Current state
Business as usual
Doors 6
Retellings 8
Forms 7
days 34
Needs met 2/9
7 indignities experienced Detailed by stage in the journey below.
DCHS Insights CX Human-Centered Design @ DCHS PROTOTYPE no real data DCHS Insights CX Aboul & Hossina
Future state
With service integration
Doors 2
Retellings 1
Forms 2
days 9
Needs met 6/9
2 indignities remain Structural constraints are still visible.
Counts, timings, and emotion scores are illustrative assumptions, not workshop measurements. Days refer to first stable service, not the whole journey; service access does not mean every long-term goal is secured.
Profile
Aboul & Hossina
Language barriers, work schedules, and eligibility rules complicate one household's effort to resolve its housing crisis.
Persona type Household
Engagement path Eviction notice, rental assistance
Persona narrative
Who they are
Aboul and Hossina are a two-parent immigrant family in their mid-thirties with three children, including a newborn at the time of the April 2025 workshop. They live in a two-bedroom apartment and, at times, their car. Aboul drives and picks up gig work; a loss of gig income contributes to a second eviction notice and $3,400 in arrears. Hossina cares for the baby. Rental assistance leaves a gap, while prior income and work history complicate access to other help. They have contacted WDC and other programs for employment and benefits support and monitor rent payments, but guidance remains limited. Hossina has more daytime availability and needs Amharic interpretation; Aboul has more English but is at work. Childcare, transport barriers, and behavioral-health stigma limit which services they can use. Their family and immigrant support network helps them persist. They want steady work, a thriving family, education for their children, and ESL opportunities for Hossina.
Voice
In their words
We were denied based on our old income, but we're earning less now.
Hossina can go at 2. Aboul has the English and is at work.
We need someone to see the household, not half of it.
What they are good at
- They act quickly when the notice arrives
- They divide labor to keep work and appointments moving
- They keep track of what they owe and how much help they still need
- They are persistent across multiple partial answers
- Driving and gig-work experience, with a commitment to steadier employment
- Family and immigrant support network, plus some housing and transport connections
What they are carrying
- Second eviction notice and $3,400 in arrears
- Prior-income rules that miss the present crisis
- Language access needs at every meaningful step
- A split between who has English and who has daytime availability
- Three children, including a newborn in the workshop profile, with Hossina caring for the baby
- Loss of gig income, rent payments to monitor, and limited guidance on next steps
- Childcare, transport, and behavioral-health stigma that limit service access
What they hope for
- A real path to close the rent gap
- A household plan, not separate adult fragments
- Interpretation without having to prove they need it
- Steady work and a thriving family with educational opportunities for the children
- ESL support so Hossina can improve her English
What they would never volunteer
- That sleeping in the car has already happened
- How much the appointment time forces Hossina to carry alone
- How little the denial explanation makes sense in English, let alone Amharic
Business as usual
Business as usual
The current experience across six stages, including its human cost and the indignities created along the way.
Stage
1. Crisis / Entry
the second notice
the second notice
2. Immediate Needs
the gap
the gap
3. Service Connection
prior income
prior income
4. Service Delivery
split household
split household
5. Progress & Monitoring
monitoring without a shared plan
monitoring without a shared plan
6. Stability & Transition
a future beyond the crisis
a future beyond the crisis
What happens
Loss of gig income and a second eviction notice put the family at risk of homelessness with a newborn. They seek rental assistance with $3,400 in arrears.
Rent, food, childcare, and language access need attention together. Prior work and income complicate access to TANF, Medicaid, and WIC during the present crisis.
They contact WDC, TANF, and Medicaid and seek employment and behavioral-health support. Prior-income denials, language barriers, stigma, and limited availability block usable connections.
Some assistance brings relief, but rent help does not cover the arrears and bills remain unpaid. Separate forms and visits divide the task between Hossina, who cares for the baby, and Aboul at work.
Rental payments are monitored, Aboul seeks consistent work, and Hossina expresses interest in ESL. Guidance remains limited, and separate program records do not connect those efforts into a family plan.
Housing and income remain insecure, including nights in the car. Family and immigrant support help them persist toward steady work, education for the children, and a thriving family; a clear path is still missing.
Where
Rental assistance door
Rental assistance / benefits contacts
WDC / benefits / behavioral-health referrals
Program counters / rental assistance
Rent follow-up / employment contacts
Family network / housing and employment search
Feeling
Urgent, worried for the children
Overwhelmed by linked needs
Motivated, but blocked
Relief, then the remaining gap
Persistent, but uncertain
Determined, with stability still uncertain
Cost
One urgent visit with incomplete options
Eligibility looks back while bills need paying now
A referral does not yet mean accessible help
7 forms, language gaps, and difficult childcare and transport
Monitoring exists; the family still joins up the next steps
34 days to first stable service; needs met 2 of 9
Indignities
Experience
Business as usual vs Integrated
Business as usual Integrated
How coordinated service delivery changes the same six-stage experience while keeping unresolved constraints visible.
