housing Archives - The District Alliance for Safe Housing

Summer of Hope

July, a month filled with brightness and hope, brings a story of resilience. Amara* is a survivor who found DASH and was accepted into the Cornerstone program. Here, she was able to rebuild her life and empower herself to achieve her goals.

Amara studied at a nearby university and pursued two internships. One of the them led to an exciting offer for residency in another state, which she accepted immediately.

Earlier this summer, Amara decided to leave Cornerstone seven months ahead of her planned exit date.

However, Amara faced a major obstacle after accepting: She had only a two-week period to relocate. Her DASH coach teamed up with her to find affordable housing options, and DASH helped arrange a moving company to transport her belongings. Amara has now moved into her new safe home and is excited to start her next chapter.

Amara’s journey shows that new opportunities are always possible, even for those who are healing. At DASH, we celebrate her achievements and support her as she takes charge of her future.

Join DASH in spreading hope by following us on social media and sharing our mission.

*Name changed to protect identity of the survivor

What It Takes Blog Series #1: Finding Safety vs. Leaving, the Case for Safety Planning

Note: This is the first post in DASH’s ongoing What It Takes blog series, which examines and explains the various factors that make getting safe from abuse so difficult. Each post explores factors that survivors have to navigate on their journey to finding safety. Learn more about the campaign at the What It Takes page, and please spread the word: WhatItTakesDC.

Most people think that in order to get safe from abuse, victims of domestic violence should just leave their abusers, that separation is the solution. The reality however, is that leaving is a complicated, dangerous process that takes time and planning.

At DASH we don’t require survivors of domestic violence to leave their abuser in order to access our services. We do this because empowerment is an integral part of our model, but also because it just doesn’t work, mandating the behavior of adults rarely does. Instead, we focus on safety, we want the victims we work with to be as safe as possible in whatever choice they make. For some this is controversial – but for us it’s a natural component of the culture of trust we’ve built at DASH.

For this reason, we are very intentional about the language in the What It Takes campaign, we want to address the misconception that all victims of abuse “should just leave,” but we also want to push back on the idea that leaving is the best option for everyone. It’s important to acknowledge the reality that not everybody leaves – and it is just as vital for those who stay in abusive relationships to find safety. Our Clinical Director, Emma Kupferman put it best when she said, “If we are really going to fight the epidemic of domestic violence, we have to be there to support all survivors, not just those who have left.”

Leaving is the most dangerous time for victims of domestic violence, it takes planning and an immense amount of foresight. Before leaving, survivors need access to housing, stable finances, important documents and reliable transportation among others. Another big barrier for survivors who want to leave is fear – and for good reason, 75% of domestic violence related homicides occur when the survivor is trying to leave. In these situations the abuser will go to extreme lengths in order to maintain power over their partner.

For survivors who decide to stay in their relationships – and many do – safety planning is crucial. Safety plans are based on the individual situation of the survivor, there is no one size fits all plan for staying safe. Survivors are asked to think about where they feel safe in their home, different things that trigger their abuser as well as people they trust that they can reach out to in emergencies. An example of a safety plan can be found here.

We are not advocating that survivors stay in abusive relationships – we are advocating for support and access to services for all survivors, no matter their situation.

Learn More

You can learn more about what it takes for survivors to get safe at WhatItTakes.com or register to attend our upcoming fundraiser, Allies in Change.
If you or someone you know is in need of safety planning, attend the Housing Resource Clinic or reach out to a DASH advocate at 202-462-3274 x 104.

Safe Housing Champion: Mary Braxton

Building Brick Award

We are excited to award Mary Braxton, Assistant Community Manager at Edgewood Commons, with the “Building Brick” award. In construction, the “building brick” is that which makes up the substance of the structure. Mary Braxton’s help to ensure that the families at DASH are provided with more than just a safe place to run, but the ability to establish new homes – quickly, easily, and comfortably, the way a home should be – helps changes lives.

How did you first become connected to DASH?

My first connection with DASH was around the beginning of 2014 while working at another Edgewood Managed property. I was online researching housing programs for victims of Domestic Violence to assist a resident that was dealing with a serious domestic issue with her family and I came across a link (http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/dashs-empowerment-project-rapid-re-housing-for-survivors-of-domestic-violen ). I clicked on the link it was an article about DASH. I then googled DASH to get the contact information. I reached out to DASH to get more information and I started referring residents to them.

