Help UPO Help the DC Homeless

I’m about to introduce you to Charlette. A few years ago, her life was in chaos; now she feels like a success.

Her turnaround shows the power of UPO’s highly effective Permanent Supportive Housing Program. We provide long-term housing and case management to highly vulnerable individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Customers receive housing and wraparound supportive services to help them stay in their homes as they work to achieve the highest possible level of self-sufficiency and quality of life.

Our intent is to help people finally gain the stability they crave and then turn their lives around, just like Charlette (who is not pictured).

She’s a 29-year-old mom who entered our program 29 months ago (during the pandemic). At the time, she had a Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) case against her because she'd neglected her children.

Charlette seized this opportunity to change. She stayed on top of the CFSA appointments and attended every parenting class. She collaborated with her social worker and therapist to improve her coping skills and worked hand-in-hand with her UPO case manager to get new housing.

She developed a new mindset which paid off again and again: She enrolled her children in a new pre-K and began initiating and enjoying more activities with them; she attended job fairs which led to a job at a restaurant; and after researching schools to continue her education, she began studying Early Childhood Education at the University of Phoenix. Her long-term goal is to lead her own school for children in low-income areas.

After 18 months, CFSA closed her case. They saw, as we did, that Charlette has completely turned her life around.

   Here’s an update about our overall program:

We have 84 customers: 74 have been successfully housed for over a year; the other 10 are applying for housing right now.

(Since UPO began this program in 2019, we have consistently maintained a housing stability rate of 100%. This is the key measurement of our success because once people are stable, we help them address their other issues, including behavioral health, substance abuse, education, and job training.)

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Shelter Hotline update:

The Outreach Workers of UPO’s Shelter Hotline are on Washington, DC’s streets 365 days a year on a relentless mission to ensure individuals and families experiencing homelessness receive the services they desperately need.

During the winter months, we kick into an even higher gear. From November 1- April 15 (also known as “hypothermia season”), unsheltered people on the streets and in encampments are especially vulnerable to severe cold so we add an overnight shift with additional staffing. We use every available resource to get people out of the cold and into a warm space, in order to decrease their risk of injury and death.

From October 2022 to January 2023, we distributed 60,473 life-sustaining items (such as blankets, socks, hats, and gloves) and gave out 9,415 meals. Outreach Workers also conducted 1,000 wellness checks throughout the city to protect, support, and connect vulnerable people to critical services.

Our Hotline Call Center Operators have been extremely busy, answering and responding to 36,400 calls for help from people experiencing homelessness and other District citizens. Our team gave helpful information including referrals to social services, and dispatched drivers to provide transportation for thousands of customers in need.

Note: Our drivers provided transportation to more than 12,500 homeless customers over the last 4 months. These rides were to shelters, daytime social service centers, and housing option programs.

Every day, Shelter Hotline makes a powerful difference and saves lives. Since we’re part of the city’s continuum of care, we’re on the front line, helping the people who need the most help. Honestly, if you were in their situation, wouldn’t you want people devoted to helping you?