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The lack of safe housing for individuals with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities is at a crisis for thousands of District of Columbia residents. A series of articles in the Washington Post in 1999 exposed the horrendous life experiences of people with developmental disabilities receiving services from the District of Columbia. Many in this group of over 1400 individuals have endured a long history of abuse, neglect, molestation, and stealing - first at Forest Haven and then privately owned group homes. L'Arche DC provides a compassionate housing alternative.

In response to the needs for better housing options for people with disabilities in the city, the L'Arche DC leadership began taking steps in 2001 to increase the impact, capacity, and sustainability of L'Arche DC housing and support services. The community is currently renovating current homes to make them wheelchair accessible, working to expand by two homes and is engaged in a capital campaign to finance these changes.