PUBLIC POLICY & ADVOCACY
DASH is committed to expanding affordable, safe housing options through social and economic justice for women and their children facing homelessness due to domestic violence. We identify, address, and improve public policy so that survivors and their children have safe and affordable housing options. We work with local and federal partners to examine issues facing survivors and ensure that public policies address the needs of those seeking shelter and housing.


Policy Initiatives

DC Victim Service Initiative:
Together, We Can Make a Difference
The DC Victim Services Initiative (DC VSI) is a collaborative effort of more than 50 local and national organizations, joined by nearly 2,000 concerned individuals and crime victims, united to ensure that victims of violent crime in the District of Columbia receive the counseling, family supports, legal assistance, shelter and other support services they need.

We believe that the District of Columbia government should control Crime Victims Compensation Funds just like every state in our nation, to use the funding for individual crime victims and for critical victim services. This will allow the District to restore service cuts, and ensure victims have services well into the future.

Our goal is to restore control of Crime Victims Compensation funds to the District government in FY 2011.

For more information, visit www.dcvsi.net


Domestic Violence and Housing Task Force
In April 2009, DASH convened a group of nonprofit organizations and government agency representatives, local and national, to identify and address the systemic barriers facing domestic violence survivors in the District of Columbia.

The goals of the Task Force are to:

• Enhance Access and Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors in Federal and District Funded Housing and Shelter Programs;
• Enhance access and improve services for domestic violence survivors with a multitude of needs; and
• Increase public awareness around the unique set of housing barriers domestic violence survivors face and implement strategies for addressing them.

Technical Assistance Regarding Housing Legal Protections for Domestic Violence Survivors in the District
The Public Policy Department provides technical assistance to landlords, housing providers, lawyers, advocates, NGO's, government agencies, as well as other stakeholders, interested in ensuring legal compliance through policy and practice transformation. DASH also works directly with survivors through our Community Housing Programs to ensure that survivors are aware of their rights.

> Technical Assistance Materials
Toolkits:

• Discrimination Protections Survivor Toolkit [Coming Soon]
• Discrimination Protections Advocate Toolkit [Coming Soon]

• Break Your Lease (Private and Public Landlord) [Word Document]
• Break Your Lease-Alternate version 1 [Word Document]
• Break Your Lease-Alternate version 2 [Word Document]
• Get Your Locks Changed [Word Document]

• Coming Soon

• Domestic Violence and Safe Housing in the District of Columbia [PDF]

• Office of Victims Services Budget Oversight Hearing
• Department of Housing and Community Development Budget Oversight Hearing
• Budget Gaps Oversight Hearing
• Shelter Capacity for Those Who are Homeless

• District of Columbia Draft Comprehensive Physical Access Plan for Accessibility of the District's Homeless Shelter Program to Individuals with Disabilities Under Title II of the American Disabilities Act of 1990 (DJ #204-16-96)
• Concept Paper for the District of Columbia's Homelessness Prevention and Rapid-Re-Housing Program (HPRP) Comment

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