Tourists Shocked As Number Of Homeless Encampments Explodes In DC

Washington DC has been looking more and more like other Democrat-run cities across the country, as abject squalor spreads throughout the nation’s capital.

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Over the past two years, the number of homeless encampments has grown to an estimated 120, following pandmic-era decisions by both the city and federal governments to pause enforcement actions – making it an easy choice for itinerants to set up shop, the NY Post reports.

A tour by The Post of the district’s major tourist areas this week found at least 35 vagrants in residence at a National Park Service site two blocks from the White House; more than 20 in the green spaces surrounding the State Department complex; and five across the street from the infamous Watergate Hotel.

And these sites accounted for less than 5 percent of the estimated 120 tent cities in Washington D.C. -NY Post

“It’s wicked and it’s medieval,” said 59-year-old Robert Westover, a longtime DC resident. “We’re really letting people suffer on the street like animals? Somehow that’s progressive?”

Tourists are shocked

“The land of milk and honey’ — it means that in America you don’t lack anything,” said 39-year-old Elvis Shu from Cameroon. “I know people don’t get hungry here, so I’m surprised indeed.”

Another tourist, 48-year-old Moti from Israel, said “We didn’t expect to see the homeless here near the White House.“

“I thought it was a rich city,” said his wife, Orli. “It’s a Democrat here in the White House, and the Democrats are more socialist, right?”

Wait until they hear about DC’s stance on bused-in migrants!

According to homeless man Daniel Kingery, who set up his tent in historic McPherson Square over two years ago, the number of people living on the street has exploded since President Biden’s inauguration.

“Bleeding hearts have no brains, unfortunately,” he said. “There’s so much [donated] food coming into this park, there’s not enough people to eat it. So they’ll give it to the birds or throw it away.”

“All of these bleeding-heart organizations,” added the 61-year-old, ““bring pretty much the same thing to the same park and it usually gets thrown away … sleeping bags, ponchos, and once in a while I would throw away brand new blankets.”

William Everett Randolph, 66, who has lived at McPherson off and on for five years after moving from Philadelphia, agreed.

“You got people giving out breakfast, giving out juice, giving out socks, giving out all types of stuff they need, a toothbrush, toothpaste,” he said.

But it’s not freebies that keep him in an underpass encampment at 3rd St. and Virginia Ave. SE, said David Graves, 44, who came to Washington from New York three years ago.

“I moved here and met these brothers and we formed this society or community or whatever,” Graves said. “We became a family, understanding, you know, it could be dangerous if we don’t stick together and work together.” -NY Post

With a median monthly rent at $1,976, Washington DC ranks number 8, just behind New York City in terms of the most expensive metro areas in the nation, according to Stessa.com.

While the number of tent cities explode, Mayor Muriel Bowser brags that the number of people reported living on the street or in a shelter – 4,410 – is the lowest in 17 years. That said, the city also counted a 40% increase in the number of encampments in November 2021 vs. 2020 – causing the Centers for Disease Control to issue a document telling cities that homeless encampments should be left untouched for the duration of the outbreak.

“Clearing encampments can cause people to disperse throughout the community and … increases the potential for infectious disease spread,” explained the CDC.

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