VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

Throughout the past years in Washington DC, homelessness in families has continued to be a critical growing problem. With the spread of Covid-19, Ward 5 experienced one of the highest increases in rent prices of 27.75 percent in studios, and 52.54 percent in two-bedroom apartments (2019-2022), leading to more family households facing homelessness. While DC has selected interventions to address the current situation, this proposal focuses on designing a permanent housing complex for family households using a vacant property structure. The project is intended to solve the main issues of the target group including housing and safety improvement while achieving economic independence by providing employment opportunities through an on-site training program. A qualitative research approach is planned using a Value-Inclusive Design framework for social equity and inclusion, namely co-design achieved through recognitional, procedural and distributional equity (Franz et al, 2022). Various statistics and data present detailed information about homelessness and vacant property stock in Ward 5 and a brief analysis summarizes local shelters’ challenges and conditions through several interviews with the staff in different locations. The collected feedback is then used as a guiding reference for a more thoughtful design outcome, along with various precedent studies that identify design- related methods and considerations regarding shelter and low-income housing design. While using architecture and design itself would not solve the major causes of homeless families, the solution presented using vacant properties stock can if implemented can help promote better opportunities and social equity.