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Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon 2007
Since 2000, the YWCA National Capital Area has participated in the Help-the-Homeless Walkathon to raise awareness and
financial support for area nonprofit organizations providing homeless services and preventing homelessness.
The YWCA designates Walkathon contributions to its Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) program because it is providing
people with the opportunity to make a living wage.
Who are the homeless?
More than 15,000 people in the Washington metropolitan area are homeless. That total includes people who are living on
the streets, staying in shelters and with friends and family, or living in transitional or permanent supportive housing.
Nearly half are families; more than a third are children. “Street homelessness” is the image commonly presented to portray
homelessness, yet less than 10 percent of the 15,000 homeless people in our region regularly live on the streets. Almost a
third of the region’s homeless adults are employed; in some areas, the share of employed homeless people is even higher:
In Montgomery County, for example, almost half of all homeless adults are employed.
Why are people homeless?
The primary cause of homelessness in the Washington metropolitan area is the shortage in the supply of affordable homes.
A worker earning minimum wage no longer has sufficient income to afford a safe and decent apartment. And with regional
fair market rents averaging more than $1,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, many working families are struggling
to find homes within financial reach. Challenging life situations also cause people to become homeless.
People get evicted from their homes because they cannot afford steep rent hikes. People lose their jobs and wind up on
the streets. Single mothers show up at shelters with their children because they cannot afford to work and pay for child
care. Other people end up homeless because they are too sick to work or were forced to flee an abusive home. Some people
who ran away as teenagers cannot afford to live on their own. While everyone's story is different, all homeless people
have one thing in common: They have no permanent place to call home.
Is there a solution?
Yes, ending homelessness is possible. One of the keys to ending homelessness is increasing the supply of permanent,
affordable homes for people with low- to extremely low-income levels. In addition to stable housing, such prevention and
supportive services as employment training, substance abuse recovery programs, and mental health assistance are often
needed to help families get back on track. In the Washington metropolitan area, efforts to eliminate homelessness are
already under way: Montgomery County, Fairfax County, and the District of Columbia are all developing and implementing
10-year plans to prevent and end homelessness.
How can I help?
One way you can begin making a difference today is by participating in the
Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Program,
a communitywide fund-raising campaign that supports beneficiary organizations in the fight to prevent and end homelessness.
The program spans several months, involves many events and fund-raising activities, and culminates in the Help the Homeless
Walkathon on the National Mall, which includes tens of thousands of participants. Once a modest walk, the Fannie Mae
Foundation Help the Homeless Walkathon has grown into the nation's largest fund-raising event benefiting the homeless.
Since 1988, the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Program has raised more than $46.5 million for more than 220
homeless service providers in the Washington metropolitan area. And more than 593,000 people have joined Fannie Mae
Foundation Help the Homeless walks to support organizations dedicated to serving homeless people.
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