An already controversial proposal to disperse homeless shelters and service around Washington, D.C. is finding new ways to be controversial.
David Alpert reports on a particularly ugly episode from a debate over a proposal to add 50 short-term apartments for homeless residents on Idaho Avenue in upper Northwest D.C. "At a community meeting last night, some residents showed just how much they think the poorest people in DC need to stay far away from their exclusive enclaves," reports Alpert.
The noteworthy soundbite comes from a flyer circulated at the meeting that has since attracted a lot of attention. According to Alpert and photographic evidence included in the article, "[the flyer] includes the astoundingly offensive phrase, 'Homeless lives matter; the lives of community homeowners matter too.'"
The project is a component of Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposed strategy to address homelessness in the District—namely that homeless shelters and services should be spread around the city, rather than concentrating them all in one neighborhood. The $660 million proposal has experienced controversy due to questions about its funding viability, which has overshadowed the policy substance—that is, until now.
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