Countering Homelessness through life-planning skills by Saint Charles Lwanga America Center, Washington D.C.

Countering Homelessness through life-planning skills

Saint Charles Lwanga America Center is a multineuro topology user-friendly space in Washington, D.C. promoting housing stability, nutrition security and livelihood productivity.  We use focus day advocacy drives: Monday and Wednesday are set aside for Family Circle Settings sessions; and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are for Family-based therapy model sessions; and Saturday and Sunday are for community outreach activities.

A description of what would make the project unique within the HUD portfolio and the CoC at large

We are a landmark inspiring a sense of identity, history, belonging and a destination of joy and pride. We are a minimum viable product providing reception and service increasing the use of D.C. heritage phenomenon which has therapeutic potential helping reduce levels of anxiety and mood disorders for many Washingtonians (Mak et al 2024). We are a destination that people will head to for advice and wisdom on staying healthy, housing stability, nutrition security and livelihood productivity. We categorically have a special affinity for persons with emotional and behavioral disorders. We shall conduct strategic community outreaches, organize physical meetings and plan with partnerships and networks to give us opportunities to talk to their audiences about housing stability, nutrition security and livelihood productivity (García et al 2016; & Knight 2023).

The reason why our agency chose to reallocate or transition the existing grant OR why our agency chose to pursue Bonus funding

We have worked with persons living with emotional and behavioral disorders and have provided follow up support for some who have kept their housing and those who experience transient issues. As a multineuro topology user-friendly space we are a healthy living skills development and behavior promotion organization. Both neurotypical and neurodivergent users of the space  will be provided specific skills geared at keeping their homes, houses, apartments or places of abode (SNA [Special Needs Alliance], 2026).  We shall use the funds to go towards renting a space which is emotional and behavioral disorder-friendly. It will be used as an on-going community-based rehabilitation and drop-in center for neurotypical and neurodivergent users. We shall work with accompanied and unaccompanied persons.  At our space we shall be deliberate in five areas: we are a drug-free, alcohol-free and smoke-free space; we are a day-only training facility; we accept persons referred to us who must have housing offered by a partner organization; we provide training for persons awaiting placement in homes/apartments; we provide hygiene and personal administration counseling, guidance and return-demonstration sessions;  and conduct research to enable us be better suited to talk about the problems of the impact of indoor and outdoor environments – such as lack of income, fields, proximity to roads, proximity to industrial noise, tunnels, community spaces, schools and homes – on the wellbeing of children, adolescents, younger adults and adults with neurotypical or neurodivergent abilities.

Collecting and incorporating participant feedback from persons with lived experience into project operations with examples of how the perspective of persons with lived experience of homelessness will be incorporated into our agency’s operations

We use rolled plans generated from family circle settings and family-based therapy sessions which incorporate identified causes of disruptions, planning interventions and implementing them.

A description of how our Project will adopt service requirements for project participants, evaluation of the quality of services delivered by our project, identification of and addressing gaps in quality of services

Family circle settings and family-based therapy sessions rely on peer group leaders and through them feedback on service requirements are shared (Oliver et al 2026).

Supporting connections to behavioral health resources

A larger number of beneficiaries will be referred from other organizations for healthy living skills development and behavior promotion counselling and guidance sessions.

Project staff-mediated services, assessing needs and delivering the necessary services, reaching out to participants who are not responsive to the offering

Family circle settings and family based therapy sessions are tailored and stage-mediated anticipating opposition defiance disorderly practices (CDC [Center for Disease Prevention and Control], 2026; Cleveland Clinic, 2026; Hartland-Grant et al 2026; & JHU [Johns Hopkins University], 2026). Tailored activities optimize participant learning experiences, turn-taking and reciprocating skills.

Supporting connections to Behavioral Health resources, assessing and referring participants to behavioral health services, confirming and maintaining connections

We are at the local primary prevention stages and address basic needs. We work with partners and networks and refer to them for secondary (trauma, medical and psychology needs) and tertiary (transportation and housing vouchers) interventions.

Supporting participants who are unable to maintain connections

Peer authority figures, isolation and resetting are some of the first interventions. Other secondary variables (trauma, medical and psychology needs) and tertiary (property destruction, transportation and housing vouchers) interventions are referred to specific organizations (García et al 2016; & Löthberg et al 2024).).

A description how the project will help participants achieve: a) Housing stability (maintaining housing upon placement) and/or placement in permanent housing (subsidized or unsubsidized)

Housing stability is a whole-of-government issue, our activities model the following: a drug-free, alcohol-free and smoke-free space; a day-only training facility; training for persons awaiting placement in homes/apartments; providing hygiene and personal administration counseling, guidance and return-demonstration sessions.

A description how the project will help participants achieve: b) Limit returns to homelessness after an exit to permanency

We anticipate six-twelve (6-12) sessions to provide training for persons awaiting placement in homes/apartments. The sessions promote acquisition of knowledge and skills optimizing goals countering homelessness, addressing economic self-determination, building social support networks and social integration (Evensen et al 2025).

A description how the project will help participants achieve: c) Increased income from employment

We provide structured training sessions such as livelihood productivity trainings increasing motivation for income generation and economic stability goals.

A description how the project will help participants achieve: d) Maintain an occupancy rate of 90% for beds/units/or case management slots (if applicable)

We believe that our sessions will contribute to a self-determination culture where a house is central to one’s self-esteem, self-recognition and self-worth (NIH [National Institute of Health], 2021).

Provide any additional information that your agency would like the Ranking Committee to be aware of as they make their decisions

At Saint Charles Lwanga America Center we are aware of the public facing characteristics of people experiencing extreme homelessness, vulnerability and risks of homelessness. Community-based approaches such as ours are appropriate technologies increasing a critical mass of knowledge and skill-based services raising consciousness around economic stability, income generation, housing stability, nutrition security and livelihood productivity.

Conclusion

Saint Charles Lwanga America Center is a multineuro topology user-friendly space in Washington, D.C. promoting housing stability, nutrition security and livelihood productivity.  We use evidence-based public health principles to characterize extreme homelessness, vulnerability and risks of homelessness as well as interventions. Communities can organize local interventions.  We are a minimum viable technology  increasing a critical mass of knowledge and skill-based services raising consciousness around economic stability, income generation, housing stability, nutrition security and livelihood productivity.

 

References

CDC [Center for Disease Prevention and Control], (2026). Developmental Disability Basics. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/child-development/about/developmental-disability-basics.html.

Cleveland Clinic. 2026.  Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9905-oppositional-defiant-disorder.

García Murillo, L., Ramos-Olazagasti, M. A., Mannuzza, S., Castellanos, F. X., & Klein, R. G. (2016). Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Homelessness: A 33-Year Follow-Up Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(11), 931–936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2016.07.772.

JHU. 2026. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in Children. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/oppositional-defiant-disorder.

Evensen, I., Melboe, L. and Borch, A. (2025) ‘Transition to Independent Living for Young Adults with Intellectual Disability: A Scoping Review’, Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 27(1), p. 698–713. Available at: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.1252.

 

Hartland-Grant, L., Barker, S., Maguire, N. & Ward, R. (2026). A Realist Synthesis Protocol to Understand How and Why Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Contributes to Homelessness and Housing Instability. Sage Journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/16094069261464497#con2.

Knight, B. (2023). our homes may contribute to the symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents. UNSW. https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2023/04/housing-quality-may-affect-kids-with-adhd--study.

Löthberg, M., Hirvikoski, T., Girdler, S., Bölte, S., & Jonsson, U. (2024). Support in Daily Living for Young Adults with Neurodevelopmental Conditions in Sweden: A Qualitative Description of Current Practice. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 54(8), 3043–3058. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06014-6.

Mak, H. W., Gallou, E., & Fancourt, D. (2024). Is social capital higher in areas with a higher density of historic assets? Analyses of 11,112 adults living in England. Perspectives in public health, 144(4), 251–262. https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139221145609.

NIH. (2021). About Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDDs). NIH. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/idds/conditioninfo.

Oliver, S., Carey, F., Mulherin, P., Witts, L., Winkler, D., & Douglas, J. (2026). An updated review of international literature on the outcomes of individualized housing for people with disability and complex needs. Disability and Rehabilitation, 48(12), 3623–3641. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2579487.

SNA. (2026).  A place of her own. SNA. https://www.specialneedsalliance.org/blog/a-place-of-her-own/.