[fairbudget] Action Alert! Support Emergency Legislation to Save Franklin Shelter

Please call and e-mail as you can. Thank you. Sherry McMahon

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From: Amber Harding [mailto:amber@legalclinic.org] Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 1:02 PM To: fairbudget@lists.povertylaw.org; DC Consortium; dixonstakeholders@yahoogroups.com Subject: [fairbudget] Action Alert! Support Emergency Legislation to Save Franklin Shelter

Please help us show the city that support for men experiencing homelessness is strong and broad.

Thank you.

Amber

Action Alert: Support Emergency Legislation to Save Franklin Shelter

Help us keep men who are homeless from being turned out to the street with no place to go.

In April of 2008, Mayor Fenty announced that Franklin Shelter (13th and K Street, NW) will close by October 1, 2008. Before DHS began reducing capacity in preparation for the October 1st closing date, up to 300 men stayed at Franklin every night, and since the reductions, Franklin has been filled to capacity each and every night. While some residents have recently been placed into housing through the Mayor's Housing First program, nowhere near the number of men who now need or will need shelter this winter will be served by this program. To date, the Mayor has housed 55 men from Franklin, but 1000 different men have stayed there over a recent three-month period! Now DHS is only allowing 176 men to stay at Franklin, and it plans to continue reducing the number of men who can stay there until it closes the building on October 1^st.

Chairman Gray is introducing legislation to save Franklin Shelter. The legislation will require the Mayor to continue to operate Franklin Shelter until the Interagency Council on Homelessness and the DC Council have had an opportunity to assess the demand for downtown shelter and approve any capacity reduction or proposed closure of Franklin Shelter.

The Council will vote on the legislation on Tuesday, September 16^th. Opponents of the legislation say that the Mayor should be given MORE time to come up with a plan, but September 16^th is the last legislative session before the shelter will close. The time for a plan has passed; we need the Council to act NOW.

What can you do to help save Franklin Shelter?

Urge Councilmembers to support Chairman Gray's emergency legislation on September 16^th to save Franklin. Tell them:

"Please vote "yes" on Chairman Gray's emergency legislation that will stop Franklin Shelter from closing on the eve of winter and ensure that men who are homeless have a safe place to stay downtown. The Mayor had months to come up with a viable plan; it would be irresponsible to wait any longer. Please don't gamble the lives of our homeless neighbors based on empty promises. We are counting on you to take action on Tuesday."

1. Call or email Councilmembers as much as you can before Tuesday, September 16

2. Visit Councilmembers on Monday morning. Meet us outside the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW) at 9:30 on Monday, September 15^th to speak to Councilmembers in person

3. Attend the People's Property Campaign Rally before the Council Session at the Wilson Building on Tuesday, September 16^th. The rally begins at 9:00,

the Council Session at 10.

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  

Why Shouldn't Franklin Shelter close on October 1^st?

There is not enough affordable housing to serve everyone at Franklin Shelter, nor those who will depend on Franklin tomorrow and the next day. The Mayor's Housing First program deserves full support, but even if successfully implemented by October 1^st, it will not fully meet the demand for housing or emergency shelter. An effective system for addressing and ending homelessness has both adequate affordable housing and an emergency safety net to catch people who fall into bad times (just as an effective health care system includes emergency services, acute care, assisted living and preventative medicine). What the administration fails to understand is that for each man out of Franklin that is housed, another may be in line to take his bed tomorrow. What will become of that man on October 2^nd?

The weather will get cold very quickly after October 1^st, leaving homeless men on the streets, vulnerable to hypothermia. The city is legally and morally obligated to provide life-saving emergency shelter during severe weather—its failure to do so can mean the difference between life and death for District residents who are homeless.

Franklin Shelter isn't perfect, but it is better than other options. Conditions are no worse at Franklin than in other shelters. In fact, the Fenty Administration has improved conditions there in the past year. Hundreds of men choose Franklin over the street or other shelters every night.

The downtown location is critical to the men who stay at Franklin. Franklin Shelter is the only low barrier emergency shelter for men downtown. Many men stay at Franklin because they need to access jobs, services, transportation, and dining programs that are located downtown.

The Mayor should keep his commitments. Mayor Fenty has promised many times to keep Franklin Shelter open until DC has an adequate replacement downtown.

Thanks very much for your support. If you'd like more information, please feel free to contact the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless at (202) 328-5500.