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Good evening everybody. I'm here will be the sauce. We're here to do a interview on homelessness, which is an oral history project. Can you tell me your full name? Yes. My name is Rita. Michelle sauce. And where were where, or when were you born? I was born in Washington, DC and 1961, which makes me exactly 60 years old this month. Right?

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And if you were raised in DC where you raised and what region, or what brought you here, I was, I was raised and would to which is Northwest d.c. which is a high high income, may be the highest income, ward of all, I lived on a Blog called copper Street for 40 years in a bedroom house. So I ate bedroom house. And did you hear that? Eight. Bedroom house, I grew up in that eight bedroom house so that doesn't sound like homelessness to me. Are you currently experiencing homelessness? I guess, you can say that. Yes, because of the fact that I do cows serve some time and I also tent the majority of the

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time. Have you ever experienced it before? And if so, how long actually, I would say. I did experience it and 2015, I had a house fire and then led me to be homeless and I stayed that way until I would say. Maybe back and forth until right to the present. Okay. So why do you think homeless has continued to be a problem in Washington? D.c., mainly is because of way to go woman describes homelessness. They have a way of calling people homeless, if they don't have a private lease with their own name on it, which I sort of discrepancy with me because I've never had a lease with just my name on it and I've never been homeless. I've always Been in a house with your family or some other person that was had to Lee's in their name. So that's why I said, I've never had a lease in my name. So, if the government consider that homelessness, I guess, I would say. I have to say, I've always been homeless.

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So, what do you think is the biggest cause of homelessness in this city? I think one is the way they chaperones people's apartments and they don't want people having family or relatives, or friends, staying and almost as if they're going to lose their own place. If they happen to have a friend or family member coming and stay with them, I think that causes it. A lot of homelessness. And I also think because of the fact that they're saying, if you don't have your own personal lease is your homeless. Because I know a lot of people that don't have personal leases do stay on families couches, but there are considered homeless. So I think that's the major reason and also housing vouchers lack of housing vouchers for low-income people. And what way do Family Impact homelessness, Well. I will have to say, If I have a family. I would think whatever I would go to, they would go through. So yeah my family, what happened into a homeless? If I were to here to the house and I was considered homeless then that would make the family be considered homeless. As well. Okay.

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Have you ever had a significant change in seen a significant change in the neighborhood that have been packed inability to find housing, or if so can you describe these changes if any? Definitely is very noticeable when people become housed. You see, not only a difference in them and they hygiene. But you also see a difference in the community because you don't have all the blankets or tennis or whatever discarded around because they are Hollis. Now, Okay. How does job situation? The City Impact, people's ability to assess housing impacts it with say a hundred percent because if you are, homeless is going to be very hard to be focused on on a job or any type of employment.

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What kinds of jobs are available to you to you? I'll do, they pay enough to afford housing. Actually, you know, I just told you earlier that I was 60 years old, as much. So I've actually been kind of like in the process of retirement, but I'm also self employed because I do believe in entrepreneurship and I have a couple of businesses that are running my own. But as far as employment, I would have to say and really and really makes it hard for you to keep a job. If you're homeless, So what you say is hard to find a job in the city, I was say, for the home this. Yes.

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In what ways, do government social services and changes to these impact homeless is For Better or For Worse? Is it better for us? Well, for me, I really can't comment, because I haven't received any government services. None of my 60 years on this Earth, I've never received food stamps. I've never received Social Security. I've never received Snap any government programs. I've always been self-sufficient. So for me, I cannot not comment on how the government is affiliated with the homeless. Okay. How how has policy in the city's impact? Homelessness? Well, that's the problem. They don't have a good homeowners policy and needs to be redone over for the best for the better of the homeless.

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So policies changed in any way that affects homelessness. I think this National Coalition for the homeless is going to be a big factor in helping the situation along with some of the other Advocates has. Please has police brutality impact on homelessness as impact on on homelessness. I would say yes and no because the reason I would say, Yes is because the ponies are very aware of all the homeless. Encampments with the reason I say no, is because the police are really lenient. I would say they really lenient with the homeless, as far as I know, not harassing them too much. I have to say that.

