Ending Homelessness Campaign
DC has seen double-digit spikes in homelessness in the past few years. The majority of that increase has been experienced by families with children. Adding insult to injury, the District has been placing many of these families in the DC General Family Shelter, a dilapidated, dangerous complex located on the same property as the District’ s jail, morgue and methadone clinic.
WIN made homelessness a top issue in the 2014 Mayoral election and held a 900-person action with the new Mayor in the same week as her inauguration. WIN demanded that in the first 100 days of the administration Mayor Bowser appoint a new top team around homelessness. WIN’ s organizing, as well as that of other DC community organizations, helped ensure Mayor Bowser’ s first budget included $ 40 million to open short-term family housing to replace DC General Family Shelter and a 35 % increase in funding for homelessness services.
WIN believes in the Iron Rule— never do for others what they can do for themselves. So in addition to supporting a playground, laundry room and teen center which were built at DC General, WIN has focused on developing leaders among the shelter residents. Two shelter residents attended our 3-day training on leadership and grassroots organizing in November. The team then led an action demanding more efficient housing programs, inspections, increased control over food, and greater resident power within the shelter.
At WIN’ s November 2015 action, the Mayor before a 500-person packed crowd committed to fully fund in every year of her administration Homeward DC, the District’ s plan to end all homelessness by 2020.
WIN’ s youth homelessness work in coordination with the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates and WIN-members, Sasha Bruce and LAYC, paid off this year with the implementation of the Ending Youth Homelessness Act and the allocation of $ 500,000 in the budget to operate youth drop-in centers. The Washington Post highlighted the two youth drop-in centers to be opened, including one at WIN-member organization Sasha Bruce. Also, as part of the District’ s commitment in this area, DC held its first Homeless Youth Census. The census counted 330 homeless youths who were on the streets, in a housing program, or otherwise without a permanent home.
In 2015, the District also broke ground on North Capitol Commons, 124 units of affordable housing with 60 units of Permanent Supportive Housing for formerly homeless veterans. WIN had fought for and helped win the land transfer that made this possible.
DC’ s homelessness numbers are going the wrong way. Now more than ever, we need an organized and powerful effort to ensure DC’ s well-thought out plan to end homelessness by 2020 is funded and implemented.
Data via U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development