Council hears details and tensions on D.C. encampment closures, outreach spending and compensation for people with lived experience

During the Committee on Health—s performance oversight discussion on Feb. 20, Deputy Mayor Wayne Turnich detailed the administration—s encampment response, announced numeric trends and answered questions about funding transfers and practices.

Turnich said encampments peaked at about 105 sites in November 2023 and had declined to roughly 81 sites by December 2024. "We have reduced the number of encampments, from, at they peaked in, at 105 in November of 20 23. They now ... sit at about 81," he said. He emphasized the administration—s policy that closures are conducted with offers of alternatives; when a site is closed, residents are offered shelter. "Our guarantee is that when we close an encampment, everybody in the encampment will have the opportunity to, enter shelter. We can't make them go, but we can say we are not…