Community Corner

Reston Interfaith to Survey Area Needs

Local nonprofit will take part in 100,000 Homes Registry Week, a national project to help find permanent places for 100,000 homeless people by 2014.

Volunteers and staff from Reston Interfaith will take part in the area's 100,000 Homes Registry Week beginning Sunday.

The project, a joint effort in the area by the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness, FACETS,  New Hope Housing, Pathway Homes and Volunteers of America Chesapeake, will create a registry that will give advocates a better look at who are the chronically homeless in the area.

Reston Interfaith volunteers will gather names, photographs and qualitative information of the most vulnerable and chronically homeless people. In Reston, they will survey the Hypothermia Site at Camron Glen, the Embry Rucker Community Shelter, and local "hot spots" - areas where homeless are known to live outdoors.

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"The 100,00 Homes Fairfax Campaign is an opportunity for our community, elected officials – and even those of us in the field fighting homelessness everyday – to look at things with fresh eyes," said Reston Interfaith CEO Kerrie Wilson.

"This campaign is about peeling off the 'chronically homeless' label to connect with men and women who have endured more than most of us could ever imagine and to be reminded that it is within our reach to help them," she said.  "Sure, there are still barriers and wait lists, but our triage will ensure those who are most vulnerable will get the immediate attention they need, while we recommit to find resources to bring everyone home."  

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The 100,000 Homes Fairfax Registry Week is part of The 100,000 Homes Campaigna national movement of communities working together to find permanent homes for 100,000 of the country’s most vulnerable and chronically homeless individuals, says Reston Interfaith.

More than 175 communities nationwide will be taking part in the project, which aims to find permanent homes for those 100,000 by July 2014.

This registry will be a first of its kind for Fairfax County, and will help put a real face on homelessness and will help advocates make decisions about how to prioritize and allocate housing and support services.

Registry Week will run Sunday through Friday.

Fairfax County and Fairfax City have about 2,900 temporarily homeless, and about 300 are chronically homeless. The county anticipates that half of its homeless population will be in supportive housing within three years.


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