The Department of General Services, Washington D.C.'s department in charge of constructing homeless shelters, has seen rapid turnover and is reportedly struggling with low morale.
Shelters in Washington, D.C.'s 7th and 8th Wards are behind schedule, and some point to staffing problems as a cause. "The new shelters are meant to replace the decrepit D.C. General, which is currently the city’s largest homeless shelter and houses about 250 families each night," Cuneyt Dil reports for the Washington City Paper. The Department of General Services (DGS) has lost three different people in charge of "project delivery" in a short period before replacement, Michael Jellen, took over the role on March 26.
City Councilmember Mary Cheh voiced concern about morale at the department, worrying about the lack of continuity and morale issues and their effect on the building of shelters, Dil reports.
Read the full story: High Turnover and Low Morale Among D.C. Workers Managing Homeless Shelter Construction Projects
Los Angeles Tightens Restrictions on Encampments
During a city council meeting that had to pause while police cleared the room of activists opposing the measure, the council voted to ban public sleeping within 500 feet of schools, making one-fifth of city sidewalks off-limits to unhoused people.
D.C. Council Chooses Commercial Property Tax Breaks Over Homeless Funding
Carolyn Gallaher, an associate professor at American University, makes the case for local political leadership to better support Washington, D.C.'s homeless population. The D.C. Council has been focusing its resources elsewhere.
Homeless Rates Climbing in Washington, D.C.
With rapidly rising costs of living, one study shows the number of homeless in the nation's capital is double the national average.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
Non-stop party: Chicago voters weigh permanent festival grounds
A stable place for bleachers, stages and drainage may streamline the setup and teardown of large events.
Metra may invest $9.1 billion in regional rail
The agency released a draft of a study examining potential ways to offer more frequent train service.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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