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THE PROBLEM. According to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, homelessness in the DC area rose in 2005 for the fourth straight year. It is estimated that there are more than 14,000 homeless men, women and children in the metropolitan area, more than 6,000 in DC proper. That's 14,000 men, women and children without shelter. Homelessness can result from substance abuse, mental illness, family dysfunction or a myriad of other individual problems. A sudden job loss or domestic violence can also push a family out of their existing housing. Another factor contributing to the growing number of homeless individuals and families in Washington is the skyrocketing cost of housing. According to the "Washington Post," "district home prices have risen so rapidly that more than 80 percent of the properties for sale last year were financially out of reach for the average city household." Rents, too, have risen sharply, partly as a result of the dwindling supply of units. The Fannie Mae Foundation reports that "a substantial number of rental properties that have long provided shelter for low- and moderate-income residents are being sold to new investors, renovated as luxury housing or converted to condominiums." Not surprisingly, these economic trends have pushed many families into either severely inadequate or overcrowded situations while others have fallen through the cracks completely and are homeless. |
THE CIHN RESPONSE. CIHN works in partnership with Capitol Hill Group Ministry (CHGM) to identify families, primarily in southeast Washington, DC, in crisis due to homelessness. Congregations within our Network provide temporary housing in their congregation facilities; volunteers from the congregations then provide meals and companionship. Each host congregation houses families from 6:30 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. for a period of time, often several weeks. It is more than just a place to stay. While housing is the immediate issue, it is seldom the only obstacle to getting a family back on more solid footing. CIHN underwrites the cost of a day center in southeast DC where residents can go to seek employment services, make telephone calls, receive mail, take classes in parenting, attend substance abuse prevention meetings, receive job training, meet with caseworkers, as well as seek permanent housing. For many, it is a chance for a new beginning. |
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