Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. (DC)

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

Why do we exist?

The mission of the Coalition is to provide supportive social services and housing to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The Coalition's goal is to help the homeless to regain their dignity, become economically self sufficient and to return to independent living. The Coalition also provides employment placement assistance to families who are on welfare as a part of the Federal Welfare to Work Initiative...

What have you accomplished?

In 1999, the Coalition provided services to more than 3,800 individuals and 988 families with 1,701 children. Services included temporary housing, shelter, 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 292 persons to obtain employment. The average hourly rate was $6.50 an hour. Participants collectively earned more than $3.9 million in taxable income on an annualized basis Participants collectively saved more than $87,771 in escrow. The funds placed in escrow are used to assist participants when they move into permanent housing to pay security deposits, their first month rent, and household furnishings. 333 individuals and families were assisted with obtaining permanent housing and are no longer homeless.

In 1998, the Coalition was awarded a two-year grant with the U.S. Department of Labor, in partnership with three other D.C. non-profits, to find employment for heads of house household as a part of the Federal Welfare to Work initiative. At this writing, the Welfare to Work grant has been extended through March 31, 2001 because of the partnership's success during the initial grant period. One of the many success stories from the Initiative during 2000 is Carla Jones. Ms. Jones entered the program on 10/21/98 after facing and overcoming many challenges which include being a single parent of two. Through the program, Ms. Jones worked hard and earned her commercial driver's license (CDL) by studying diligently, and passed the exam with high scores. Ms. Jones was hired by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and after completing six (6) weeks of intensive training, Ms. Jones began employment with METRO as a full-time Bus Operator on 2/1/2000, at the pay rate of $11.13 per hour. Ms. Jones, was ecstatic about all the wonderful events in her life, and said more than once, that she knows God sent her to the Coalition's program. Ms. Jones also stated that her new goal was to eventually become a METRO supervisor. Given Ms. Jones new lease on her life, she will achieve that goal too. From January to September 2000, 96 Welfare to Work heads of household like Carla Jones were assisted with finding employment under the U.S. Department of Labor's grant.

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