THE PARTNERSHIP TO END HOMELESSNESS WORKS TO ENSURE HOMELESSNESS IS RARE, BRIEF, AND NONRECURRING IN WASHINGTON, DC.
We believe that all DC residents deserve a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. The Partnership to End Homelessness in DC, led by the Greater Washington Community Foundation and the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness, is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the District to bring together the public and private sectors to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. By joining together, we can increase the supply of deeply affordable housing, bolster our response system to help more people obtain and maintain stable housing, and ultimately end homelessness in DC.
WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT TOGETHER, WE CAN END HOMELESSNESS.
Goals
Through the Partnership, we seek to:
Increase the supply of affordable housing with a priority on extremely low-income households.
Build nonprofit capacity to help single adults, families, and youth exit homelessness as quickly as possible.
Change perceptions about homelessness and affordable housing through donor education, community engagement, and advocacy efforts.
Leverage private philanthropy and align with public resources and strategies, leading to more nimble, strategic, and sustained investment in the homeless services system.
Guiding Principles
The Partnership uses a collaborative approach guided by the following principles:
BUILD AND STRENGTHEN CAPACITY
The solution requires more resources and increased capacity for housing developers and homeless service providers. We commit to expanding our community’s capacity to address homelessness by investing in nonprofit service providers, nonprofit and mission-driven developers, and advocacy organizations, as well as building the financial investment tools and strategies that can lead to lasting change.
ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Historical discrimination and inequity are root causes of homelessness, and they must be acknowledged and addressed in order to drive systems change. We have a responsibility to call out these inequities when we see them, approach our work with a focus on how we address these disparities, and ensure that we do not perpetuate them. Learn more about our commitments.
ENCOURAGE INNOVATION
Private philanthropy is well-suited to test new solutions which can be brought to scale. We fund emerging ideas and promising practices with the potential to meet the evolving needs of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
INVEST IN ADVOCACY EFFORTS
Both direct investment and advocacy are necessary tools in affecting change. We advocate for systems change and improvement in homeless services, housing and policymaking.
SHIFT THE NARRATIVE
There needs to be a radical shift in the narrative around the issue of homelessness. We support this work through broader donor education, community engagement, and communications advocacy efforts which address the many factors that can lead to homelessness and the ways our community can more effectively respond.
SUPPORT DATA-DRIVEN AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES
Investing in proven practices will deliver the best results. Housing First strategies and Permanent Supportive Housing are examples of the types of evidence-based practices that we support.
Racial Equity Statement and Commitments
The Partnership to End Homelessness is committed to addressing inequities in our homeless services and housing systems in Washington, DC.
We know that Black and African American communities disproportionately experience homelessness and housing instability in DC, and across the country. We recognize that this is due to systemic racism that has negatively impacted communities of color, and specifically Black and African American communities. Historical discrimination and inequity are root causes of homelessness, and they must be acknowledged and addressed in order to drive systems change.
We have a responsibility to call out these inequities when we see them, approach our work with a focus on how we address these disparities, and ensure that we do not perpetuate them.
In order to eliminate these inequities and to center racial equity in our work, we commit to:
Actively listening to and engaging communities in decision-making, including people of color on the frontlines and with lived experience, as subject matter experts.
Prioritizing equity in our grant design, review, and decision-making process.
Selecting members for our Leadership Council and other decision-making and advisory bodies that represent disproportionately impacted populations and whose values include racial equity and social justice.
Ensuring all Partnership events have a racial equity lens, including speakers and data/information that is shared.
Partnering with organizations centering racial equity and working toward more equitable homeless services and housing systems.
Advancing the leadership of people with lived experience in the design and implementation of our homeless services system.
Supporting efforts to identify inequities and implement solutions.
Advocating for policies that promote equitable access and outcomes in the housing and homeless services systems.
Learning more about the systemic racism in our nation and city’s history that has led to present day inequities in the homeless services and housing systems.
Regularly promoting racial equity work throughout the Partnership’s communication platforms.