Community Action : Testimony

See Campaigns for more information on housing rights efforts at Neighbors' Consejo.

Hypothermia Testimony, City Council Committee on Human Services Roundtable, October 27, 2004

 Read testimony by Carlos Gutierrez (translation to English)

 Read testimony by Raul Duarte (translation to English)

 Read testimony by Andy Moffat

Trust Fund Advocacy Visits to Mayor Williams and City Council Visits in Support of Affordable Housing, Organized by the Friends of the Housing Production Trust Fund— John Wilson Building, March 11, 2004

Neighbors’ Consejo convened community participants to collect more than 500 signatures for affordable housing, and joined our activism with others at the Housing Production Trust Fund kick-off party spearheaded by a coalition of tenant rights and housing advocates, including Empower DC and the Center for Non Profit Housing and Economic Development! The photo here shows tenant association, ACORN, Shaw Education for Action, shelter residents, and other group leaders and allies in a packed meeting with Mayor Williams and Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Eric Price.

Testimony by La Casa Resident Organizing Committee before City Council—Department of Human Services Oversight Committee Hearing, March 3, 2004

Instead of charts, graphs, and slides I bring only myself as evidence that investing in the lives of the residents in our communities brings health, new life and activism to our city. In other words, the man that stands before you is a miracle. Thank you for your hard efforts, but there’s still work to be done— to give opportunities to others.

-Member, La Casa Resident Organizing Committee.

DC March to Stop Shelter Closures and for Affordable Housing—
John Wilson Building, August 2003

My name is Carlos Gutierrez and I’ve been here for ten years. Last winter my friend Juan Pastor died in front of a church downtown. The church paid for his burial. No matter if it’s cold or warm, we deserve the right to shelter.

My name is Lydia. We women need support too. We have lost our kids, our families. But we are somebody, I got into rehabilitation but not because of any government program trying to help me... Women need housing, our rights, and to be respected too.

La Posada Vigil to Virginia Williams Intake Center— 25 M St. Virginia Williams Family Intake Center December 23, 2003

Mary and her husband Joseph arrived in Washington, DC, the capital of the United States of America, traveling by foot and by donkey. Like Mary and Joseph, many families in D.C. go from shelter to shelter looking for a place to rest and to find housing. While intake workers would like to help them, barriers and lack of capacity make it difficult for families to stay together and find dignified, centrally located emergency shelter. Neighbors’ Consejo’s Athena Viscusi led the action with the Coalition of Housing and Homeless Organizations. As of the time of the vigil, the city averaged 300 families on the wait list for emergency shelter each day.

Text of Christmas Eve Washington Post Article covering the event.

Shelter Residents Speak with Affected Party Status before the National Capital Revitalization Board— Parcel 26 Land Disposition Agreement Hearing, November 5, 2003

Good evening. I am Anthony Pressley, I am a homeless man. I am the co-moderator of the La Casa Resident Support Committee. All of us members of the La Casa Resident Support Committee are homeless. We are Latino, African American and white. We are bricklayers, former D.C. and federal government employees, restaurant workers, plumbers—blue collar workers and white collar. We are fathers, and sons, some of us are now unemployed, and like most of the people who come after us, many of us are registered voters...

Full text of the testimony presented before the NCRC.

D.C. City Council on Human Services DHS FY04 Budget Hearing, March 24, 2003

Read Testimony Text by Marnie Brady, Neighbors' Consejo, Director of Advocacy and Community Building

D.C. City Council Committee on Human Services-
Department of Human Services (DHS) Oversight Hearing, March 3, 2003

My name is Darin Martin and I'm here with members of the La Casa Support Committee representing La Casa Shelter and the urban union of homeless people. We're here to talk about La Casa, and to let you know we stand together with all homeless people now and in the future who are at risk of losing shelter and their lives. We also support the testimony of Mike Watson of the Urban Union for Human Rights.

This isn't the first time we've come to the Wilson Building and it's not going to be our last. We've come before because the city announced it's selling the land where La Casa now stands. I'd like to remind you of the promises that have been made to us about La Casa in response to our organizing.

Read full testimony from Darin Martin

D.C. City Council Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, December 11, 2002

Daysi Perla, President 1460 Irving. St. Tenant Association

My name is Daysi Perla and I'm the president of the 1460 Irving St. NW Tenants Association. The building is located in the heart of development in our city-on the same block as the Columbia Heights metro. I'm in a struggle against the displacement of poor families in my building, but this isn't the first time that I've been threatened by displacement because before I had to leave my country.

Mi nombre es Daysi Perla, y soy presidenta de la Asociación de Inquilinos de 1460 Irving St. NW. El edificio está ubicado en el corazón de desarrollo en nuestra ciudad- en la misma cuadra que el metro de Columbia Heights. Estoy en lucha en contra del desplazamiento de las familias pobres de mi edificio, pero no es la primera vez que me he visto amenazada por el desplazamiento-pues anteriormente tuve que salir de mi país.

Read full testimony by Daysi Perla (English)

Read full testimony by Daysi Perla (Spanish)

D.C. City Council Committee on Human Services "Homeless Roundtable" October 31, 2002

Hector Flores, Oscar Flores, Nelson Gutierrez, Neighbors' Consejo

Good morning. My name is Hector Flores. We are here representing Neighbors' Consejo and in respect for the people who are on the streets without a roof, without food and without medicine. Because of our experiences being on the streets withstanding the cold and without a place to go-we know the reality. We decided to come here because you should know directly from the people who are affected by the suffering of not having a home where we could save ourselves from the cold and illnesses.

