Sequester Pushes Virginia Families, Working Poor, a Step Closer to Homelessness

Fairfax County human services officials say more funds are needed for housing and other programs.

Fairfax County officials have said the impacts of sequestration are largely unknown, but for some of the county's low-income residents that's no longer true: Last week, the cuts forced the county to stop issuing Section 8 vouchers for affordable housing to families in need. Officials say that up to 150 families in the county might not be getting housing vouchers that will help them pay their rent. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides funding to the county for the program, but the budget sequester has put that in jeopardy. The county stopped issuing vouchers earlier this month and while some residents were able to get help at the last minute, others might not be so fortunate. These cuts directly impact organizations…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Fairfax County Homeless Population Down 12 Percent from 2012

Officials will highlight successes, challenges in full report to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments on April 10.

Fairfax County’s homeless population has declined 12 percent in the last year and 26 percent since 2007, according to a new report from the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness. The Connection reports that according to agency’s annual “point-in-time” survey, the number of homeless people in the county has decreased by 184, from 1,534 in 2012 to 1,350 in 2013. The number of homeless has also decreased by 463 since 2007, down from 1,813. The count was conducted over a one-day period in January, per requirements from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Only people who are literally homeless and living in shelters, transitional housing or on the street are counted in the survey. This …

• Photos (1)

New Campaign Will Help Fairfax Homeless

Plan would house 150 homeless over the next three years.

Fairfax County is joining a national initiative to provide housing to the area’s chronically homeless population. During a meeting of the Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee this week, representatives from the county’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness detailed the struggles of people who live on the streets and in the woods of Fairfax County. About 350 people in the county face chronic homelessness. That’s an increase of more than 100 people since 2010, said Dean Klein, director of the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. These residents have been homeless for years and have had no success with other county programs, said Klein. In many cases, the county’s chronically homeless suffer from serious mental and physical …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Board Recognizes Fairfax Youth for Homeless Outreach

Fairfax Supervisors commend students' participation in "Fast Shacks" last summer.

After Fairfax and Vienna youth raised awareness for homelessness over the summer by constructing makeshift shelters from discarded materials and sleeping under the stars, they were recognized Tuesday for their efforts before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. About 50 middle and high school students from Emmanuel Lutheran, Fairfax Presbyterian and Vienna Presbyterian Churches were honored for their participation in the “Fast Shacks” program. Students spent a day building their shelters from cardboard, wood, tarp, twine and other recycled materials. The youths were split up into teams and allotted a $5 budget for the building supplies, but many were foraged. They also abstained from solid foods during construction and through the …

• Photos (1)

Photo Gallery

Fairfax Sheriffs Take Kids Back to School Shopping

The 19th annual 'Shop with a Sheriff' event benefited 24 children who are homeless.

The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office partnered with Target in Burke Wednesday to provide 24 children who are homeless with a back-to-school shopping spree. Now in its 19th year, Shop with a Sheriff pairs deputies and other Sheriff's Office staff with school-aged children temporarily residing at the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter in Fairfax and the Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Falls Church. "The deputies and Sheriff's Office staff themselves generate contributions from local businesses and individuals to fund this annual event," said Braddock District Supervisor John Cook. "It is a great contribution to the community." The children ranged in age from kindergarteners to young adults, and enjoyed the company of the deputies and staff as…

• Photos (9)

More Than 1,500 Reported Homeless in Fairfax County

One in three homeless in Fairfax County area are children.

There are 1,534 homeless people in the Fairfax area, according to a survey conducted early this year by the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership.  The survey found that 697 single people and 837 people in families were homeless on Jan. 25, when the survey was conducted. While the total number of people who are homeless declined by 15 people from January 2011, the survey showed that persons in families that are homeless increased by 46 people from the previous year. It also found that 33 percent of the homeless were children under 18 years old. The partnership puts out the survey each year to help identify need and track successes and challenges from year to year. Read the full report online. To find out more about homelessness in …

• Photos (1)

Homeless No Longer

Two women overcome obstacles to find a place to call home.

Amanda Colliflower and Thella Jacobs have never crossed paths. They’ve lived vastly different lives. But Colliflower, a former prostitute, and Jacobs, a former federal government employee, both landed in homeless shelters, and both knew they needed hope — and determination — to change their lives for the better. Colliflower, 22, is on the road to getting back on her feet. Currently she lives with her 11-month-old daughter, Delilah, in a transitional housing apartment through New Hope Housing. It’s her toddling daughter that gets her through the tough times. “I’ve come from nothing to something, basically,” Colliflower said. “Even though it’s sad because I kind of built my own homelessness, from not having to be homeless to having to. But …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (3)