April 11, 2018 Transmitted via Email

David Grosso
Councilmember At-Large
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004

Councilmember Grosso:

I am writing in response to your March 28, 2018 letter about the closure of DC General Family Shelter
and B22-635, the Homeless Shelter Replacement Act of 2017. Please find the requested information
below.

1. Please list the names of the apartments, motels, and hotels where families experiencing
homelessness currently reside. For each location including the following:
a. The number of families;
b. The number of adults;
c. The number of children; and
d. The services provided, and if they include the following:
i. Homework stations;
ii. Playgrounds;
iii. Playtime Project;
iv. Laundry facilities, and whether they are free or not;
v. Kitchen or cafeteria areas, and whether food is provided to residents;
vi. Caseworker offices; and
vii. Medical suites.

Site Census Services Provided

Playground; Playtime Project; onsite
219 families (285 laundry (no cost); Cafeteria (two meals
DC General Family Shelter
adults, 423 provided per day); Office space for case
children) managers; Hoya Clinic
Onsite case management; homework
35 families (40 stations; onsite laundry (clients are
NCCF – Park Road
adults, 53 required to self-pay); kitchens in unit, no
children) meals provided
Onsite case management; homework
18 families (25 stations; kitchens in unit, no meals
Community of Hope – Girard Street
adults, 51 provided; onsite laundry (clients are
children required to self-pay)
 Site Census Services Provided
Onsite case management; homework
10 families (11 stations; kitchens in unit, no meals
Coalition for the Homeless – 50th Street
adults, 18 provided; onsite laundry (clients are
children) required to self-pay)
25 families (35 Onsite case management; homework
Jobs Have Priority – Naylor Road adults, 53 stations; playground; kitchens in the unit,
children) no meals provided
Onsite case management; no cafeteria
121 families (166 area, however two meals provided per
Days Inn
adults, 243 day; onsite laundry (clients required to
children) self-pay)
Onsite case management; Playtime
107 families (156 Project; onsite laundry (clients required
Quality Inn
adults, 229 to self-pay); no cafeteria area, however
children) two meals are provided daily
Onsite case management; onsite laundry
(clients are required to self-pay);
Holiday Inn Express 86 families (134 continental breakfast provided; program
adults, 279 currently in discussion with Playtime
children) Project to provide services
4 families (9 Onsite case management; no laundry
Howard Johnson adults, 16 facility; continental breakfast offered to
children) families
Onsite case management; onsite laundry
7 families (14 (clients are required to self-
Motel 6 – Georgia Avenue
adults, 26 pay); continental breakfast offered to
children) families

2. During the hearing, it was stated that 155 families will be moved to permanent supportive
housing locations. Please indicate where those families will be relocated, what services will be
provided, and whether or not families will have access to housing navigators.

I cannot say definitively how many families who reside at DC General Family Shelter today will
receive a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) voucher. Beginning in May, DHS will gradually
step down its use of the hospital buildings by ramping down new placements at DC General and
continuing to focus on exits from the system. In line with our housing first approach and a
progressive engagement strategy, the vast majority of the 219 families at DC General today,
who exit to permanent housing, will do so with a Rapid Rehousing subsidy. Families with the
highest levels of need will qualify for deeper supports, including more intensive interventions,
such as PSH and Targeted Affordable Housing (TAH), and will be assigned through the
Coordinated Entry process. With assistance from housing navigators and taking into account
affordability, families move to permanent housing units across the District. At or directly
following lease up, families in the Rapid Rehousing program are assigned a case manager who is
responsible for assessing the family and working on a long-term housing stability plan.
3. Where will families who are found eligible for shelter be placed after you stop placing families
at DC General Family Shelter in May?

Families who do not exit to permanent housing will still have access to safe shelter. This fall,
three of our new Short-term Family Housing programs will open, as well as 26 new apartment-
style units at 4300 12th Street, SE – which will ultimately be used as permanent supportive
housing, but will serve as additional shelter capacity during this period of transition. Until all of
the Short-term Family Housing buildings are on line, the Department will continue its practice of
using motels to provide overflow capacity as necessary, while we continue to decrease the
prevalence of homelessness among families and reduce the amount of time that families
experience homelessness.

4. Has the Department of Human Services determined a location for the Playtime Project to
store their toys and equipment until the new shelters are opened?

a. Is the Administration communicating with contractors to let them know that

appropriate space for children’s programming is expected?

The Department of Human Services is working with Playtime Project to identify space in one of
our existing motel sites to operate their program. Some of their toys and equipment will be
moved to this space, or other spaces operated by Playtime Project in the Continuum of Care.
Last week, Playtime Project provided a list of items that may need to be stored and we intend to
work with them on next steps.

Providing space and opportunities for children to play in emergency shelter is important to DHS.
Unlike DC General, our new, dignified Short-term Family Housing programs will have places for
children of all ages to play and do homework. The solicitation for services at the new Short-
term Family Housing sites released by the Office of Contracts and Procurement on behalf of DHS
last month requires that space be programmed with enrichment activities for children and
parents.

