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| D.C. Group Homes |
What Is A ‘Group Home’?
A 'Group Home' is a private house that serves as a home for people who are not in the same family but have a common characteristic. In the US, in D.C. for instance, this would mean a home for people who need social assistance or who are not able to live alone or without proper care for safety reasons.
Traditionally, a group home was considered as a dwelling for those who may be recovering drug addicts, developmentally disabled, abused or neglected youths, and/or young people with a criminal record; but nowadays a group home has evolved into a shared dwelling unit for those who can’t afford to rent individual homes for residence. A group home can also refer to family homes in which children and youth of the foster care system are placed until foster families are found for them. People who live there usually have to help maintain the household by doing chores or helping to manage a budget. Many D.C. students & workers are being accommodated in this group home mechanism. It has become a popular gimmick when it comes to affordability.
There are typically three to sixteen residents, as well as a resident manager or service staff. Residents may have their own room or share rooms, and share facilities such as laundry, bathroom, kitchen and common living areas. The opening of group homes is occasionally fought against by neighbors who fear that it may lead to a rise in crime and/or a drop in property values.
Living In D.C. ‘Group Homes’-
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| Inhabitants Relaxing In Living Room Of A Group Home |
Living in D.C. can be expensive and lonely, but it does not have to be. One housing option that remains a staple with newcomers to the area is locally known as ‘group housing’. But beyond just saving some cash, there are a number reasons why D.C.’s group house culture might be the right choice for you. However, every convenience comes with both pros & cons.
‘Group Home’ Pros:
'Group homes' are a fairly common living arrangement in the area due to the consistently high demand for rentals and type of housing stock available. The transient nature of many jobs in D.C. like visiting interns, people on fellowships, work-study programs and others ensures there are always people looking for roommates and a house to share.
While a number of group house listings can be found on RadPad & Craiglist, you can also try seeking out group homes that function as a ‘community’ of sorts based around a common cause or set of core values, like environmental sustainability for example. This is where the idea group housing strikes really a chord with certain housing hunters.
Many D.C. group houses have rich histories and personalities of their own, beyond being part of a community and the social connections made possible by sharing meals and common areas, two other benefits of group housing include the cost savings realized by splitting utility bills, etc. and the relative flexibility some homes offer in breaking a lease if necessary.
While many of the District’s group homes are older and sometimes shabby row houses, there is at least one local forward-thinking development company moving the idea of group housing into the 21st century. D.C.-based Ditto Residential is creating innovative residential projects throughout the city, many with the specific needs of the millennial-aged renter in mind. One new project called the Oslo, for example, is geared toward apartment-sharing millennials, featuring relatively small bedrooms in exchange for private bathrooms in each and spacious common areas and kitchens.
‘Group Home’ Cons:
Certainly, sharing a house with roommates comes with the predictable pitfalls, you need to be prepared for the downsides: lack of privacy, roommate tensions, noise and the inevitable messes & being prepared to accept a certain amount of chaos at any time.
Outwardly, it appears that in part to the District’s recent residential building boom, many group houses are being converted into condos or outright razed in favor of newer, sleeker and more expensive apartments, turning the traditional group house settlement into an endangered species of sorts, so finding a fit that is right for you can be quite challenging.
Plausibly, finding the right group house can be somewhat of a ‘crap-shoot’. Beyond the cause-oriented ‘communities’, Craigslist remains one of the better options for finding potential housemates, but be prepared to sift through a lot of junk listings. Many group homes also rely on public open houses to find roommates, sometimes including a questionnaire for prospective tenants to complete to help identify compatibility.
If you are really looking forward to accommodate yourself in a group home, D.C. is a great place to find one of your top-drawer ones. With a little bit of homework and an open mind, you can find a house that will be affordable and fun – and hopefully without too many abandoned burritos.
Opening A ‘Group Home’-
In order for an agency to open a group home in a neighborhood, it has to follow a series of complicated procedures, including finding a location, purchasing or renting it, and applying for a license with the State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. License applications are extremely detailed & have to be reviewed by local community boards before they are sent to the State office for final approval.
With group homes in the District answering to one or more D.C. government agencies, figuring out where to call with concerns about a resident's welfare or complaints about a home's operation has been a source of frustration for some people.
Currently, AABR services consumers of all ages, and has a long waiting list, Assistant Director of Residential Services Ruth Edoho said, “Something is forcing us to find more space.” She said, “We’re looking into opening up more sites. Getting the word out about group homes and how beneficial they are is a good way to start.”