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Has criminalization of private property or homeless has been an issue in the region. He's always going to be. There's always going to be criminal activity every in anywhere. So I would say you had a homeless thing book. They share that. What does what do prisons have on homelessness impact on homelessness? Well, I think personally I feel a lot of people if they get tired of being in the streets that they were all happy. Commit an offense, so they'll be able to go to jail and being something.

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In what ways are people are shaped by criminal records? Will some things that you've done in your past, they do come back to haunt, you know, if you're lucky enough to get something expunged from your record, then you can go forward. Without that difficulty. And what ways do homeless impact People's Health? Oh, I would have to say a lot of people. They are not up to the abyss because of the homeless situation they can't they can't keep the hygiene of probably not getting the proper rest, probably not getting the medical attention that they need. So he has homelessness, does affect your health and your longevity.

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Okay. How would you describe the state of health services available to the on house? There we go. That's another one. I just mentioned, I don't get any government services but from the people that I know get government services, I see it does him, it does, it does him good. Okay, what impact of existing mental health and substance abuse programs on homelessness in the region? That was one thing that I never did. I never did agree with mixing mental health, with addiction. Always thought they was two different things. And I always felt that it should be treated as two different things, because I feel like a mental health issue is going to always be a mental health issue, but a diction issue can be read. Redirected or you could be fixed. That's the words you use

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and has that has it ever gotten better, or do you think it's worth over time? It could go either way. Depends on the government services has been offered or accepted. Okay, so how would you assess the state of skills training programs that are available to people experiencing homelessness? I think that they do have training for homeless people. This experiencing homelessness, I've been doing nursing for 15 years so I never went back for any other training but for my understanding there's ample training and schooling for the homeless because is their their, their their emissions is not dependent on their homelessness is On it. After 20K

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has physical and sexual violence within the home, had an impact on people being homeless. If I was the comment on that, I will probably say yes because any type of violation is going always is going to always stick with you does balance on the street affect homelessness. Definitely does definitely does.

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Okay. Are you aware of any or what you think of any groups of strategies? People are engaged in to try to end homelessness? I think the strategies like there's some of the Advocates are using are very well planned and basically the instruction to full-timers or descendants of rewrite laws and basically, advances in is for the Vengeance of the homelessness. Can you name some of these groups? I would say. Will your National Coalition for housing? I would say PFC, I would say speaker's Bureau, even Street Sense Media, they've helped a lot of people to come from homelessness to housing, and it's quite a few that I didn't mention. They're very dedicated to ending homelessness.

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Are you involved in any of these groups? Yes, definitely. Can you name the group's you were involved in? I would say, I'm involved with the National Coalition of housing. I would say I'm involved with phase. I would say I'm involved, just If anyone remembers my name, read the Stars. They can go back to the podcast where I said that I was a Philip facilitator. For the home, is that mean when I saw him laying on benches, I would go buy them tense and provide for them. So I consider myself a facilitator.

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Okay. And what are the most critical issues that a movement to end? Homelessness should focus on means your Movement. We should focus on is your focus on, like you said, mental health, I was saying focus on Mental Health, Personal hygiene care job, training and housing with those. For you said, you said not to be homeless, all right? If you could get 50 people to join you and doing something to in homes, what would the you have those people to do? Have those people. The 50 people. To maybe rent. If if the money's, if the funds available rent, some type of house and let it be a transition house where they can go from homelessness to housing.

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If you could help build a better world, what would that world look like to you? The world would look like no homelessness. Of course, everybody's inside and everybody's healthy. What would a community idea be like, for you to live in community? That idea will be Maybe recreational facilities schools and of course again everyone housed and everyone is skilled.

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What might be? An idea employment situation look like for you. I do employment for me actually I would if I was still In the working. If I was still working, I would probably, I would probably be doing nursing or some kind of service type work. Is there any questions you have for me to ask you? I know that none that I can think

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of. Do you have any other ideas you would like to share? if I could think of any It would probably be. To make sure. That. The home is have substance abuse. Workshops where they can basically be free of substance abuse. All right. Thank you for your interview, right? Thank you.