Renetta Martin was looking for somewhere to make a copy in November when she stumbled upon the city’s Safe Commercial Corridor Hub across the street from the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station.
It looks like an ordinary office space from the outside, but when she and her son, Zion, entered, they realized it wasn’t a printing center.
There are murals along one wall, and on the other, there’s a poster about the city’s mental health tip line. A D.C. police officer is sitting in the back. There are desks for representatives from the Department of Human Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture, too.
After learning about the facility’s offerings, the pair took advantage. They learned about the Rental Assistance Program, received advice for pursuing jobs and got help obtaining IDs.
It’s not a DMV or service center, but it serves as the intermediary between the agencies offering the services and the residents who are seeking them.
“The help came very swiftly, very quick for me and my family,” Renetta said. “So I was appreciative. I always — every now and then and again — come in and let them know that I appreciate them, because they really helped me and my family with the services and advice and the resources.”
Since opening a year ago, about 550 residents have visited the hub, and about half of them engaged with the Department of Human Services, according to Rachel Pierre, interim director of the city’s Department of Human Services. Of that group, about half of them actually accessed those services, she said.
“This is really an opportunity for folks who are sometimes not exactly sure where to start,” Pierre said.
When it opened, Bowser described the site as part D.C. police substation and part neighborhood and human services office. In a post on X, she said the group has taken over 13,700 calls and helped with over 2,000 investigations.
The city has similar hub locations in Anacostia.
The facility operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but Pierre said the space “is also open 24/7, so if someone is concerned about anything safety, they can come in here.”
It’s served as a resource for residents experiencing homelessness who want information about how to get help with emergency rental assistance or how to access shelter.
Renetta described it as her first stop “after we had hit a bump in the road.”
Zion, meanwhile, said the site “helps the youth, it helps the elderly, and it also helps middle-aged people be able to build and get a career. You want to be able to be moving in the community, and this is a great place to start.”