I have high hopes for the District of Columbia in 2016. I have high hopes for the Department of Human Services and for the residents we serve. Thanks to Mayor Muriel Bowser and the historic investments and commitments she has made, D.C. has an opportunity this year to achieve amazing progress on our goals to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring, and to connect all residents with greater economic opportunity. We know that when people have a safe place that is home, the entire community benefits – there is a broader and deeper understanding of this fact than ever before. This is why I believe that 2016 is the year for us to seize the moment and advance historic change.
At DHS, our dedicated staff proudly serves and supports more than 250,000 D.C. residents. Through the provision of income, nutrition and emergency housing assistance from a range of programs and services, DHS plays an essential part in empowering D.C. households to strengthen their economic security, improve their well-being and create a foundation on which to thrive. My New Year’s Resolutions reflect these high hopes, and I call on all Washingtonians to join me in working to achieve these goals.
1. End Veteran Homelessness! We have made significant progress in our goal to end homelessness among veterans in D.C.. No one who has served our country should have to sleep on the streets – especially in our nation’s capital. Soon, I know we will make that goal a reality.
2. Support more households to successfully exit homelessness into a home of their own! In 2015, DHS helped more households exit homelessness into housing than ever before. Last year, 1014 families, 621 unaccompanied adults and more than 681 veterans exited homelessness into permanent housing with the support of DHS. That’s almost a 30 percent increase over 2014! And with the new investments Bowser made in 2016 and the improvements we are making to our programs, my resolution is to help even more families and individuals achieve permanent housing this year.
3. Continue to implement Homeward DC, the District’s strategic plan to end long-term homelessness! Last March, Bowser, with the Interagency Council on Homelessness, released Homeward DC, a comprehensive five-year plan to make homelessness in D.C. rare, brief and non-recurring. In her first budget, Bowser made historic investments in the solutions we know work to end homelessness – more affordable housing, permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing. We launched new prevention initiatives to help families avoid homelessness; created year-round access to emergency family housing (instead of just during hypothermia season); expanded homeless outreach services; and opened a daytime center where people experiencing homelessness can go to meet their basic needs and engage in supportive services. Bowser has also set a clear path to close D.C. General Family Shelter and replace it with smaller, more dignified emergency housing facilities across the city. This brings me to my next resolution:
4. Get started on developing smaller, community-based emergency family housing facilities to replace DC General! D.C. General is not an ideal place to raise a family – not even for a short time. It is an old, large building that’s use as a family shelter must come to an end as soon as possible. The mayor’s commitment on this issue is clear: We will close D.C. General and replace it with smaller, community-based facilities that more effectively support our families and reflect our values as a community. We made significant progress toward this goal in 2015, including investing nearly $45 million to get the job done. In 2016, look for progress to get into high gear.
5. Enlist everyone who cares about ending homelessness in the effort! My final resolution this year is to enlist everyone who cares about ending homelessness in the effort and to sign the mayor’s pledge to end homelessness in D.C. We know that homelessness is not an intractable problem. We know how to solve it, and we all have a part to play to make this resolution a reality. Please visit www.dc.gov/homewarddc, and sign the pledge today.
I wish everyone a happy, healthy and hopeful New Year.
Remember, if you or someone you know needs shelter please call the Shelter Hotline at 1-800-535-7252.
Laura Zeilinger is the director for the D.C. Department of Human Services.
