SAFE HOUSING
Huruma Place / DASH Emergency Safe Housing
"Huruma" is the Swahili word for "compassion." It is compassion that is at the heart of DASH's 20 unit/82 bed Huruma Place apartment-style emergency housing residence. Opened in January 2009, Huruma Place's launch has nearly tripled the number of emergency beds available to domestic violence survivors in the District, bringing the number from 48 to 130. Residents at Huruma Place may stay for 90 days or more while working with DASH staff to plan their next steps and find long term housing. The apartment-based program was specifically developed with the capacity to serve "special" populations, including families with three or more children, women with male children over age 12, women with substance addictions and other underserved groups. During one year, as many as 100 women and their children make Huruma Place their home before moving to transitional programs or permanent housing.
Empowerment Project / DASH Transitional to Permanent Housing
Our scattered site transitional-to-permanent housing project, called the Empowerment Project, is an innovative approach to providing housing for victims whose credit and rental histories were damaged during abusive relationships, which often prevents them from establishing housing stability long after the physical abuse has ended. Participants are offered the opportunity to sign a lease on an apartment of their choosing that best meets their familial, financial and safety needs, made possible by the relationships DASH has established with landlords across the city. DASH provides a rental subsidy, along with intensive supportive services and resources, so the women can become financially independent over the course of two years. DASH's Empowerment Advocate works with each participant to focus on financial goals such as paying down debt, restoring damaged credit and saving money for future goals, all while building a solid rental history in a safe apartment unit. After two years (or sooner), participants are poised to take over full financial responsibility of their apartment. DASH is providing transitional to permanent housing to 6 families in 2009, and plans to expand the Empowerment Project to house up to 10 or more families in 2010. Cornerstone Building / DASH Emergency and Transitional Safe Housing
DASH will establish a low-barrier, apartment-style residence of co-located emergency and transitional housing in a 47-unit apartment building that we recently purchased. When opened in Spring 2010, our Cornerstone Building will provide women and families with transitional and intensive-needs emergency housing. The Cornerstone Building is currently undergoing a renovation that incorporates principles of universal and green design so that the space is physically accessible to all domestic violence survivors and provides a peaceful sanctuary from abuse. The Cornerstone housing program will be a collaborative project with the city's other domestic violence programs to meet the needs of survivors. When opened, the Cornerstone Building will provide transitional housing for 40 women and families and emergency housing to 21 women and their children each year.
Housing Resource Center / DASH Homelessness Prevention Efforts
The Housing Resource Center (HRC) is the hub of DASH's efforts to prevent homelessness among domestic violence survivors. We assist survivors in completing housing applications, obtaining safety transfers, navigating the public housing system, and making connections to community services. Survivors can conduct housing searches in our computer lab and work one-on-one with Housing Specialists.
DASH also conducts housing clinics at emergency hotels, informing victims of their rights and protections under federal and local housing laws, and providing strategies for finding housing. Our Housing Resource Center Online is a web-based information clearinghouse with comprehensive information on housing programs for women, including details on admission processes, eligibility requirements, and accessibility for people with disabilities.
Technical Assistance and Training
DASH is venturing to inspire a housing movement for victims called Domestic Violence (DV) Informed Safe Housing. DV Informed Safe Housing is a model that can be incorporated into any housing program that provides services to women. It ensures that all victims of domestic violence are receiving services that address the needs of trauma survivors, such as ongoing safety planning, information on the dynamics of domestic violence and counseling. DASH envisions a community where survivors have a multitude of safe housing options so that regardless of where a survivor turns for help, she will be met by service providers who can provide information and support that directly addresses the impact of abuse.
Through the provision of technical assistance and training, DASH promotes DV-Informed responses in the following ways:
1. Building safe housing capacity in the District by working with community-based organizations. DASH provides training and technical assistance to community agencies and victim service programs to increase the availability of safe, affordable housing options for survivors. Through these partnerships and community outreach, DASH is able to reach a diverse range of women and children who typically fall between the service cracks in the system. DASH assists community-based agencies to build capacity to provide housing programs for domestic violence victims by:
- Providing ongoing consultation and review of developing projects;
- Generating resource guides to identify and secure financing, developers and architects, and other supports to create housing for victims;
- Matching both nonprofit and for-profit community developers and architects with prospective housing programs;
- Assisting individuals and groups to develop proposals to secure grant awards and other funding for service-enriched housing for victims.
2. Building the capacity of housing and homeless programs for women to be safe-housing programs for surivors. A significant number of women in the homeless system have experienced domestic violence. Thus, DASH supports housing and homeless programs serving women to incorporate policies and procedures that are informed by the specific safety needs of survivors through offering information, training, quarterly caseworker summits and one-on-one technical assistance on the following topics:
- Safety planning with victims;
- Strategies for creating economic empowerment for victims;
- Providing linkages and referrals with resources, including support groups and legal services;
- Responding to safe housing needs;
- Providing trauma informed advocacy and counseling.
To request TA and training, email info@dashdc.org or call DASH at (202) 462-3274.
Domestic Violence in the
District of Columbia
The number of domestic violence calls to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has increased 22% in the past three years. ( Metropolitan Police Department, 2004-2006; US Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2005-2006.)
In cases where victim-offender relationship could be established from 2002 to 2004, MPD reported that there were 51 murders attributed to domestic/family violence – on average, one domestic violence homicide victim every two weeks . (Metropolitan Police Department – UCR Report, 2005; A Report on Homicide in the District of Columbia 2001-2004; A Report on Juvenile Homicide 2002-2004.)
The Domestic Violence Intake Centers (DVIC) located at the DC Superior Court and the Greater Southeast Community Hospital, served approximately 5,000 victims of domestic violence in 2005.
