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Faith Communities in Fairfax/Falls Church
Ending Homelessness Now | February 2011 |
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Welcome to the first issue of The Housing Advocate
Communities of faith across Fairfax and Falls Church have joined together, determined to end homelessness in our area. CFUH was started by hypothermia prevention program volunteers in many faith communities who wanted to do more to increase housing opportunities for people who were homeless or dangerously close to becoming homeless.
Many of the guests who come into the hypothermia program find a way to move from shelter to housing. But sadly, some of the faces that come through our doors are too familiar. Despite encouragement, support and local resources, some of our guests have been trapped in a cycle of homelessness for year upon year.
There are housing models that have proven effective in housing the chronically homeless. They have been established in other communities in our state, and by neighboring municipalities in the metropolitan region. Our own homeless neighbors need not only our compassion to engage them but our dedication to advocate for them.
Thirty years ago it was the faith based community who led the way in Fairfax to offer shelter and provide support. Local government responded to this clear direction. In a couple of months our churches will have finished their mission of keeping homeless people safe from the elements of winter. Some of our guests will return to the streets to wait to return next year, unless we decide to combine our voices and make a difference.
The Housing Advocate aspires to be the voice of the faith community, connecting you with others working for a just society, and bringing you the information you need to be an effective advocate for housing. Let us hear from you! Everyone in our community deserves decent, affordable housing. We hope that you will contact us at cfuhfairfax@gmail.com with your ideas and feedback.
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Shelter from the Storm - The Hypothermia Prevention Program
The hypothermia prevention program has now been operating across Fairfax County for several years and represents a unique partnership between several nonprofit organizations, county government, scores of faith-based organizations and several businesses. The program has served an increasing number of homeless persons each year, and this year it is anticipated to be as many as 1,000, with an average of about 150 per night. As part of this organized and coordinated program, homeless adults have been sleeping in Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Episcopalian, Protestant, Baptist, Unitarian Universalist and Evangelical churches, and an Islamic mosque, this winter. They eat meals prepared by members of these faith communities, experience a sense of fellowship, and are provided a safe place to sleep.
The program in the central region of the county has operated the longest and enjoys the highest level of volunteer support. It began November 21st, will end on March 14th, and generally operates in two church locations, moving to two new churches every week. The nonprofit FACETS staffs the program and handles the week-to-week logistics while providing case management services to those clients who utilize the program on a regular basis.
The programs in the other areas of the county all began December 1st and will extend through March 31st. The east county program is the newest one, although it services the largest number of clients, and it runs out of the county's Bailey's Crossroads Community Shelter as operated by Volunteers of America, Chesapeake. Clients congregate each evening at the shelter and are served dinner prepared and delivered by volunteers from participating faith communities; the shelter has a special relationship with the Annandale Christian Communities Association (ACCA). Clients are taken by van every night to a participating church for overnight shelter and breakfast. Men and women stay in separate churches.
Ventures-In-Community (VIC), a consortium of churches in south county, has maintained an essentially church-operated hypothermia program for its homeless clients that utilizes Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church as its sheltering location all winter. The nonprofit operator of the county's nearby Kennedy and Mondloch Shelters, New Hope Housing, provides limited staff support to the faith-based volunteers who stay overnight with the clients and prepare and serve evening and morning meals.
In north county, Reston Interfaith, the nonprofit operator of the county's Embry Rucker Community Shelter in Reston, coordinates volunteers from churches, businesses and other community groups, to provide support and meals to it's program. North county is the only program that does not use faith-based facilities as actual sheltering sites, and is located in the north county human services building.
And finally, Friends of the Falls Church Winter Shelter operate their sheltering service out of a city-owned building that they have renovated and furnished to house 12 homeless adults. Although only operating in the winter, clients often stay at the site for a relatively long period of time and are encouraged to take advantage of case management services offered to them. Local churches support the program in a variety of ways. |
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Advocacy Alert
The 2012 Fairfax County budget cycle is underway. On February 22, 2011, the County Executive will release the Advertised Budget. CFUH is getting ready to respond and may be asking for your support. |
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The Housing Blueprint - 2011 and Beyond
Providing affordable housing can be a daunting task. The need is enormous, with over 1,500 people homeless, 12,000 on the County waiting list for public housing, and a growing workforce in need of affordable housing in proximity to transportation and employment centers. It takes the combined resources of the public sector, private developers, and non-profit organizations and citizen advocates to tackle the problem. And it takes a blueprint for action.
In 2010, through an unprecedented collaboration of County agencies, non-profits and advocates, including Communities of Faith United for Housing, a comprehensive policy called the Blueprint for Housing was developed. It was adopted and funded by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The Blueprint reflects the consensus that affordable housing priorities should focus on serving those with the greatest need, such as the homeless, persons with disabilities and those with extremely low incomes. It supports partnerships with the county's non-profit community and fostering the development of additional workforce housing options. The Blueprint recognizes a continuum of housing need, ranging from those who are homeless, to hard-working but low paid families, to first-time homebuyers. The Blueprint has four goals:
1. To End Homelessness in 10 years;
2. To Provide Affordable Housing Options to Those with Special Needs;
3. To Reduce the Waiting Lists for Affordable Housing by Half in 10 years;
4. To Produce Workforce Housing Sufficient to Accommodate Projected Job Growth.
The Blueprint quantifies the need in each of those ares and is summarized in a chart that can be found on the County's website. Housing targets for 2011 include developing 2,650 new units to support the effort to end homelessness, drawing on significant investment from local, state and federal governments. Additional funding is recommended for the rehabilitation or expansion of two senior housing properties.