What has DASH’s impact been on the survivors of domestic violence you work with?

DASH has had a tremendous impact on the survivors I work with. The financial assistance that DASH has provided to survivors it has enable them to maintain their affordable housing and most are now receiving counseling from other sources. Unfortunately, due to the type of work I do I’m unable to provide specific stories.

From your perspective as a property manager, what are some of the unique challenges that survivors of domestic violence face when looking for affordable housing?

The greatest challenge survivors face is having good credit. Many of the survivors I work with depended on their abusers for financial assistance to pay their rent . Once the abuser leaves then the survivor can no longer rely on that source for assistance. Unfortunately, it’s a trickle-down effect and they’re not able to pay the rent on time and as a result I have to sue them. Every time they’re sued it’s reported to the credit bureau and then their credit is negatively impacted. When the survivor goes to look for affordable housing the first thing that is checked is their rental and credit history. Most HUD funded properties will not accept applicants with negative rental history.

Why do you think that safe housing is an important service for survivors of domestic violence in DC?

I think safe housing is an extremely important service for survivors because it allows them time to get themselves together and reflect on their situation. Without safe housing they will not be able to move forward with their recovery.

Supporter Spotlight: Meghan Walsh

We’re lucky at DASH to have the support of a number of people we work with, including Meghan – author of the blog below, local architect and DASH champion. Here’s what our Executive Director Peg Hacskaylo had to say about Meghan:

“Since the earliest days of DASH, I have considered my relationship with Meghan to be incredibly valuable and rewarding. I learned so much from her in the beginning, working on the plans and renovation for DASH; and since, working together on various other construction and art projects. Meghan has been a tireless and passionate supporter of ours. I couldn’t have asked for a better ally in making DASH a reality and helping to achieve our mission.”

Read more about Meghan’s experience with DASH!

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I started working with Peg on DASH in 2008 I believe. She called me for help in renovating a 5 bedroom rowhouse – her earliest vision of DASH. As Peg’s vision evolved and she found support, that small project grew. I didn’t hear from Peg for a while after our first conversation. But then one day she called to request my help on a 27-unit building in Southeast Washington. She, and I , were very excited about it. I prepared an extensive feasibility study for the abandoned low rise apartment building, but the building was sold out from under DASH and Peg was back to square one… looking for a home for DASH. Again, a hiatus in my working on DASH, until one day when she called to tell me that now, it was looking very positive and this time the building was 51 units. I was thrilled for Peg and for the opportunity to work with her on her vision which had grown ten times since our first conversation.

The DASH building was a very challenging renovation project because of its extremely solid construction, and the constraints of budget. Working with Peg and the team at DASH was a wonderful way for me to gain insight into what DASH does on a daily basis. Understanding issues of security, community, and safety were key as the project developed. Working on a building as the architect, you spent lots of time together with the team at the building during its construction with weekly and sometimes bi-weekly visits. At the end of this process there is a bittersweet feeling of happiness at the completion, yet loss because of the relationships that were developed for that moment in time. I think Peg understands this as do all of the staff at DASH, for everything is in transition at DASH, all of the time.

By the end of the project, Peg knew me not only as architect, but she also learned that I have a fine arts background and I have done some public art and community projects, both in DC and in Brazil, through Axis Mundi, Inc., a non-profit that I founded in 2004. When the Redskins alumni joined with KaBoom to build the playground in the front yard, she asked me if I could create a project to involve younger folks who live at DASH. Peg had visited my home in Bloomingdale and seen the mosaics I made and incorporated into the design of my house. We had spoken about bringing some of this to DASH and this was the chance. Axis Mundi contributed materials to the project and we started to make the mosaic panels for DASH on the day of the Redskins playground build.

The mosaics that I like to make are broken tile mosaics. I particularly enjoy this process because it feels healing to me. When we see a piece of broken tile by itself, our tendency is to consider it garbage. When we break a plate or cup, we throw it away usually. But when I begin to put them into a mosaic, I see that each broken piece has its distinct place amongst the other broken pieces. In life, I have had my failures and experiences that have hurt me, or that I might not like. I tend see these experiences as unworthy, unimportant or ugly and want to throw them away, just like a broken plate. And yet in combining these “failures” into a complete mosaic – my whole life – it is something spectacularly beautiful and incredibly unique… there will never be another exactly the same. The act of laying each piece into place may seem monotonous or tedious to some. But I find it soothing, and healing. And I am always amazed at the end result. While I plan out the overall image – a flower, a spiral, a beach scene, or just a field of a particular color, there is a joyful spontaneity and randomness to the placement of each individual piece. It requires patience, some discipline, and time, but it is an enjoyable process with an always surprisingly beautiful end result. It is also a fun thing to do socially. The day we made them at DASH I had some great conversations with all those volunteering. And since then, I have spent time with my friends completing them and we too have had the opportunity to work on something constructive, while have long talks about life, joking and laughing together through the messy process of creating something beautiful.

