Slight decrease in homelessness reported
The number of homeless individuals in Fairfax County has decreased by 3 percent from last year, according to the results of the Point-in-Time Count results released May 31.
The 2022 Point-in-Time Count identified 1,191 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness partnered with several nonprofits to count the number of people staying in emergency shelters and transitional housing and unsheltered individuals.
The biggest factor in the 3 percent reduction is a 15 percent decrease in the number of single adults experiencing homelessness between 2021 and 2022. The report attributes this result to the increase in rapid rehousing funds from the federal CARES Act.
In other key findings:
• The Point-in-Time Count found 57 unsheltered individuals in 2022, a 34 percent decline since 2018.
• Although only 10 percent of the general population in Fairfax County identifies as Black or African American, 50 percent of the people experiencing homelessness on the night of the count identified as Black or African American. This imbalance has not improved over time.
• The number of adults experiencing chronic homelessness decreased by 14 percent.
• There was a 33 percent decrease in the number of homeless veterans.
• The percentage of homeless individuals fleeing domestic violence is up 19 percent.
• The 2022 count reports 996 people in emergency shelters (down from 1,004 in 2021) and 138 in transitional housing (down from 161).
• Both the 2021 and 2022 counts reported 91 homeless youths age 18-24.
• Three percent of the people experiencing homelessness in 2022 were age 70 and above, including a 96-year-old in an emergency shelter.
4 responses to “Slight decrease in homelessness reported”
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“I don’t believe you.”
-Ron Burgundy
Yeah. This seems really doubtful when you consider the panhandlers at virtually every intersection, the panhandlers fake playing violins in all the parking lots. And the latest panhandlers pulled over on the exit ramps asking for money for gas and offering fake gold rings.
Unless those people aren’t really homeless, and if that’s the case, who are they?
The panhandlers are most certainly NOT homeless – at least most of them aren’t. I saw one go back to a luxury SUV complete with TVs in the headrests.
There have been stories from the police discouraging giving to them because of how score a couple hundred dollars a day panhandling in this area. When they do that every day, you’re talking 70-90k tax free. There ends up being their livelihood, which honestly – as long as I’ve seen some of those people out there, I don’t doubt.
Always encourage folks to have a giving and generous spirit, but give to established charities rather than on the street.
The panhandlers in the parking lot or a intersections are professional scammers. Some of them make more than $100,000/year on this job. And it’s all tax free!
The homeless people in the parking lots are the ones trying to sell you their food stamps for cash. They want the cash for booze or drugs, of course.
The professionals are the ones who approach you inside or near a grocery store with a sob story about their family starving. Often a women who looks to be down on her luck. Sometimes even with a kid in tow.
Oddly, they are never interested in you buying them food. And they won’t go to the family shelter or any other help facilities (church/mosque) that are just down the road practically across the street.
If you track them, you will find that they drive a new high-end luxury car. But man do they have a story!
Another flavor of panhandlers are the ones you will meet at gas stations. They were driving for some family emergency, usually a long distance, but have run out of gas. The need cash for gas. They have an elaborate backstory. Sometimes they claim to be military. I have met them many times — even the same individuals occasionally. These are mostly on places such as WaWa along highways like I-95. Very convincing! But it’s like they are reading from a script. Exactly the same stories with exactly the same words. I wonder if there’s a web page that taught them the scripts!
If you want to help the homeless, do it through a church, or a shelter or food bank. Talk to some place reputable like SERV in Manassas.