Virginia Awards $2.1M In Homeless Grants To NoVA, Fredericksburg

VIRGINIA — Twelve projects across Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg area received a total of $2.1 million in state Homeless Reduction Grants through the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, the office of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday.

A total of 38 projects across the state, including the 12 projects, received more than $6 million in homeless reduction grants. The grants are designed to help add permanent housing units and fund efforts to reduce homelessness.

“Housing affordability continues to be a challenge nationwide, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us in very stark terms how too many families are at risk of losing their homes,” Northam said Monday in a statement. “As we continue to rebuild our economy, we must ensure our most vulnerable Virginians are able to recover and find stability.”

In his fiscal year 2022 budget proposal, Northam is seeking $70.7 million in funding to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund.

Money from the trust fund provides financing for affordable housing initiatives that support moderate-and-low-income families, while the Homeless Reduction Grants provide rapid re-housing and longer-term housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness.

While the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased homelessness rates in many communities across the state, overall homelessness in Virginia has declined 36 percent since 2010, with homelessness among families dropping by 45 percent, according to the governor's office.

In 2021, 60 percent of the funding allocated to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund must be used to provide loans that reduce the costs of affordable housing. Given the additional need for immediate solutions to house people during the pandemic, up to 40 percent of the funds are being used for grants to reduce homelessness.

Among the projects in Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg awarded homeless reduction grants are:

Bridges to Independence

$619,030

Arlington County

This project will provide rental assistance for 25 households experiencing homelessness and fund three staff positions, service location costs, and associated administration costs to support the families in the rapid re-housing project.

Micah Ecumenical Ministries

$380,070

Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties, and the city of Fredericksburg

This project will expand permanent supportive housing in the Fredericksburg Continuum of Care. The grant will fund two full-time housing case managers to work exclusively with people receiving permanent supportive housing and provide rental assistance for five additional units of permanent supportive housing.

Shelter House

$300,000

Fairfax County, and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church

This rapid re-housing project will support 60 families experiencing homelessness. The grant will fund rental assistance and eligible activities, including security and utility deposits, last month’s rent, utility payments arrears, moving costs, and application fees.

Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network, Inc.

$125,000

Arlington County

This housing-first project will provide housing and ongoing support for 16 chronically homeless individuals and veterans who have significant barriers for housing placement and retention, including a lack of rental or poor credit history, legal issues, criminal backgrounds, poor health or chronic health conditions, mental illness, substance abuse, and little-to-no-income. The grant will support a project case manager, life skills coach, and housing locator.

Carpenter’s Shelter

$124,330

City of Alexandria

This grant will fund one full-time case manager to serve 10 chronically homeless individuals with high barriers in the Carpenter’s Shelter permanent supportive housing project.

Cornerstones

$100,000

Fairfax County

This project will fund housing stabilization case management and housing search placement for families and youth-headed households experiencing homelessness. Funding will support two case managers and a housing resource coordinator to connect households with permanent housing.

New Hope Housing Inc.

$100,000

Arlington County

This project will partially fund the costs of intensive case management and staff for six chronically homeless single adults in a group home. Funding will also support intensive case management in at least three scattered-site apartments. This effort will include Susan’s Place, a permanent supportive housing program for chronically homeless single adults who have serious, untreated mental illness and are resistant to treatment, and Just Home, a permanent supportive housing program for chronically homeless adults.

Micah Ecumenical Ministries

$92,700

Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties, and the city of Fredericksburg

This project will expand housing location capacity in the Fredericksburg Continuum of Care and target individuals 62 years of age or older who are experiencing homelessness. The grant will support a part-time housing case manager, housing locator, rental assistance, and housing stabilization financial assistance for 10 households.

Northern Virginia Family Service

$80,000

Prince William County, the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, and the towns of Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan, and Quantico

This project will quickly connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness with permanent housing. The grant will provide housing search and placement services, housing stabilization case management, housing stabilization financial assistance, rental assistance, and service location costs to support the rapid re-housing program.

Doorways for Women and Families

$63,000

Arlington County

This project aims to serve families, transition-age youth, and survivors of domestic or sexual violence experiencing homelessness. Funding will connect 29 households with permanent housing, provide rental assistance, rent arrears, housing stabilization financial assistance, housing search, and placement and housing stabilization case management.

New Hope Housing Inc.

$61,800

City of Alexandria

This project will support housing stabilization services for single adults, as well as case management services for 18 chronically homeless individuals in scattered-site apartments.

New Hope Housing Inc.

$60,000

Arlington and Fairfax counties

This project will provide stabilization services for 80 chronically homeless single adults in two apartment buildings and multiple scattered-site shared apartments. Funding will also support four case managers and three interns to provide 24/7 support and stabilization services.