Buenos Dias. Mi nombre es Hector Flores. Nosotros venimos en este momento en representación de Neighbors Consejo y en respeto a las personas que están en las calles sin techo, sin comida y sin medicina. Debido a nuestras experiencias que hemos pasado en las calles aguantando el frío y sin tener un lugar donde pasar el frio-- sabemos la realidad. Decidimos venir porque ustedes deben saber directo de las personas afectadas por el sufrimiento de no tener un hogar donde poder salvarnos de estes frios y las enfermedades.

 Read full testimony in English (128Kb)

 Read full testimony in Spanish (128Kb)

D.C. City Council Committee on Economic Development, National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC) Oversight Hearing October 17, 2002

 Read full testimony by Marnie Brady (119Kb)

D.C. City Council Committee of the Whole Budget Oversight Hearing, September 27, 2002

Frenise Logan II, Member, La Casa Support Committee

My name is Frenise A. Logan II and I am one of the thousands of homeless people in our city. La Casa is the only bilingual shelter in the city. More than that, La Casa is a vital community resource providing life sustaining services and programs for the growing homeless population. However, due to development and misplaced priorities, La Casa's future is in doubt.

 Read full testimony by Frenise A. Logan II(82Kb)

 Read full testimony by José (66Kb)

Ronald Knight, Member, La Casa Support Committee

Reginald Rollins, Member, La Casa Support Committee

See Campaigns for more information on substance abuse treatment rights efforts at Neighbors' Consejo

D.C. City Council Committee on Human Services Addiction, Prevention and Recovery Administration (APRA) Oversight Hearing, June 11, 2003

Najiya Shana'a, NC Executive Director

Good morning Council Member Committee Chair Sandy Allen. My name is Najiya Shana'a and I am the executive director of Neighbors' Consejo. I am here as a member of the D.C. Substance Abuse Services Coalition and in solidarity with DC residents now in recovery and with the thousands of people in our city who are becoming sicker and sicker without treatment.

In Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant, and across the city, men and women have made the decision to stop using and abusing drugs and alcohol. They have surrendered themselves to physical withdrawal, and intense self examination. It is at this moment, the moment of their difficult decision, that D.C. has denied her people the right to recovery.

 Read full testimony by Najiya Shana'a (95Kb)

 Read full testimony by Dr. Federico Castañon (100Kb)

D.C. City Council Committee on Human Services Department of Health Budget Hearing, February 24, 2003

Wilman Pacheco, Neighbors' Consejo

José Santelices, Neighbors' Consejo

Marnie Brady, Director of Advocacy and Community Building

D.C. City Council Committee on Human Services Addiction, Prevention and Recovery Administration (APRA) Oversight Hearing, October 7, 2002

Oscar Flores, Neighbors' Consejo (Spanish)

Marnie Brady, Neighbors' Consejo Advocacy Director

See Campaigns for more information on substance abuse language access efforts at Neighbors' Consejo

D.C. City Council Sub Committee on Human Rights, Property Management and Latino & Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, November 4, 2002

 Read testimony by Arnoldo Borja (in Spanish)

 Read testimony by Daysi Perla (in Spanish)

D.C. City Council Sub Committee on Human Rights, Property Management and Latino & Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, June 17, 2002

Oscar Leiva and Arnoldo Borja, Neighbors' Consejo

 Read full testimony in English

 Read full testimony in Spanish

Marcos Montero, Neighbors' Consejo

Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Region Day Laborers' Conference, Community Foundation, March 20, 2003

Martin Romero, Neighbors' Consejo (Spanish)

D.C. City Council Sub Committee on Human Rights, Property Management and Latino & Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, June 17, 2002

Rosa Alcantara, Neighbors' Consejo

 Read full testimony (English)

 Read full testimony (Spanish)

Josefina Campos, Neighbors' Consejo

I am Josefina Campos. I am an American citizen, and resident of D.C. I vote in the District of Columbia. I am a grandmother, and I have four grandchildren. I want to take the food handlers course in order to start my own business. The quality of services at the Department of Employment Services is important to me and to all the people who go there to seek services; it is important to me that they treat us like persons.

Soy Josefina Campos. Soy ciudadana Americana, residente de D.C. Voto en el Distrito de Columbia. Soy abuela, tengo cuatro nietos. Quiero tomar las clases de food handlers para empezar mis propios negocios. La calidad de servicios de empleo del departamento de empleo es importante para mí, y para toda la gente en que vaya a solicitar servicios y para que nos traten como personas.

Read full testimony by Josefina Campos (English)

Read testimony by Josefina Campos (Spanish)

Martin Wera, Employment Counselor, Neighbors' Consejo

D.C. Economic Human Rights Tribunal, Arthur Capper Recreation Center, S.E.
December 3, 2002

Oscar Flores, Neighbors' Consejo

Good Afternoon. My name is Oscar Flores and I am a fighter for human rights. I decided to come here before you because I can not be silent seeing and living the sufferings and deaths of our own people. I know that the cold kills, I was with my friend Jesus Blanco the night when he died from hypothermia. Many of us people walk the street, sleeping outside withstanding the cold.

Buenas Tardes. Mi nombre es Oscar Flores y soy luchador por los derechos humanos. Decidí venir aquí ante ustedes porque no puedo estar callado viendo y viviendo los sufrimientos y las muertes de nuestras mismas personas. Yo sé que el frió mata, yo estuve con mi amigo Jesús Blanco la noche cuando el murió de hipotermia.. Muchas personas andamos en la calle durmiendo afuera soportando frío.

Oscar Flores, Neighbors' Consejo (Spanish)

Daysi Perla, President, 1460 Irving St. Tenants Association (Spanish)