D. C.’s Rapid Rehousing (RRH) program for individuals hasn’t taken new referrals since April 2024 due to budget constraints. Now, the program has suspended any new entries for the fiscal year, meaning single adults experiencing homelessness won’t see relief from the program until at least October. In the family version of the program, the purse strings are only getting tighter as the city pauses hiring program staff.
RRH is a short-term subsidy that pays a portion of a family’s rent through the Family Rehousing Stabilization Program (FRSP) or an individual’s rent through Rapid Rehousing for Individuals (RRH-I). The subsidy supports a market-rate apartment for a year, with the possibility of a six-month extension. During that time, participants receive case management and are expected to increase their income so they can remain in housing once the subsidy ends, though many do not achieve this. Despite questions about efficacy, RRH is one of the city’s main tools to address homelessness and currently serves 2,800 families and 300 individuals, according to the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS).
The program has been a battleground between the D.C. Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office since last June, when more than 2,000 families were forced to exit the program. A tight D.C. government budget — which appears to be getting ever tighter with federal funding concerns — has led the city to not only stop new single adults from using the program but also to inform family service providers they can no longer hire new staff to fill vacancies, according to DHS, which runs the program.
“As a cost-savings measure, DHS recently issued guidance to FRSP providers advising them to pause the hiring of specific FRSP staff positions that are vacant. DHS will continue to assess the program and provider staffing levels moving forward with the goal of assisting families in the most effective way possible,” a DHS spokesperson wrote.
For individuals, DHS suspended new referrals in April 2024, the spokesperson said, and the program has since reduced the number of participants from 600 to 300. Officials at a recent D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness meeting announced they have recently stopped enrolling individuals in RRH for the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, and closed the referral form because the program isn’t expecting to take
new referrals soon.
“Referrals remain suspended to stay within the Fiscal Year 2025 funding appropriation for this program. DHS reviews its RRH-I budget on a monthly basis to explore the possibility of accepting new referrals,” DHS wrote.
This year’s budget season, during which RRH’s funding may rise to enable more spots to open next year, is set to begin when the mayor releases her budget. It’s been delayed, however, until Congress decides whether to fix a measure slashing D.C.’s budget. The House of Representatives voted on a continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown in March, but the bill treated Washington, D.C.’s locally funded budget, raised through local taxes, as part of the federal budget. Due to the change in wording, D.C.’s budget was set to revert to Fiscal Year 2024, meaning the city would sustain $1.1 billion in cuts. The Senate passed a bill to close the hole, but the House has yet to bring it to a vote.
Service providers and advocates are calling for the city to increase funding for RRH for individuals to help at least 600 people at a time, with a hope they can add additional 100 slots. But with the city’s budget up in the air, DHS has decided to tighten the purse strings, and only time will tell if they open up again, allowing more people to move into housing.
