Fairfax County was the only locality in the D.C. area where homelessness declined last year, decreasing by 2% from 1,310 individuals to 1,278, according to anew report.
County officials stated in the report, which was publishedlast weekby theMetropolitan Washington Council of Governments(COG), that the decrease is primarily due to fewer families residing in shelters and temporary housing provided by the county.
In recent years, Fairfax has stepped up itseviction prevention and diversion efforts, and improvedlegal support and tenant outreach. Despite those efforts, homelessness in the county has increased 23% since 2020, per the report.
COG has been collecting data on homelessness in the D.C. area since the early 2000s. Each year, it asks public and private nonprofit organizations serving the region’s unhoused population to conduct a count of individuals living in shelters, transitional housing programs and outdoors.
County reports overall drop in homelessness
Data from Fairfax County’s latest count shows a 13% drop in unsheltered homelessness, from 150 individuals in 2023 to 130 in 2024. Chronic homelessness also decreased by 8%, from 200 to 185 people, and the number of homeless veterans saw a modest decline of 5% from 40 people in 2023 to 38 in 2024.
However, not all trends were positive. There were 95 individuals grappling with substance use disorders, up from 90. There was also an increase in those who have severe mental illness from 150 to 160 and those with co-occurring disorders, from 60 to 70.
The aging homeless population is also growing, with 190 individuals aged 55-64 — 10 more than in 2023 — and 45 people who were 65 and older, an increase from 40.
Racial disparitiesin homelessness also persist. In 2024, 43% of the homeless population was Black or African American, down from 45% the previous year. Conversely, the percentage of Hispanic or Latino individuals rose from 20% to 22%, suggesting a continuing impact from systemic racism.
D.C. region sees overall spike in homelessness
Fairfax County isn’t alone in facing ahomelessness crisis. Seven out of eight jurisdictions in the region, including Arlington, Prince William and Montgomery counties and the cities of Alexandria and D.C., reported growing homeless populations.
Overall, Fairfax County’s homeless population has increased from 1,041 in 2020 to 1,278 in 2024. Surrounding localities have also seen increases as high as 71% in Montgomery County, while Alexandria and D.C. saw reductions during that period.
In the past year, the D.C. region’s homeless population jumped 12%, from 8,696 people in 2023 to 9,774 in 2024. The most significant increases were observed in Montgomery County (28%) and Loudoun County (38%).
Efforts to address ongoing challenges
To tackle homelessness, COG emphasized a need to expand affordable housing options, including permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing programs. The organization also stressed the importance of behavioral health services, with a focus on integrated mental health and substance use treatment and expanded mobile outreach efforts.
In March, Fairfax County announced plans to expand affordable housing access for individuals with serious mental illnesses through a$20 million grantfrom the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
The funding will provide 300 new supportive rental assistance vouchers and create three new staff positions to manage the program. The county hopes that prioritizing individuals who’ve experienced long-term homelessness or frequent crises will help prevent homelessness and reduce state psychiatric hospital populations.
According to COG, the D.C. area reported “an all-time high” for 2024 in the number of people being served by rapid re-housing, supportive housing, and other permanent housing programs.
“We have seen steady progress in housing support services that transition our residents experiencing homelessness into safe, affordable, permanent housing,” COG Human Services Policy Committee Chair Rodney Lusk, who’s also the Franconia District supervisor, said. “But the need in our communities is great, and only with substantial and sustained investments into these programs will our region effectively make the experience of homelessness brief, rare, and non-recurring.”
To address challenges with racial disparities, older adults experiencing homelessness, data collection and public outreach, COG recommended:
- Implementing equity-focused policies and providing cultural competency training for staff
- Establishing an aging and homelessness taskforce
- Bolstering data tracking and analysis
- Expanding education and employment opportunities
- Increasing public engagement to promote awareness and volunteering.
Fairfax steadily expands shelter bed capacity
Though Fairfax still faces significant challenges in curbing its homeless population, the report says county agencies, such as theOffice to Prevent and End Homelessnessand its nonprofit partners, have made strides in adding shelter beds for homeless individuals and families.
Over the last five years, Fairfax has increased the number of beds available for those experiencing homelessness by 20%, from 1,072 in 2019 to 1,291 in 2024. Emergency shelter beds dropped after a peak of 814 in 2021, but they are on the rise again, increasing 4% from 453 in 2023 to 471 in 2024.
Inventory of available beds for homeless individuals in Fairfax County as of January 2024 (via Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments)
Meanwhile, seasonal and overflow shelter beds have nearly doubled since 2019, growing by 97% from 340 beds to 670. However, transitional housing and rapid rehousing options have significantly decreased since 2021.
Earlier this year, county officialsannounced plansto clear a large homeless encampment in a wooded area next to Inova’s emergency center in Reston.
The county plans to set up a temporary shelter at the North County Human Services Center, but it remains unclear whether the shelter will be accessible during the day, and homeless residents haveexpressed concernsabout the living conditions at nearby public and private nonprofit shelters.
- GET MORE LOCAL NEWS. Sign up for free e-mail alerts.
