Category: Update

Written by Amber Harding On November 6, 2012, Laura White, 45, passed away. At the time she worked in the DC Office of Disability Rights as a Compliance Specialist. Two years ago she was diagnosed with cancer. She continued to work until just days before she died. I’d like to reflect on a few reasons why she will be missed so much. When I first met Laura about eight or nine years ago, she was an advocate for youth with disabilities and we were working hard to pass the Disability Rights Protection Act. I admired her passion and her expertise,… Read more…

The following is adapted from testimony given by our own LaJuan Brooks, Administrative Assistant at WLCH, at the October 26th hearing on the Local Rent Supplement Program. My name is LaJuan Brooks and I am a Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP) voucher holder. I have been a participant of the program since 2006. It was because of this particular voucher that I, along with my family, was able to move out of the District Family Shelter System and into our own home. My family and I were homeless for approximately four years from 2002 to 2006 when I received my… Read more…

We hope everyone stayed safe and inside during the storm. As we all worry about the safety of our friends and families, deal with power outages, and wonder if the roads and public transit will have delays or get us to work on time, DC residents who are homeless have far graver concerns. Without question, men, women, and children who are homeless are at increased risk of serious harm when a storm like Sandy hits. While the rest of us are concerned about flooding in our basements, these residents are worried about actual trees and power lines falling on them… Read more…

To mark the end of National Pro Bono Week, we’d like to thank our amazing volunteer attorneys, whose steadfast advocacy on behalf of low and no income residents allows the Legal Clinic to provide representation to thousands of clients each year and to engage in transformative systemic litigation. As a direct result of the contributions of these attorneys and their dedication to pro bono work, our most vulnerable neighbors are able to access justice in the District of Columbia.  The following was written by one of our outstanding volunteer attorneys, Paul Lee. Representing the homeless or near homeless is not easy. It’s… Read more…

Today, we pay tribute to one of the world’s greatest advocates for peace and justice, Mahatma Gandhi, on the 143rd anniversary of his birth.  His message was simple, yet his wisdom profound: “Poverty is the worst form of violence.” Let us honor his memory by redoubling our efforts to make this a more peaceful, just and inclusive community. Read more…

by Bobby Jackson, Summer Fellow I remember biting my lower lip as hard as I could in an effort to hide my emotions, hoping that the water building up in my eyes wasn’t noticeable.  I peered down at my notepad for a few seconds and scribbled some non-descript words on the page. When I finally gained the courage to look back up, I saw the face of a tearful woman who confided in me that she had absolutely no where to turn and was in “desperate” need of the Clinic’s help. Within a few days she would become homeless. This woman… Read more…

by Robert Medine I have always been drawn to advocate on behalf of those who find themselves in situations where often the only thing left to hold onto is hope. My summer fellowship at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, thanks to Crowell Moring, LLP, has given me the opportunity to do this work and has become a valuable part of what I hope will be a long journey of using my law degree to help those most in need. My fellowship began on the eve of the D.C. City Council’s vote on the budget proposed by Mayor Gray.… Read more…

Last Sunday my client, Shirley Riley, passed away. In speaking with her daughter and her mother this week, it struck me that her family may not know the profound impact she had on the lives of other D.C. residents.  I’d like to share a small part of her story so that they and others will know more about the legacy of her fight for justice. I first met Ms. Riley in 2009 when she was staying in the D.C. General family shelter with her daughter. Ms. Riley had a number of medical conditions, some of which caused her to need… Read more…

Being Homeless My Struggles and Hardships By “Tyanna” 6th Grade 4/10/12 Hello, my name is “Tyanna” and one of my biggest challenges is being homeless.  Being homeless is a big challenge to me because my family and I do not have any money for us to get on the bus or to get a house.  The only things we can afford are clothes and shoes.  We have to get tokens from our school in order to get on the bus.  When my brothers and sisters and I come home late we are not able to eat dinner.  We have to… Read more…

We mark our 25th anniversary this year and look to this important occasion not as a celebration, but rather as a call to action.  With nearly 7,000 people homeless in the nation’s capital on any given day (about 40% of whom are in families), and tens of thousands of households struggling to find housing that they can afford, there seems little to celebrate.  To be sure, we’ve helped a lot of people move their lives to a better place, but so much more remains to be done.  We want to take advantage of this quarter century milestone to call attention… Read more…