It’s happening again. On Tuesday, July 30, the District will evict another 14 people from an encampment. During a summer of record-breaking heat, these neighbors settled together near a vent producing cool air for their survival. Approximately 10 of the 14 people who will be displaced on Tuesday were previously displaced from a Foggy Bottom encampment in May, which had grown due to the McPherson Square eviction in February 2023.
What’s true about this eviction, and more evictions to come after what’s already proving to be a harmful SCOTUS decision, has always been true:
Displacement harms our neighbors
Clearing encampments damages trust and relationships that outreach teams have worked hard to build with residents. It causes them to give up whatever safety and community they were able to establish for themselves and threatens their access to life-saving support and services. Homelessness is a traumatic experience and the forceful eviction of encampments, now under increased threat of fines or arrests, only adds to that trauma.
Encampment evictions make it harder to end homelessness
Housing and supportive services end homelessness, while encampment evictions will make it worse. Despite evidence of how to best support our neighbors experiencing homelessness, DC under Mayor Bowser’s leadership continues to resort to eviction and displacement.
Everyone needs a safe place to sleep – encampment evictions take that away
These encampment sweeps must be considered in the context of a FY25 DC budget that made severe cuts to DC’s social safety net, particularly to homelessness response and prevention. With this lack of investment and a local shelter system at capacity, everyone still needs their safest possible place to sleep. Evicting encampments denies residents this basic need.
Non-congregate shelter provides a safe solution to unsheltered homelessness
Without a current housing solution in place, people are simply being dispersed and disconnected from support. Evicting our neighbors from encampments when there is a non-congregate shelter solution just months from opening is particularly egregious. Instead, allowing people to remain where they have found a sense of safety keeps them connected to outreach services and to each other as they await a shelter option.
We’re disappointed that these evictions are still occurring because we know it doesn’t help anyone, but we won’t stop raising awareness of the impact of evictions and criminalization in DC. With your support, our advocacy for actual solutions to unsheltered homelessness will persist. It’s our belief that through public awareness, community education, and legislative allyship we will see a humane shift in how government agencies are responding to this crisis.
Visit our Advocacy page to learn more about our this work and how you can get involved in being an advocate for your neighbors!