Today, when I visited DASH to drop of the mosaic panels, I had a few flashbacks to the many stages of the building, from the run down apartment building it was prior to DASH, to the challenges that came up through the middle of construction process to the moment of completion, and move-in. I don’t have a day-to-day role at DASH anymore, and it makes me happy to be asked for an ID when I come through the door anonymously. It is a feeling that is hard to describe. Kind of like being a broken piece of tile that found its spot in a beautiful mosaic flower. Thank you DASH for letting me be a part of you too!

Spotlight on Allies in Change Awardees: MOI and Jennifer Lee

DASH’s longtime corporate community partner, MOI, is this year’s recipient of the Keystone award. MOI not only works with DASH to build awareness and support for the cause of safe housing and safe lives through events, they also donate their time volunteering and organizing much-needed drives for DASH’s women and children. MOI has also donated endless amounts office furniture for DASH staff and its staff has helped design our office spaces. Jennifer, Senior Consultant for Commercial Interior Solutions, explains more about this wonderful partnership below, and remember to buy tickets to the luncheon here:

My name is Jennifer Lee, I’m a Senior Consultant at MOI. MOI is a Commercial Furniture Dealership with 30 years of experience providing clients with comprehensive furniture solutions.

I work and play in DC! I first heard about DASH back in 2009 when we hosted an art show that raised funds and awareness for DASH. It also gave members of the industry an opportunity to showcase our artistic talents.

When DASH was renovating the Cornerstone building MOI donated furniture as well as our services for design, labor, and project management for their staff offices.

DASH knows firsthand how large the need is locally for safe housing and support services. They bring vital awareness needed to educate others on the cause and effect relationship between domestic violence and the prevention of homelessness.

Their low barrier policy and the passion that their team has for the mission along with their unbridled resolve to give their residents the tools/skills needed to rebuild their lives with the respect and kindness they deserve. DASH addresses the need for services and local housing for victims and assists with getting them into safe, supportive environments, where they can find success at their own speed. DASH is nationally recognized for their best practice model organization.

I feel passionate that women and children should be protected from violence and sexual abuse. Having a sense of security and safety in your home…this is the most basic need most of us take for granted. All women should have an alternative housing solution to living in an unsafe environment or on the streets.

“We” in the global sense, are ALL affected by domestic violence, sexual abuse, and homelessness.

Home. Means. Safety.

(Cross-posted with National Alliance to End Homelessness Blog)

By Peg Hacskaylo, Executive Director, District Alliance for Safe Housing

Trudy[1] had been living in an apartment with her boyfriend and their son for about 2 years when the abuse from her boyfriend became more frequent and more intense. She wanted to move out but couldn’t afford to live on her income from her job as a cashier at a local retail store. One night, when her boyfriend had another violent outburst, Trudy called the police. When they arrived, an advocate was with them to help her determine what services she needed. She said she couldn’t stay in their home because, if her boyfriend went to jail, she couldn’t afford the rent and, if her boyfriend was released, she wouldn’t feel safe there. So the advocate placed her and her son in a hotel paid for by compensation available to crime victims. She could stay at the hotel for up to 30 days while she tried to figure out what she would do.

By her second week in the hotel, Trudy had called every resource given to her to find another place to live, to no avail. She finally went to the city’s intake center for homeless families but they told her that she wasn’t considered homeless because she wasn’t living in a shelter or on the streets. By the end of the month, Trudy went back to live with her boyfriend, who had been released from jail, because she had run out of time and had nowhere else to go.

But when her boyfriend’s abuse continued, Trudy again began searching for another place to live. She reached out to the local battered women’s shelters and was eventually able to get space for herself and her son for up to 90 days. When her time there was about to run out, she again went to the central intake center, only to be told that she was still ineligible for housing because the shelter she was living in wasn’t part of the city’s homeless housing system. Trudy left the shelter to live in a friend’s basement until she could figure out her next step.

