GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser

Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services

Councilmember Grosso
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 402
Washington, DC 20004

January 23, 2020

Councilmember Grosso,

Please find responses to your questions below. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out.

1.) What outreach has DMHHS or DHS conducted to inform people living on the sidewalk of
the coming clearing of belongings and the intention of the Mayor that people not return to
the area?

DMHHS started its outreach to persons staying on K St. on Jan. 2nd, the same day that DDOT posted the
new Pedestrian Passageway signs on K St., and updated the standard disposition signs with an effective
date of 1/16/2020 to ensure that residents knew that they had two weeks to prepare before the signs went
into effect. DMHHS also handed out fliers explaining what the new signs meant. Additionally, DHS and
Pathways to Housing, an organization who assists with the city’s homeless outreach efforts, also went out
the day the signs were posted and conducted outreach with the residents to begin the conversation about
moving. Throughout the following two weeks, outreach workers from DMHHS, DHS, and Pathways
visited K St. every weekday. DMHHS, DHS, and Pathways worked together to provide one-on-one
intensive case management to ensure residents staying on K St. had a safe place to go, should they wish to
avail themselves of those services. DMHHS distributed the Pedestrian Passageway fliers again throughout
the following two weeks and posted the fliers on the tents of residents that were not available.
Additionally, DMHHS informed residents about the upcoming Community Dinner on 1/14/2020 at 35 K
St. and informed residents that they would receive a free meal and have the opportunity to ask questions
about the changes on K St. and speak with various providers to connect with services. DMHHS, DHS,
and Pathways went to K St. (along with L and M) on 1/15/2020 to remind residents about the
encampment engagement that would take place on 1/16/2020. DHS, Pathways, and community volunteers
assisted residents who wished to move their belongings to another location.

a.) What have they been told will happen to their belongings or to them if they do return?
Residents were consistently reminded that any items left on K St. between 1st and 2nd St. NE after
10:00am on January 16th were subject to immediate disposal, and that they should move any belongings
they want to keep prior to that date and time.

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John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 223 | Washington, DC 20004
On the morning of the cleanup if a tent that appeared to be abandoned and/or unclaimed, DMHHS made
every effort to find out who it belonged to by asking outreach workers, advocates, and other persons
living on K Street for assistance. Prior to disposal of items, the DMHHS Encampment Coordinator
conducted a scan to identify and collect important documents or belongings of value for storage. Multiple
sets of documents were retrieved and stored with DHS. We do not criminalize homelessness in the
District and will not do so moving forward.

b.) What options or plans have been developed with them to improve the likelihood that
they not return to the area?
Residents were told in a direct manner that any items left on K Street between 1st and 2nd Streets NE
would be subject to an immediate disposal. Outreach workers shared this message and were very clear
that DMHHS would be enforcing this policy and that their belongings would be subject to removal.
DMHHS, DHS, and Pathways to Housing will continue to work with residents on short and long term
housing plans.

c.) How many contacts were made? How often did the outreach happen? How many people
have been transitioned to temporary to permanent housing?
DMHHS, DHS, and Pathways to Housing collectively conducted outreach each weekday between when
signs were posted and when signs went into effect. When someone wasn’t present, DMHHS left fliers and
Know Your Resource guides. DHS and Pathways compiled a detailed list of where each person was
moving and where they were in the housing process so they can continue to follow up with them on next
steps. Several residents were matched to vouchers (some of which have already started the housing search
process with their case managers), several started the SPDAT housing assessment process, and several
were referred to Project Reconnect for additional housing support.

2.) What is your office’s plan for the people living there with this change in policy and the
intention to keep the area clear?
Pathways to Housing created an intensive individualized case management plan with every K St. resident
to ensure they knew where they were relocating to and that they were connected to services that would
assist in their long-term stability, should they be willing. DMHHS will continue to be available to answer
questions and connect residents with resources and providers.

a.) Where do you anticipate them going?

