WAMU 88.5 : News

D.C. Government Gets Credit For Tackling Chronic Homelessness

Play associated audio

The District's approach to curbing chronic homelessness appears to be paying off.

From 2008 to 2009 –- during the height of the recession -– the number of chronically homeless fell by more than 12 percent in the city.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness, which looked at homelessness in each state and the District, credits the city for embracing a number of innovative programs.

"There was a real effort on the part of the District government to identify chronically homeless people and get them into permanent supportive housing," says National Alliance CEO Nan Roman.

Known in the District as Housing First, it is an effort to move away from the shelter system, and the Fenty administration aggressively pursued the policy.

Ebony Roscoe and her four children were homeless until she found permanent housing with an organization called Community of Hope.

"Finding housing is like a brick being lifted off of my shoulders and being placed on the ground," Roscoe says.

During that same time period, the number of chronically homeless in Maryland jumped by more than 35 percent.


View State of Homelessness Report in a larger map
NPR

A Race Against Time To Find WWI's Last 'Doughboys'

In 2003, Richard Rubin set out to talk to every American veteran of World War I he could find. With help from the French, he tracked down dozens of centenarian vets and recorded their stories in a new book called The Last of the Doughboys.
NPR

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?

Does the kind of charcoal you use really make a difference when it comes to grilling up a tasty steak or other food on the grill? Yes — but deciding which one to use depends on what you're after. Both briquettes and lump charcoal — aka "natural" hardwood charcoal — have their advantages and disadvantages.
NPR

Obama's Terrorism Fight Is Colored Gray, Not Black And White

If President Obama's newly recalibrated counterterrorism strategy demonstrates anything, it is his penchant for nuance.
NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.