Dupont Circle Citizens Association - Homelessness Committee

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Homelessness Committee

In 2021 DCCA's Homelessness Commitee worked with community leaders to organize an online information series about people who are homeless and unhoused in the Dupont neighborhood. Read more about the six week information series:

The sessions covered topics ranging from the structural problems in DC’s housing market and social safety nets that are leading to an increase in homelessness, the individual challenges of mental health and substance abuse, the impact of COVID, the costs of addressing the issue more effectively and the very particular difficulties faced by people of color, women and LGBTQ youth.

The intention was to examine each topic in a practical way so that those participating in the discussions would leave with the information that they need to help, to campaign for change and to support progress towards ending homelessness. The overall objective is to have a better informed community - a community that is better positioned to lobby or take action on the basis of facts.

At the conclusion of the series DCCA and the Homelessness Committee issued a statement which can be found here.
Use the links below to read more and view each completed session:

The Impact of COVID on Homelessness Moderated by Joanne Garlow
Click to Watch Session 1 on DCCA YouTube What are the effects of COVID on the chronically homeless population? What has the response been from DC and from community groups? How should things change? Reggie Black (Interagency Council on Homelessness) Catherine Crosland, M.D. (Unity Health Care's Medical Director for Homeless Outreach Services) Dena Williams Hasan (DC Department of Human Services) Click here to read more about the speakers for session 1
What are the biggest housing needs and what action is needed in the community? Moderated by Robin Nunn
Click to Watch Session 2 on DCCA YouTube Have you ever wondered: Why we have so little affordable housing in Ward 2? What the biggest housing needs are in your community? What role racial inequalities play? How you can get involved in supporting or advocating for affordable housing? Kate Coventry (Senior Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute) Kari Cunningham (Former ANC Commissioner 2B07) Johnathan Davis (Deputy Administrator, DC Department of Human Services) Keelyn Robey (Clinical Outreach Case Manager, Miriam’s Kitchen) Click to access the slides presented during session 2.
The Psychological, Medical and Substance Abuse Needs of Individuals. Moderated by Diane Quinn
Click to Watch Session 3 on DCCA YouTube What is cause and what is effect – what makes homelessness more likely and what are the consequences of homelessness? Leah Lyons, Outreach Coordinator (Veterans Homeless Services) Dante Nicotera, Clinical Unit Assistant (Christ House) Dr. Anne Cardile, Medical Director for the Homeless (Unity Healthcare) Click here to read about the speakers for session 3
Supportive Housing in DC. Moderated by Joanne Garlow
Click to Watch Session 4 on DCCA YouTube This discussion will consider the importance of permanent supportive housing in moving people from our sidewalks to safe homes where they can rebuild their lives, drawing on real life experiences in how lives can be changed. Sharlene Castle (Jaydot LLC) Alan Banks (Friendship Place) Brittany Turner-Jackson (N Street Village) Click here to read about the speakers for session 4.
What will it take to change direction? Moderated by Glenn Engelmann
Click to Watch Session 5 on DCCA YouTube How successful has DC been in addressing homelessness and increasing the availability of affordable housing? What do the data tell us about homelessness and truly affordable housing in the city and how the situation has changed over the last decade? Potential changes in government programs to end homelessness and increase affordable and public housing stock will be addressed. Tom Fredericksen (Chief of Policy and Programs at The Community Partnership) Stephen Glaude (President & CEO of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development) Eileen (Kroszner) Rosa, (Deputy Chief of Policy & Programs at The Community Partnership) Jesse Rabinowitz (Advocacy and Campaign Manager at Miriam's Kitchen) Click here to read about the speakers for session 5 and here to access the slides presented in Session 5
LGBTQ Youth and Women's homelessness: Systemic problems & solutions for DC. Moderated by Nick Manning
Click to Watch Session 6 on DCCA YouTube What specific challenges do women and queer youth face when at risk of homelessness? Schroeder Stribling (CEO, N Street Village) Speaker Deidre Turkvan (Village Resident and 2021 Gala Honoree, N Street Village) Jorge Membreño (Director of Youth Housing and Clinical Services, SMYAL) Click here to read about the speakers for session 6 and here to access the slides presented in Session 6

A Special thank you to the organizers

DCCA is grateful to the group of neighbors who volunteered their time, effort and heart into creating this program. Special thanks to Homelessness Chair and Board Member, Nick Manning for leading the design, organization and analysis of the program alongside the committee organizers and other helpers including:

Diane Quinn	Gerry Schwinn	Glenn Engelmann
Joanne Garlow	Kate Coventry	Kerry Kemp
Tim Norman	Robin Diener	Robin Nunn

Founded in 1922 in a townhouse at 1767 P Street, to promote and protect the interests of the residents, the Dupont Circle Citizens Association (DCCA) is the premier civic and residential organization in the Dupont Circle area. DCCA brings neighbors, including residents, businesses and non-profit organizations, together to improve the quality of life in an active and diverse urban neighborhood. It holds membership meetings nine times each year, which are open to the public, organizes the Dupont Circle House Tour, resolves neighborhood issues through its committees, donates to local causes, and incubates innovative projects.

Dupont Circle Citizens Association | 9 Dupont Circle, NW | Washington, DC 20036