National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) has recognized the Fairfax-Falls Church community by highlighting its progress toward ending homelessness in a community snapshot, which was released on Monday.

“It is an honor that NAEH has chosen to highlight our community's progress toward ending homelessness as they work with hundreds of communities nationally," said  Dean Klein, director of the Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.

 "This recognition will support the momentum and energy within our community as we continue to decrease the number of children, families and single adults who are homeless or at risk of falling into homelessness."

Since the implementation in 2008 of the Fairfax-Falls Church 10-Year Plan, homelessness has decreased more than 14 percent. The county's homeless numbers dropped from 1,730 in 2009 to 1,544 in 2010, Klein said earlier this year. Some of the key highlights from the past year include:

• The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing program helped close to 900 people received the services and supports they needed to prevent or end their homelessness.
• Of the 3,076 people who were literally homeless, 482 were able to secure permanent housing.
• A Housing Options Committee was established to lead the community’s efforts to create 2,650 new affordable housing units for persons who are literally homeless or at risk of homelessness.