SAFE HOUSING

The Empowerment Project – Transitional to Permanent Housing:
This scattered site demonstration project is designed to help families access their own permanent housing and assist them to stay there safely and independently through the provision of a rental subsidy and supportive services. DASH assists families to re-build their lives and achieve economic independence using a Housing First model, which focuses on obtaining housing first before addressing other needs through the provision of trauma informed voluntary services. The Empowerment Project has five major components:

1. Assistance Finding Affordable Housing - DASH provides a selection of apartment units and assists each participant in choosing the one that meets their financial and safety needs.

2. A Housing Allowance - DASH covers the full rental costs, up to $1,000, for the first six months for each family in the program. After six months the participant will gradually begin contributing to the rental costs with a focus on ultimately taking over the full responsibility for rent payment at the end of one year.

3. Supportive Services - Weekly meetings with our Empowerment Advocate assists participants to create and work on individual goals and continue to heal from the trauma of domestic violence.

4. Financial Empowerment - Each participant receives intensive assistance with regaining financial independence by creating and following a short-term and long-term financial plan in addition to contributing to an interest bearing escrow account.

5. Follow-Up Assistance - After completing the year long program, participants will be contacted periodically for another 12 months to assist with maintaining their housing and ensuring that each participant is properly linked with necessary community resources.

*DASH is currently not accepting new applicants.

Emergency and Transitional Housing:
DASH is developing an apartment-style residence of co-located emergency and transitional housing scheduled to open in 2009.

If you have additional questions about DASH Housing, click > Frequently Asked Questions

back to top

HOUSING RESOURCE PROGRAM
DASH addresses battered women's housing needs through the Housing Resource Program by providing: Web-based tools for exploring housing options; Housing search trainings at shelter programs and; Technical assistance-on locating housing to domestic violence advocates. The Housing Resource Program has four major components:

1. The Housing Resource Center Online - This online resource will serve as an information clearinghouse for survivors and caseworkers on housing topics including: navigating the public housing system, seeking affordable housing (including safety tips for survivors to consider), and policy updates impacting access to safe and affordable housing. The Housing Resource Center Online will have a feedback mechanism for survivors and caseworkers to email DASH Housing Specialists their specific housing questions.

2. Support for Advocates and Caseworkers - DASH augments the housing advocacy case workers at other community-based organizations do on behalf of survivors and their children by providing:

• Technical assistance through phone consultation on options for women facing unique challenges to securing safe housing;

• Quarterly summits to bring together caseworkers to identify strategies for responding to common housing challenges, clarify changes in housing policy (particularly related to obtaining housing vouchers) and provide information on new housing options;

• Training on using DASH's Housing Resource Center Online as an advocacy tool.

3. Housing Resource Guide - DASH will disseminate a housing resource guide detailing housing options for survivors, including program eligibility requirements and contact information. This will be available for download on the Housing Resource Center Online as well as disseminated widely to women and case managers without computer access.

4. Housing Search Training and Support - DASH provides housing workshops at shelter programs throughout the District on various housing topics and to encourage wide use of the Housing Resource Center Online.

back to top

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.

back to top