May 17, 2013
Phil Mendelson Chairman,
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson,
We, the undersigned organizations, support the goal of the District’s Department of Human Services (DHS) to move families out of shelter as quickly as possible and to begin to open up emergency shelter year-round to families. To accomplish that goal we think that several steps need to be taken over the next year, many of which are currently underway ‘ but not yet finalized ‘ and some of which can be accomplished in the FY 2014 budget. In addition, several steps, both budget and non-budget related, need to be taken to address homelessness for individuals and youth.
The DC Council has already identified over $1.4 million to help support increases in permanent supportive housing, services for LGBTQ homeless youth, emergency rental assistance, and the creation of a DC government position whose sole focus will be ending homelessness in DC. We applaud these efforts. However, the problems the District’s homeless residents face are significant.
We hope that the DC Council will find additional funding to support some of the key programs listed below to help take the necessary steps to addressing homelessness in DC.
We look forward to working with you, the Council and the Mayor to implement these steps over the next year and take significant steps towards addressing homelessness for families, individuals and youth in DC.
STEPS TO ADDRESS FAMILY HOMELESSNESS
- Work with DHS, the Interagency Council on Homelessness and the community to implement changes to the Homeless Services Reform Act (HSRA) to support the dual goals of protecting vulnerable families and helping them get out of shelter quickly. The proposed amendments to the HSRA in the FY 2014 Budget Support Act would make significant changes to the rights and responsibilities for families in emergency shelters, and thus need to go through the normal legislation process for a complete vetting. There is no doubt that the rules will be improved through this input and that this is the best way to address concerns that have been raised. We are committed to working over the summer with stakeholders on this through the normal legislative process. We are committed to this process being completed by October 1st. We also ask that the regulations have opportunity for community feedback during development.
- Implement a comprehensive systems approach to ending family homelessness by matching appropriate housing and services resources to the assessed needs of family. This approach combines careful and complete assessment of the homeless families’ needs with the appropriate housing. We believe this program can be key to swiftly and safely moving families through the DC General shelter into housing this year. And we urge relevant stakeholders to finalize a plan to accomplish this this year.
- Finalize regulations for rapid re-housing to ensure program follows best practices and includes protections for vulnerable families. The Family Re-Housing and Stabilization Program (FRSP) moves families out of shelter quickly and into housing with supportive services for a year or more, and it is a central part of efforts to minimize placement of families in shelters. The regulations for this program are published but not yet complete. DHS recently held a stakeholder meeting to get feedback on Rapid Rehousing and will have another meeting in May to move forward on completing the process. We look forward to having the program rules finalized.
Because this is a relatively new program, ongoing training and guidance for providers is needed to ensure all rapid re-housing programs are operating under the same best practices. Moreover, the District should track outcomes to ensure families’ needs are being met and to identify any areas of the program that may need to be modified in order to ensure vulnerable families are protected.
To read the entire letter, click here.
