- 6 months ago
On Thursday, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser held a press briefing on the E Street Bridge Housing Program.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning, everybody. I'm Muriel Bouser. I'm the mayor of Washington, D.C. I'm joined by members of my team, including the director of the Department of Human Services, Rachel Pierre, as well as the director of the Department of General Services, which is the real estate arm of D.C. government, along with the city administrator for the District of Columbia, Kevin Donahue.
00:28And one of our new partners, the owner of this building, which we're going to talk a little bit more about today. Today, we are focused on a strategy that has been successful for the District in helping people who are unhoused need to transition and stabilize into permanent housing.
00:56So over the last decade, it should be very clear that the District has invested millions of dollars in our family homelessness system.
01:10And we have invested in strategies we know have been effective in ending family homelessness, particularly short-term family housing.
01:22We know those strategies will also work in the single, the individual homeless system.
01:30And when I say that, I mean the system with, for people without children.
01:35And we, the strategies that worked for reducing family homelessness, including a focus on prevention, reforming our benefit system, and piloting ways to support families as they grow their careers.
01:51We drove down family homelessness by 61%, and we are focused on making similar investments in our singles system.
02:02So because they offer non-congregate shelter, bridge housing, which is the type of service we're offering here,
02:12our first such program was at the Aston, and this program on the E Street is a low-barrier service to entry for some people who otherwise don't want to and have not come into shelter.
02:30We want to use this facility as a way to make it easier to convert people to more permanent housing.
02:38The Aston, our first such of this model, has demonstrated that when we expand options, tailor our services, we can get better services, better outcomes, and get more people to come inside.
02:54So our message today, as it is every day, is that there is shelter space available in Washington, D.C.
03:04And we encourage everyone to come inside.
03:09If you are experiencing homelessness in our city, there are services to help you.
03:16Help is available.
03:19So with that, I just want to ask Rachel if she wants to add anything more about the great work that is happening with DHS,
03:29and Delano can tell us a little bit more about the project.
03:34Thank you very much, Mayor.
03:36So we are very excited about this facility.
03:40As the mayor mentioned, this is a second of its kind.
03:43So it's really targeted for folks who cannot be well served in our low-barrier shelter,
03:48and also our residents who have chosen to come in because they feel that our low-barrier shelters cannot be done in.
03:55So we really will be focusing on getting people to come in to receive services, and then housing-focused case management to help them to permit housing.
04:06So we are very excited with this collaboration, and I'll turn to Delano, to Director Hunter, for a few words.
04:12Thank you, Director Pierre, and thank you, Mayor Bowser.
04:17I want to echo their comments and their excitement about this partnership.
04:21I want to thank Jet Set Hospitality.
04:24I want to thank Ms. Maryfield for her partnership.
04:26We will close on this building in a few weeks and begin services.
04:31I think you all have had an opportunity to see the facilities, and it's all about providing dignified housing, dignified opportunities.
04:38This is the model.
04:39I think D.C. is a leader, and we're excited to be a part of this.
04:42Many of the upgrades that you see in the basement on the first floor, those are the specs built to DHS's standard.
04:49Much of the housing that you see in the above floors, floors one through eight, we know this is going to be a great addition to our portfolio,
04:55and can't wait to close this property and begin services next month.
05:01Kevin, do you want to add a little bit more about our thinking and taking advantage of this opportunity?
05:09So let me describe sort of where this fits within the continuum.
05:14So we have a set of low-barrier shelters that are available to anyone.
05:19We still have capacity at them.
05:20We've also, over the years, invested heavily in housing that's in community, sometimes within buildings, sometimes distributed,
05:27through vouchers, through permanent supportive housing.
05:30And there has been a recognized need for individuals who are unsheltered.
05:35They don't often want to come into low-barrier shelter.
05:38But they may not be ready for a voucher.
05:40So we need it to be able to have part of the portfolio be a building like this that allows for someone who otherwise might turn away the opportunity to go inside.
05:49But they'll come here.
05:50And when they're in here, there's services on site.
05:54There's food on site.
05:55Employment services, mental health services, substance abuse services, case management services.
06:00That will then allow someone to stabilize and be able to transition to permanent housing.
