00:00:04.100 - 00:00:26.150

Could you tell me your full name? My name is Michele Elaine Rochon, M-I-C-H-E-L-E that's how I spell Michele. Rochon is spelled R- O as in oscar- C as in cat- H as in hat- O as in oscar- N as in Nancy. And where were you born? Oh, Baltimore city.

00:00:28.100 - 00:01:42.560

And where were you raised? A combination of places, West Baltimore and Southwest Baltimore. Okay, so if you weren't raised in DC. [pause] What brought you to DC? Well actually I was in another program, I had lost my job. I've been terminated 13 times, since April the 13th, excuse me, April the 14th of 2013. I've had 13 terminations since April, 14th, 2013, wrongful terminations. That is, so eventually, I could no longer keep my apartment up in Baltimore City and I lived in hotels as well as AirB&B, you know, right in the room. And eventually, my funds were depleted and so that brought me to a shelter in Baltimore County who did have case management. And at that shelter, the Eastside shelter, I was able to actually get on my feet. I was assigned a job developer, who redid my resume.

00:01:42.700 - 00:04:14.700

I was assigned a case manager who worked with me one-on-one and a social worker who worked with me one-on-one and he set me down January of 2020 and we wrote down my goals that I wanted to achieve. They assisted me in achieving my goals, but I was blocked. I was offered a position with the COVID-19 Baltimore City Program making $75,000 a year, no benefits. I was offered two positions, as a contract tracer making $40,000 a year, no benefits. I was offered another position, full-time permanent, with benefits, paid sick leave, annual leave and they wanted me to do marketing. I was blocked. Then I was offered a part-time position as a reservation agent at Home-to-Suites Hotel in Nottingham, Maryland. Which is right outside of [2:36], Maryland. There was a prostitute named Michele Rochon, that was using my identity working for a guy named Robert. So they did not want me on the front guest at the hotel because she was at the hotel meeting people there and I couldn't get a job. And I thought, well, if I on the front desk, I can only be in one place at a time. So, you know, yeah, I can only be in one place at a time. So, even if she is up there, I'm right here. I mean, so that brought me down here. Because the programs up in Baltimore, the transitional housing movies they were showing me, you have to have a mental disability. I don't have one. So there's no funding to pay for you to stay in transitional housing, but I actually was being set up for an apartment in Essex, Maryland. And if I had taken any of those jobs, the ones that were full-time. I would be able to afford my own place. I would not be in DC. I had no intentions of coming down here because it's expensive. I did not really want to come. So I mean, that's my story. So I really, really got set up to do well, wealthy resources under Baltimore County government and with the assistance of the Eastside shelter staff, they really did help me to get on my feet. So are you currently experiencing homelessness? Yes, I am.

00:04:15.900 - 00:06:34.700

How would you describe your current living situation now? Horrible and I will tell you why. I started out at Sherwood. I left Sherwood I went to Calvary Homeless Servies after being quarantined 14 days at the Skyline Hotel, which was nice. The hotel was nice. Then was at Calvary Home Services. I stayed there just a couple of months. I left there. I went back to Sherwood. I left Sherwood. Then I got sent over to the Holiday Inn on, Rhode Island Avenue. They said I was in the wrong type of facility. I left there. I've just for moving around. I've out to the area it's on the facility. And now I'm over on the corner at Mitch Schneider. And the reason why I say it was horrible because I actually should have been on my feet right now and all this moving around. I don't like it. I don't have all my stuff and it's just, you know, too focused on other things. Then you cause me shifting and you don't have everything you need. It's just not... I say I'm surviving but I don't like the way I'm living. You know, I've had a lot of, my lifetime is 60, and I'm used to being stable. So always shifting and moving around. It's just I say, it's horrible. I don't like it. And I don't like, living around a lot of people, especially strangers. I can't put nothing down. It's just, it's just not good. Why do you think homeless continue to be a big problem in Washington DC and in larger regions? Washington DC is extremely expensive. It really is. I mean, $1,400, $1,500, it's a lot of money for just an apartment. You know, it's quite a bit of money. So one of the reasons why homelessness is a problem in this area specifically, it's just very very pricey and the salaries are not commensurate with the cost of living. I mean, people paying 15, 16 dollars an hour. That's just not real. I don't care how much you budget that money. It's not enough. So one of the reasons why homelessness is pervasive, the salaries lag behind so people are not really making a lot of cases a livable wage. It's not beyond their means, their not even making enough money to keep a roof over their head.

