WASHINGTON — A new shelter in the West End neighborhood celebrated Monday is a part of a transformation of D.C.’s system for people facing homelessness.
Mayor Muriel Bowser cut the ribbon on The Aston, is a new non-congregate housing option as a part of D.C.’s adult homeless services system. The former-George Washington University dormitory located on New Hampshire Avenue Northwest has semi-private rooms and individualized case management to help find permanent housing, according to the mayor’s office.
“The transformation of our shelters is representative of a much bigger transformation of our entire homeless services system,” Bowser said. “We have reformed our systems so that we can meet people where they are and more effectively get people into permanent housing. And that is what we are doing again here at The Aston.”
The Aston is meant for three main groups: first, families with no children under 18, couples and other household configurations; second, individuals matched to permanent housing through D.C.’s Continuum of Care who are working through the lease-up process; and third, people experiencing chronic homelessness who have lived in unsheltered or low barrier shelter settings.
D.C. officials expect residents to stay at The Aston for an estimated 90 days until they are connected with permanent housing.
"Here in Ward 2, I don't know if everyone knows this, we have some of the highest amount of people experiencing homelessness. Particularly those who are living outside," Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto said during the ribbon cutting ceremony.
"It's like taking a first breath," Petro Bemah told WUSA9 after completing his intake process. He says he was connected to the new facility after completing a recovery program for substance abuse. "It's been a couple of years. You know, coming out of tragic situations and trauma ─ and losing a lot of family members. Things get shaken up."
Unlike other shelters in the District, the Aston is gender inclusive and non-congregate setting, which means people have access to semi-private rooms. Laura Green Zeilinger, director of D.C.’s Department of Human Services, says this format allows couples and adult families to stay together and improve their stability. She also says its a structure that proved to be effective during COVID-19 pandemic.
Zeilinger said, "Not only did we see health protections, but we say improvements in physical and behavior health that came with the stability of a different setting."
The Aston has only been open for 10 days and so far 32 people are expected to move in by Monday afternoon according to DC officials. For now, it’s only housing 50 people, but eventually, it expects to house about 100 people. Zeilinger says they will wait eight weeks to make sure everything is working smoothly before they move in the additional 50 residents.
To be considered for a spot in the shelter, prospective residents must go through D.C.’s Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement system.
Individualized case management, and other support services will be provided by Friendship Place. The organization will work with clients at The Aston on housing plans and provide resources to effectively execute those plans.
“The Aston is a reflection of our mission to deliver compassionate, comprehensive services to people experiencing homelessness,” said Jean-Michel Giraud, president and CEO of Friendship Place. Giraud says every case manager will care for 17 residents.
Bemah says the centralization of services is a game-changer in his effort to improve his life.
"You get to focus on your health and take care of your health better. And a lot of us that have kids out here, we get a chance to get back into our family's lives," he said.
D.C. bought The Aston from George Washington University in August 2023 for $27.5 million. Since then, the city renovated it and made plumbing, mechanical, elevator and HVAC systems upgrades, the mayor’s office said. The Department of General Services, which worked on the renovations, also improved life and safety systems in the building for its new occupancy
The Aston has not come without pushback from the West End neighborhood.
An anonymous group of neighbors has taken legal action against the city in an effort to block the project. Despite the legal battles, D.C. officials proceeded with the opening.
Mayor Bowser did not respond to specifics about the pending lawsuit but told reporters, "There's always a lively debate, and I can say in almost every case, the projects get better because of that debate ─ the services are better because of that debate."