Councilmembers Tommy Wells and Michael A. Brown Applaud Congressional Appropriation of $17 Million for Permanent Supportive Housing for DC’s Homeless Residents

(Washington, DC) – Today, Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells and At-Large Councilmember Michael A. Brown and, both of whom advocated for additional federal funding for DC’s Housing First Program, were pleased that the Federal 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act will include $17 million for the program. 

The Housing First Program is an initiative to place the District’s chronically homeless into permanent supportive housing.  Since August 2008, the District has placed 453 individuals and 47 families into permanent supportive housing units. The program has achieved a 96.4% retention rate, placing it at the top of its national counterparts. 

Both Councilmembers have long supported the Housing First program and have worked over the last several months with members of the Senate to ensure that the federal funding was restored.

“The Housing First program has many of our city’s chronically homeless and vulnerable residents in stable housing for the first time in years – helping make addiction, mental health, and other services more successful,” said Councilmember Tommy Wells. He added, “The Committee on Human Services has strongly supported the city’s Housing First Initiative and $17 million will go a long way to plugging the holes in our safety net for homeless men, women and families.”

“I am grateful to Congress for recognizing the importance of this program. This additional funding will help to expand a program, which is becoming more and more necessary for our vulnerable residents, especially during the current economic crisis,” said Councilmember Michael Brown. “With hundreds of families on the shelter waiting list and almost no capacity at shelters for women, this expansion will provide hundreds of chronically homeless individuals and families with permanent housing and will free up capacity in the emergency shelter system for those temporarily experiencing homelessness.”

The additional federal funding is welcomed news at a time when the city is preparing for another tough budget season.

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