The hidden truth about the homeless in DC with Annemarie Cuccia of Street Sense

On today’s episode of What Do We Do Next? I sat down with Annemarie Cuccia, the editor in chief of Street Sense Media—a remarkable nonprofit street paper in Washington, D.C., that amplifies the voices of people experiencing homelessness.Annemarie and I talk about what’s really happening on D.C.’s streets right now—from recent government encampment clearings to the ongoing struggles so many face just to find safety and stability. She shares how Street Sense is helping to rewrite the narrative around homelessness—turning stigma into understanding, and isolation into opportunity.What I love about this conversation is how it shines a light on the human side of homelessness: the resilience, the creativity, and the deep desire for connection that too often gets overlooked. Annemarie also opens up about how Street Sense Media’s model offers more than just income for its vendors—it builds community, restores dignity, and gives people a voice in shaping their own stories.If you’ve ever wondered how to make a real difference for people experiencing homelessness—or what it actually takes to create long-term change—this episode will leave you thinking differently about what community really means.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:10 - “Street Sense: More Than a Paper”03:18 - Understanding Homelessness Misconceptions08:29 - Displacement Impact from Police Sweeps10:24 - “Non-Congregate Shelters’ Privacy Appeal”13:33 - “Community-Centered Storytelling Advantage”19:11 - “Street Sense’s Positive Impact”22:57 - Online Updates: Homelessness and Policy News25:17 - “Encouraging Support for Street Sense”26:45 - OutroQuotes:“I see our role as providing real, quality, empathetic, understanding information both to people who are experiencing homelessness or are low income.”- Annemarie Cuccia“We all need help sometimes, and storytelling is the best way for us to truly see one another and inspire change.”- Molly RulandKey Takeaways:Street Sense Media’s MissionImpact of the D.C. TakeoverMisconceptions About HomelessnessShelter Solutions and ProgressSupporting Vendors and CommunityWays to Get InvolvedConnect with Annemarie Cucciawebsite: https://streetsensemedia.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetsensedc/Twitter: https://x.com/streetsensedc /Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/streetsensedcCall To ActionPlease consider joining our Substack to help us get this message to as many people as possible. Podcast on News and Politics – What We Do We Do NextProduced by Heartcast Media Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe