February 2024
In Winter 2023, the Department of Human Service (DHS), the DC Housing Authority (DCHA), and The Lab asked—how can we improve the resident experience of the housing voucher program? Before thinking about solutions, we wanted to learn from the residents who use the voucher program, the case managers who support them, the landlords who house them, and the DC government staff who run the program.
We always start our work by listening, but this time, we tried a new approach in District government. We hired five community members with lived experience in our housing vouchers programs to join the project as Resident Researchers. From May through August 2023, they helped create the research plan, lead research activities, summarize findings, and develop solutions. Their first-hand perspective was invaluable throughout the project.
To share about the experience, Resident Researcher Francwa Sims sat down with Fatima Torres. Their conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Resident Researchers and Lab staff after presenting their work to the City Administrator
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience with DC’s housing vouchers.
I have been in DC all my life. Born and raised. I was originally from Ward 5, but then lived in Ward 8 as a teenager. Now I live in Ward 4. I pretty much do IT stuff and for hobbies, I read mostly sci-fi.
I got a voucher while staying at the Pandemic Emergency Program for Medically Vulnerable Individuals (PEP-V) shelter during COVID-19. Before that, I was in the New York Avenue shelter for about a year, but I had been homeless on and off since 2014. Surprisingly it was not difficult to navigate the voucher process because of PEP-V's emergency support. However, I did not have a single case worker. I went through five case workers, and I hardly met with them or knew what was going on.
Now I have my voucher and I live in a nice building in a nice neighborhood with a property manager that has been nice to me.
In your own words, what is the housing voucher program supposed to do?
Make sure people are housed and getting stabilized.
What motivated you to apply to become a Resident Researcher?
I was one of the peer educators hired by DHS during COVID-19 to go from shelter to shelter and educate residents about getting vaccinated. Someone from that program emailed me about this and I applied for it. I thought maybe my experience could help. I try to do whatever I can to help.
Tell us about your role as a Resident Researcher.
I pretty much shared my experiences. I did some shadowing of the application review process, and I participated in a lot of calls interviewing different stakeholders such as case managers and residents. I also attended four idea sessions, known as co-design sessions, where we came up with solutions to the issues people face.
Everyone—the other Resident Researchers and Lab staff—worked as a team. I learned a lot from the various stakeholders. I was shocked to learn that everyone was having the same challenges with DCHA, especially the landlords.
What was your experience presenting the team’s findings in front of District leaders?
The presentation with DCHA and DHS went well. It got emotional for a minute. I better understand what these agencies have to go through. The City Administrator seemed really interested in what we had to share and seemed like he wanted to do his best to address certain issues.
I hope that this project makes a tangible difference. This [work on improving housing vouchers] has been done before by various agencies and stakeholders in slightly different ways, but nothing has changed. I am not being pessimistic, but practical. I have worked in government before and know and understand the bureaucracy. We’ll see...change doesn’t happen right away.
What's next for you?
I’m interested in enrolling in the new DHS Peer Case Manager Institute to support others with housing vouchers.
How would you suggest District Government involves residents in future District work—not just housing-related projects?
Have a budget to involve residents in projects because the perspective of someone who has the experience is invaluable. When you are here in DC, you have knowledge that doesn’t translate to someone who is not a resident or is unfamiliar with the area. I am here and I have been here all my life. I understand the different perspectives and cultures. You won't get that otherwise.
“While agencies like DHS have hired residents to join their work before, this was the first time The Lab has done so. As you might imagine, it required time and thoughtfulness to implement—recruitment, hiring, training, etc. This will continue to be an ongoing effort that we seek to refine but it is one example of how The Lab works to center the resident experience in their work,” said Kevin Donahue, City Administrator. “It is exciting to see this type of innovative resident engagement being implemented and receive positive feedback.”