Stories like Trudy’s are all too common in the District of Columbia and throughout the U.S. Women are one of the fastest growing groups of homeless people in the country (Goodman, Fels, & Glen, 2011), and domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness among single women and women with children (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2005). In one large-scale study, 92 percent of homeless mothers reported experiencing sexual or physical abuse in their lifetimes (Browne & Bassuk, 1997). The limited availability of safe and affordable housing options frequently results in women falling into homelessness after exiting abusive situations (National Institute of Justice, 2008), and homelessness dramatically increases their risk of suffering episodes of sexual assault and other kinds of abuse (Goodman, Fels, & Glen, 2011).

When we founded the District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH) in 2006, our initial plan was to create a safe emergency-to-transitional housing facility for survivors of domestic violence. At the time, the demand for housing for victims displaced from their homes was overwhelming and the resources to meet the need were scarce. The D.C. police annually received over 30,000 calls for domestic violence incidents and approximately 1,200 families were being placed in hotels for lack of available emergency shelter beds. There were then a total of 48 beds for women and children escaping abuse and fewer than 200 units of transitional and long-term housing for families exiting shelter.

We soon realized, therefore, that our primary objective would help only a fraction of those who needed it. We spoke to women on a daily basis who told us that they needed help not just accessing safe housing programs, but permanent safe housing. We heard from advocates that survivors needed help keeping their permanent subsidized housing or getting into affordable, rental housing. We needed a broader strategy to solve this problem.

Our strategy, a combined effort on three fronts to achieve greater housing accessibility for survivors from shelters to permanent housing, involves:

Creating additional safe housing
Facilitating access to existing housing programs
Preventing victims’ fall into homelessness

Under this strategy we worked with homeless and housing providers to ensure their housing was accessible and safe for victims. We worked with landlords to ensure they didn’t inadvertently discriminate against victims in rental housing. And we worked with domestic violence service providers to help them advocate for victims in the District’s complex housing system. As our strategy developed, so did our programs, and soon we had a continuum of housing support for survivors, wherever they turn for help.

Notably, our strategy has evolved into something more than just creating more, and more responsive, housing for women and families. It’s become about changing the way we see the problem, which lies directly at the intersection of domestic violence and homeless/housing services. Because at that nexus there is a disconnect that creates a sort of double-jeopardy for victims – putting them further at-risk of homelessness and abuse. We learned that domestic violence service providers and homeless service providers function in numerous parallel ways – in the same jurisdiction, with many of the same sources of funding, and almost always serving the same clients – but generally remain siloed and apart.

Domestic violence service providers traditionally focus on crisis intervention with victims, with an emphasis on protecting them from the threat of violence. Homeless and housing providers traditionally have focused on protecting their programs from the potential for transience, in the belief that survivors of domestic violence won’t last in their programs because they will leave to reconcile with their abusers, and the threat of violence that survivors present, thereby screening survivors out of their programs. While these concerns may be legitimate, they may also serve to keep women in perpetually unstable situations or force them to return to abusive homes for lack of other safe housing options.

Fortunately, with the advent of Rapid Re-Housing and Trauma-Informed service models, both domestic violence and housing/homeless service providers have excellent tools to begin addressing this gap. At DASH, we help families move into permanent housing units straight from crisis and bypass the range of emergency, transitional, and permanent housing programs, allowing them to “transition in place” and facilitating moves for families at-risk of imminent violence to other units within the city. We also work with survivors to help them cope with the trauma they’ve experienced and regain a sense of self-determination. And all of this is accompanied by constant Wellness and Safety planning to help survivors effectively ensure their own safety from abuse.

The elimination of homelessness is the express goal of advocates, funders, and governments across the country and has been for a long time now. And while a good deal of progress has been made in getting individuals and families housed, preventing their fall into homelessness, and increasing the availability of options across the housing spectrum, victims of domestic and sexual violence have, until now, seemed to defy conventional wisdom. With these new models of service, this doesn’t need to be the case – not for Trudy or anyone else.

[1] Not her real name, based on a true story.

DASH and the National Alliance to End Homelessness

This week, DASH staff presented three workshops at the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference, exposing homeless advocates from across the country to DASH’s unique approach to safe housing for survivors. The conference, which featured over seventy workshops for the thousands of attendees, provided an excellent opportunity for DASH staff to gain valuable insight from many of the nation’s leading experts on homelessness, as well as to impart their own wisdom. Moreover, due to DASH’s status as a nationally-recognized best practice model organization, they were able to emphasize the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness to conference attendees, using their expertise to educate many homeless advocates with little knowledge on how to work with domestic violence survivors.

