Planning Commission endorses supportive housing facility in Seven Corners

The Fairfax County Planning Commission on July 27 endorsed a proposal to replace the Patrick Henry emergency family shelter in Seven Corners with a new building providing permanent supportive housing.

The new four-story facility, called Patrick Henry Place, will have 16 units.

Construction is expected to start in spring 2023. It should be ready for occupancy in fall 2024.

The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the project on Aug. 2.

Changing trends

The existing shelter, in the Holly Brooke II Condominium, was built in 1952 and is in poor condition and doesn’t meet current codes, project manager Amila Bebek told the Planning Commission. Located at 3080 Patrick Henry Drive, it has 10 units where homeless families can stay for up to 30 days.

Tom Barnett, deputy director of the Office to End and Prevent Homelessness, said the homeless population has been declining in recent years, although it rose due to job losses during the pandemic and the end of the eviction moratoriums.

Meanwhile, the county’s focus has shifted from emergency shelters to permanent supportive housing, he said, which provides a stable place to live for people transitioning out of or attempting to avoid homelessness.

Tenants sign a lease with no expiration date and pay rent equivalent to one-third of their income from a job, Social Security, or another source.

Supportive services

Patrick Henry Place will provide supportive services to help people with disabilities or chronic health conditions live independently. Case managers will help tenants find employment and public assistance and will connect them to community resources.

Barnett said permanent supportive housing benefits participants by transitioning them from homelessness to long-term housing stability. Patrick Henry Place will benefit the Holly Brooke community, too, by reducing turnover and providing more stability.

The county will find other housing for the people staying at the existing shelter.

Patrick Henry Place will be run by Shelter House, with support from the county and volunteers.

A secure facility

The new building will have a multipurpose room, office, and a security system with controlled access. Security is needed, Bebek said, because some tenants will likely be escaping from domestic violence.

Patrick Henry place will have five units with two bedrooms, eight with three bedrooms, and three with four bedrooms. There will be one accessible unit per floor for people with disabilities. Other units can be made accessible if needed.

It will have a fenced-in playground and lawn area for residents, a public plaza with benches, an electric vehicle charging station, and solar roof panels. The footprint of the new building will be the same as the existing one. The 0.6-acre property is being acquired by Fairfax County from the Holly Brooke II condo association.

The county will provide a bus shelter and 10-foot-wide walkways along Leesburg Pike and Patrick Henry Drive.

A 2016 bond referendum allocated $12 million for the project. Since then, costs have increased due to inflation, so the county will likely need to provide more funds. They won’t know how much is needed until the construction bids are submitted.