Reston's Cornerstones Surpasses Rapid Re-Housing Goal for Homeless Families and Individuals

Cornerstones, formerly Reston Interfaith, has secured permanent and affordable housing for 18 homeless families and 28 homeless individuals who were in need of assistance in the Reston/Herndon area of Fairfax County, surpassing its Rapid Re-Housing Challenge goal to house 15 families and 25 individuals between July 1st and Sept. 30, according to a news release from the group. Here’s more about it, from the release:

Circumstances that led to the clients’ homelessness range from “under employment” to aging and disabilities. Cornerstones provides a host of services including case management, landlord and rent negotiation, as well as financial assistance to find and secure housing. Once there, supportive services continue for clients to help them stabilize and increase their self-sufficiency.

The Rapid Re-Housing Challenge was established by Fairfax County to continue the success of last year’s 100,000 Homes campaign and Virginia’s recent statewide housing challenge. Fairfax County is the first to launch a community Rapid Re-Housing Challenge for which Cornerstones and its homeless services partners stablished goals to find permanent housing for families and individuals living in shelters.

According to Toya Taylor Codjoe, Cornerstones’ Division Director of Emergency & Supported Housing Programs: “Fairfax is a wonderfully supportive community where business, faith, residents, government and non-profit partners all work together to really support all of our neighbors, especially those among us who are the most vulnerable. What we’re doing now with rapid re-housing is working. In some ways we’ve worked together so well that people are able to forget that there is even an issue. The truth of the matter is that there is an issue, but it is an imminently solvable one that I know that this community can fix.”

The momentum continues with the 11th Annual Help the Homeless Community Walk on Sunday. Participants will walk from the Embry Rucker Community Shelter (11975 Bowman Towne Drive in Reston) to St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and back (about two miles). Funds raised through the walk will help provide basic and essential items, such as pillows, dishes and food for those who moved into stable housing through Cornerstones’ Rapid Re-Housing Challenge.

Interested participants can register at www.cornerstonesva.org. Registration fees are $25 for ages 18 and older; $20 for ages 17 and younger; $50 for families (three or more walkers).

Since 1970, Cornerstones has reached out to more than 250,000 neighbors in need, helping them overcome tough economic times in an already high cost-of-living region. Through advocacy and support services, Cornerstones connects clients to the vital resources they need to help build more stable families and self-sufficient lives and provides a comprehensive array of programs that solve urgent or on-going requirements for housing, childcare, food or financial assistance. For more information, please visit www.cornerstonesva.org.

PHOTO courtesy of Cornerstones