00:06:35.200 - 00:09:09.300

Not only that. I think, in other areas, like where I came from, well, their programs are working. So where I was located this time last year, everybody that was in the shelter with me, they got on their feet and left and moved into their new place. So, I mean, these programs are designed to work. When you have case management, it is set up for you to get on your feet. It's not set up to block you. Nobody's trying to torture anybody. You see what I'm saying, so I can say from the perspective of in Baltimore, when you do have homelessness, they're able to help you get on your feet. And if you mean walk, that's something that that's a variable that nobody expects to see these but those programs out there in the resources connects you to civility. So, I mean that's all I can say about it. And what do you think is the biggest cause of homelessness in the city? It could be a number of things. It could be substance abuse, which I don't have any issue with that, alcohol or drugs. I mean that can be a problem if you're not able to function. But the salaries are just too low when people are struggling. I mean, I know people work two, three jobs and it's just ridiculous, because the be frank with you from a physical standpoint, your body can't take so much. You know, even if you have a car but they're pushing and pushing and pushing, six, seven days a week. It's just not, it's not healthy, you know. So I think the salaries. I mean, if you work at McDonald's or Chick-fil-A or Burger King and you're a young person, making $15 an hour and you living with your parents, that's great money. But if you're an adult or responsibility, especially $25 an hour. If you got a GED, you don't have to have Masters and all that stuff. Forget that. That's where you should be. I want $25 an hour with a GED or high school diploma is enough to me to at least get you are a room. You see what I'm saying Airbnb room, even a room in a boarding house, or maybe you and a roommate can split, you know, the rent, but it gives you at least enough to kind of keep a roof over your head. You know, I still think there's salaries need to come up.

00:09:12.300 - 00:12:05.800

And in what ways do you think family impacts on homelessness? In my case I was set up and a number of persons in my family did play a major role. I don't think that's normal. I think what happened to me, it's a unique situation. I don't believe that most people out here, have a family like mine. I don't. So I think my situation is kind of what they call an outlier. It doesn't fit the normalcy of homelessness. I don't think most people have my situation. I think is very, very unusual. I have relatives who were running an underground prostitution ring, for lack of a better word, and I don't really believe that most families may be involved and in somebody's homelessness. I mean, you're an adult. So whatever you do your a grown man or woman. You're out on the street. Your family, don't know what you're doing. When you go out there most time, most people's family don't know exactly what they're doing unless they come back and tell them. So I don't think your family can really quote unquote, play a major role. You know, it can or it can't. It depends on where your family is. And how does job situations in the city impact people's ability to access housing? Well, you know, I haven't really been offered employment opportunities even though I am boarded up. You know, it's just like, I'm just being blocked. I think that I know up at the Baltimore County with the resources the East Side shelter, one of the things they establish with me, right off the top, was my source of income. And that's where you want to start with everybody. Because if we get your source of income, then we can start talking about other things you can do. And I think that if you're not at retirement age, then you're going to have to work. You know, and one of the biggest things is I'm not ready to take my retirement. I can actually retire at 62, but if I take it early, I'm going to knock myself out of about $660 a month and as a head of my household, I rather stick it out and wait it out and take it later. Because $660 a month is almost $700. And I cannot take the type of financial blow trying to take it early because I'm not working. But I got myself jammed up still because again, I won't be able to go back and get that money. Once I take it early on kind of locked in at that. You see what I'm saying and it would take years for me to get to where I should be, if I had just waited a few more years and took it later. That's what I'm trying to do now. I don't want to take it.

