On any given night in the U.S., an estimated 650,000 people are experiencing homelessness, and the nation's capital has the highest rate in the country, with 73 out of every 10,000 people being unhoused. The Supreme Court is considering a case that could allow cities to make sleeping outside a crime. But advocates say pushing the homeless out of the city limits doesn't help them get back on their feet.
Wilson Robertson is a lifelong Washington, D.C., resident, and he knows that wait firsthand. He spent eight or nine months staying at the New York Avenue Men's shelter. While he was staying in the hotel, Robertson's case manager helped him get a housing voucher and find an apartment he could move into.
"One of the things that the case manager has to do is sort of triage the level of need, and assess: What can we get you today, this week, this month? If you could get 500 bucks a month to help with groceries or rent, would that give you a place to stay? In a lot of cases, yeah, it would. OK, great."