lived ... The neighborhood is not there no more. They change the neighborhood. They put brand new buildings up, change streets, change the streets, and all that. So I mean if you go to your right now, you wouldn't even know it was where I grew up at. What neighborhood is that?

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Martin Luther King Avenue Southeast. Martin Luther King Avenue Southeast. Yeah. So a lot of gentrification.

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Yeah. Okay, I'm actually some general questions now. How long have you been homeless? About 10 years. 10 years. Okay. Are you currently homeless?

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Yes, [inaudible] where do you sleep currently? I sleep in a tent. In a tent...

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Yeah. Thats the tent you are telling me about ? Yes. That I saw you at.

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Yeah. Why do you think homelessness is ... has been become entrenched so much in D.C? Because I mean, it's a lot of negativity. A lot of drugs, Can't find jobs. When you do find a job, they want to look at your background,which is that good but hey, everybody don't have a good background. Good background...So you think so. How does that...

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I mean...[ inaudible] That makes people self medicate, they may lose their job. Get strung out on drugs. Uh-huh. Come from different places and be homeless. I mean, it's the lotta [a lot] reasons why and a lot of different reasons why people be homeless. I mean, some people be homeless just because they want to be. You want to be some people ain't got to be homeless, you know. They don't want to follow rules...regulations of the house and everything, you know and they figured they can do better or streets. But in my situation, I had a job, a nice apartment everything. When the epidemic [ pandemic] hit, I lost everything because I couldn't keep up the payments. I ain't got no cellular phone. I mean I'm making it, you know, I eat every day. Do what I do. I got good friends. You know, I go see my kids, which I'm going to leave them out of this. I go see my kids, grandkids, you know. I mean, I agree... really ... don't... I mean... I don't really like living with my kids because I feel like I'm a burden. No job, no money, taking the food, eating the food, you know.I don't want to do that because he got kids. So if I'm a burden that mean I'm doing think things that I shouldn't be doing around my grandkids. I'm here at the process now with my case workers. They in the process of finding me a place. Finding you a place.

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Yeah So you do have a case worker. Yeah, I do have a case worker. That comes out here everyday and see me. Comes here ? Did you meet her here?

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Yeah. I also have another mental health case worker that I go and see. Ok, so the caseworker... I got two. So, you met her out here?

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Yes, she ... what programs? No, she worked for Pathway to Housing. Pathway to Housing ... right ok

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And they do a good job. They do a good job. Yeah, especially my caseworker. Family passed away. Mother, father passed away. Most of my brothers passed away. I mean basically, I'm just getting good help. You know. I'm staying a tent right now, but hey everything will be good. You know. Everything will be good.

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Yeah. [inaudible] Okay, let me ask you... Imma try to go a little quicker because you got somewhere to go. I really can't ... not a whole lot I can do to rush. Okay, imma ask you... how are treated ? You mention the people that come here, how are you treated by them ? I'm treated good. Treated good...

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I ain't got no complains at all. Okay, so, so can you explain to me a little bit of the day by day? Activities that you do. I go see my caseworkers. Go down the program 1313, get me something to eat, take me on walks, you know, Try to find a job. Basically, just doing [inauidble]. I'm like, I'm supposed to be going to talk to a person about a job in about 15 minutes. That's why I said because why I said ... thats I was going ... now its about an interview. About a job...

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About a job. Okay, let me try to can to speed.. Okay, do you think that drugs... Well drugs got a big part of being homeless ... That kind of culture .. in the negative impact It do

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They do? Yeah, they do. Alright, drugs does play a heavy impact on ... Yes.

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Okay. Okay, in terms of ... so I'm going to ask you, why do you stay in d.c.? Because I mean, I don't know. I'm not going to be making up excuses. I really don't know. Okay, so given your personal experience, which we will... will go into a little bit more than a lot of questions. Why don't you think homelessness has become so big in DC ? and most of your inner cities? I don't know. I really can't say.

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Can't say... Everybody got a different reason for being homeless. Different reasons... Okay. What do you think in the most important issue or issues for homelessness advocates to deal with... with the right now? Being homeless, trying to find a place for them to live. Try to help some get off drugs, different things.

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Okay. Help them get off drugs... find housing. Yeah. Lemme ask you, do you think homelessness affects women diff ... It affects everybody....

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Differently from men ? It affects them all the same. All the same... Yeah

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So women go through the same things you all go through? Yes. Okay, are you on any other programs than pathfinding...? [inaudible]

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Pathway. You got a program in Southeast. You got program on 1313 New York Avenue. They do a good job... Where in the church ? Uh-huh, down in the basement.

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That's a day program ? Yeah. Yeah, ok. So, how do you how do they treat you over there? Alright. The caseworkers down there do good jobs.

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Uh-huh. You know. I just ordered my cellular phone, probably come next week. Got my ID, birth certificate faster than I would normally we get it. Uh-huh. Okay, so you rely on them? Yeah..

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For phone services. Yeah. So they've been very available and accessible. Yeah.

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Okay, how do you...how do you first become politicized? How did you know, there was something? There was something wrong and that it was possible for people to do something about it? In terms of... Probably in my twenties. In your twenties ... Okay, do you... do you switch between different places? No.

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You don't. This is your ... one ... Right. this is the only place you bring your tent ... Yeah.

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Okay [inaudible]. Your education on... are you currently employed? No, Okay. [inaudible] Okay, can you tell me about your education? Little bit about your education? I got a low grade education. I played hookies in school alot. Is not good.

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Okay, so-- does that affect your ability to make a living? Yeah, you know. Okay, what kind of jobs have you tried to get ? Dish washer, Home Improvement, different types of those jobs.

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Okay, that's those are the type of jobs you had in the past also? Yeah. Okay, so you did work before ? Yes I did.

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Okay, how does homelessness shape your work experience now? How does it shape it now? It don't affect... I still go to work, odd jobs. Even if you living... Yeah,

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Okay...[phone rings] Okay, I guess. Your health care? Okay, how has your ability to acess healthcare change over the course of your life. I guess. It's pretty good.

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Pretty good. Yeah. Okay, What what what are some of the issues the biggest issues you face when it comes to your health care and your mental health care? Basically, I try to ignore the negative and keep a positive attitude.

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Hmm. Think beyond that. Think beyond that ... okay. On the services, the mental service you get, you have the substance abuse issue on a helpful... Yes...

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Helpful with all those issues. Okay, and you say that's what place ? I got 13 13. I got halfway houses, and I can't think of the other one. The mental health place in Southeast... Yeah in Southeast. Right across [inaudible] mall.

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Many people believe that homelessness has been caused by the D... instant... the institutionalization of the mentally ill. Do you believe that's true? Why or why not? Everybody is mentally ill. I don't know why but everybody got a little mentally ill in them. It depends on how they react to it. How they react to it... Okay, so you don't believe that's a main issue with homelessness? No.

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Mental illness ... Reason why they homeleness is drugs. Drugs? You believe thats the main reason. Okay. If you could what would your ideal community look like? Just a regular community, you know. I ain't got no racist or none of that. I mean, a regular community.

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Regular community... Yeah. Okay, where everybody live together. Okay, given your personal experience, If you had the opportunity to help the homeless right now in their position, what is the the greatest thing you would do? Open up housing. Make housing available.

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Make housing available... Yup. Okay. Well, I'm gonna let you go ok . Yeah.

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Okay, we only got part of it, some of it, but that's good enough.