00:12:08.400 - 00:14:27.900

What kinds of housing situations are most successful people in your situation? Well, I've been offered, I know they offered me a studio apartment one bedroom. I have a vision for myself. I might have to start small, but I see myself in a house. And One of the major reasons is because I have several grandchildren. And even though I'm older, I still want to houss. I still want, that was one thing I want to do is leave something behind for my grandchildren. So I don't just want to stay in an apartment. I might have to start there and start small and build myself up, but my goal and what I see for myself, eventually, is a house. Because like I said, I want to leave at least- I mean an apartment, my grandkids can't do nothing with no rental. But if I leave behind a house, that's something that- and this is one thing that's important to me. I don't any of my grandkids to have to be homeless. I want us to have at least one house in the family that anybody can go, you know, one of them can go to. They can stay there, they can rent it out, but I don't want nobody in the street, you know what I'm saying. So that's why it's important for me to be a homeowner again. What kind of jobs are available to you and do they care enough to help you sustain housing? Well, there are no more jobs that I can do. But if I'm going give up, it doesn't matter. I mean, one of the beauties of writing is when you write it's just an open feel. You know, and it's always just something that nobody can really kinda control as opposed to work. So in terms of jobs open to me, I mean, I have a Master's degree in organizational leadership. That gives me a lot of managerial experience. I have almost a second Master's. I left this area in 2011. I have almost a second Master's inPh.D. nonprofit management. And I have credits towards my PhD in organizational leadership. So I have a lot of writing experience, research experience. It's a number of things I can do out here, you know.

00:14:30.300 - 00:16:36.000

Do you think the job situation has changed over the time in DC and in which way does that impact people's ability to access housing? I do. Yeah, I think it has changed. The salaries are just lagging behind out here. Just at one time it seemed like DC was kind of keeping pace but it seems like this is a lag. I mean, the salaries are just so low. I mean if it's $18 an hour and God forgive me, I know, you know, someone money is better than no money and I agree. But let's face it, if every child or even a car versus a single just by yourself. It's just not enough. It's just not enough. The Maryland Food Bank did a major slash in funding. So that means more people going to be on food stamps and going to coming to food banks. So everybody is kind of feeling this hit if you will nd resources and services. I think the celery needs to come up and I really think that we should do this universal basic income where everybody gets a blanket amount to do whatever. And that's something that I was at an interview with [15:40] the staff at Street Sense. I think it's a good idea and he was talking about $2,000 a month. I think it's a good idea because it would at least give you something to have as a base. Now if you don't budget it and you blow it, if you out there to get high. I mean you're going to be homeless. Everybody knows that, you know what I'm saying. You still have be frugal and sensible, but the thing about it, if you got a base amount coming in, there's something like Street Sense is your change, coffee money, toiletries, you know, stuff for your hair. You know, car fair, you know, and then you would have something to sustain you to live off of, to keep a roof over your head. And this other money would just be pocket money or change one of you, or you could save it. Has change in the welfare system impact homelessness in any way?

00:16:38.800 - 00:17:31.070

I say that it has but I say that it is for the good. You can stay on it till your child gets 18 anymore, at the age of five, you have to go back into the workforce. And I think that, you know, we need as many taxpayers as we can get. Whether you're working or with your own business, the more people will bring in federal and state taxes, the more money there is to go into things like basically universal income, infrastructure, childcare, schools, everything. So as many people working that we can get out there, is great because that means it's bringing more taxes in to be used in the community and, you know, at large. So how about the city's federal unemployment service? In terms of benefits? In terms of benefits or the lack of benifits.

00:17:31.600 - 00:20:22.400

Well, when I was at, and I hadto go back to the East Side shelter. I was able to finally apply and get a response. I was supposed to be getting $207 a week. I've been blocked. I could not get back into the portal, and I was supposed to get that until they ran out. I have money right now in my unemployment insurance from two other employers, who paid into my unemployment insurance, but I cannot give back until it become portal to even get my 207 a week and that's $800 a month that I really could use right now. Because the $800 a month, I mean, I still quote, unquote might not have housing but I can run alot of things- other things I can do. It would give me more options. It will put more money in my pocket. I can start paying bills with a real date to give a creditor to say I will be paying this amount of money on this date. And I know for sure that I'm going to have it because you know, once you start getting unemployment, it's set, it's a done deal, you know those checks are never late, the money is always in your account right on time. They have blocked my unemployment. So it's just been- and I wanted to change my social and I was told not to do it because an investigation is being conducted. So, I'm kind of stuck with this social being used by other people and I can't get my unemployment insurance. How would you describe Washington's state of homeless shelters and the reason, what impacts do they have on homelessness? Well the Harriet Tubman facility is very nice, is extremely clean. It's being run by the Catholic Charities. It's extremely clean and I mean it's a shelter, but it's nice. It is. And that's the one I have been at. Calvary Women's Service is also nice, even though I didn't stay. It's nice. So, I think some are- a couple of facilities I've seen- I mean, for the, for the lowest short time that you're going to be there. It might not be ideal but it's not bad. Staying at the Holiday Inn, I liked it a lot because I had my own room and a flat-screen TV. I glad that I didn't have any roommate. So, some of the shelters that I got around to are really nice. Where I'm staying at now is almost a total hole. It's nasty. It's dirty. It's filthy. It's a total hole. It is, it's so nasty. I don't even know where to get the same answer, you know, and I take my shower and I'm clean, you know, I make sure that but it's just, I don't think anybody, I don't care if you're homeless or not, I don't think anybody should have to live like that. Can you tell me where this shelter is you staying at?

