Long-awaited day center for the homeless to open in downtown D.C. this month, BID says

Update, Feb. 12: The District’s inaugural downtown day center for homeless residents is yet again seeing a delayed opening and is now scheduled to receive a ribbon cutting on Feb. 25, the DowntownDC Business Improvement District says. DCist first picked up the change.

Original post, Feb. 6:

A daytime services center for homeless individuals that has been under discussion for years will at last launch on Feb. 12, according to the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID). The BID will oversee the facility in partnership with the city’s human services agency and with assistance from two District-based nonprofits: Pathways to Housing DC and HIPS.

The center will be run out of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church located at 1313 New York Ave. NW. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, providing an array of services, including meals, showers, laundry, bathrooms, housing services, harm reduction services, healthcare, computers, legal assistance, and job support, the BID points out in a release. The goal is to offer a “single point of access” and connect people to housing.

Last year, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration originally announced that the facility would open before November, when hypothermia season begins in D.C. But renovation work in the church pushed back the launch date by a few months. The BID is supporting the center with a $1.7 million grant from the city and other funds. More than 100 visitors a day are expected. Bowser and city officials are set to host a ceremonial ribbon cutting for the center on Feb. 13.

• D.C. will open a downtown day center for the homeless before hypothermia season [Curbed DC]
• Renovation work pushes back opening of downtown D.C. day center for the homeless [Curbed DC]