Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Squatters grab chance at productive life Date: Sat, 7 Nov 92 19:23:58 EST Message-ID: \SE A;METROPOLITAN \HD Squatters grab chance at productive life \BY Claudia Rosenbaum \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Many of the homeless squatters who occupied the Ellen Wilson Dwellings on Capitol Hill last month were skeptical when Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly promised them jobs, housing and public assistance if they would give up their protest. Now, 13 of the dozens of former squatters are working and living at Park Morton, an assisted housing complex on Morton Street in Northwest. They say it's a big improvement over the rough housekeeping at Ellen Wilson. In their new two-bedroom apartments, they have heat, running water, electricity and a feeling of belonging. "I'm just happy I've got a job," said one former squatter who asked not to be named. "And not living out in the cold." The former squatters are the first participants in a pilot program sponsored by the Department of Public and Assisted Housing. If the program proves successful, it may be expanded to include other veterans who want to live and work in public housing. Under the program, the former squatters get temporary shelter at Park Morton, where they also have a 13-month appointment as day laborers, with their work monitored weekly by an administrator. "One of the regular staff has taken an interest in them and making sure that they are getting the programs and services they need," said Lucy Murray, spokeswoman for DPAH. "They are really good workers." The former squatters' jobs are cleaning up the buildings' exteriors, maintaining the grounds, cleaning out empty units and doing minor repairs. They pay no rent now but have had to apply for public housing and will begin paying rent like other tenants once they are qualified. There have been some problems. Some of the men complained they had been working for three weeks and had not been paid. "She [the mayor] said she was going to provide emergency assistance, and then she didn't," said one former squatter, who said he was told he would lose his job if he talked to the press. "We've worked hard cutting hedges, stripping floors, doing the grounds every day and remodeling since the 10th of October, and we haven't been paid." It takes a while for the first paycheck of any new government employee to come through, said Mrs. Murray. So far, 11 members of the group have gotten paychecks and the other two, who started later, will be getting theirs later, she said. "The government is on a two-week pay schedule, and if you start in the middle of that it takes a while to get your first check," she said. Another squatter complained he had been discouraged from applying for food stamps until recently and that his emergency assistance over the last three weeks has been two bags of groceries and one bag lunch. "That was supposed to last us until we got paid," he said. "I don't have any food in the ice box and I'm starving up there." Mrs. Murray said every pilot program has its glitches. "We are charting new waters with this, but from the success we have seen so far and their enthusiasm, we know it has a lot of possibilities," she said. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM