In this The Onion-styled piece, I examine what I believe to be the largest cause of homelessness in D.C.; namely, the federal government’s presence in the city. Because the federal government is located here, D.C. home rule dictates that its mayor and city council only have limited control on the city and that most of the power goes to Congress. The problem with this is that D.C. has no representation in Congress, so its local government is actually controlled by a governing body that has no personal ties to its city.

            Additionally, my piece discusses how this “local” government also causes a neglect of the people of D.C. Older residents and minorities are being ignored or pushed out, demonstrated by countless local articles (only a few of which I have included in the piece). There are obviously other reasons for homelessness that expand past D.C. and affect cities’ peoples as well, but I believe this is the most prevalent of D.C.’s causes.

            My piece proposes what I believe to be the three solutions to the problem of homelessness in D.C. as well as the neglecting of the people of D.C.: give the local government more power; allow the local government to control itself without Congress (maybe by becoming a state); or give D.C. representation in Congress although it’s not a state. Although these may not solve every problem, a local government that can care for and fairly represent its people is what is best for D.C.