D.C. ‘Group Home’ Scenario -
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| D.C. ‘Group Home’ Scenario |
Covering a swath of Northwest and Northeast Washington from Petworth up to the northern tip of the city, Ward 4 contains nearly a quarter of the 338 group homes regulated by the city's social service agencies. Of the 113 group homes serving people with developmental disabilities, 47 of them, or more than 40% are in Ward 4. Although the number of group homes is greatest in Ward 4, wards 5, 7 and 8 each have more than 60 group homes.
Ward 3, the city's wealthiest area, has two. In Ward 5, which like Ward 4 has many single-family residences; most of the group homes serve people with developmental disabilities or mental illness. Ward 7 has more juvenile justice homes than any other part of the city, which may reflect the fact that 55% of young people under the supervision of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services are from Ward 7 and neighboring Ward 8.
The group homes in Ward 8 include a third of the 77 in the District that house foster children who have not been placed in family homes. Almost 40% of the District's 2,100 foster children are from Ward 8, according to the Child and Family Services Agency. Collectively, the group homes overseen by the District house 2,000 to 3,000 people.
Every night at around 7 p.m., the residents on 162nd Street and 35th Avenue in Flushing gather together and prepare to enjoy a home cooked meal. They sit around their dinner table, bow their heads and say grace before placing their napkins on their laps and passing around the food. Dulcette, one of the consumers proudly looked around the place & said, “This is my home, I love this home.”
But it does so much more than that. Ruth Edoho said that the ‘house is like a family & there’s so much love here, we make this their home.’ Although there is a lot of ‘ignorance’ about group homes in the community, she said, ‘If people really took the time to see how we work, they’d see what wonderful things we do for these wonderful people.’
‘The city is limited by law in what it can tell the public about most prospective group homes or the people living in them,’ Attorney General Peter Nickles mentioned, ‘but the city can do more to avoid concentrating homes and to ensure that neighbors have a way to raise concerns about how a home is being operated.’
With many quiet residential neighborhoods and an ample stock of relatively affordable, large single-family homes, Ward 4 has become a destination over the years for many providers establishing homes for the developmentally disabled. Nuss, the head of DDS, said her agency is encouraging providers to set up elsewhere and is moving toward smaller homes with just one to three residents that should be less disruptive to neighborhoods.
"The whole point of bringing folks out of institutions was to allow them to experience a neighborhood," Bowser said. "But if you concentrate on blocks or certain neighborhoods, then you kind of institutionalize the block, and that's not the goal for people with disabilities, and it's not the goal for our neighborhoods, either."
‘Group Home’ Special Privilege Adoption (Help & Support) -
Those who are looking for a ‘group home’ for an exclusionary purpose can contact the following agency officials to get a better insight & a suitable group home that best serves their requisite.
Child and Family Services Agency:
Jenna Beebe, 202-727-7040, jenna.beebe@dc.gov.
Group homes licensed by CFSA typically care for teenage foster children who have not been placed in family foster homes. To ensure the privacy and safety of the abused and neglected children in CFSA's care, the agency does not disclose the addresses of the homes it licenses.
Department of Mental Health:
Sheila Kelly-Long, 202-673-3516, sheila.kelly-long@dc.gov.
Group homes licensed by DMH typically house six to eight people. DMH does not disclose the addresses of the homes it licenses because doing so would effectively disclose the residents' conditions and violate their privacy.
Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services:
Linda Harllee Harper, 202-724-4740, linda.harlleeharper@dc.gov.
Group homes licensed or operated by DYRS house typically house six or fewer residents, though some house as many as 12. Information about homes under contract with DYRS is available at
http://dyrs.dc.gov/DC/DYRS/Youth+Services/Residential+Facilities.
Information about homes operated directly by DYRS which also includes information on the agency's two detention centers is available at
http://dyrs.dc.gov/DC/DYRS/Youth+Services/DYRS+Facilities
Department on Disability Services:
Karine Mauprivez, 202-730-1693, karine.mauprivez@dc.gov.
Group homes certified by DDS typically serve four to eight people. As the agency overseeing care of the residents, DDS does not disclose addresses of the homes because doing so would effectively disclose the residents' conditions and violate their privacy. The Health Regulation and Licensing Administration, which inspects and licenses the homes, do report the addresses in its inspection reports. The HRLA contact is Sharon Mebane, 202-442-4751, sharon.mebane@dc.gov.
Administrative, Factual & Contact Information:
The factual data, administrative information as well notable quotes & Agency Officials’ contact information have been collected from the following reliable resources.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/13/AR2010061304051.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/13/AR2010061304052.html
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_home
