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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · 21d

Announcing our new Legal Monitor Program! Join us to help protect the rights of unhoused DC residents in interactions with law enforcement. You do not have to be a lawyer to become a Legal Monitor. Sign up today!

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · 21d

Proud to sign onto an amicus brief led by @washlaw4cr.bsky.social & @aclu-dc.bsky.social supporting @dcattorneygeneral.bsky.social lawsuit to stop the federal deployment of National Guard.

DC's 200-year fight for Home Rule is inextricably linked to racial justice.

www.washlaw.org/civil-rights...

Civil Rights and Legal Services Community Unite to Stop Policing by National Guard in DC - The Washington Lawyers' Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS Linda Paris, [email protected], 202-308-5186 (mobile) Civil rights and legal services community unite to stop policing by National Guard in DC WASHINGTON — A...

www.washlaw.org

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · 29d

This Wednesday, Congress will discuss a bill to put people in jail/fine them for sleeping outside in DC. DC residents have no vote in Congress, yet some people in Congress want to rewrite our laws AND lock people up for being homeless.

Tell Congress NO.

www.votervoice.net/NHLC/campaig...

VoterVoice - Error 404

https://www.votervoice.net/NHLC/campaigns/130008/respond

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Sep 3

We are hiring a new member of our Communications and Development team! Please spread the word! www.legalclinic.org/jobs-and-int...

Communications and Development Team Member – The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless

www.legalclinic.org

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Aug 20

We're building a strong rapid response to counter the abuse of power by the Trump Administration-- hiring a Civil Rights Attorney to strengthen our team's work to ensure that homeless people can live their lives w/out police harassment and property destruction. www.legalclinic.org/jobs-and-int...

Temporary Civil Rights Attorney – The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless

www.legalclinic.org

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Aug 10

No one has authority in this country to decide who has a right to live in a jurisdiction and who doesn’t. No one can be banished from a jurisdiction. We will not stand by if the federal government attempts to abuse its power in this way.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Aug 10

The federal government does not have legal authority to disappear large groups of people because they cannot afford housing or because they are visibly homeless. They do not have the authority to force people to move out of the state or city they live in.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Aug 10

People without homes have the same legal rights as anyone else in this country. They are protected from unlawful search and seizure by the government. Their property cannot be taken without due process. They have the right to travel, the right to choose which jurisdiction to live in.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Aug 10

People without homes work, just like people with homes. They have families and they don’t. They vote or they don’t. They support Republican candidates, Democratic candidates, and third party candidates. They have a variety of personal, religious, and political beliefs. They are just people.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Aug 10

People are not criminals or dangerous, by virtue of their unhoused status. People are struggling to afford rent and food in an expensive city. We should not have homelessness in our nation’s capital. But the path to ending homelessness is housing, not displacement.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Aug 10

We are watching closely as the federal government broadcasts various threats to folks without homes in D.C. We want to be clear about a few things. 🧵

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

@brianneknadeau.bsky.social @cmcharlesallen.bsky.social @cmchenderson.bsky.social @cmlewisgeorgew4.bsky.social @cmzparker5.bsky.social @cmbrookepinto.bsky.social @robertwhitedc.bsky.social
@anitabondsdc.bsky.social

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

We know
@chmnmendelson.bsky.social worked hard to find funding for these priorities. We are grateful for his efforts. But the remaining gaps are significant, and will result in immediate and irreparable harm to DC residents. We encourage the Council to increase revenue to meet these needs.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

Some lowlights:
❌ Not enough ERAP
❌ No housing vouchers for individuals
❌ MORE families will be terminated from housing than will receive housing support
❌ Families will still be forced to share rooms in shelter with strangers
❌ Rights in rapid re-housing eviscerated

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

Some highlights:
✅Increased ERAP and vouchers for families
✅Funding to expand non-congregate family shelter
✅Guardrails and restrictions on use of shared sleeping spaces for families (Subtitle K)
Thank you also to @cmfrumin.bsky.social for efforts here

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

@chmnmendelson.bsky.social proposed budget is out. While we are very grateful for all the work the Council has done to mitigate the harm in the mayor's proposed budget, there is still a long way to go for this budget to reflect DC values, particularly in the area of homelessness & housing:

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

Don't forget to take action here. The first budget vote is tomorrow! actionnetwork.org/letters/reje...

Reject Subtitle K: Don't Send Families Back into Congregate Shelters, Stop RRH Harm, & Fund Vouchers

Unfortunately, the mayor's budget proposal is full of harmful cuts to critical programs and services that assist D.C.'s lowest-income residents. Despite an insufficient amount of funding for housing v...

actionnetwork.org

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

If the mayor wanted to “... diversify the options that we offer families who are coming to shelter and exiting shelter” she would have funded an array of housing options at levels that meet the expected need. Instead, she underfunded/cut housing while proposing endangering families in shelter.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

We agree with Community of Hope that "despite so much progress on family homelessness over the past decade... any return to the congregate approach could be a “slippery slope” that could bring D.C. back to its darker days of people languishing in crowded shelters."

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 13

New from the Washington Post:
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

D.C. prepares for family shelters to exceed capacity under budget proposal

The administration proposed a return to allowing congregate sheltering for families — a practice that has been prohibited for years due to concerns about health and safety risks.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 11

Take action and stand with unhoused DC residents! actionnetwork.org/letters/reje...

Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 11

No jurisdiction that claims to care about ending chronic homelessness or street homelessness passes a budget that has *zero* permanent supportive housing for individuals. DC can and must do better.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 11

It is unacceptable that, after terminating 3000 families from rapid re-housing in 1 year, the mayor now wants to terminate more families, even more quickly, with no checks/balances/legal rights. Rapid re-housing need legal reform *and* sufficient exit paths. #KeepFamiliesHoused

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 11

Not one family should be forced to share sleeping space with strangers.

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Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless @washlegalclinic.bsky.social · Jul 11

The first Budget Vote is on Monday. Check out this thread on some of our highest priorities for funding and policy change and take action at the link! @chmnmendelson.bsky.social

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