The State of the Homeless

Below you find a report on the situation at present in our counter provided to us by Kerrie Wilson, the Executive Director/CEO of Cornerstones. Stable and secure housing for our members of our community is at the heart of Cornerstones' mission. Christ The Servant's partnership with and philanthropic support of Cornerstones is important and critical to those in need. If you have any questions or concerns about the report, please see Pastor Kenny or Sara Leonard.

Note: The Information below is from a report to the NAACP Housing Committee and Affordable Housing Advisory Council after encampment closures in Fairfax at Mantua/Pump House and the planned closure of Reston. Cornerstones and its partners have worked hard to keep focus on the county housing and homeless services efforts as a whole, while leading work in Reston, supported by so many organizations and individuals.

Temporary Overflow Shelter and the Reston Encampment

On the morning of September 10th, the county publicized date for the final closure of the Reston encampment, there were no Hill residents remaining when county staff arrived to begin clearing the site. This was no happy accident and only ended that morning as it did through coordinated planning and engagement and the collective focus by Cornerstones, Reston Strong, the county''s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, and Supervisor Alcorn’s office to offer alternatives and prioritize wellbeing and choices of  the individuals residing on the Hill.

Since it opened July 25, 35 individuals from the Hill have used TOS, and 26 individuals stayed the evening the Hill was closed (an increase of about 10 people over the average stays in July-August). Most of these individuals have participated in services year over year. Many/most are engaged in housing planning. Amenities such as luggage, storage and more flexible rules for flexible entry/exit and reserved bed spots were critical, along with the evening support.

We are grateful to Cornerstones faith partners, business and individual donors and the Reston  Strong team who provided great food and welcome at TOS. Cornerstones already provides over 120,000 meals, snacks and bagged lunches each year at Embry Rucker; what is not donated has to be purchased and prepared, taking resources away from other needs. That number will increase as TOS guests access breakfast and lunch at Rucker above our normal census. As enrollment increases at TOS (maximum capacity approximately 90 persons), we estimate the need for up to an additional 30,000 dinners this year. All of you who already support hypothermia understand this need.

Housing Planning/Options

Some unhoused individuals choose not to stay in a shelter for many reasons which are as complex as the strategies needed to prevent and end homelessness. Professionals, volunteers, and allies work against all odds—the cost and availability of housing, entry barriers such as income/debt, criminal history, and bias including racism, securing services with housing when needed, and overcoming individuals’ resistance and fear—to name a few. These are national challenges, but we see them every day here at home. Fairfax County has invested resources and made a commitment to housing and services unlike other areas of the country – but we are not keeping pace with need.

Reston Strong pushed to find temporary housing for three individuals who had said they did not want to shelter. A community member (former Reston Interfaith board member!) offered temporary housing for two months. However, it is important to note that Cornerstones, Reston Strong and OPEH agreed that we would not take action that would in any way jeopardize housing eligibility and priority just to offer a short-term stay; Cornerstones was adamant that the individuals needed to make an informed decision about any risk to their housing options. Once OPEH secured HUD’s guidance, Reston Strong was able to move forward to meet conditions under which the housing was offered. This is not an everyday option in our work and is resource intensive for the short-term stay. The reality is that efforts to secure permanent housing for these three individuals may not be complete in the two-month window of their stay, based on what they each need, and what is available today—which underscores the importance
of advocacy. It also means these three individuals could be uprooted again.

Fact: many individuals who experience chronic homelessness and who are disabled (physical, mental, intellectual/developmental) or who have other co-occurring conditions such as addiction or substance abuse may desire housing and services of a specific type – such as HUD defined Permanent Supportive Housing. The Fairfax-Falls Church CoC has identified the need for at least 275 Permanent Supportive Housing units with services as identified in the 2024 point in time count. Unless new PSH units are added through the annual HUD CoC competition however, our hands are tied because PSH unit availability currently is based on turnover of current units. And sadly, turnover typically only happens when current participants either pass away or are evicted from housing if they cannot meet the terms of the lease. The Lamb Center is currently working to bring 50 PSH units online; they will need resources and support! Cornerstones is at the re-zoning phase on a 35-unit PSH project at Route 50 and West Ox but stalled over easements; Reston Strong announced a project in the pipeline. We need to get these or other projects over the finish line and more quickly than we have seen.

Focusing County-Wide Advocacy
At this moment in time, 30+ individuals left the Hill encampment in Reston and the community that has been their home. That is hard. Many will use TOS and local resources; some moved elsewhere or will board with family and friends. Some will be back. But their story is not the full story.

Cornerstones’ homeless service programs served 1,136 people in separate programs that include: family shelter, singles shelter, medical respite program, motel shelter, street outreach, hypothermia prevention, winter season, overflow shelter, drop-in (meals, laundry, shower, medical/CSB, housing locator), cooling programs and homeless prevention/diversion. We have capacity for 11 families at Embry Rucker; we have been supporting 25 families in motels for over a year – countywide it’s close to 85-90 families.

Our FY2024 numbers:
• 1,136 persons
• 167 families with 333 homeless infants, children and youth (4 identified veteran households)
• 690 single individuals (37 identified veterans)
• 135 households exited to permanent housing (52 families and 83 single individuals).

We have had success in matching people to housing but nowhere near what is needed due to housing barriers. Cornerstones owns and operates 104 scattered site and apartment homes—every one of them dedicated to people leaving homelessness or with extremely low household income, and we’ve committed resources in Fairfax and Loudoun to build more. Cornerstones’ numbers represent only a portion of people who are unhoused in the county, and who participate in similar programs at New Hope Housing, FACETS, Shelter House, Pathway Homes, The Lamb Center, Rising Hope and other contracted providers who participate in the Continuum of Care and who bring significant additional resources and leverage to the county’s strong investment, along with faith, volunteer and advocacy groups who provide additional support and care. We also have a relatively “low” homeless population by comparison to large cities across the nation, but we have not yet marshalled the resources needed. We have the expertise and will do so.

We need housing. We need funding for permanent supportive housing, and for the services and supports for people who require them to remain once they have found housing. We need more shelter beds in the short-term that adhere to goals and focus of Housing First.

The Fairfax County Continuum of Care Board is in the process of updating the Ten Year Plan Retrospective and updating new strategies for Preventing and Ending Homelessness that will include Housing, Integrated Services, Prevention/Diversion, Consumer Engagement and other key areas. This is an important opportunity for our collective work to influence the next Ten Year Plan.