Homeless
Services
Community
Support
Supporting individuals experiencing homelessness and assisting them in exiting homelessness has been a core tenant of the DowntownDC BID since its founding in 1997. Today, the Foundation supports the services offered at the DowntownDC BID’s state-of-the-art Downtown Day Services Center (DDSC) facility (see below), through street outreach efforts, and more. When the DDSC facility first opened in 2019, we served approximately 160 guests per day. In 2025, that number can increase to 280 guests per day due to a growing population of individuals in need as well as the success and usefulness of our facility. The Foundation provides critical support to maintain a high-level of service and meeting growing needs for individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.
The Foundation, along with the BID, has funded essential staff positions at the DDSC to support and manage the work being carried out at the facility. That support was made possible by the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation. The DowntownDC Foundation also help fund space upgrades and improvements, including ADA accessible computer desks, made possible by Arlo Hotels, Quadrum Global.
The Foundation works with BID staff and service providers to identify key needs and urgent priorities for individuals experiencing homelessness. In 2021-2022, the Foundation, through a grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield piloted a dental and mental health clinic for individuals experiencing homelessness: the Terrell A. Waters Impact Clinic. This pilot was operated and managed by Foundation board member Dr. Edward K. Brown Jr., DDS. Following the successful pilot period, the dental clinic became an official service provider at the DDSC facility and continues to this day to provide on-site dental screening and care services weekly.
The Foundation maintains a successful Welcome Home Kit program, offering $750 worth of home items to individuals transitioning from homelessness to housing. These kits fulfill an individual’s home wish list, which can include kitchenware, linens, bedding, cleaning supplies, small appliances and more, shipped directly to the door of their new residence.
Since 2019, the Foundation has supplied food, snacks and urgent items of need to individuals experiencing homelessness. This has included catered, hot Thanksgiving and Christmas meals and gifts, winter boots and coats, books for the lending library, street outreach efforts, and more. The Foundation continues to explore partnerships to strengthen the support being offered to the growing number of individuals experiencing homelessness.
Downtown Day Services Center
The Downtown Day Services Center (DDSC) facility opened in February 2019 in the lower level of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church to offer individuals experiencing homelessness a host of services during the day when area shelters are closed. The facility is managed and operated by the DowntownDC BID and funding is made possible by the DC Department of Human Services, the BID, and supported by the DowntownDC Foundation. This no barrier facility offers basic services including food, showers, restrooms and laundry facilities as well as a host of specialized support such as on-site healthcare, dental, mental health support, case management, employment and housing assistance, vital records, mail services, phone and computer access, clothing, harm reduction, support groups and more provided by a host of partners all under a “Housing First” model. This model prioritizes permanent supportive housing to end homelessness first, which offers a platform for individuals to then further their quality of life. The facility in 2025 serves an average of 250 individuals per day.