Sunday, May 4, 2008

Final Project Article

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Washington, D.C.'s homeless population may not have places to live, but it does have a political voice.

Those who live and work in the center of power may not know it, but many of the 9, 369 homeless in the nation’s capital regularly exercise their right to vote.

“People who have become displaced from permanent residences don’t stop caring about society and what makes the nation tick,” said Rhonda Clarke, a resident at the Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV) on 2nd St., the city’s largest homeless shelter. “To me, and from people that I’ve talked to here, not having a permanent residence doesn’t mean that we don’t still have an interest in what is going on, what makes things work and who puts out the best ideals that would pretty much address our interests,” she said.

Residents at the CCNV are encouraged to register to vote. Mark Raymond, head of administration at the shelter, said the shelter assists residents by making voting information readily available. When residents go to the Department of Health and Human Services to register for food stamps and health coverage, they are also asked if they would like to register to vote.

“When a homeless person is asked if they want something, and it’s free, they usually always check yes,” Raymond said.




At the time of registration, some homeless people use an “X” to represent the location of their residence on D.C.’s voting application, while others use the address of the CCNV.

According to the Election Assistance Committee, when a person uses a physical address, it is hard to decipher who is actually homeless, so it is unclear as to what percentage of the homeless population in the District actually exercises its right to vote.

Although the CCNV does not track the number of registered homeless voters who actually vote, the resources needed by residents to make a conscious political decision are readily available. The shelter offers several forms of media to make it easy for the residents to stay informed about the election.

“We have papers, newspapers, periodicals, all kinds of print media down in the lobby, numerous TV sets everywhere,” said Raymond. “If anybody wants the information they have access to it. They also have access to online computers where they can go on and do research of political candidates. It’s available. Its just a matter of whether they chose to use it or not.”

Donna Harrison, also a resident at the CCNV, said she relies on specific media outlets for political information.

“I read The Washington Post and sometimes The New York Times,” she said. “I also watch the news on TV, and I do some research on the Internet.”

Harrison said she will vote absentee in the North Carolina primary because she realizes the importance of exercising her political voice when it comes to the nation.

“There are a lot of issues because this country is falling apart: housing, work, food shortages, gasoline, lots of issues. Everything is in jeopardy,” she said. “It’s not fair to the youth coming up that the situation is the way that it is. It’s terrible, it really is.”

Harrison said she has not yet decided on a presidential candidate, but said she has followed Barack Obama’s campaign and plans to do more research on Hillary Clinton.

Clarke said Obama is her candidate of choice because “he is the change our country needs.”

“I like to believe that if Obama became president that we could go back to the table and go back to basics, and getting back to basics would work in this country because it seems like we’ve got it all turned around from what it should be,” she said.

Because Clark is a registered Republican in North Carolina, she cannot vote for Obama in the primary. “If he wins, I will vote for him in the regular election,” she said. “In lieu of voting for him, I have convinced 100 people who weren’t going to vote for him to vote in my place,” she added.

Obama is a favorite among the homeless because of his positions on jobs, poverty and affordable housing, CCNV residents said.

While many homeless do take advantage of their right to vote, Michael Stoops, coordinator of the “You Don’t Need a Home to Vote” campaign, said there needs to be even more participation. “Approximately one-third of the nation’s homeless population is currently registered, but only half of those people will actually vote,” said Stoops.

Clarke said she understands why.

“When you’re in a situation like this, I try and spend most of my time on making my way out of here,” she said. “I don’t have time to worry about politics. I have to read documents that will help me get an income, so I can leave as soon as possible. So, I don’t have time to help Hillary and Barak get their job. I have to get mine.”

Melodie Toby, professor of business ethics at Kean University, said she understands the dilemma but it’s important for the homeless to vote.

“They may be in survival mode, but voting is a low risk strategy to moving beyond survival and possibly improving their situation," she said.

She said the homeless need a push to help them vote and need to be educated on their voting rights.

"Those who are homeless need help to be included in the political process. Community organizations, faith based organizations and other non-governmental organizations are probably best equipped to help the homeless find a voice that would give them a fighting chance to be considered when benefits are distributed in society,” she said. “I don’t see them participating without assistance from concerned individuals especially with regard to ensuring that the residency rules are met and their votes are validated. Voting is a step toward empowerment and it is important to assist them with getting to that first step.”

Raymond, on the other hand, said that the homeless voters don’t vote for the same reasons the rest of the population stays away from the polls. He said it has nothing to do with a deficiency in education or knowledge of their constitutional rights.

“We have people here who have degrees and extreme work experience,” he said.
“If they choose not to vote it’s a personal choice, or maybe they don’t like the options available. It’s the same as anybody else.”

Clarke agreed.

“I have children, I have grand children,” she said. “I owned a home. I’m going to own another one. We’re just like anybody else. Some people are sicker than others; some aren’t sick but just had some catastrophe in their lives. But, we’re human just like everyone else. If you cut us we’ll bleed. If you hurt our feelings we’ll cry. To me, there is no difference when it comes to the political process.”

Prior to 1984, the homeless in the District were not able to register to vote because a proof of a permanent residence was required. However, after threats of legal action, Congress passed a law stating that people with be able to a “nontraditional” residence could register to vote.

The need for homeless people to vote may become more important than ever this year because President Bush proposed budget cuts that would severely affect homeless populations across the country.

Street Sense, a D.C. newspaper written by homeless people that highlight the issues of poverty and homelessness, reported Bush’s specific plans for the 2009 fiscal year. He plans to cut the budget of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program by $53 million, the job-training budget by $791 million and the budget of housing programs by $415 million from last year. These budget cuts would severely change the status of homeless people in DC as well as decrease their chances of one day being able to own homes, according to the Street Sense staff.

Clarke said she hopes that her situation and the situation of every other homeless person in Washington, D.C. will improve with the utilization of the political process and by exercising voting rights. She said the current struggle is to get the registered homeless population excited about the presidential election so they do make it to the polls.

“I think that impoverished people over time have really accessed the political process because that’s how you make policy changes in the country that has addressed needs,” she said. “By voting, you make sure politicians do what they are supposed to do for you. I just think it’s a huge opportunity to miss.”

National Coalition for the Homeless

Michael Stoops is the director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. He is active in attempting to get the homeless population in the District, as well as other states, to vote. Stoops strongly believes in the power of a vote.

"To a homeless person who does register and votes, it probably means a lot more than the average person, because in many ways they are treated like second-class citizens in this country," said Stoops. "By exercising their right to vote, it makes them feel like they are part of a community."
http://www.streetsense.org/

"Where Washington area's poor and homeless earn and give their two sense"

Street sense headquarters is located at 1317 G Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20005.

Street Sense is a Washington, D.C.-based 16-page biweekly street newspaper that was founded in 2003. Its mission is to raise public awareness on the issues of homelessness and poverty in the city and to create economic opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.

The newspaper features news, features, editorials, poems and art about homelessness and poverty contributed by homeless or formerly homeless people, advocates and professional writers interested in social issues.