DASH Community Housing Director Shakeita Boyd

Prior to the conference’s official start on Tuesday, DASH’s Community Housing Program Director Shakeita Boyd presented a section on safety planning in the “Improving Safety and Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence” workshop. DASH offered guidance to housing providers on how to support survivors in their program to plan for safety. As survivors move through the homeless system, it is imperative that homeless organizations are aware of the dynamics of domestic violence and are able to address emotional and physical safety concerns and assist survivors using a trauma informed lens. This pre-conference session offered homeless service providers an innovative approach to effectively address the needs of survivors in their housing programs. Other highlights of this session included; best practices for case management and developing successful organizational partnerships to benefit survivors.

DASH Housing Resource and Training Manager LaToya Young

Later in the week, Shakeita also presented “Selling Your Program: Landlord Engagement and Rental Assistance Strategies.” This session focused on the importance of developing strong landlord relationships in order to foster rapid rehousing. Shakeita discussed successful elements of DASH’s Empowerment Program, which is a national model for providing scattered site, apartment-based long-term housing for survivors. Attendees learned about developing successful marketing tools such as short-term rental subsidies to encourage landlord cooperation and engagement.

DASH Housing Resource and Training Manager LaToya Young

Finally, on Wednesday, Housing Resource and Training Manager LaToya Young presented “Public Housing Authorities: Partnering to End Homelessness,” a discussion on the relationship between community housing assistance programs and public housing authorities (PHAs). The session emphasized strategies that many PHAs and community programs have used to develop partnerships to assist homeless families. LaToya discussed how she partners with the DC Public Housing Authority (DCHA) to address the unique housing barriers survivors face, including facilitating safety transfers and training DCHA staff on housing protections afforded to survivors.

Even when domestic violence was not the primary focus of the workshops they presented in, Shakeita and LaToya were able to educate attendees on various ways housing, homelessness and domestic violence intersect. DASH is grateful for this opportunity to share our message to so many homeless advocates and to create new partnerships to ensure that safe housing is a reality for everyone.

Domestic Violence & Housing Taskforce Action Alert

Domestic Violence & Housing Taskforce Action Alert:

Stop Cuts that Hurt!

Fully Fund Domestic Violence and Homeless Services!

Housing Ends Homelessness

What you need to know:

No families requesting shelter at the Family Resource Center will be provided lifesaving shelter until next winter. The Administration has no plan to change that policy.
Families requesting shelter at FRC who have no safe plan for where to stay will be reported to CFSA. CFSA currently has no housing resources to assist such families.
On any given day more than 50% of victims seeking domestic violence services in the District of Columbia request shelter or housing placement.[1] While it is common for victims to need safe housing, 74% of service requests for shelter or housing go unmet. [2]
The Mayor’s budget proposal has a $7 million funding gap for homeless services. The Administration is suggesting cutting food, transportation, outreach, medical and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness— which will hurt people already desperately in need of services.
The Mayor’s budget proposal has a $2.6 million funding gap for Office of Victim Services that will affect all services OVS provides to survivors including shelter and hotel stays.
The Mayor has no plan in place to provide long-term affordable housing to help lift families out of homelessness.

What you can do:

Wednesday Action: Call or email the DC Council to put money in the budget to help DC residents in need!

1) Restore the $7 million funding gap in FY13 to make Homeless Services whole;

2) Restore the $2.6 million to OVS to make victim services whole; AND

3) End Homelessness for more than 500 children (250 families) with a Housing investment of $4 million in FY13.

Sample message: Please pass a budget that protects DC residents and responds to DC’s crisis of skyrocketing child homelessness by: 1) Restoring the $7 million gap in homeless services money so all adults and children experiencing homelessness have the services they need to survive; 2) Restoring $2.6 million to OVS’ budget to ensure victims of violence can access needed services; and 3) Placing at least 250 homeless families into long-term affordable housing as an effective and cost-efficient response to homelessness.

