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Just in time for Thanksgiving, some formerly homeless families will be celebrating in a brand-new shelter in D.C.
Mayor Muriel Bowser led the ribbon cutting at the Aston, a former college dormitory near the George Washington University campus in D.C.’s Ward 2.
She said having space for homeless residents to get connected to services can be a game-changer for those in need and the surrounding community.
“By transforming how we support families during a crisis, we have prevented thousands of families from ever entering the system,” Bowser said.
As compared to other shelters, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto said the Aston provides something different to the couples, adult families and individuals it houses.
“Privacy — the need for housing in a noncongregate space where people can get on their feet,” Pinto said.
Wesley Thomas, an advisory board member at Miriam’s Kitchen, a nonprofit that fights to end homelessness, is familiar with just how important that need for privacy is.
Before he became a homeless advocate, he had been living on the streets for nearly 30 years. He said people would choose sleeping in tents outdoors over shelters due to safety concerns.
“I was safer on the street because we slept in a community,” he said. “We slept around people that we trusted.”
When he took the tour at the Aston, Thomas said, “I almost cried.”
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“The services that they offer here: two people to a room, they have their own kitchen, they have their own bathroom, they have their own laundry, food is catered,” Thomas said. “It gives them a sense of pride or safe haven and that allows them to be positive moving forward.”
The Aston has the capacity to house 100 people.
“We have 25 people already at the Aston and we’ve only been open 10 days,” said Jean-Michel Giraud, president and CEO of Friendship Place. “Our goal is 50 people by Thanksgiving, so this is really exciting.”
Friendship Place will be providing case management for Aston residents.
The shelter is designed for adults, both couples and families without minor children. Bowser said the average stay for those housed at the Aston is expected to be 90 days before they are moved into long-term shelters.