5. Over the last 12 months, how many families moved out of DC General Family Shelter and
received:
a. Rapid Re-housing? 99
b. Permanent supportive housing? 0
c. Emergency Rental Assistance Program? 2
d. Targeted Affordable Housing? 19
e. No assistance from DHS or any other government agency? 0

Additionally, 39 families exited to transitional housing.

6. What process will be put in place to respond to homeless women and families on the DC
General Family Shelter campus who have concerns about their health or about the abatement
and deconstruction process?

Ensuring safety and promoting the well-being of those who are staying in shelter is our foremost
priority. In January 2018, DHS distributed a letter to each household staying at DC General to
 provide information about upcoming plans to close the shelter and to discuss the impact of
deconstruction of vacant buildings around the Family Shelter. The letter indicated that
questions or concerns could be directed to case managers or to DHS directly by email at
VWFRC.Concerns@dc.gov. In addition to the letter, DHS held four client information sessions at
DC General and one at Harriet Tubman to allow residents to ask questions. At those sessions
and in subsequent conversations, clients have been advised if that if they have health-related
concerns during the abatement or deconstruction process, they should reach out to the ADA
Coordinator, who is on-site at VWFRC or DC General Family Shelter.

As a matter of practice, all families entering emergency shelter are provided guidance on how to
request a reasonable accommodation should their household require additional supports. Upon
entry into emergency shelter, families also receive information about their rights as it relates to
reasonable accommodations and what to do if they believe their rights have been ignored or
violated.

7. How many families do you anticipate entering emergency shelter between April 1, 2018 and
the summer of 2019?

As result of year-round access to shelter and the Homeless Prevention Program, DHS continues
to see the number of placements into shelter decline. DHS projects that up to 1,045 families will
enter emergency shelter between April 1, 2018 and August 31, 2019.

8. What is the anticipated hotel usage next winter when DC General Family Shelter is closed but
only half the replacement shelters are open?

Closing and replacing DC General is only one part of our system reform. As a result of year-
round access and the Homeless Prevention Program, our Family Shelter census continues to
decline. There are 27 percent fewer families in emergency shelter than this time last year.
From FY16 to FY17, the number of placements into family shelter dropped by 33 percent, and
the average monthly census was reduced by 15 percent. For a short period of time when DC
General is closed – and before 26 units at 4300 12th Street, SE are completed – our family shelter
capacity will be reduced by 130 units, so at the peak, we project that an additional 126 motel
rooms could be needed to meet the needs of families. Even with these additional units in use,
our motel census would still be well below its peak in early 2016.

9. How will the Administration contain and remove hazardous waste during abatement and
construction?

The Hazardous Material abatement portion of the DC General Campus Improvements project
will begin with proper planning and coordination with DGS, DHS, and the occupants of the
Campus. DGS will hire an independent testing and monitoring company to oversee and monitor
the abatement process and ensure it is done correctly and in accordance with DOEE rules and
regulations.

A building-specific abatement work plan and job hazard analysis will be developed for safe
removal of the hazardous material in conjunction with a project safety plan. The material that
has tested positive for asbestos (and materials that are suspected) will be contained and
removed in a controlled, sealed environment. Air monitoring will be conducted throughout this
 process to ensure the area is clear of any contaminants before the containment zones are taken
down. Additionally, suspected material containing lead will be tested and removed as required
for safe demolition. The Project team will conduct sampling in sealed restricted access to the
site to protect the public and environment. Our top priority is the safety of the workers,
residents, and the public.

The methods to be implemented during demolition are as follows:

 Wet suppression for dust control;
 Careful transitioning of material to hauling (drop heights);
 Covering haul trucks with screens and enforcing wind speed restrictions; and
 Bagging of suspected and removal of positive containing material during the
abatement portion.

DGS will follow federal and local regulations throughout this work, and, in addition, contractors
on the site will be implementing safety standards that go above and beyond what is required by
law to ensure we are following the safest practices available in the industry.

10. What steps will the Administration take to control rodent infestation of adjacent buildings
during deconstruction?

The General Contractor will hire a local pest control consultant to investigate each building after
the abatement process has been completed. This consultant will determine the best locations
to deploy the rodent traps. These bait stations will be similar to those currently used on the DC
General Campus, which are specifically designed for rats and mice, but are not harmful to
children or pets. This consultant will also partner with the current DC Campus pest control
consultant for awareness.

Lastly, the District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) will require silt
fencing and hay bales for storm water runoff management. These erosion controls are also
secondary rodent deterrents as they should inhibit the rodents from leaving the site.

We share your commitment to ensuring that families experiencing homelessness have access to safe
emergency shelter at the time that they need it. If you have any questions or require additional
information, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Laura Green Zeilinger

Director

Cc: Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau, Chair, Committee on Human Services

HyeSook Chung, Deputy Mayor, Health and Human Services
Greer Johnson Gillis, Director, Department of General Services
Kristy Greenwalt, Executive Director, Interagency Council on Homelessness