Looking at Homelessness in DC

If you live in Washington, DC, you probably encounter homelessness on a regular basis. Maybe you see someone sleeping on a bench in a public park, read a story online about a new housing initiative, or purchase a Street Sense newspaper on your way to the office.

Maybe you don’t observe homelessness very often, but it is a crisis in the region. According to the most recent count, there are more than 11,600 homeless individuals in the Washington metro area. About half of that count represents single adults. The median age of a single homeless adult is 49 years old. More than 1,500 of those individuals are women.

There are multiple factors that contribute to homelessness. In its report, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments states, “A lack of affordable, permanent housing opportunities remains the most significant and persistent obstacle to ending homelessness in our region.”

 Over the last three decades thousands of women have come to Calvary Women’s Services and found their way out of homelessness. Here are some quick stats about the impacts of Calvary’s programs over the course of one year:

• About 120 women are served through our programs in one year.
• We provide 20,000 nights of safe housing and 30,000 nutritious meals.
• Nearly 75 percent of women participate in individual and group therapy.
• A large majority of women – 84 percent – take LEAP classes to build skills in financial management, job readiness, health and wellness and more.

Check out our latest annual report for more statistics and success stories of women at Calvary.