An integral component of the Blueprint in 2011 is the Bridging Affordability Program. This program is designed to provide funding to nonprofits, via a competitive process, for use as rental subsidies and capital for the acquisition of additional affordable units, to address the homelessness and waiting list goals of the Blueprint. In the first program year, it is expected that these funds will serve approximately 48 homeless individuals and families, and about 364 households on the county's affordable housing wait lists.
The input of the faith community is needed to assure the continued focus on service to those with the greatest need and elevate the priority of housing in the county as an integral part of a healthy community. |
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 Tips for Being an Effective Advocate
Advocacy is speaking out on behalf of a person or issue with a goal in mind, essentially, supporting a cause. This can take many forms, from writing your legislator to speaking at a public hearing, penning a letter to the editor of your local paper, attending a rally, or talking with your neighbors, colleagues, or friends to engage them in the issue.
We invite you to add your voice to our efforts to end homelessness and increase the supply of decent, affordable housing for all members of our community, with a special focus on providing permanent housing opportunities for those at the lowest levels of income.
Here are a few tips to get started:
1. Develop a simple, clear message that will be the foundation for all of your communications. You should be able to explain the issue and the action you're seeking from the person or audience you are addressing in 2-3 sentences. (Whenever possible or appropriate, cite a specific bill, policy, or budget item.) For example:
Our community has a critical shortage of affordable housing, especially for those at the lowest levels of income, people who are either homeless or at great risk of becoming homeless. I ask you to support public policies and budget items that will help end homelessness and increase the supply of affordable housing.
Be brief, polite, and include a call to action that answers the question, "How can I help?".
2. Provide a few key facts or statistics and examples (such as stories from people who have experienced homelessness or have had difficulties finding or maintaining housing) to illustrate the issue. For example:
In Fairfax County, more than 1500 people are homeless and tens of thousands struggle to maintain their housing and keep a roof over their heads.
You should be prepared and informed but you do not need to be an expert. Resources and links for additional reading are available on the News and Resources section of our website. Stay informed by reading The Housing Advocate, or consider setting up a Google Alert using keywords such as, "affordable housing" and "Fairfax County" or "Virginia".
3. Add your personal perspective: speak to why this issue is important to you and what you are doing to help. Depending on the audience you are addressing, a personal or emotional appeal may be effective.
4. Mention your ties to the community. Your statement or request will carry more weight with the audience when they know you are speaking about an issue that affects your community. When writing to elected officials or members of the media (including by e-mail), always include your home address; when speaking in public, reference the town, city, or county in which you live. Be sure to also reference your membership in or affiliation with Communities of Faith United for Housing, representing thousands of people in Fairfax County through its individual and faith community members.
5. Follow up is important. Any time you have an in-person meeting, whether with an official (or one of their staff members), a neighbor, or a civic or community group, leave behind something in writing that includes your contact information, your message with a call to action (or the text of your testimony if speaking at a public hearing), and a few key facts or resources for additional information (including the URL for our website, http://www.cfuhfx.org). If you are speaking with someone on the phone, send this information to him/her by e-mail or mail. And don't forget to send thank you notes - for meetings or phone calls with officials or community members, for the opportunity to speak to a group, for articles or op-eds that are published on the issue, and especially when the people you've addressed answer your call to action (e.g., your legislator introduces legislation that supports the development of affordable housing, your neighbor volunteers to join you in your advocacy efforts, etc.).
With these tips in mind, start talking! You might talk to your neighbors, friends, family, faith community, colleagues, civic groups, or hobby groups. Consider visiting your Fairfax County Supervisor, Virginia State Delegate, or Virginia State Senator. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, or pen a column for your neighborhood newsletter or the bulletin for your faith community. Call in to radio shows to speak on the air with politicians and community leaders to get their position and efforts on affordable housing on the record. Use blogs and social media to spread the word. Speak at a public hearing or attend one in support of another speaker on the issue.
In future issues of The Housing Advocate, we'll offer detailed tips and examples for these and other specific actions you can take. For additional advocacy resources, visit NP Action. |
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Upcoming Events | |
February 16 Community Forum "What's Happening in the Homelessness Community" 1-4 pm
Jubilee Christian Center, 4650 Shirley Gate Rd, Fairfax - link to flyer in "Quick Links."
February 22 Release of Fairfax County's FY 2012 Advertised Budget Plan.
March 29-31 County Board of Supervisors holds public hearing on the budget. |
| Contact Information | |
CFUH Housing Advocate
cfuhfairfax@gmail.com
www.cfuhfx.org |
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