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THE NEWS:

“With the Council’s support of our homeless funding plan, we will deliver on another promise: ending family homelessness by 2018,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser two months after she was sworn in as D.C.’s seventh mayor.

Bowser’s commitment raised eyebrows then, and it continues to now. That’s because her plan has yet to actualize.

“Far from fulfilling her campaign promise to eliminate homelessness for good, some populations have actually seen a rise. The District’s education system has reported an increase in student homelessness nearly every year since 2016, with homeless youths outnumbering the entire homeless population reported by DHS,” writes City Paper’s Morgan Baskin for this week’s cover story. 

“Five years after Bowser’s promise to end family homelessness, and five years away from her goal of eradicating it completely, the District is still, at best, treading water.”

A lot of money has been allocated to the homeless services system. The director of D.C.’s Department of Human Services, Laura Zeilinger, calls the millions of dollars historic. What is the Bowser administration doing wrong? One of the main things, according to experts Baskin spoke with, is the administration’s refusal to recognize the gravity of the problem. Then there’s the fixation on family homelessness at the expense of everyone else. If anything, the pandemic has revealed how vulnerable our single adult shelters are.   

Read the full story online. —Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com)

CITY DESK LINKS, byAmanda Michelle Gomez:

  • At Thursday’s press conference, Bowser announced that agreements have been reached to create two new hospitals, one on the St. Elizabeths campus in Ward 8 and the other at the Howard University campus in Ward 1. The Ward 8 hospital will replace United Medical Center. The successorship clause in the Ward 8 hospital deal was a “nonstarter,” said Bowser, so the new operator does not have to hire workers at United Medical Center when it closes. But City Administrator Rashad Young says there are no provisions in the agreement that block or prevent unionization. [Twitter,Twitter] 

  • D.C. announced 19 additional COVID-related deaths and 217 new positive cases, bringing the total numbers up to 224 and 4,323, respectively. Disturbing trends continue: Black residents continue to make up the vast majority of deaths, at 79 percent, and Ward 8 continues to see the most deaths of any ward, at 22 percent. So far, 20,079 have been tested for COVID-19. [EOM] 

  • More personal protective equipment, improved contact tracing, and hazard pay—nurses need more to fight COVID-19. And so far, the nurses union’s input has “fallen on deaf ears.” [WCP]

  • The Metropolitan Police Department is being asked to contribute to a nationwide list of law enforcement officers who have died of COVID-19. [WCP]

  • What metrics are officials considering when deciding when D.C. can gradually reopen? Are we meeting them? Helpful slides from DC Health. [Twitter]

  • Suggestions for letting D.C. know you want more space for walking and cycling during social distancing. [730DC]

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

  • Don’t forget to tell us what you care about this election cycle. [WCP]

  • Four campaign tactics from Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd. [WCP]

  • Meet the lobbyists, developers, and insiders advising Bowser on reopening the District. [WCP]

  • Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan paid a lot of money for coronavirus tests he’s not even using. [Post]

  • Rayceen Pendarvis and the Washington Blade are hosting a Ward 2 candidate forum tonight from 7 to 9. [Blade, Facebook]

YOUNG & HUNGRY LINKS, by Laura Hayes (tips? lhayes@washingtoncitypaper.com) 

  • Washingtonians write love letters to the bars and restaurants they miss most. [WCP]

  • The tricky way Whisked! managed to open its new kitchen during the pandemic. [WCP]

  • What’s it like to be a local grocery delivery worker during COVID-19? [DCist]

  • Even Old Ebbitt Grill is in trouble. [WAMU]

  • Three chain restaurants are struggling in Maryland. [WBJ]

ARTS LINKS, byKayla Randall (tips? krandall@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Filmfest DC takes its offerings online. [WCP]

  • Liz At Large: “Accomplishment” [WCP]

  • A digital quarantine edition of The Bachelor is coming to D.C. [Washingtonian]

SPORTS LINKS, byKelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Local sports psychologists emphasize the importance of mental fitness for athletes during the pandemic. [WCP]

  • Dr. Anthony Fauci, a noted Nationals fan, tells Ryan Zimmerman that he can see scenarios where “some form of baseball” begins this summer. [WTOP, Post]

  • Former George Mason University track and field head coach Dalton Ebanksdied April 25 from complications of the coronavirus. He was 68. Joe Lee, the track and field coach at Bullis School, tweeted fond memories of his college coach. Ebanks “was one of the kindest men u could ever meet,” Lee wrote. “He gave me a chance 2 fulfill my Track & Field dreams at GMU where I became an All American under his care. Coach we love u & will miss u dearly!” [Post, SportsMax]

CITY LIGHTS, by Emma Sarappo (Love this section? Get the full newsletter here. Tips? esarappo@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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