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.
The typical homeless family in the District sets the city back more than $20,000 per year, is comprised of a single black woman with 2.5 children, and stays in the homeless system an average of 309 days, according to the study.
Advocates for the homeless hailed the study’s conclusion that communities consider a combination of rent subsidies and standalone support services to help cut the expense of emergency shelters and transitional housing programs.
“The less time someone languishes in an emergency shelter and transitional housing program, the better,” said Neil Donovan, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “Having said that, I think that [permanent housing for the homeless] needs to be affordable and it needs to be accessible.”
Deborah Shore of the D.C.-based Sasha Bruce Youthwork said implementing that type of system “would save precious dollars and really is such a better arrangement and such a healthier arrangement for a family.”
Other recommendations provided by the study were to prioritize black families for homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing programs and to create housing specifically designed to meet the needs of single women.
By the numbers
» Average homeless system cost per family in D.C.: $20,031
» Average time spent in homeless programs: 309 days
» Average cost for 1 month emergency shelter: $2,496-$3,698
» Average cost for 1 month transitional housing: $2,146-$2,188
» Percent of homeless families that are black: 97
» Average household size: 3.5 members
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