06:05That will be in community.
06:06And they'll be in a building with folks who have common lived experiences with them.
06:11And it is an incredibly successful tool for being able to have a humane place to go, often for people who are right now unsheltered.
06:19We think, ultimately, there'll be 60 to 70 percent of the people who are in this building will come from the street.
06:26They will all be, everyone in the building will be homeless in D.C.
06:29Some of whom will be in low barrier shelter right now.
06:32So this is an investment that we made that we recognized a few years ago.
06:37That if we do this, we can make a meaningful, noticeable difference in the lives of people that are unsheltered in community and will be seen by the whole city.
06:45The Aston was the first example of this, which is enormously successful.
06:49This is the second example of this.
06:50And I really think this is one of the pillars that represent D.C. having a true continuum and really being a model for the rest of the country.
06:58Okay, so we'll be able to take a few questions.
07:02Yes.
07:03Is D.C. safer since Trump has brought in the National Guard?
07:06It has a forceful removal of the homeless people by the National Guard.
07:09Has that helped at all in D.C. solving the homeless problem or is that causing Mary's problems?
07:14Well, it's always our value and approach for people to come inside,
07:21which is why we have invested millions of dollars into our system.
07:27We think that the safest place for our neighbors who are unhoused is to be on a pathway to permanent housing.
07:36So in one of our shelters that we've invested a lot in and also on this continuum is bridge housing.
07:45So we continue to use our outreach workers, the services of the Department of Human Services to get people to come inside because we have space.
07:54When we're talking about unhoused folks who are unsheltered or living on the street,
07:59they're obviously the most vulnerable to some of these sweeps that we're seeing the federal officers facilitate.
08:06Are there plans to bring any more beds online in the immediate term, knowing that places like this might not come on until next month?
08:13Oh, we already have.
08:14Let me ask Rachel to talk about that.
08:17Thank you, Mayor.
08:20So we have, and I really want to emphasize the point that we have space for anybody who wants to come in.
08:25Since August 8th, we have not turned away anybody from shelter.
08:29We've expanded capacity to meet our demand.
08:32We watch the census daily, and we have the ability to continue to expand into other sites to meet the capacity.
08:40So nobody is being turned away from shelter.
08:42So we have space.
08:43That's the message.
08:44Please come in.
08:45Yeah, Andrea.
08:47Madam Mayor, a question about some of the arrests, the pickups, I should say, of these homeless people.
08:54I've been noticing compactor trash sanitation trucks taking their possessions.
09:01What is the policy about taking everything that these people have and throwing everything out when they are picked up for being homeless?
09:11Well, let me say that with regard to the federal law enforcement are being responsive to the president's executive order.
09:23And our policies are to advise when we need to clean a homeless encampment, give people the opportunity to move, and then we clear the homeless encampment.
09:38And the notification period varies with the conditions at the encampment.
09:44Do you have the option of notifying them before the federal enforcement takes place?
09:51That has been our approach, and will continue to be our approach, no matter where anyone is in the district, whether it's on a local road or park or on a federal park.
10:02We, and, you know, we have worked cooperatively with the National Park Service in the past to give people that notice.
10:11The last thing we want to see is just people moving around.
10:16So our teams now continue to try to identify where people have gone, and so that we can get them into shelter.
10:26Yes.
10:28Ravi with Channel 9.
10:29Mary, follow up on that response, actually.
10:32We are seeing, since the encampments have been cleared, people moving around.
10:35Can you talk about the outreach?
10:36And then, can you also tell me strategically why this area was chosen in the city?
10:41We were talking about downtown being, you know, some of the areas that you want to get people in-house.
10:46Well, it was chosen because it was available.
10:50And during, I don't know what period of time now, probably 2021, 22, we were looking around for opportunities to get property.
11:02And we thought this one was a good fit because of the size of the rooms.
11:07And if you've toured the Aston with us, it's similarly situated where people, where we have access to bathrooms, we have access to common space.
11:16And we have a good number of rooms that are the right size.
11:21And just the outreach that's being done, you know, people obviously are not in these encampments, but obviously might be moving around the city.
11:27Just talk to us about what the team does to kind of get them into housing.
11:32Sure.
11:33So what the teams, and let me just say this for anybody who's not familiar with this, it's about the hardest work you can do.
11:42People don't live on the street because everything is okay.
11:46All right?
11:46It's about the hardest thing you can do.
11:48And it is still not illegal to be homeless.
11:53You cannot have camps.
11:55You cannot have tents.
11:56But it's not illegal to be homeless.
11:58And people who are on the street are generally having some tough circumstances.
12:05And to compel them to come inside is a legal matter.
12:11It's a legal process.
12:13Some people need to be compelled because they can't make that decision for themselves.
12:18And so our outreach is about making sure we know who people are.
12:24We know, oftentimes, we know exactly who they are because they've been touched many, many times.
12:30And getting them to come inside remains our top priority.
12:37So right now, what's different is we're trying to, and I think we can, find out if people have moved, if they've moved out of the city, if they've moved around the city, to make sure we can connect them to service.
12:52But the message is, come inside their space.
12:56Yeah?
12:58Nathan Elligran with the Associated Press.
13:01Can you reemphasize why this is called bridge housing?
13:04It's a transitional period of time, how long residents might be able to stay.
13:08But then, secondarily, the end-all goal to get them into permanent housing and the obstacles there, the lack of funding for vouchers that the city was able to provide in their most recent budget.
13:18Well, I think it's important, and I'm glad you asked that question, is because while we have vouchers, vouchers, our experience has demonstrated, is not necessarily the best choice for somebody coming off the street.
13:36They need to get stabilized, they need to get services, and they need to get ready to use a voucher.
13:42And that's what we see, the bridge, this is the bridge from the street to permanency.
13:49And all the access that they have here to those services, they're all being on site, right?
13:55They would all be on site.
13:57And we have also, and I mentioned our experience with reducing family homelessness, when we're able to be in smaller settings,
14:05we find that the providers, and we have chosen a provider for this site, are more effective.
14:13They're just more effective.
14:15And so we're going to keep pushing on that.
14:18Yep.
14:19We're two weeks into this federal surge.
14:21Are you guys tracking the crime and seeing a decrease in crime, especially in areas like Ward 7 and Ward 8 that traditionally have higher crime rates?
14:30We've been experiencing a decrease in crime for the last two years.
14:34We expect that having 500 additional officers will yield more arrests, and we want guns off the street.
14:45Our police officers continue to do the work, and we expect some incremental difference with more officers.
14:53Yeah.
14:54Mayor, a question on the homeless, and then a follow-up.
15:00Is there any need to microphone?
15:02Okay.
15:04As far as customers here, are couples allowed, and the capacity, and then also, I've been asked to ask you, or someone who has knowledge,
15:19what is the state of youth homelessness right now in the city?
15:23That's a good question.
15:24So couples are permitted.
15:26There are 102 rooms, an occupancy of 204.
15:30And let me ask Rachel to talk about youth.
15:36So we have a separate system for young people, youth between the ages of 18 and 24, but in some instances, it's possible that we could also serve young people in this facility.
15:47What this facility just won't serve families with minor children, but anyone 18 to 2X will be eligible for this facility.
15:55All right, Mayor, I have a follow-up for you.
15:58Tuesday night, you went over to 7-D, and you were there with some federal officials.
16:03I've been told by sources that are familiar with the conversation in the room that when it was opened up for questions,
16:09that one police officer said, what happens after day 30?
16:12And that there was a federal official, and I'm not sure who it was, who said, we're not going anywhere, and we have a four-year contract.
16:19Were you in the room?
16:20Did you hear that statement?
16:21And what's your reaction to it?
16:22I think it doesn't mean anything.
16:25I don't know what that means, so I can't comment on it.
16:30These are the facts.
16:32The facts that the federal emergency ends in 30 days.
16:38It can only be extended by the Congress, and if the commitment from the federal government is to have federal support or officers that assist NPD,
16:52that's a different conversation.
16:54And then I understand you're opening the Joint Information Office Task Force tomorrow, or Joint Information Center tomorrow, is that right?
17:05Well, that's kind of an inside government thing.
17:08But it's supposed to help us, though, isn't it?
17:10It is supposed to help us help you.