00:20:22.400 - 00:21:51.600

Yeah, it's located at corner of 425 Second Street and E Street, Mitch Schneider shelter CCNV facility is what they call it. It is nasty. It's I just don't think anybody should have to live like that. I just don't. And the policies, how has the policy of the city impact homelessness? Have policies changed in a way that affects homelessness? Well, I mean this is the first time I've been in Washington DC and been homeless, so I don't have any, you know, way of judging. But what I can say about the city is that housing is expensive and if you're going to have $1,400 a month, please pay people something to take enough. If you are paying them anything under $25 an hour. It's just not going to be enough money and they can sit there and talk about budgeting. It's nothing to budget because, you know, a cell phone could be anywhere from $40 to $200. Just your cell phone and you have to have a phone because you might have an emergency might need to call the police, fire department. You cannot be somewhere tomorrow and don't have a phone, it is that every morning. No, you need to have a phone, just for your own personal use. So I say,the salary has to go up. Has police brutality impacted homelessness?

00:21:53.100 - 00:23:27.580

I don't see it. I mean, I read about in the paper and I'm aware of police brutality. Since I've been down here, I've had some interaction with the police in terms of some things. I've been reporting, but I don't know how it's impacting homelessness. I mean, I find them to be- I mean the police, I don't know what they would do. I don't see their involvement. In other words. I don't know. How does the War on Drugs have an impact on homelessness? I think it's having a terrible impact, or possibly know some people who could be out there actually contributing to tax space. Because we need tax rights because the taxes are what's going to pay Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, all the stuff we need. Whether you have your own business or you're working some kind of way, the more people bring into the tax federal state taxes, it's going to be better for everybody across the board. So drugs, that play a major role if you're got undocumented income because if it's undocumented, for you it's a lot of money, but in terms of everybody else who needs all these different services, it does impact you because then you're not able- you're not paying taxes. And what impact does prisons have on homelessness?

00:23:29.800 - 00:27:15.660

It has a big impact. One thing because a lot of work is being contracted out to prisons and jails. And prison and people in jail are now being utilized as cheap labor. They doing overseas work. They are doing call centers and we don't have to pay you 50- you know, we don't have to pay you, you know, the market rate. They can pay you two or three dollars an hour because you went to jail. That's taking a job from somebody out in the street who is not incarcerated. So it's having a major impact and it is because they are now using the correction center as a cash cow for revenue. And I believe that a lot of people who formerly were in corrections are running, running the shelters. It's almost kind of like the same majority. Keep the people in the shelter as long as you can because we getting paid per head. That's not what a shelter is designed to do and this is what I'm feeling in DC. I didn't feel in Baltimore County but I feel it down here. Most of the shoulders here are under contractors and it's all about money. It's not about reform. It's not about you being stable and viable. And so when you run it like that, you lose what it was designed to do. And then you got all these people still stuck in the shelter- I'm still in the shelter. Next month I've been there here a year. And I'm still in a shelter. I found an apartment, at Solstice Apartments on East Capitol Street, one bedroom. And then I got blocked. So me, it's just... [long pause] Yes, so I could have been in a one-bedroom, washing machine and dryer in my unit, carpet. I had a nice long window. I even told the gentleman who was working with me at [25:30] about it, how much I liked it. I got blocked because they gave me this, you know, we don't understand your unemployment insurance and they didn't need my income for me to get in the building. But they said that, you know, they didn't understand a lot of from unemployment. And get something a little bit more concrete about your income. Well, first of all, I had rapid rehousing they were going to pay the first 12 months. So the unemployment was not going to be the income, no more than six months, but they gave me a big deal about my unemployment letter that I was able to produce. And I was told that they were supposed to take me, because I didn't need more unemployment to get in. I got blocked. So, I am being relegated to a life in a shelter because these prostitutes they run around. They are where? A lot of them and shelters like me, so that just puts us right together. And we just joking around Sherwood. Count me, I mean, that's the way it looks to me. And to be frank with you Mrs. White, I don't know how much longer I can take- I'm not, I'm not used to living like this. I'm not going to anybody. I'm not trying to stay with anybody. I want to be by myself. So, I am everyday, I am praying and I'm asking God, "what do you want me to do? Because I cannot live like this. I can't take any more. Like what do you want me to do?" You want me- I mean, like really, and I'm serious. I'm prayful about it. I cannot live like this. I don't have any of my original stuff. It's in storage. Everything I got, I got since I've been out here. So it's just not- this is not good. Alright, and in what ways does homelessness impact people's health?

