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DC Needs an Emergency Downtown Shelter
~ SIGN THE PETITION [click here] ~

download printable petition here

Dear Franklin Shelter Supporters,

As you know, the Fenty administration moved rapidly on Friday to close Franklin Shelter ahead of schedule, ignoring the requirements of the City Council's emergency legislation passed on the 16th, and leaving many former residents with nowhere to go.A crowd of former Franklin residents and their supporters had Mayor Fenty on the run that day during an afternoon rally, as he hid inside the Wilson building to avoid being held accountable for the destruction caused by his actions.That night, former residents were among those who camped out in Franklin Park, across from the shuttered shelter.

Franklin Shelter residents and supporters march to "KEEP FRANKLIN
SHELTER OPEN" on Thursday, September 25, 2008

MAYOR FENTY RELEASES REPORT ON PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR FRANKLIN RESIDENTS. The report demonstrates that Franklin residents are indeed on the street. Sept. 30, 2008

Mayor Fenty's office dismantled all beds and pushed out all Franklin Shelter residents in the early morning hours of September 26. About sixty randomly chosen homeless men were moved into an assortment of taxpayer subsidized apartments around the City, some were squeezed into other overcrowded shelters away from downtown DC, and even more, simply in shock, are on the streets and park benches of Franklin Park.

The City Administrator has said there are no immediate plans for the Franklin School building ~ which has left many to wonder why the rush to push out the homeless just it is getting cold.

Please call the Mayor and your City Councilperson and tell them to restore the original 300 beds ... hypothermia season is coming.

Immediate Action is Needed

The Mayor has completely disregarded the will of the Council and of the District residents who rely on downtown shelter every night.

Be at Franklin rallies and demonstrations -- see above.
Call or email the Mayor to express your outrage (mayor@dc.gov, 727-2980)
Call or email the Council to let them know that the Mayor is disregarding their legislation.� Ask them about their position on Franklin Shelter.

Call DC's Councilmembers

Chair Vincent C. Gray, vgray@dccouncil.us, 724-8032
At-large David Catania, dcatania@dccouncil.us, 724-7772
At-large Carol Schwartz, cschwartz@dccouncil.us, 724-8105
At-large Phil Mendelson, pmendelson@dccouncil.us, 724-8064
At-large Kwame R. Brown, kbrown@dccouncil.us, 724-8174
Ward 1 Jim Graham, jgraham@dccouncil.us, 724-8181
Ward 2 Jack Evans, jackevans@dccouncil.us, 724-8058
Ward 3 Mary Cheh, mcheh@dccouncil.us, 724-8062
Ward 4 Muriel Bowser, mbowser@dccouncil.us, 724-8052
Ward 5 Harry "Tommy" Thomas Jr., hthomas@dccouncil.us, 724-8028
Ward 6 Tommy Wells, twells@dccouncil.us, 724-8072
Ward 7 Yvette Alexander, yalexander@dccouncil.us, 724-8068
Ward 8 Marion Barry, mbarry@dccouncil.us, 724-8045
Councilmember listserve membersonly@dccouncil.us

Franklin Shelter residents and supporters erect a tent city after Mayor Fenty kicked
out the last Franklin Shelter residents on Thursday, September 26, 2008

Background Information

On September 16, 2008, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation requiring the Mayor to certify to the Council that no fewer than 300 men have been placed into housing before the closure of Franklin Shelter could take place, and that Franklin continue its operations as a 300 person shelter in the meantime. The legislation also requires the Mayor to provide the Council "with a report on any proposed closing of the Franklin Shelter that includes a description of the current capacity, current availability, and location of replacement shelter space, and the ability to seasonally increase capacity to reduce incidences of hypothermia among the homeless population prior to closing the Franklin Shelter." (Franklin Shelter Closing Requirements Emergency Act) The DC Council unanimously agreed that adequate shelter capacity is a priority for D.C. and expressed a growing mistrust of the Administration's lack of transparency in implementing its Housing First program and closing the last low-barrier downtown shelter.

Call the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless at (202) 328-5500 if you have any questions.

DC Needs an Emergency Downtown Shelter ~ SIGN THE PETITION

Please sign onto the petition below.��

download printable petition here

The Committee to Save Franklin Shelter continues its struggle to help save lives.� Many former Franklin Shelter residents were forced onto the streets or into overcrowded shelters far from downtown, and its getting colder quickly.

We want an appropriate safety net for all people experiencing homelessness in DC.� We want no one to suffer needlessly on DC�s streets, or to risk death during extreme weather.� We want appropriate services at emergency shelters to help people overcome homelessness and poverty in a humane way.

Sign onto the demands below and contact us to let us know if you will support our struggle for justice.� Thank you.

1. Franklin Shelter must be brought back on-line immediately.

Reopen Franklin as a 300+ bed low-barrier shelter now, preventing more people from suffering cold months on the streets.� DC needs downtown, low-barrier emergency shelters, especially buildings which are already equipped as such. Many people are at serious risk of dying this winter season -- Reopen Franklin Now!

2. A real plan for the 2008-2009 Hypothermia Season

The City needs to immediately provide a meaningful hypothermia plan for this winter season, happening right now, with verification and genuine input from local community groups& individuals, NGOs, and from people experiencing homelessness.

3. We Need Shelters with Dignified Service

Low barrier shelters in DC, such as 801 East and New York Ave. should open no later than 4:30pm, and have services available, including:

* consistent, frequent, and adequate transportation to and from downtown services,
* medical, mental, food, and substance use treatment services,
* job training & access to day work programs,
* secure and sufficient storage for shelter residents' belongings,
* adequate bed space -- no more overcrowding, and
* clean and safe facilities administered by trained professional.

4. The Housing First Program Needs Better Oversight and Management

The City's Housing First Program is a another tool to help the poor of the District, but something that is quite separate from the issue of closing DC's sole downtown emergency shelter. This program is being rushed into action with peoples lives in the balance.��

For those homeless people that have participated in the Housing First program, the City must provide a regular accounting of the people who have left or lost their permanent supportive housing, with information on reasons to why they left and their current whereabouts, and about the future use of the apartments.

�
5. Increase DC's Housing Stock

Clearly there is an ever diminishing housing stock for low-income DC residents which is helping to push more and more residents closer to homelessness.� The City must bring online more low-income and subsidized housing for working people, disabled people, elderly, and other working class men, women and families living in the District.

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