COVER LETTER
NameAddressCity, State, ZIPPhoneEmail
Dear Councilmember McDuffie,
Currently, nearly two thousand children are homeless within the DC metropolitan area, approximately a quarter of whom reside in temporary housing at D.C. General. This is wholly unacceptable, as the facility is severely degraded, and has earned a notorious reputation due to chronic infestations by vermin, spiders, and insects. Not only does the site fail to adequately house those who reside there, but it also fails to accommodate a much larger population which does not even have access to this inadequate facility.
More must be done, and we insist that not only should the homeless have better access to shelter, but this shelter should not be a single massive installation which operates much like a warehouse, prison, or sanitarium. People should be treated with dignity, especially when they lack financial support. Therefore, we agree that several smaller facilities would be better suited to this purpose, allowing individuals to live closer to potential sources of community or income, and that the homeless would be best served by not being concentrated in one single location. Furthermore, we insist that these facilities should not be placed in low-income areas, or regions with few meaningful employment opportunities.
If we truly wish to help and empower the homeless, we must not remove them from society, and must instead strive to integrate them. By placing the homeless in better neighborhoods, they will have a greater chance of finding employment because they will be more likely to encounter individuals who are able to help. If we simply concentrate the poor in neighborhoods littered with strip clubs and liquor stores, then we cannot be surprised to find that they fail to move on. Instead, we must house the homeless where opportunities are genuinely available. Although these smaller regional shelters may initially cost more, in the long run they will save money by allowing staff to customize their programs and by enabling the homeless to have access to neighborhoods which are otherwise inaccessible.
Packaged with this cover letter is a comprehensive briefing packet to inform the Councilmember of the facts surrounding this issue, the experiences offered by the parties involved, and the ways in which this proposed shelter in Ward 5 can be created in a cost-efficient and effective manner. Thank you for your time and consideration, and please contact us if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
FACT SHEET
BACKGROUND MATERIALS
LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Letter 1
Letter 2
Letter 3
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
USE OF E-ADVOCACY METHODS
MISCELLANEOUS PERSUASIVE MATERIALS