00:27:17.000 - 00:31:15.800

I think it can play a role. I mean, you got people, coughing and sneezing, right in with you, not wearing masks. You don't know if they vaccinated or not vaccinated. And then in a place where I'm at now, is so nasty. I'm sure you can easily catch germs in there because at least in Harriet Tubman, they come through several times a day with bleach and disinfect. I have actually seen them and they sterilize everything, shower stalls, toilets, you know, and I saw them do it. And that's good because, you know, you're around different people. But where I'm at now it can really impact your health. I don't know what you got, coughing like that. I don't know if you're a heavy smoker and you're breathing that in. And germs just carry, you know, if you even walk around with no shoes on in a place that's dirty, you can pick up something on your feet. So I think again it impacts health in that way. And not only that to sleep in a room with a bunch of people to me, it's uncomfortable. People are coming up on you- like a woman banged on the bed the other day and told me to you know, to move to the other bunk, but she scared me in the way she did it. She could have just called my name. I mean she banged on it, and it startled me, and she was right there standing over of me. I mean, it's just that place is inhumane. They need to shut that place down. They do and take all that staff and do something else. I'm serious. What is the impact of existing mental health and substance abuse programs on the homeless in the region? And how have they gotten- have they gotten better, or had they gotten worse? Well, you know, I don't have a issue with substance abuse or alcohol and drugs. So I haven't experienced any type of treatment program. I don't have any mental health issues currently. Yeah, I just went to my doctor- she's a registered nurse, not a doctor. I went to the doctor's on the 21st, last Thursday. And I go to the doctor, not every week, but I go enough to be seen by a medical professional, you know I'm saying. In terms of my mood. I'm not sad or depressed. I'm just not comfortable. So I'm not allowing my circumstances to change my mood, you know, because I get up and I get out every day. I leave out 5:3, 6 and I'm gone all day. I am rarely in any of these facilities. I stay out the whole day because I'm not going to get complacent. I'm not going to sit around. And I do anything because one thing about it, when you do nothing, you'll start feeling sad and feeling sorry for yourself. I'm not gonna feel sorry for myself. I'm going to keep getting up, getting out, getting around people, selling my paper being productive because if God does give me a paid position, if he does, I want to already be in the mindset of getting up early shower and get my clothes on and not, you know, I'm not going to get lackadaisical and come off on my game plan. I have goals Mrs. White, that I set for myself. That I want to achieve before I retire. So time is winding down and I need to move forward so that I can retire comfortably. I don't want to retire and be eating tuna fish. Like some older people are selling- I've seen other people selling medication because they are hungry. Seriously. I don't want to live like that. I'm serious, I don't want to live. Like I've seen it done. I don't live like that. I have a quality of life I want to have when I do retire and I want to be comfortable and I don't have to be rich, but I want to be comfortable. Do you think access to education or the quality of education has an impact on homelessness?

