Speakout Reports: Housing Breakout Session

Several organizations co-sponsored a DC HIV/AIDS Speakout on May 17th, 2007. I will be posting the reports from each of the breakout groups throughout the next week. The final outcome document from the Speakout will be published on the DC Fights Back Website. If you'd like to get involved, please be sure to join this yahoo group.

The Housing Breakout Group had an intense discussion. Participants included our amazing moderator Kristine Campbell, Carter Hewgley, the Health and Human Services Program Analyst for the Office of the City Administrator, and longtime activist Everett Foy who volunteered to head up the new DC Fights Back Housing Working Group.

Many of the concerns raised were things I heard back at the November 2006 DC Housing Symposium. Problems the group include the HOPWA waiting list, a lack of TBRA (tenant based rental assistance) providers, an unruly and difficult process for accessing various housing programs, unsuccessful transitional housing, and a lack of trained monitors.

The Housing Breakout Session came up with several concrete recommendations, which I hope the Housing Working Group will work on in the future. Recommendations included better training for monitors, conducting a needs assesment, and dveloping a strategy for community involvement. Perhaps the most ambitious goal set by this group is to take matters into their own hands and identify and develop unused buildings for for people living with HIV/AIDS.

I look forward to seeing how the work of this group progresses. And I also signed up for the working group, so I help to lend a hand.

Click here to download the full flip-chart notes from the Housing Breakout Group