The DowntownDC BID recently welcomed new Homeless Services Director Deborah Bey to its team and is excited about the fresh perspective and innovative drive Bey brings to the BID’s mission to address Downtown homelessness.
Bey’s plan for the BID’s homeless program will incorporate in-depth data which Bey believes has been a missing piece in previous efforts to address homelessness. There exists “a lot of anecdotal information” on homeless individuals, Bey said. She hopes to use her position to support new ways of data sharing between providers to facilitate more effective assistance for homeless individuals.
Throughout much of her career, Bey has focused on “how we can use technology to better inform citizens on how to connect them to information that is really going to change their circumstances and people that are really going to change their lives,” she said.
The BID’s longstanding philosophy has been that homeless individuals are part of the city’s fabric, and much like every other individual in Downtown—workers, residents and visitors alike—the BID has a responsibility to serve this segment of the population. With partner Pathways to Housing DC, the BID has a non-governmental, clinically-based outreach team for individuals experiencing homelessness. While the BID has no expectations of solving the issue of homelessness, the organization works with its partners to reduce the number of homeless individuals by supporting permanent and transitional housing as part of a more productive life.
Bey is encouraged by the BID’s vast network of business and corporate contacts in Downtown and hopes to further utilize those connections to address homelessness in the BID.
Bey said the position offers her a direct way “to get businesses involved in the issues of homelessness and housing in D.C.” “This is an opportunity to create a way for more businesses to plug in,” she said.
Bey also literally hopes more people plug in to the issue—via mobile app. Bey is actively working with Code for DC (the District chapter of volunteer organization Code for America) to develop an app in the District designed to fill holes the creators see regarding homeless organizations’ data sharing. The app also offers individuals the first universal application to use to apply for services.
“It’s really hard for organizations to share data,” Bey said, which potentially leads to duplicative efforts. Difficulty in data sharing also hampers individuals from quickly moving through the continuum of care, it affects overall metrics and it impedes the ability for providers to gain a clear picture of the impact made on individuals.
Bey is currently developing a 3 to 5-year plan for homeless services in Downtown, and hopes that the BID’s model will be successful and replicated. “I want the BID to be seen as leaders in innovative solutions for homelessness and create a program that can be adopted for BIDs all over the country,” she said.
Bey possesses a diverse background in non-profit work, technology and engineering, consulting, politics and humanitarian relief efforts. She founded two non-profits: Rising Tides, which leverages crowdfunding to support youth aging out of the foster care system; and Non-Profit Tech, an organization to assist women coming off of welfare and homeless youth in training to become programmers and to help non-profits bridge the digital divide.
Bey holds multiple degrees including a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University. She is currently a PhD candidate in Organizational Behavior and Sociology at the University of Michigan.