00:31:16.200 - 00:32:56.440

I think you can play a major role, not having a skill set. I mean, I have a lot of education and I'm still really not working. So I believe it has a lot to do with who's making the decisions about who works and who doesn't work. I think that, one thing education does do, i may not guarantee you a job, but it gives you options. You know, you might not- but it just it just opens up another door. That door opens over there and you can say "yeah I have it." But I think having skills are great because skills you can sell. And a lot of times depending on what craft you're in, you don't have to worry about a computer taking it over. Like for instance, writing. That's something that they will always need writers to write something. You never have to worry about technology, taking over. Even though they have a template, they do, but people still need writers. So having a skill can be a way to bring in income and I think of a skill as good, coupled with education. So, just next question, how would you assess the state of skills programs that are available to people who experience homelessness? And has these changed over time? I think- I've heard, I haven't attended anything but there are a number of training programs that I read about. And I think it's good especially if you have no skills, and you don't want to go to college and you don't want to go into the military and provides people an opportunity to be in a setting where they can be trained. And they at least get certified in something. Can you name one of these for training facilities or a few?

00:33:00.800 - 00:34:10.080

They have a program of them in Baltimore County. It's called Readiness, something like that. And it's like 14 weeks and it's a training program. They had the culinary training program that was just in Street Sense. Culinary training, 14 weeks, you're going to pay your tuition and you have to be available Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 4:00. That was just in last week's Street Sense. That's one that I heard about in Washington DC, but I know up in Baltimore like a Readiness program when you do about 14 weeks and they place you in a job. So I think that's good because then you have a guarantee position and a skill. And has physical sexual violence, within in the homes, had an impact on homelessness, or do you think it had an impact? I think it does. I think a number of runaways out here because of abuse. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, or even watching abuse and their homes, for some young people pushes them out in the street and has them out here doing a lot of things, selling their body, getting into drugs and it is sad. And does violence on the streets have an impact on homelessness?

00:34:14.000 - 00:36:36.880

I almost say it does, because last night I was attempting to sell my paper up. And it was night, it wasn't too late though, up at metro- that was that metro right there by Walgreens on H Street quarter. And this big argument ensued. I guess it was a couple with a little baby. And I thought, you know what, you need to go in, you know, you need to in house. You know, what, if you had another income coming in and you wouldn't even be out here this time in the evening selling Street Sense. Even though I will be out there selling it, I might not haved pushed because I push myself all day today. You know, saying so I can sell something. But if I had my unemployment, I would still sell Street Sense as I was still right. But it would make a big difference. So I thought, "yeah, yeah, they look like they're about to fight" And so many people are armed. I said, I'm gonna get on the bus lane. Okay, if you are way of any, what do you think of current groups or strategies people can engage and to try to end homelessness? Well I think that folks, like they were doing in Baltimore County, a case management program with a job developer, case manager, and a social worker to engage people in these shelters. Or just like where we are now, at least there's somebody from the Department of Social Services to come to the building and kind of say, "so let me ask you a question, 'are you working? Blah, blah, blah, who are you? Sit down. Let me talk to you. Are you seeing anyone for case management? And what are you doing? Or can I assist you? Or can I give you some information?" I think, in thit almost looks like is area, because it's being contracted out and it's not under the government anymore, it has lost- it's not personal. It's just a business, man and people jare just cash cows. You just are not making money off of this bed. It's, detached, they got a detached from their client. I mean, that's I don't know. That's the impression that I am getting. Any movements or groups that you are involved in or would like to get involved in that were mobilizing against homelessness?

