WASHINGTON 鈥� Angela Washington first experienced domestic violence as a married woman in her 20s. Coincidentally, that鈥檚 also when she first experienced homelessness.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 take it anymore, so I took my children and went to safety,鈥� said Washington, who is now 56. 鈥淚 got [to a shelter] safely with my children and we were fine; we were pretty good there.鈥�
But that feeling of safety didn鈥檛 last long. Over the years, Washington found herself in and out of homelessness 鈥� often racing the clock at shelters that only permitted 30-day stays. She also found herself in more violent situations.
鈥淚 ended up back into shelters because of that too,鈥� she added.
Washington鈥檚 situation is not unique. On any given night, 882 unaccompanied women experience homelessness in the nation鈥檚 capital, and according to a from the Women鈥檚 Task Force of the District of Columbia Interagency Council on Homelessness, nearly one-third of women reported violence was the cause of their homelessness or housing instability.
Furthermore, two-thirds of women with histories of violence and trauma reported at least one act of violence against them during their current period of homelessness or housing instability.
鈥淲omen are really vulnerable to continued violence while they鈥檙e homeless,鈥� said Kristine Thompson, who serves on the council that led the report and is the executive director of in Southeast D.C.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e vulnerable to violence on the street, they鈥檙e vulnerable to violence with domestic partners or intimate partners, they鈥檙e vulnerable to violence from family members, from strangers.鈥�
Like Washington, 28-year-old Courtney Young found herself in violent situations while not having a place to call home. In one instance, a truck driver she paired up with beat her so badly, she feared for her life.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know if I was going to make it through that situation. And I did, and I鈥檓 grateful,鈥� said Young, who first became homeless when she was 17.
Both Washington and Young are in a better place now. They are two of the 40-or-so women rebuilding their lives at Calvary Women鈥檚 Services. 聽
The women-specific center, located on Good Hope Road in Anacostia, provides more than a bed and a hot meal for homeless women. Programs ranging from group therapy, to job training, to case management, to addiction recovery help the women who come to the center overcome trauma and prepare for a new future. 聽
Unlike other shelters, there is no date by which the women must leave. That all depends on their readiness, although the average stay is a few months.
鈥淚 was so busy running; I鈥檓 always running. The race is over. No more running. Here at Calvary, I find that I can relax more 鈥� not be in so much of a hurry that 30 days is coming and I鈥檓 back on the street,鈥� said Washington, who has been at Calvary since November 2017.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in unity here. Everybody is helping somebody here in this shelter, and that鈥檚 what I find is different here.鈥�
Washington, who has lived in several shelters, said Calvary is a model for how others should operate. More women-only shelters with programs geared toward healing and rebuilding would be a tremendous help for others who find themselves in similar situations. 聽
鈥淧art of ending violence is helping women to acknowledge the experiences they鈥檝e had, to be able to speak of them, to be able to begin to heal from the kinds of experiences that they鈥檝e had,鈥� Calvary鈥檚 Thompson said.
鈥淎nd so really [we need to be] creating environments and opportunities for women to do that in ways that are healthy 鈥� therapy and other types of supports.鈥�
Thompson hopes the task force鈥檚 report informs best practices for trauma-informed care in homeless services 鈥� especially when it comes to helping women. Young, who was badly beaten while homeless, says she still has PTSD from her experiences and can鈥檛 be around men without 鈥渇reaking out.鈥�
鈥淲e would benefit from mental health services and settings that are for women only 鈥� where they can feel safe with themselves and with others,鈥� Thompson said.
Thanks to Calvary, Washington said she no longer fears violence.
鈥淚鈥檓 free of that,鈥� she said.
鈥淭he battle is over for me here. No more fighting, no more being scared. I can build my life here. And that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 doing. I鈥檓 building my life again.鈥�
