The old D.C. General Hospital will continue to operate as the city's largest shelter for homeless families for at least another year.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray Tuesday announced a $90 million plan to close D.C. General, which has come under intense scrutiny this year after 8-year-old Relisha Rudd disappeared from the shelter.
An investigation into Rudd's disappearance uncovered the shelter is no place to raise a family. Earlier this month, the city moved dozens of families out of government-subsidized hotel rooms into the aging shelter, bringing the number of families now living at the shelter close to 150. With winter approaching, that number is expected to rise. The shelter can house 288 families.
"My hope is we can avoid the need for overflow shelter by identifying units that families can move into permanently," Michelle Williams with D.C.'s Department of Human Services said.
Under Gray's new plan, families currently housed at the shelter can only move out if the government can find private landlords willing to lease small apartment buildings to the District at $24 million a year. The government would also have to build additional housing units at a one-time cost of $48 million.
Until those goals are reached, D.C. General will remain open.
"I'm against this remaining open. I'm against this," D.C. Council Member Jim Graham said.
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Once families are offered an apartment and move out of the shelter into subsidized housing, the money for rent is only guaranteed for four to 12 months. After that, it's up to the family to pay full rent.
District officials say there's no way they'll be able to lease or build enough apartments in time for this winter. Some homeless advocates question if the city will ever be able to keep up with demand for housing homeless families.
