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Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. (DC)

Rebuilding Lives - Strengthening Communities

The Coalition for the Homeless provides transitional and permanent housing, employment placement assistance, substance abuse counseling and supportve social services to individuals who are homeless or vulnerable. Post-pandemic, the homeless still need your help now more than ever before.

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Why should I support your work?

More people need the services provided by the Coalition than ever before due to COVID, the continued lack of affordable housing, and the economy. Some people have mental health challenges, issues with substance abuse, unemployed or under employed, or cannot affordable the high cost of housing in the DC area.

Funds are needed to provide people in need with temporary housing, food, bus tokens, household supplies, cash assistance to prevent people from becoming homeless, and other related items to support the more than 300 homeless men the Coalition serves annually.

Why does your charity exist?

The Coalition’s mission is to help transition homeless and at risk individuals and families to self-sufficiency through housing programs and supportive services.   This includes helping people to secure permanent housing and employment.

What specifically do you do?

The Coalition provides an array of services that include temporary transitional housing to help people to stabilize their lives, permanent housing, substance abuse counseling, case management to help people to secure benefits such as food stamps, and veteran’s benefits, employment, and housing placement assistance.

How will this make a difference?

People need different kinds of support to help them address the issues that caused them to become homeless.  In most cases, people have multiple challenges that may include job loss, health issues, domestic violence or substance abuse.  Case plans are developed for each individual, which are designed to address their specific needs so they can rebuild their lives and move out of shelter.

How is your work different from that of other, similar charities?

The Coalition provides four levels of services:

  • Five temporary residential transitional housing programs with supportive social services with a targeted six-month length of stay.
  • One low barrier overnight emergency shelter for homeless men. 
  • Two affordable permanent housing buildings for low-income and formerly homeless households.
  • Supportive social services such as substance abuse counseling, employment, and housing placement assistance. 

Since 2010, the Coalition has sponsored an annual Job Fair every September that has attracted up to 50 area employers and more than 130 job seekers annually from various local homeless programs. Due to COVID, the Job Fair was put on hold, and we plan to return to an in-person Job Fair in 2023.

What have you accomplished?

In 2021, The Coalition provided direct services to more than 300 people. Services included temporary housing, food, substance abuse counseling, general social services to assist the participant to obtain benefits such as public assistance and food stamps, employment, and housing placement assistance.

The Coalition assisted 133 individuals to obtain permanent housing and live independently. Since 2000, the Coalition has provided cash housing assistance to prevent homelessness and to pay first month’s rent and security deposit to secure permanent housing to more than 750 families. 

The Coalition for the Homeless provides transitional and permanent housing, employment and housing placement assistance, substance abuse counseling and supportive social services to persons who are homeless or vulnerable.

How can I be sure you’ll use my money wisely?

Based upon our annual external financial audit, 91 cents of every dollar received by the Coalition goes toward direct services for our program participants. We are audited by the accounting firm of McConnell & Jones. Copies of our annual report and audit reports are available by writing us at 1234 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., or calling 202-347-8870.  You can also visit our website at www.dccfh.org.