We know that housing ends homelessness. Through the Partnership to End Homelessness, local government agencies, nonprofit service providers, philanthropists, business leaders, and DC residents are joining forces to end homelessness by strengthening systems and bringing deeply affordable and supportive housing to every ward of the city.
DC has a plan to end homelessness, and the plan is working. But there is still more work to be done and it will take all of us doing our part. It’s time we come together as a community to end homelessness and bring safe, stable, and affordable homes to every ward of DC.
DC is a great place to live for many. But the high cost of living is making it harder for all of us to thrive in our city. Nearly 1 in every 100 hundred DC residents experiences homelessness on any given night in neighborhoods across the city. And thousands more are just one financial shock away from losing the roof over their heads.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a minimum wage worker would have to work 77 hours per week to cover the rent of a one-bedroom apartment in DC.
Ending homelessness in DC starts with creating more supportive and deeply affordable housing and strengthening our system so people can obtain housing more quickly.
Without a place to call home, it’s hard to obtain or maintain a job, do well in school, stay healthy, and keep families together.
Research shows that Black residents are more likely to experience homeless, be at risk of homelessness, or to know someone who has been homeless. While 87% of people experiencing homelessness in DC are Black or African American, Black residents make up less than half (47%) of the overall population.
As we work to end homelessness in DC it is essential that we approach our work with a racial equity lens and prioritize solutions that address these inequities.