00:36:37.200 - 00:40:08.920

Well, I like what Mr. Reginald Black is doing with [36:41]. I like the fact that we have had an opportunity, last Wednesday, October 20th and to go out and to engage with several congress persons. And so I, right now, I don't see myself getting along any other groups. But I like what he's doing with the Street Sense vendors, getting us connected to a policy because that's where it all starts. Policy and who's writing policy. And I'm glad that he is a very forthright, intelligent, African-American male. He can be a role model, if you will, for other males who are also vendors, as well as other males in the community. I think more young African-American males need to be out in the forefront as examples to other males to say you can do something positive. What is the most critical issues in a movement to end homelessness should focus on? What groups should focus on? Case management, case management is everything. Because when you have a continuum of services, which includes a job developer, social worker, and case manager, that set up, those three are designed to get you stable again. And so, I think case management is something that should be brought to the forefront. Whereas down here in DC, and this is just my observation, they're trying to push mental health. Well, mental health is good, too. But what if you have somebody who doesn't have a, you know, really go mental- if that's not your situation. So it almost looks like, well, we get more money if we can say, you have a mental health issue. And if you don't have one, we don't care about you. Well, you can't exactly run it like that. Everybody is homeless, mental health issue or not. So I think that case management needs to be strengthened. I think that in the Washington DC area it should go back to the government. They should let all these contractors, go. Give it back to the government, why? Because it's more accountability and it's more stability with staff. When I was at the Holiday Inn, the night shift didn't know what the day shift was doing. There was not a lot of documentation that was going on, in terms of the database, the homeless management information system, which tracks all the patrons. You cannot run a program if you're not documenting, that's how you get funding or additional funding. So if you're not noting anything from prior shifts. I don't know how you got that contract. I'm just baffled how unorganized some things are at some locations. It seems like people were given contracts and kind of gave it to their friends. But if your friends don't know what they doing, this is a business. You cannot do this contract. So I think it should go back to the government, to a government employee, or a state employee, who has a vested interest. Because first of all, if I'm permanent full time, I'm not going fudge numbers and I'm not going to lie on a document. Why? Cause I need my job. Where's a buisnessman says I'm only going to fill this contract for a year, I'm leave anyway. I don't care and it seems like that's kind of the vibe I'm getting.

00:40:10.700 - 00:42:10.700

Okay, if you could get 50 people to join you in doing something to end homelessness, what would that would you have these people to do? Write their Congress persons. Write them and professional, you know, format, express themselves. They do pay attention to that writing and get it, you know, get on the running game thing, Regarding homelessness and some of the things that are going on in Washington DC are relative to case management, And in Baltimore County relative to a county executive, Mr. Orlansky, putting a proper staff from place and doing his job as an accounting exec and his staff are being blocked. Like I think that's wrong. So I think that a writing campaign should go on, where they can say, you know, some jurisdictions people, the county exec is doing outstanding job. His staff was out doing doing an outstanding job, but certain patrons of shelters are being blocked. I think they should know that and congress. Okay, what are the things you think people can do to fight against homelessness? Well, I mean outside of writing. I don't know what more anybody can do. I think writing, changing policy, and I don't know. I see a lot of organizations giving out food, giving out coats, giving- I think people are trying to help people. I see people give people money. Now, I'm selling Street Sense. And with homeless people around me, I've seen people, and I've seen this a lot, they'll give them money. THey won't buy my paper, but they will give them money. So I think people are trying to do what they can. I don't think they can do any more. I mean, I don't know, everybody's personal situations or why they homeless, but I've seen many people give- and the person's not begging, they just sitting on the street and I've seen people going in pocket and just give money.

00:42:12.800 - 00:44:57.520

So how might we overcome some of these barriers? I believe we can overcome by number one, you know, start talking about- it's so much work going into the prisons now, I think we need to start sitting on boards and be in decision-making positions because whoever is making a decision, is a person who's gotten things. So maybe a homeless person, a person who was formerly homeless can be of with a lobbyist and meet with them preiodically to talk about some of the things that go on out in the community. And have a person who's writing policy will be able to incorporate something. I believe the case management is everything to getting you viable and sustainable again. If you don't have good case management, you just going to be homeless forever. And I'll just be doing what I'm doing, running from shelter to shelter. And it's not really running. I was 15 minutes late and I lost my bed. I would have preferred Harriet Tubman, just because it's just so much cleaner. And I right now, I just don't feel like picking up my stuff, going back over there, just all the shifting and shifting and shifting. It's just, you're just so unsettled. So I think the case management needs to tighten up. I believe it needs to go back to the government, where there's more accountability and more transparency. And I believe that people should go back to maintaining notes and documentation. Nothing should just be oral information given across desks all day. No, keep it professional. Because, again, we are in shelter. You might be chilling on your work site, but I'm sitting in a shelter trying to get out. So what's the difference. If you could make a better world, what would the world look like for you? If I could make a better world, I would like everybody to tap into their energy that I have heard so much about as a Christian. I was finally able to do when I was living in my own place up in Baltimore for almost five years. I think that if everybody is able to take from today and enjoy, it would be a better world wide because you would be a lot more positive. Your perspectivewouldn't be so myopic. It wouldn't be so negative and cynical. You would understand that a source higher than you is actually behind the scenes orchestrating things. And you only are saying one part of a story. There's a whole spiritual world going on right next to the natural world. So even though we're in the natural, it's a whole nother world going on around us. A better world would be everybody tapping into their energy and joy. I think most people would be happier.