Our collective outreach efforts worked individually with residents to identify safer and more sustainable
options such as shelter, or staying with a housed friend/family members. Some residents chose to avail
themselves of these options, some were connected to Permanent Supportive Housing, and some chose to
move to other locations outdoors.

b.) What steps has DMHHS taken to proactively address potential conflict if people who
have been staying on K St. move to L St. or M St. or other crowded areas?
At the Community Dinner that took place on 1/14/2020, residents from K, L, and M discussed concerns
and expectations about the living arrangements at L Street. Residents from K St. seemed to understand
that L St. had expectations to keep their living area clean. K St. residents spoke with L St. residents and it
appeared that some were able to reach an understanding with L St. residents.

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John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 513 | Washington, DC 20004
Discussion of “Peace Keepers” and mediators, between residents in the underpasses, was brought up at
the Community Event and this idea is being assessed by DHS, DMHHS, DBH, and Pathways.

3.) What is the impetus for this changed approach, considering that people have been under
the railroad bridge for years?
The narrow sidewalks and the high level of pedestrian traffic on K St. between 1st and 2nd Streets NE has
created an ongoing hazardous condition for pedestrians as well as residents staying in encampments.

Despite DMHHS’ ongoing efforts to work with persons staying on K Street to not locate and obstruct
passage on the sidewalk, we are continuing to see encampments blocking safe use of the sidewalks. When
all or some of these sidewalks are blocked, pedestrians have had to leave the sidewalk and walk in the
bike and traffic lanes to continue their passage. This is creating an ongoing public safety hazard for
pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and residents staying in encampments that is not abating.

1.) Relatedly, what efforts were taken to find a compromise, at least for hypothermia
season, that increases safety for everyone?
DMHHS has been trying to coordinate with K St. residents for the past year. DMHHS has suggested
rearrangement of tents and belongings to allow for some pedestrian passage and has actively encouraged
the downsizing of belongings. However, the efforts to compromise have not created a safer environment
on K St. DMHHS has observed multiple on-going public safety concerns and could not continue to risk
harm to pedestrians or K Street residents until hypothermia season was over. We have additional shelter
capacity during hypothermia season, including co-ed shelters, and encouraged residents to avail
themselves of these resources as staying outside is not safe, especially in the hypothermic elements.

2.) Why not implement this change after hypothermia season?

The public safety risk is too great to wait. Additionally, hypothermia season allows for more access to
shelter, including co-ed shelter.

4.) What will happen if someone comes back and sets up a tent or other belongings after
tomorrow’s clearing out of people and their belongings?
The DMHHS and DHS outreach workers will monitor the K St. area, twice a day, to check if belongings
and/or tents are being erected. If tents do begin to arrive, residents will be told that they need to remove
their belongings immediately. If residents accept and begin to pack up, outreach workers will wait until
the resident has moved. If residents do not accept, DMHHS will call on the Encampment Response Team
(DPW, MPD, DDOT, DBH, DHS) and Pathways to Housing and will inform the resident that he/she has
to move their belongings or it will be subject to removal. We do not criminalize homelessness in the
District and will not do so moving forward. MPD will not be arresting people for setting up a tent.

5.) Has DMHHS changed its policy to throw away unclaimed belongings unless they are clearly
labeled as valuable or vital? If so, why?
DMHHS does not have a policy of throwing away unclaimed belongings with or without labels. DMHHS
follows the policy set out in the Protocol for the Disposition of Property Found on Public Space and
Outreach to Displaced Persons (Protocol). Pursuant to the Protocol, DMHHS makes a case-by-case
determination regarding the property left at a site, including making every effort to communicate
upcoming encampment engagements, draw on information from outreach, other encampment residents,
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John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 513 | Washington, DC 20004
and any other information to determine whether property belongs to someone and whether they want to
keep it, and, in the event DMHHS determines that unattended property does not belong to someone,
DMHHS makes a reasonable effort to scan the belongings to identify and collect important documents
and items of obvious value, and place those items in storage.

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John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 513 | Washington, DC 20004