Reston Strong Finds Shelter Beds For Some; Others Remain Unhoused

RESTON, VA — Late on Monday night, members of Reston Strong, a local advocacy group, set up tents outside of the North County Governmental Center, which houses Reston District Station of the Fairfax County Police and office of Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn.

Reston Strong had set up the tents to raise awareness of the need for temporary housing for the county's homeless population.

With the help of federal pandemic funding, the county was able to provide safe shelter for for several unhoused residents, but that funding ran out on March 15. Monday's demonstration was timed to coincide with the closing of Fairfax County's seasonal hypothermia shelters, which meant that many unhoused people would be sleeping in tents or in the open across the county.

During a Lunch With The Reston Reporter Facebook Live interview on Friday, Alcorn commended Reston Strong for bringing attention to the problem of the lack of affordable housing.

"What we really have struggled with is to have enough affordable housing for people and I realized that that is the ultimate long-term solution that I am focused on," Alcorn said. "We also need an updated and expanded in degree Embry Rucker Shelter. ... But, until we get enough affordable housing in the area, we're going to keep rolling the boulder up the hill and it's going to keep rolling back down on us."

The following is a statement Patch received from Reston Strong on Friday afternoon:

On Monday April 4th, tents were pitched in front of the North County Government building as temporary accommodations for those who were displaced as a result of the hypothermia shelters and Covid programs winding down.

We are happy to announce that some of our tent residents have been placed in shelter beds. Reston Strong drove several people out to Fort Belvoir to a shelter which had space available for them. A few are at other shelters and Embry Rucker. Most shelters in the area are full and did not have room to take those who were staying in hypothermia. The difference between a shelter bed and hypothermia is that they do not need to leave until they have found housing or they have a case manager taking care of them.

This would not have been possible without the generous contributions of our many volunteers and donors as well as our local reporters who gave the matter attention. While we are relieved to have placed some, we are disappointed it came after delay and to still have more waiting. It breaks our heart that we have yet to place 4 elderly women with health issues, but we are committed to staying with them until that changes. The Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, Supervisor Alcorn’s Office, Community Service Board, Cornerstones, and their other partners are working to find placement.

Tents were not what Reston Strong wanted. They were a temporary solution in the absence of a governmental one. Reston Strong began petitioning elected officials a few months ago to make a plan and take action before the closures took place to ensure continuity of services. One of our specific requests to the Board of Supervisors was to modify the Fairfax County zoning ordinance to allow for temporary transitional housing as a by right use for empty commercial buildings/spaces in Reston.

A lack of low income affordable housing is a key contributor to homelessness in the region, but that cannot be changed overnight. In the meantime, we still have people who need support now. Reston Strong held a closed door meeting between elected officials and our unhoused neighbors in Reston at the end of March to express the urgency.

Despite our best efforts, when the doors to hypothermia shelters closed many were back out on the street without a plan in place. Reston Strong volunteers kindly showed up and pitched tents at the North County Government building across the street from Embry Rucker and helped move personal belongings. This was done out of necessity, not a desire to protest.

It took three days of requests from Reston Strong to secure 24 hour access to a bathroom after requests for a porta-potty were denied. Having elderly women walk across the street at night to use the restroom at Embry Rucker was not our ideal scenario. Unhoused neighbors were initially denied access to the North County Government facility, while Reston Strong volunteers were not. Although access was eventually granted for unhoused neighbors, it was disheartening to see the disparity in treatment between those who are housed and those who are not.

Our unhoused neighbors are experiencing hardship for a variety of reasons and most of them have jobs in the area. Some even have graduate degrees. Everyone in our community deserves to be treated with respect and humanity. Concerns of “biohazards and crime” should be directed towards securing better policies — not to shift blame on vulnerable people or community volunteers.

We are grateful for everyone who has given our unhoused residents a place to stay for now. Whether that was through a donation or giving your time, it made a difference. We will continue to fight for our community.

In Solidarity,

Reston Strong