Printer
TextKatherine K. Hanley Family Shelter
A safe, temporary residence for our homeless neighbors
Where is the
shelter located?
The Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter is located at 13000
Lee Highway in Fairfax, VA, 22030, at the intersection of Lee Highway
(Route 29) and Meadow Estates Drive.
What is the schedule for constructing and opening the
shelter?
Construction began in the spring of 2006 and was completed
in July 2007, with families moving into the shelter in late August 2007.
The ribbon cutting
ceremony took place August 4, 2007. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on
April 23, 2006.
How large is the shelter?
The building is 16,931 square feet. The total site area is
5.66 acres, including 2.47 acres of trees (saved and to be planted). The
site plan includes the future construction of transitional housing to
accommodate six families.
Who designed and built the shelter?
Fairfax County's Department of Public Works and
Environmental Services oversaw the design and construction of the
shelter. The architectural firm for the shelter is Wisnewski Blair &
Associates. The building contractor is Brechbill & Helman
Construction Company, Inc.
Who operates the shelter?
Fairfax County's Department of Family Services manages the
shelter and contracts with a nonprofit organization — Shelter House, Inc.
— to conduct its day-to-day operations.
Who will be living at the shelter?
About 20 families will live at the Katherine K. Hanley
Family Shelter. Most of the families are mothers with school-age
children.
How will families be admitted to the shelter?
To be admitted to a Fairfax County shelter, the family
first contacts the county’s Department of Systems Management for Human
Services, Coordinated Services Planning, (703-222-0880, TTY
703-603-7914). After finding out some basic information about the
family’s situation — where the family has been staying, what other
resources they have for help and housing — the CSP social worker refers
the family to the shelter most convenient to them for a more in-depth,
face-to-face interview. If appropriate, the family is then placed on a
waiting list and moves to the shelter when room becomes available.
What goes on at a family shelter?
The shelter provides a safe, temporary home for families, where they can
receive help to assess their needs and develop a plan to locate permanent
housing as quickly as possible. The shelter is an integral part of the
county's 10-year plan to end homelessness.
Families at the shelter abide by a daily schedule that includes wake-up
times; regularly scheduled congregate meals; school, training and/or work
activities; special groups (parenting, computers etc.); curfews; and
bedtimes.
During the day, the adults are expected to go to work, if employed, or prepare for and seek employment. Children go to school or participate in child-care programs. A van and drivers are available to address residents’ transportation needs. The shelter offers case management, training and other social services for the clients. Volunteers are an important resource to the shelter, serving as mentors and trainers, helping with meal preparation and coordinating donations.
Where will the children attend school?
In accordance with federal law (the McKinney-Vento Act),
homeless children residing in shelters have the right to continue
attending their previous base school, or they may be enrolled in the
shelter's neighborhood school. The shelter staff works closely with the
Fairfax County Public Schools' Liaison for Homeless Students to
coordinate school placement and transportation. The shelter is located in
the area served by the following schools: Eagle View Elementary School;
Lanier Middle School; and Fairfax High School.
How does the shelter look? Does it fit in with the
neighborhood?
The shelter was designed to fit in architecturally with
the surrounding residential neighborhood. Lighting provides a secure
environment but is not disruptive. A pedestrian trail connects the
shelter with Stringfellow Road. The placement of the building on the site
is environmentally sensitive, leaving many of the existing trees. The
Katherine K. Hanley Shelter is the first homeless shelter in the country
to receive a Green Globes rating for its sound energy and environmental
design practices.
For more information, please contact:
Homeless Services
Children, Youth and Families Division
Fairfax County Department of Family Services
703-324-7127, TTY 703-222-9452
For information about volunteering at the Katherine K. Hanley
Family Shelter,
please contact the community coordinator at
571-522-6800,
TTY 703-988-0256
e-mail volunteer.hanley@shelterhouse.org
Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request.
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