Guest blog post by Stephanie Niedringhaus Each day, as I walk between Washington’s Union Station and my office, I see people who are either homeless or in difficult housing situations. I buy Street Sense from some, chat with others. Whether I am walking past or stopping to talk, I am always conscious of the U.S. Capitol just behind me. The contrast between what happens there and the circumstances of people on the street couldn’t be starker....
Our Great Volunteers
By Nick Cassalbore, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless Volunteer Coordinator In 2009, volunteers with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless assisted clients with over 740 legal issues. It is our pleasure to share some of their recent victories. The problem: A single mother and her four children are threatened with a termination notice by their transitional housing program. How we helped: WLCH volunteer secures housing and a lease...
Hypothermia: Believe it or Not, it’s Just Around the Corner!
By Patty Mullahy Fugere, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless Executive Director As we trudge through these dog days of summer, it’s hard to imagine the mercury dropping below 80 for more than a twelve hour stretch at a time. Yet the calendar tells us that’s just around the corner…and so, too, do the preparations of DC’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) for hypothermia season 2010-2011. This past winter will...
Can you help a family with no safe place to sleep tonight?
By Amber Harding, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless Staff Attorney A mother walks the city in 100 degree heat with her 10 year old son and 2 year old daughter, desperately searching for help to get her family off the streets. They have spent the last five weeks repeating this pattern since losing their housing; told daily that there is no room for them in shelter. This mother lives in fear that she will lose custody of her children...