Housing a homeless family in a District shelter costs three times as much per month as the average Washington two-bedroom apartment rental, according to a new government study.

The study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released Thursday measured the costs associated with first time homeless families in six communities nationwide, including D.C., from 2004 to 2006. It found that the average cost of emergency shelter for a homeless family in D.C. was as high as $3,700 per month in 2006, compared with the $1,225 fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment.