We had a great turnout for our Community Walk Through last night. Thanks so much to Walker Court resident Rob Milt and his wife for contacting us to set up the walk. ANC Commissioners Will Hill and Dan Ostergaard joined us, as did 1st District Inspector Kevin Keegan, DC Housing Authority Director Michael Kelly, and around 40 or 50 residents in the neighborhood.

The walk got started with an update by MPD Dectective Raymond Stargell on the weekend robberies in PSA 106 and 107. He was able to confirm that arrests have been made for all four robberies and that MPD is in the process of recovering the items stolen. Everyone shared frustration in the fact that the robberies were committed by 3 youth between the ages of 8 and 15 - making the community effort to identify and assist with summer jobs and activities for youth all the more important. 

The walk started off by heading through Walker Court. Residents pointed out a variety of concerns for follow-up including poor lighting in the alley, the need for re-bricking, and bulk trash that tends to pile up. Several of the Walker Court neighbors will be hosting an alley clean-up next weekend, so please join them if you live in the area.

The group then walked east on D Street, SE noting several intersections where traffic is becoming a bigger and bigger concern. Tommy committed to working with DDOT to get 11th and D Street, SE turned into a 4-way stop. He also noted several concerns along the Watkins recreation area - including loose trash and a cut fence - that he'll follow-up with the Department of Parks and Recreation. The group stopped in the open area along 13th Street where many residents have cited concerns about the lack of lighting and possible drug activity. MPD officers shared that they are aware of the concerns and have notified their vice units. DCHA Director Michael Kelly promised to work on getting the area lights turned back on to help illuminate the area and deter crime after dark.

The Walk Through ended with a visit to Kentucky Courts. Mr. Kelly annouced that the housing is undergoing current renovations including interior and exterior upgrades that he expects to be completed by the end of this calendar year. He also shared that DCHA is currently working on 3 open cases of eviction for tenants that have committed crimes. The walk ended with a discussion about a possible community garden at the corner of 13th and C Street, SE.

It was another great Community Walk Through and our office will be following up with the Mayor's staff and the relevant agencies on the action items that were highlighted. A special thanks to the residents of Walker Court who set a new bar for these events by hosting a nice community get together after the walk for neighbors to keep talking and working together on new ideas.

I’m proud to be working on the “Safe and Stable Homes for Children and Youth Act” – the first piece of legislation that Tommy introduced in the Council and the first bill reported out of the Committee on Human Services which he chairs. So, how come it hasn’t been enacted yet? Why is it still pending before another committee? With a name that good, why isn’t it law yet?

Those are good questions and they deserve a good answer. People joke that passing laws is like making sausage - the end result may be quite good, but the process to get there isn't something you want to watch and it can leave a mess on the floor. Creating legislation is difficult because it affects our lives and it is particularly difficult when it affects children and families; subjects that are important to all of us. It is difficult not because bad people oppose good people, but rather, because thoughtful and caring people have different, and sincerely felt, views on what is good for children and families and they exercise their democratic rights to influence their legislators.

The “Safe and Stable” bill is a highly technical response to a decision by the DC Court of Appeals last summer. That decision restricted the rights of persons other than parents to file for custody of children, such as grandparents and caretakers of the children, when it was in the best interest of the child's welfare. Everybody agreed that some filings should be permitted, but there were differences of degree among advocates depending on whether they approached the problem from the point of view of the parent who might lose custody or of the child who might gain a stable home.

The legislation is now before the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, and after two public hearings, we are working on resolving those differences which, though expressed in technical terms such as “standing;”  “clear and convincing evidence” versus “preponderance of the evidence,”  have real impact on real people. Tommy and I are confident that in the next few weeks, a resolution will come because all parties are devoted to protecting the rights and the interests of parents and children.

Hello, my name is Yulondra Barlow and I work on the Committee staff as Policy Specialist. My introduction to DC came during my second year in the Master of Social Work program at the University of Alabama. Feeling adventurous, I accepted an internship with Tommy at the Consortium for Child Welfare. DC was certainly a change from Alabama and my home, Mississippi! After graduation, I moved to Centreville, VA where I worked for PAREXEL International as a Research Analyst for the Health Policy and Payer Relations group. After working in healthcare policy I decided to make a career change and entered the world of direct practice.  I moved to Hampton, VA taking a position with the Institute for Family Centered Services as a Family Therapist.

I was well into my second year at IFCS when I received a call from Tommy, rather out of the blue. He asked if I had thought about moving back to the DC area. Honestly, I had not and was making plans to settle in the Hampton Roads area. He told me that he would like for me to come back to the area and work for him at the Council. “Doing what,” I asked? His response was classic Tommy, “Does it matter, you’ll be working for me.” I laughed knowing exactly what that meant. Working with Tommy always means taking into account the needs of people, regardless of race or social economic status. Working with Tommy always means stretching yourself and your abilities are in an effort to help those who do not have a voice. How could I refuse?

I am very humbled at Tommy’s invitation to join the wonderfully diverse and knowledgeable staff he has thoughtfully assembled.  My work on the Committee has been centered on issues related to homeless service delivery and efforts to reform this system in the District. Please feel free to come by the office and learn more about our endeavors to improve the delivery of human services to the District’s most vulnerable populations. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you!