Christ House

Comprehensive health care for sick, homeless men and women and assistance in addressing critical issues to break the cycle of homelessness: 24-hour medical care, food services, addictions treatment and housing placement.

Why do we exist?

Christ House exists to provide a place of recovery and healing for sick, homeless men and women.  Christ House is the only facility in the Washington, DC metropolitan area providing 24-hour health care for homeless persons in a residential setting.

Since opening in December 1985, Christ House has provided patients 24-hour medical care, case management, housing placement assistance, nutritious meals, clothing, and a wide range of other supportive services.

Christ House provides an opportunity for homeless men and women to heal and to address the issues that may have led to their homelessness.  Interdisciplinary teams composed of a physician, a social worker, the director of nursing, and a practitioner meet weekly to discuss the ongoing treatment situation of each patient and to work with the patient in developing an individualized plan of action towards healing.  This helps patients achieve their own goals while at Christ House and upon discharge.

Our broad approach to health care meets the patient’s physical, emotional, mental, and social needs.  This approach fosters self-reliance because each patient develops respect for himself and others which eventually leads to him becoming a positive role model in the community.

What have you accomplished?

To date, Christ House has had over 4,800 admissions.  At Christ House, patients are treated for an array of illnesses and injuries including fractures, tuberculosis, foot or leg ulcers, HIV/AIDS, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.

Approximately 70% of our patients are discharged to some form of alternative housing.  While this number speaks well of our program, our staff, and especially our patients, it does not begin to tell the individual stories of hope restored and lives rebuilt.  Stories about men like Juan, a 46-year-old gentleman who came to the outpatient clinic complaining of abdominal discomfort.  He had been living on the street and in and out of shelters for three years.  He looked emaciated and weak, and was admitted to Christ House for further testing and evaluation.

On the first evening when Juan was served dinner, he could not eat.  He was only able to swallow a sip of water and described the sensation of food getting stuck in his mid-chest area.  It was necessary for our medical staff to arrange for Juan to be hospitalized.  After three weeks in the hospital, he returned to Christ House with a diagnosis of advanced AIDS.  He remained with us several weeks while receiving medication to help combat the HIV virus.  Once Juan was stabilized medically, he was transferred to a home where he will receive ongoing care.

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