As autumn approaches, we face the end of summer’s bounty and anticipate the rich fruits of fall soon to come. The arrival of cooler weather sharpens our awareness of our mission at The Aged Woman’s Home of Georgetown, to house independent senior women of limited means at no charge. The Home strives to provide for each Guest the economic and community support needed to age with dignity, free from the difficult burdens of poverty.
As if to illustrate the importance of this, on January 10, 2023, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) a local nonprofit dedicated to the mission of “creating a more accessible, sustainable, prosperous and livable National Capital Region,” conducted their 22nd annual point-in-time count (PIT) of the number of homeless individuals and families in the DC Metro Area. In May 2023, their report, covering 9 participating jurisdictions, was published. The report indicates that, after several years of decline, homelessness has increased significantly in the metro area, by approximately 18 percent overall.
The true number of homeless people in the DC area is difficult to determine for several reasons, and the PIT count occurs on just one night of the year. But with rents and housing costs in our area rising steadily, there is no doubt that the need for housing is urgent, especially with cold weather on the horizon. Mindful of this, the Staff is working to fill several vacancies at the Home, collaborating with other community organizations to provide as many people as possible with a safe and comfortable place to live.