00:44:58.800 - 00:45:35.190

What would a community ideally be like, for you, that you would want to live in? I would want to live in a community that is, you know, people speak. That's clean, gated community with a guard. Seriously? Single-family home, on an acre of land. I'm not person who runs in and out of people homes, you know, I don't need company. I just would like to live in a community, that's nice. It's clean. Not a lot of grown, traffic, people...

00:45:37.100 - 00:47:17.300

If you could design your own housing solution, being as creative, you want it, what might that look like for you? A house over in Montreal, Canada. I would like a complete switch with a whole different ethnic group, a whole different vibe. I've gone over there on vacation. It's very, very clean. It's very nice. It's communal. It's different. I did, kind of like an illistration, this week and a workshop at Street Sense. And I said my idea would be Montreal, Canada. And if I had to stay in this area, a houseboat possibly, in Annapolis on the water. What might an ideal employment situation look like for you? An ideal employment, me being in charge of my own day. Once my boss gives me orders, allowing me to have the flexibilityto kind of gauge my own to-do list and give me the latitude, and the freedom to go out and do it. I did enjoy when I was working as an intake officer at a shelter up, in Baltimore City. I enjoyed that experience, it gave me an opportunity to have my own office and be alone. But I also engage with the shelter patrons. I went out in the community and I did do marketing. So it gave me an opportunity to have a lot of latitude, a lot of freedom and kind of plan my own day, but then to come back and meet with my supervisor in terms of what I was really, you know, doing in terms of their goals are was supposed to accomplish.

00:47:18.000 - 00:49:41.100

So, how did you think that we might make these visions a reality? Well, I think Street Sense has made a phenomenal impact in my life thus far. I met a number of people- it's good to be around writers who are passionate about the same thing you're passionate about. I worked for another newspaper, I didn't meet the writers. I was just a writer, and I didn't sell it. So I just wrote and I submitted it, and somebody else did everything else. So it's good to be around other writers. Other like-minded persons. I find at least the writers that I've met to be eagles like me. They fly high. They don't carry a lot of weight. They have goals like I do. And I always say iron, sharpens iron. I'll find a number of the Street Sense vendors, very intelligent, articulate. I like to be around people who know things that I don't know because it gives me a chance to grow and a chance to learn. I think Street Sense has done a lot for me. They gave me an opportunity to speak to the Congress just last week. I have been wanting to do that for three years. So, I mean, for me, it's been a goal, it keeps changing my pocket, you know beats of light. I have some money and that's good. I can get my little toliteries and things I need to do. So I think Street Sense has done a lot for me since I've been with them. They really have. And I am forever grateful, you know, what they have done for me, I'll never forget it. And I really appreciate it. Do you have any questions for me? I don't have any questions, but I'm glad you're giving me an opportunity to get this out. I've been wanting to talk about for a long time and to put it in a context where I'm not so angry and frustrated because I reallywas frustrated. But I'm glad I had an opportunity to get it out in the way and that encompasses some of my frustration and you know, move- things had precluded me from moving forward. Because it's definitely not lack of motivation. I am highly motivated. Even now, I'm still motivated, you know, Miss White. This is what I say. If you quit, you'll never win. It's not even about giving up. I'm going to move forward and I believe God has something for me, havn't lost my faith.

00:49:41.200 - 00:50:45.600

Do you have any other ideas you want to share about anything you talked about? No, I just- right now I'm glad that Street Sense is an organization that gets the respect of even being aware to have Congress persons engage us. I'm let you have that type of image of which I think is great. You never know what doors are that might open for Street Sense. I'm glad that you and Mr. Reginald Black had an opportunity to do your 26-minute film. I think you did an excellent job of highlighting, some of the struggles other people who are out there and the fact that they're normal, people said I like being in the gym, like I'm literally happy. So I am glad you were able to get together with Mrs. Laura Waters-Hindson and pull that together and go out and publicize it. I think you did an outstanding job of representing what's going on in the community and I am forever grateful that the two of y'all got together. And did that. Thank you, I really appreciate the words. Thank you very much, and thank you for your interview. Thank you so much.

00:50:47.300 - 00:50:48.800

Okay, so I'm gonna go right now.