Thousands of our neighbors are experiencing homelessness and in 2023, nearly 100 of our neighbors in Washington, D.C. died without housing. With unsheltered homelessness on the rise, it’s more important than ever that we remember the urgency of ending homelessness. There are increasing pressures on DC’s budget and, as a community, we must not only resist cuts to our social safety net, but continue to expand investments we know work to provide each of our neighbors with the dignity of a home.
We know that ending chronic homelessness is within reach, but this cannot happen without increased funding in proven best practices such as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and homelessness prevention.
The Way Home Campaign (TWHC), an advocacy coalition led by Miriam’s Kitchen, have released their recommendations as Mayor Bowser and the DC Council consider their budget needs for Fiscal Year 2025. Miriam’s Kitchen is proud to support TWHC’s call on Mayor Bowser to make bold investments to cross the finish line, and ensure our neighbors have the housing they need to thrive.
The Way Home Campaign calls on Mayor Bowser to:
- End homelessness for 1,260 individuals and 580 families through Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
- Restore and expand homeless street outreach to help connect our unsheltered neighbors to services and housing
- Invest in homelessness prevention and diversion through Project Reconnect and DC Flex
- Invest in two non-congregate shelter sites and 24/7 access
- Provide funding for 150 medical respite beds
- Expand Rapid Rehousing for single adults by 100 slots
- Double investments in the Emergency Rental Assistance Prevention Program (ERAP); and
- Address DC’s dire lack of affordable housing
You can read more about The Way Home Campaign’s recommendations in their blog post here and please stay tuned for opportunities to raise your voice! Visit The Way Home Campaign’s website to learn more about how you can get involved in the upcoming budget season, and visit the Miriam’s Kitchen website to learn about our advocacy department and their vital work in giving our neighbors a place to call home.
The Way Home Campaign brings together nearly 7,000 people and 110 organizations committed to ending chronic homelessness in Washington, DC. Our membership is comprised of compassionate neighbors, ardent advocates, individuals with lived experience of homelessness, and experts from the fields of homeless services, health care, and beyond.
