If homelessness is to end in Washington, D.C.then the people who are designing programs to help the poor must all keep in mind that low-income means just that!
Then there are the folks with no income at all.
Assistance programs and services for people who have low incomes or no incomes need to take those realities into account. I hope the city keeps this in mind as it launches two new pilot programs to help homeless singles get into housing.
The two pilot programs, Emergency Rental Assistance (ERAP) and the Rapid ReHousing Program for singles, piggyback on programs that have helped homeless families for several years. The D.C. City Council approved the programs as part of the city’s FY2014 budget and on July 31, 2013 more than thirty five organizations and government officials had an in depth round table conversation on how they would implement the new pilot programs for singles.
These programs hold much hope but it will be impossible for them to succeed unless there is flexibility built into them.
It will take time for participants without income to find employment and even then, no employer will guarantee that they will always have jobs.
The housing assistance that is offered must be adjustable so the participant will always have a home. If I am not mistaken that’s what these services were created for in the first place!
If the local government and federal government took the approach of offering adjustable housing vouchers homelessness would end swiftly, instead of years or decades from now.
Short-term assistance that runs out before people are able to stand on their own can easily leave the poor right back on the doorstep where they started out.
These programs need to offer people stability, but that cannot be achieved without the proper mix of supports and services. To work, the programs need to meet individuals where they are. Programs intended to house people with no income or minimal income need to work with participating landlords and offer some flexibility in terms of the level of rental assistance available.
This city will never reach the finish line in terms of ending homelessness if formerly homeless people are finally housed, only to lose their housing and have to start all over again.
Let’s all work in getting it right from start to finish so that at the end of the day we can all meet at the finishing line together!
