By Caroline Hopper

The streets of Dupont Circle are crowded as the sun slowly sets on a Thursday night. A group of young people toss money at their cab driver as they exit and make their way to the nearest club. Not too far off, a man helps a woman put on her warm jacket as they leave a fine Italian restaurant.

As these people come and go, a man watches. Leaning against the cold concrete wall of a store, he nods graciously at the woman who drops a few coins in the paper cup, which lies between his feet.

For many, the streets of Washington D.C. present the opportunities of excitement and success. However, for others, sidewalks offer what can only be described as some form of a home.

The man’s “home” is vulnerable to harsh weather and strangers, neither of which provides any comfort. For some street residents living on the sidewalk presides over staying at a shelter.

The homeless of D.C. have ended up on the streets, because of the problems that they have encountered at shelters, according to homeless people living on the streets.

Bob (who does not want his surname disclosed) prefers life on the streets over life in a shelter, as he has experienced “tuberculosis…and stealing” during his time in shelters.

Lindsey, who can often be found resting on his small black stool on the pavements of Dupont Circle, also favors life on the street. “People had too many bugs, and by bugs, I mean lice,” he said. “They need to do a lot of repair work.”
The apparent threats of robbery and disease have led many homeless people, such as Bob and Lindsey to choose life on the streets rather than life under the roof of a shelter.

For two years, from 1994 to 1996, Minyon Matthews, who now resides and works at the Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV) shelter lived beneath a highway pass. “You won’t be exposed to anything negative as long as you take care of yourself,” Minyon said, in regard to the spread of diseases in shelters. What is more, like many other shelters, at CCNV residents have access to daily showers, soap, and hand sanitizer.

Despite the availability of these items, Lindsey said that shelters “need to make people take more showers and to make them clean up after themselves.”

Shelters provide the basic facilities in order to promote sanitation; however, the residents are the ones whomust understand the threat of disease that they are presenting to others, by not being hygienic.

“There is a lot of stealing that goes on in the shelter,” Matthews said. “I know because I’ve been stolen from quite a few times.” Even though Matthews admitted that theft is present within homeless shelters, she argued that “shelters do what they can…but it’s up to you. Shelters cannot do everything. [Residents] have to do some steps too.”

In order to prevent theft, Matthews suggests to residents that if a homeless shelter provides lockers, the residents should “take five dollars of [their] money and go out and buy a lock.” She also suggests that residents keep their personal items “on their person” at all times.

Although Matthews agrees that shelter life is not ideal, due to the potential danger of catching a disease, and due to the looting that occurs, she argues that despite all of its problems, shelters offer the important gift of warmth. “I can understand the reasons for not living in a shelter, but I cannot understand reasons for not coming in to get out of the cold.”

When asked if escaping cold weather outweighed the risk of theft and disease Matthews exclaimed, “Yes, yes, yes! Definitely, yes. I slept on a bridge in 10, 20, 30 degrees below zero. It is too cold to be outside.”

Those homeless on the streets view shelters with apprehension, whereas those who live in shelters have come to overcome people’s concerns.

It can be agreed upon that neither living on the street nor staying in shelters offer an idyllic lifestyle.

Certain necessary steps must be taken in order to improve homeless shelters. Shelter owners should offer products that support personal hygiene and increase security in order to protect the residents’ belongings, like the locker system.

Shelter residents also need to make use of what the shelter has to offer, according to both those living on the streets and in shelters.