17:13But what it is, it's just a way of us organizing our comms officials.
17:18We already are doing that, but it puts a little structure around it.
17:23So all of our comms officials across the government are pitching in.
17:28Yep.
17:29Afternoon, Mayor.
17:29Felicia, Ashley, ABC 7.
17:31Two questions.
17:32One, can you all talk about the gap this fills?
17:35You mentioned lower-income barrier housing, obviously really poor, but had some stipulation of maybe reasons why some people didn't or couldn't.
17:42Yeah, that's a good question.
17:44Good point.
17:44So just talk about the gap this does fill.
17:46Sure.
17:46And then my second, also touching on some arrests we've seen with immigration arrests, with the collaborations happening.
17:52Do you know right now if there are initial arrests happening, then finding out some people may be undocumented,
17:57or is the focus going after people that the agencies feel are undocumented right now?
18:04Let me ask Rachel to address your question about the gap, a very good one.
18:09So what's different about this space is that it does feel the gap that we have in the system.
18:15For example, we think about it in four categories of people who will be served here, who typically cannot be well served in a low-barrier shelter.
18:22Adult families, couples, singles who may have higher health needs, for example, who cannot be served well in the low-barrier system.
18:32And as the city administrator and the mayor mentioned, folks who are unhoused, who may choose to experience unsheltered homelessness because they don't feel comfortable coming into the low-barrier system.
18:42So folks who, with high health needs, for example, folks who may be eligible for home health aides, they cannot receive those services in a low-barrier shelter.
18:52Many home health aid agencies do not allow their workers to go to a low-barrier shelter system.
18:57So this, as you can see, private rooms would allow for residents to receive the services that they need on site.
19:03And then they will also receive housing-focused case management and be connected to the diversity of intervention to get them to permanent housing.
19:14Okay, I'm able to take a couple more. One, two.
19:18Hi, Madam Mayor.
19:19Hi.
19:20Do you believe that the Trump administration's surge of federal law enforcement is more of a pretext to enforce immigration law as opposed to fight violent crime in D.C.?
19:29Well, this is what I know, is that our police department has been consistently, precipitously driving down crime for the last two years.
19:40I think before the federal surge, more than 25% down. Last year, more than 35% down on, I think, all categories of violent crime.
19:52And so we know that that has been effective work with the police department.
20:02We know that the surge of federal officers is allowing for different types of deployment and more frequent types of deployment, like checkpoints.
20:13The request from the feds that were, that was represented in the Pam Bondi order almost exclusively focused on immigration enforcement and homeless encampment enforcement.
20:30So I'll let you draw your own conclusion.
20:34Okay.
20:35Ashraf Khalil with the Associate Press.
20:38You said earlier, earlier this week, you mentioned that you had asked Chief Smith to speak to the administration about the idea of the federal officers masking and saying that you didn't see a need for, for any law enforcement officer to go about their job with covering their face.
20:55Has there been a response?
20:56How has that conversation gone on?
20:57I don't think we've gotten.
20:58Why is it important?
20:59I don't think we've gotten a formal response.
21:02And you mentioned a meeting I had with MPD.
21:06And one thing that the MPD officer said was, well, we don't wear a mask.
21:11No one should be wearing masks.
21:14And our officers are identified.
21:18They have a badge.
21:20They wear body worn camera.
21:21And they, they are clearly identified to members of the public.
21:26Now, I haven't noticed, I've noticed all the federal officials are wearing their appropriate uniform or vest that identify them and their agency.
21:39It appears to be the DHS agencies, not the DOJ agencies that are wearing masks.
21:45Why is it important that they not, that law enforcement, not be going around masks?
21:51Well, I think I would answer it this way.
21:54Why do they need masks?
21:56They're federal officials.
21:58They're paid by taxpayers.
22:00They should be doing their jobs in a way that's lawful and constitutional.
22:07And that's part of the job.
22:10And so I don't, I don't know why anybody needs to wear a mask.
22:13I mean, I think some people identified in some of these drug type situations that masks could be part of a, you know, a PPE, if you will.
22:22That's, that's not the case in the work that they're doing here.
22:25Okay.
22:26Thank you, everybody.
Comments