The whistleblower, known as P.H., who brought down Families Forward Inc, the nonprofit that had managed the family shelter at D.C. General, is still living at the facility.
Last Friday, Mayor Adrian Fenty announced that the city would be terminating its contract with Families Forward after P.H. had come forward raising allegations of poor case management and inappropriate contact between staff and female residents. [Families Forward had been a problem for years].
P.H. tells City Desk that although she is still living at the shelter, she has found a new home. She hopes to be leaving the shelter by the middle of next week. “I’m happy,” she says. “My kids are happy. It’s just unfortunate that we had to endure the other stuff.”
Fenty and Co. assured that although Families Forward’s contract runs through the end of April, the shelter would now be managed by the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness. Only thoroughly vetted Families Forward staff would be allowed to stay on until the end of the month.
P.H. had been ecstatic when she heard of Fenty’s announcement. “I just pray that whoever they get to come in and takeover the contract do right by the homeless families, do what they’re supposed to do,” she says.
Ever since she came forward with her allegations, P.H. says that she’s tried to stay away from the facility as much as possible. Now when she comes back in the evenings, she doesn’t find too many Families Forward staffers.
“They changed a lot of staff,” P.H. says adding that roughly 80 percent of Families Forward employees are no longer working at D.C. General.