Calvary Women’s Services Testifies Before DC Housing Committee

Kenyatta T. Brunson, CEO of N Street Village, and Kris Thompson, CEO of Calvary Women’s Services, testify before the DC Housing Committee via Zoom. Image courtesy of N Street Village.

Kris Thompson, CEO of Calvary Women’s Services, testified before the DC Housing Committee today, asking members to rectify gender-based disparities in the city’s homeless services system by investing in housing for women.

Women make up approximately one-third of people experiencing homelessness in DC on any given night, but only 4% of the city’s housing capacity is dedicated to them. The shortage of available beds leaves women at greater risk of assault and trafficking.

“Gender-specific housing is important for protecting women, both in avoiding retraumatizing women who have a history of domestic violence and safeguarding women who are uniquely vulnerable during periods of homelessness,” said Thompson. “The unique histories and traumas of women who are experiencing homelessness should be considered in the DC government’s commitment to gender-specific housing.”

Thompson testified as Calvary’s representative on The Coalition of Women’s Housing, which also includes New Endeavors by Women, House of Ruth, and N Street Village. The group of women’s housing providers are working tirelessly to ensure every woman experiencing homelessness in DC has access to the support she needs.

To achieve this goal, The Coalition of Women’s Housing requested that the DC Council prioritize gender-specific, service-enriched housing in the 2024 budget and funding for The Community Partnership to complete a Women’s Needs Assessment each year.

Read the full testimonies here.