Stage
1. Crisis / Entry
the second notice
the second notice
2. Immediate Needs
the gap
the gap
3. Service Connection
prior income
prior income
4. Service Delivery
split household
split household
5. Progress & Monitoring
monitoring without a shared plan
monitoring without a shared plan
6. Stability & Transition
a future beyond the crisis
a future beyond the crisis
Business as usual
Urgent, worried for the children
Loss of gig income and a second eviction notice put the family at risk of homelessness with a newborn. They seek rental assistance with $3,400 in arrears.
Overwhelmed by linked needs
Rent, food, childcare, and language access need attention together. Prior work and income complicate access to TANF, Medicaid, and WIC during the present crisis.
Motivated, but blocked
They contact WDC, TANF, and Medicaid and seek employment and behavioral-health support. Prior-income denials, language barriers, stigma, and limited availability block usable connections.
Relief, then the remaining gap
Some assistance brings relief, but rent help does not cover the arrears and bills remain unpaid. Separate forms and visits divide the task between Hossina, who cares for the baby, and Aboul at work.
Persistent, but uncertain
Rental payments are monitored, Aboul seeks consistent work, and Hossina expresses interest in ESL. Guidance remains limited, and separate program records do not connect those efforts into a family plan.
Determined, with stability still uncertain
Housing and income remain insecure, including nights in the car. Family and immigrant support help them persist toward steady work, education for the children, and a thriving family; a clear path is still missing.
Integrated
Met in their language
The same income loss and eviction risk bring the family in. One screen in Amharic identifies the needs of both parents and their three children at the first door.
Seen
Triage identifies the rent gap alongside food, childcare, and transport needs. Staff coordinate available help and check program eligibility against the family's actual circumstances.
Not resolved, but not bewildered
Staff explain remaining eligibility limits in Amharic and offer alternatives. Warm handoffs link employment and benefits help; behavioral-health support is offered privately, with consent.
Workable
A household plan connects available assistance. Interpretation is booked by default, and staff arrange a usable appointment around Aboul's work, the baby's care, and transport needs.
Recognized
One consented household view connects rent follow-up, employment support, and the children's needs. Staff link childcare and transport support to an accessible ESL opportunity for Hossina.
Directional
A housing plan connects available gap-closing help with employment support. Hossina enrolls in an accessible ESL option with childcare and transport arranged. Stable income and the children's longer-term goals still need follow-through.
Indignities
Removed 2
Remaining 0
noneRemoved 2
Remaining 0
noneRemoved 1
Remaining 2
Removed 2
Remaining 1
Removed 2
Remaining 0
noneRemoved 1
Remaining 1
Change
Shift
One urgent visit with incomplete options -> One retelling
Shift
Eligibility looks back while bills need paying now -> The gap and practical barriers are visible on day one
Shift
A referral does not yet mean accessible help -> Eligibility limits remain; choices and next steps are clear
Shift
7 forms, language gaps, and difficult childcare and transport -> 2 forms, booked interpretation, and a workable visit
Shift
Monitoring exists; the family still joins up the next steps -> Follow-up connects the family's goals and practical needs
Shift
34 days to first stable service; needs met 2 of 9 -> 9 days to first stable service; needs met 6 of 9
Experience
Current system
Fragmented touchpoints
Each service can do its own work while the person is left to carry the thread between them.
Touchpoint sequence
01 Rental assistance
02 TANF / Medicaid / WIC
03 WDC / gig-work income
04 Behavioral-health referrals
05 Childcare / transport
06 Rent monitoring / ESL interest
07 Separate program records
Continuity breaks
Where the thread drops
01
Prior-income decisions leave the current gap unresolved
02
Language, stigma, and practical barriers limit usable referrals
03
Work and baby care divide appointment availability
04
Rent monitoring and employment efforts lack shared direction
Integrated system
Coordinated service path
Shared context and explicit handoffs reduce the work required of the person without hiding constraints the system cannot remove.
Touchpoint sequence
01 Amharic family screen
02 Eligibility explanation / alternatives
03 Housing and employment plan
04 Booked interpretation
05 Childcare / transport arrangements
06 Household follow-up / ESL
Continuity improves
What changes
01
One screen includes both parents and the children
02
Remaining denials are explained with alternatives
03
Appointments and ESL fit work, baby care, and transport
04
Existing monitoring becomes coordinated family follow-up