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| HOMELESS COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETING HAS RAISED THE COMMUNITY'S VOICE. |
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| A homeless community town-hall meeting was called on Thursday,
August 23, 10am-12pm at the Radcliffe Room of the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church. The meeting was called by community members
working with the DC Homeless Action Study, a community-based research
project aimed at identifying the major priorities of the homeless
community in DC with respect to quality of life.
The purpose of the meeting was to present the findings from seven discussion groups held with approximately 85 individuals who have experienced homelessness in DC. "These discussion groups have given people an opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions about the realities of homeless life in DC," said Anna Bergdall, a student of public health from Emory University involved with the study. "We heard a lot about what people feel are the most important issues to address in the community, what the community itself can work together on changing, and what they really feel needs to come from external sources." The DC Homeless Action Study is coordinated and supported by The Living Room, a nascent project founded by Katie Aldworth, aimed at opening a drop-in center to serve people on the street who identify a need for a safe community space. "I got involved with this project because all too often you have people who've never been homeless talking to people who've never been homeless about how to help the homeless," commented David Pirtle, community activist and executive secretary for Until We're Home, Inc. Pirtle is one of four people on the research team who have experienced homelessness in DC. Aldworth embraces this approach to research, and plans to design her programming around what the community has expressed during these groups. "The real goal in this project is to begin an intentional dialogue about homelessness in the community. We want to close the gaps that keep us [as service providers] from understanding the needs and assets of the homeless community," said Aldworth. "As a nascent agency, I have the opportunity to design the programs offered by The Living Room in response to information from the community, as opposed to in response to pressures of funding." The town hall meeting hopes to begin this larger dialogue, as all members of the homeless community and its stakeholders - including service providers, activists, members of community partnerships and policymakers were invited to attend and comment. A formal report of the findings will be made available to any interested person upon request from the study, and is expected to be available later this fall. "This is our way of putting our priorities into a formal report to which we can hold decision makers, and ourselves, accountable for making a change for the better and working toward the end of homelessness," reported, Jeffery Porter, a member of the research team and employee of Community of Hope. Former Mayor Williams' 10-year plan to address homelessness, "Homeless No More: Ending Homelessness in Washington, DC by 2014," outlines the city's approach to ending homelessness in DC and will be used as a guide in understanding the similarities and differences in priorities of the homeless community and the District of Columbia. Pirtle hopes politicians in particular take this opportunity to hear the homeless community's voice seriously. "There are not enough people out there asking the homeless community about what they need. If you don't know what we need, how can you help us?" he asked. For more information, contact Katie Aldworth at 202-468-6816. |