Photo by Sarah Anne Hughes.

Twenty-six homeless families have exited shelter since Mayor Vincent Gray’s 500 Families, 100 Days program launched on April 1.

Announced during his State of the District Address, the program — run by the Department of Human Services and the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness — is designed to identify landlords with available units for homeless families. An information session will be held on April 17 at the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center, where D.C. residents apply for homeless services, public benefits and emergency shelter during hypothermia season.

Hundreds of homeless families are currently housed at D.C. General, a hospital turned shelter that, residents say, is at times without heat and hot water. Following the disappearance of eight-year-old Relisha Rudd, who was living at the shelter before she went missing in March, Gray has called for DHS Director David Berns and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services BB Otero to develop a plan to close the facility.

“The Department of Human Services has begun a review of the entire family homelessness system to allocate resources appropriately for services that are in the best interest of families,” DHS spokesperson Dora Taylor said in an email. “It is our hope that this plan will reduce the need for a facility like D.C. General. Our goal is always to assist in locating quality, affordable housing for the families currently residing in all shelter programs.

“A specific timetable for closure of any facility has not been established.”

Taylor said the early results of the 500 Families, 100 Days program “already look promising with 26 exits from shelter since April 1.” The city saw an explosion in families seeking shelter during the winter months.