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Homelessness is unlikely to be completely eliminated, but it can be minimized and controlled.

This principle guides Everyone Home Executive Director Karen Cunningham’s approach to homelessness assistance and prevention in D.C.

“There’s always going to be a certain number of people in crisis,” Cunningham said. “The goal is that if they become homeless, [it’s] Rare, short, and unrepeatable. And for that to become a reality, you need to consistently invest in programs that you know will work over the long term. ”

However, making these investments has proven to be an unprecedented challenge. Cunningham said nonprofits like Everyone Home and other organizations are grappling with government funding cuts and stalls that threaten their efforts to help Washington, D.C.’s homeless population.

in spite of Homelessness will decrease by 9% from 2024 to 2025supporters worry that stagnant funding will make it difficult to maintain that progress. Additionally, Washington, DC’s unemployment rate was 6.7% as of December, the worst in the nation. The city’s low economic mobility makes people vulnerable to homelessness and difficult to escape from.

Cunningham said there is a path forward, but it will require a great deal of perseverance and creative solutions from people willing to continue the fight.

fight through setbacks

Reductions in funding from city government have changed the way Everyone Home operates.

Washington, D.C.’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget shows that growth for homeless services and prevention programs will either stall or have funding cut. Cunningham said that even just a few years ago, Everyone Home was flooded with vouchers to help people who needed long-term supportive housing. The vouchers have helped nonprofits break people out of the cycle of homelessness and secure stable housing.

However, those coupons are rare these days. Cunningham said the city is investing less in multi-year programs and more in programs that provide preventive and proactive assistance.

This reality has forced Everyone Home to cease operating its Family Rapid Rehabilitation Program, which helps families move out of shelters and into permanent housing, she said. Cunningham said current funding does not support the scale of the program, and few organizations can still afford to run similar programs.

But because the family homelessness prevention program is short-lived, Everyone Home is steadily expanding. We provide 90 days of support services to help families get back on track and secure financial and housing stability.

Everyone Home also offers a drop-in day center that provides people with emergency clothing, laundry and meals. We also have a street outreach team that provides support and services to people who are chronically homeless.

Inconsistency in financial support creates challenges in providing needed resources to those who are struggling. This has led nonprofits like Everyone Home to get creative with solutions to ensure that no one experiences recurrent or long-term homelessness.

“Continued investment in these programs and services is what allows us to make incremental gains, because if you put all these resources in and you ease off on the gas, there will always be people coming into the system,” Cunningham said. “So we always have to move people into housing.”

Yeshim Sein, executive director of the DC Policy Center, said in a November 16 Washington Blade article that moving people in and out of the homeless system is not easy as DC struggles to provide accessible and affordable housing.

Thain said D.C.’s construction caters to middle- and upper-class people who live in the city for work, but excludes families, people who are at risk of homelessness, and people from D.C. who are less geographically mobile.

By building more and smarter, Sain said low-income people in Washington, D.C., won’t be left behind and at risk of homelessness.

This risk is common in DCs given the low economic liquidity. Given the city’s high cost of living, residents have less room to grow economically, making vulnerable neighborhoods more susceptible to homelessness.

As funding for long-term programs is cut, prevention programs are proving essential in supporting the homeless population. When someone becomes homeless, it can have a snowballing effect on their life. They don’t just lose their homes, they may lose their jobs, reliable transportation and access to food for their families.

Cunningham said resources like the Family Homelessness Prevention Program allow people to grow and stabilize before losing important life resources.

“Helping people maintain what they have and grow it as much as possible is really important in places where there aren’t many opportunities to increase income,” Cunningham said.

Despite all the funding cuts and service reductions, Washington, D.C. homeless organizations are still finding a way forward. Many residents and families rely on this road for survival.

move forward

Local nonprofits and organizations like Everyone Home are the backbone of homeless assistance when all other systems fail.

when at the white house issued a presidential order The Homeless Coalition directed government agencies to clear homeless encampments on federal property and provide continued shelter for those affected.

“When we announced the encampment policy, we received a request from our funders to open two shelters,” said Lucho Vazquez, executive director of the Homeless Coalition. “We opened the shelter the same day we received the request and have been housing more than 100 additional evacuees each night since August.”

Vazquez said this was achieved even after the coalition faced “drastic cuts in funding for support and security services.” While employees are taking on additional responsibilities to make up for lost coverage and support services without increased pay, Vazquez said the agency is still trying to fill the void left by the layoffs.

The coalition provides free transitional housing, single-room housing units, and affordable apartments to unhoused people.

Homeless coalitions aren’t the only nonprofits needing to ramp up services as resources dwindle. Thrive DC We provide hot meals, showers, and warm clothing, which is especially important during the winter months.

Road to Housing DC We provide housing services to all people, regardless of their situation or condition. Its “Housing First” team takes people directly from the streets, assesses their mental and physical health, employment, addiction status, and educational challenges and works to reintegrate them into the community.

covenant house is a homeless shelter for youth ages 18 to 24. The organization’s website says it provides resources and shelter for young people “while empowering them on the path to independence and stability.” Through a variety of programs, Friendship Place We ended or prevented homelessness, found employment, and provided life-changing services to more than 5,400 people.

While these organizations have made a big difference in their communities with few resources, Cunningham said there are other ways to help people experiencing homelessness who are short on time or money. In addition to donating and volunteering, simply showing compassion for those who are suffering can go a long way, she said.

Cunningham said compassion is something that is disappearing from the mainstream, with politicians and newscasters regularly making hostile statements about homeless people. But now, more than ever, compassion and understanding for our fellow community members is key to moving forward and uplifting those in need, she said.

“People sometimes feel invisible or hostile,” Cunningham said. “I think we can all do at least part of recognizing the humanity in people.”

(This article is part of a national effort to examine how geography, policy, and local context affect access to opportunity. For more articles, visit: economic opportunity lab.com. )