RSS FeedFranklin School Shelter Closed?
After being “temporarily” open since the 2002-2003 winter season, the Franklin School homeless shelter at 13th and K Streets NW may now be closed for good by the Fenty indicated deadline of October 1, 2008. The homeless issue is not for the faint at heart because come winter months, it can mean life or death for those who are in the unfortunate situation of not having a home and don’t heed the weather. But, it really is time for the city to move on and make Mayor Fenty’s Homeless First initiative work by ultimately getting the homeless men out of the historic downtown building at Franklin Square into their own other spaces. We’ve been to the neighborhood meetings and we’ve encountered the best and the worst of the issue as downtown residents and with the perfect being the enemy of the good, this is as good a time as any for the city to take this step. After six years, the city gets back a property that deserves a better economic utility, downtown residents, workers and tourists benefit by having an improved atmosphere around Franklin Square and the homeless benefit by spurring them on to their own life improvements. Yesterday, a temporary restraining order and injunction were supposed to be filed that morning to prevent shelter closure. We’re not sure how it turned out so if you have news or opinions, let us know in the comments.
After the break, find a roundup of media from most to least recent making the circuit for you to draw your own conclusions:
Doors May Be Closed to Franklin Shelter, But The Issue Is Still Hot [WaPo – DC Wire]
Court Hears Lawsuit Over Franklin Shelter Closing [DC Indymedia]
Reopen Franklin Shelter [franklinshelter.org]
City Closes Local Shelter [GW Hatchet]
Save DC’s Homeless Shelters [Socialist Worker Online]
Activists: Final Franklin shelter residents moved [The Examiner]
Remaining Homeless Move Out of Shelter [WaPo]
Opponents to Franklin Shelter Closing Gather for Rally [WAMU Radio – scroll down for audio clip]
As Shelter’s Closing Nears, a Traffic-Halting March [WaPo]
DC Council on Franklin Shelter Closing [mefeedia]
Rethinking the Amazing Shrinking Shelter [WaPo – Marc Fisher]
Saving Homeless Shelter Takes More Than Magic [The Hoya]
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