A Busy Homeless Services Agenda

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Just weeks after the DowntownDC BID’s Homeless Summit, two other important events pertaining to Downtown’s homeless population are coming up soon: a meeting with faith-based and non-profit organizations that provide food to homeless adults and others and a quarterly homeless count. The first will take place on Monday, July 9th, at the BID office, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. The meeting will facilitate dialogue and begin movement on nearly a dozen measures, including coordinating weekday meals between large and small organizations; mitigating trash and litter during weekend and weekday meals held outdoors; developing best practices for distributing meals both indoors and outdoors; and limiting or moving weekend meals to indoor locations where more services can be provided to homeless individuals. The BID believes that food programs continue to encourage homeless adults to live on the street without connecting to critical services.

The second event will assist in more closely monitoring the homeless situation in Downtown DC. The BID, in conjunction with Pathways to Housing DC, began conducting quarterly homeless counts this year. The third count will take place on Monday, July 23rd, from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am—and volunteers are needed. The count will help us establish a baseline for our homeless population, track our progress eliminating homelessness, and improve our ability—and that of homeless service providers—to plan and implement effective services for homeless individuals.

If you’re interested in attending the meeting, volunteering for the count, or both, please contact Kenneth Gregory in the BID’s Public Space Management department at kenneth@downtowndc.org ,or 202.368.8365.