Chairman Kwame Brown, kbrown@dcouncil.us, 724-8032, @KwameBrownDC

Councilmember David Catania, dcatania@dcouncil.us, 724-7772

Councilmember Phil Mendelson, pmendelson@dcouncil.us, 724-8064

Councilmember Michael Brown, mbrown@dcouncil.us, 724-8105, @CMMichaelABrown

Councilmember Vincent Orange, vorange@dcouncil.us, 724-8174, @VincentOrangeDC

Councilmember Jim Graham, jim@grahamwone.com, 724-8181, @JimGrahamWard1

Councilmember Jack Evans, jevans@dcouncil.us, 724-8058, @JackEvansWard2

Councilmember Mary Cheh, mcheh@dcouncil.us, 724-8062, @MaryCheh

Councilmember Muriel Bowser, mbowser@dcouncil.us, 724-8052, @MurielBowser

Councilmember Tommy Wells, twells@dcouncil.us, 724-8072, @TommyWells

Councilmember Yvette Alexander, yalexander@dcouncil.us, 724-8068, @CYMYA

Councilmember Marion Barry, mbarry@dcouncil.us, 724-8045, @marionbarryjr

Thursday: Come to the Department of Human Services budget hearing at 11AM in Room 123 at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW to show your support for this proposal.

Friday: Come to the Office of Victim Services budget hearing at 11:00 AM in room 412 at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW to show support for full funding for victims services.

Spread the word! Blog, Tweet, Facebook, talk to your neighbors– whatever you can!

Tweeting: Use the hashtag #dcfy13. Here are some sample tweets:

End the Hunger Games: restore homeless services gap and put 250 families in housing! #dcfy13
Looking forward to @JimGrahamWard1 supporting homeless kids at DHS budget hearing! #dcfy13
Cuts hurt in #dcfy13. Please restore homeless services $ [insert Councilmember handle]
Don’t gamble with kids’ lives: invest in affordable housing for 250 families in #dcfy13.

Contact the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless at 328-5500 for more info on this campaign or Janelle Treibitz at makeonecitypossible@gmail.com to get involved in the

Fair Budget Coalition’s campaign to prioritize human needs in DC’s budget.

Contact Suzanne Marcus at the District Alliance for Safe Housing at 462-3274 for information about the Domestic Violence & Housing Taskforce at 202-462-3274 ext. 116 or email smarcus@dashdc.wpengine.com

[1] National Network to End Domestic Violence (2012). 2011 Domestic violence counts: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and

services, Washington, D.C.: NNEDV

[2]

DASH featured in National Newsletter by NHLP

DASH was featured in the National Housing Law Project’s (NHLP) March 2012 newsletter, which highlights a number of DASH’s programs as national best practices for addressing homelessness amongst domestic violence victims. The NHLP is a nonprofit national housing and legal advocacy center established in 1968 to advance housing justice for poor people. The newsletter includes a full page on DASH, featuring information on The Cornerstone Project, The Empowerment Project, Project PATH, and the Domestic Violence and Housing Taskforce. DASH is one of a handful of organizations in the country dedicated to increasing housing access for victims by developing housing programs and advocating for systemic change.

DASH has made great strides in addressing the housing needs of survivors of domestic violence. Since its inception, DASH has helped survivors have over 37,665 “safe nights” and provided safe housing to 218 individuals. In addition, through community outreach efforts, DASH trained more than 1,500 abuse survivors to exercise their housing rights so as to avoid eviction stemming from violence in their homes. DASH also has trained more than 60 housing providers seeking to improve their response to victims in their programs. Despite the economic downturn, DASH continues to work hard to ensure quality housing for survivors and their families. For more information about DASH, please visit www.dashdc.org.

The newsletter also featured information on the report released in February by the National Network on Domestic Violence – a National Census on Domestic Violence Services. It illustrated that, in total, 1,726 out of 1,944 domestic violence programs in the United States and its territories participated. The census has several findings regarding housing needs of domestic violence survivors. The census found that on September 15, 2011, 67,399 adults and children sought services from domestic violence programs. Of those individuals, more than 36,000 received emergency shelter or transitional housing from a domestic violence program. Of the victims served, 35% were living in emergency shelter and 19% were living in transitional housing. Of the domestic violence programs surveyed, 74% provided emergency shelter, and 35% provided transitional housing. Additionally, 82% of the programs provided advocacy for survivors related to housing or landlords.

DASH is honored to be in partnership with the National Housing Law Project. For information on their domestic violence and housing newsletter, please contact Meliah Schultzman at mschultzman@nhlp.org or 415-546-7000 x. 3116.

March 2012 Newsletter FINAL-1

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Building Brick Award