On July 23, 2010, the Fenty Administration celebrated a major milestone in its Housing First initiative with the placement of the District’s 1,000th household in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). Mayor Fenty, Department of Human Service (DHS) Director Carter, DC Housing Authority Director Adrianne Todman, Councilmember Tommy Wells and a host of advocates and community members gathered at the apartment of a United States veteran and 22-year District resident to celebrate her new life and home. The 1,000 households include individuals, families and veterans.
“It’s official,” said Mayor Fenty. “The District is a national leader in the fight against chronic homelessness, and we will continue to work together as a community to protect and improve the lives of our most vulnerable residents.”
Prior to the Fenty Administration, the District focused on meeting the survival needs of individuals by providing blankets and shelter. But in 2008, Mayor Fenty led the creation of the Housing First initiative, an innovative approach to ending to chronic homelessness by connecting families and individuals to PSH.
Under the Mayor’s direction, DHS has transformed the delivery of homeless services by implementing programs that move our neighbors beyond homelessness. PSH provides intensive supportive services and affordable housing to the District’s most vulnerable individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
“When Mayor Fenty championed the Housing First initiative, it was with the belief that we could provide the housing and supports necessary to end homelessness for our most vulnerable neighbors,” Director Carter said. Today, after less than three years, we celebrate the placement of the 1,000th household and an individual will be able to start her new life with the full support of the Mayor and the District behind her.”
PSH shows a 100-percent retention rate for families and a 95-percent rate for individuals – a rate that’s 11 percentage points higher than the national average. The District has also streamlined the housing process and reduced the average time it takes a PSH participant to be housed from 6 to12 months to only 4 to 6 weeks.
The success of this locally funded initiative has generated additional resources that have enabled the Housing First Initiative to expand, even in difficult economic times. Along with $10 million in local funds, the program received $17.2 million in appropriations from President Barack Obama’s 2010 federal budget.
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