Different Avenues is very excited to learn the news that the District Government has rescinded plans to lease the Franklin School at 13th and K to developers. The building currently is an emergency shelter for close to 250 men who would have been displaced to build a "boutique hotel". Residents of Franklin Shelter, self-organized with the Committee to Save Franklin, put pressure on City Council after learning of the deal that Mayor Williams had signed, demanding that DC focus on "developing people, not profits." The victory that the residents achieved is a beautiful example of the community organizing power that Different Avenues believes in strongly, and we applaud the efforts and achievements of the Committee to Save Franklin.
According to the Washington Post, Brenda Donald Walker, deputy mayor for children, youth, families and elders, "announced the decision this week at a meeting of the Interagency Council on Homelessness." Keeping Franklin School as a shelter, but renovating it and upgrading it to include "wrap-around" services, like job training and help finding permanent housing, is a must, and in keeping with the District's "10 year plan to end homelessness." Larger issues must be addressed as well - for example the crisis of lack of affordable housing in DC, as more than 2/3 of the men at Franklin Shelter are estimated to have employment of some kind but which doesn't come close to covering average rent in the area.
A number of Different Avenues clients are residents of Franklin Shelter, and participants in our group sessions often discussed the issue of the shelter's future. Different Avenues has provided support such as online access and supplies to the Committee to Save Franklin.If you would like to donate to Different Avenues to support our continued work meeting people's needs while supporting the work for their rights, please conact Erika at 202.829.2103 or erika (at) differentavenues (dot) org.
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