Homelessness Around America: Washington DC

Washington DC is our nation’s capital. While recognized globally as the center of American politics, the District is also home to a large number of unhoused individuals. On a recent trip to the region, I saw firsthand how DC handles its homeless crisis. The methods used are unique to the region, and solved quite a few problems, while also creating others.

Photo of a homeless shelter taken by Hayden Hughes

The good

Washington DC has an unhoused population of just over 5,000 individuals. Despite this high number, the number of unsheltered individuals comes in at only 700. This means that the remaining 4,300 individuals are in transitional housing and shelters. Compare this to San Diego, with an unsheltered population coming in at 50% of the city’s total unhoused population. Washington DC has also dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to assist the unhoused, with recent funding like $246M to support more than 9,000 households in permanent housing programs, providing the stability and services that allow individuals and families to focus on long-term well-being.

Needs improvement

Despite Washington DC’s impressive shelter space, the city still faces housing shortages and high housing prices. DC, as a metro, is one of the most expensive areas to live in the country, and this makes the transition from a shelter to a permanent house quite difficult. Additionally, federal grants often go unused or improperly used, meaning that the full extent of the funds available to help the unhoused isn’t being fully utilized.

Despite DC’s shortcomings when it comes to assisting the unhoused, the city should be seen as an example to other American cities for its high shelter rates and large federal grants. DC has a lot of art saying “homeless lives matter,” and it truly does seem like the district cares about its unhoused populations quite a bit more than cities of similar sizes.