Coalition of Women’s Housing Providers Testifies Before D.C. Council

The coalition of Women’s Housing Providers – Calvary Women’s Services, House of Ruth, New Endeavors by Women, and N Street Village – testified before the D.C. City Council on Friday, March 31, in support of more gender-specific, service-enriched housing for women. These four agencies provide over 90% of the housing and support services available to women experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C.

Representing the coalition, Kenyatta T. Brunson, CEO of N Street Village, and Kris Thompson, CEO of Calvary Women’s Services, testified during the Budget Oversight Hearing, before Councilmember Robert White, Chair of the Committee on Housing.

The coalition believes that the District should increase its investments in gender-specific, service-enriched housing that expands the full continuum of care for women from emergency shelters to transitional housing to affordable housing. Women experiencing homelessness are underserved within our current homeless services system and we need the Department of Human Services to make gender-specific housing a priority. In addition, funding should be included in the budget to allow The Community Partnership (TCP) to complete a Women’s Needs Assessment on an annual basis.

Call your councilmembers to encourage deeply affordable housing be a priority for those experiencing homelessness!