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Highlights from the 2011 Point-in-Time Count of People Who Are Homeless

On Jan. 26, 2011, there were 1,549 people who were literally homeless in the Fairfax-Falls Church Community.
666 of them were single individuals and 883 were people in families.

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Characteristics of Single Individuals

Characteristics of Persons in Families

During the past year, the number of people who were homeless in the Fairfax-Falls Church Community remained stable in spite of the current economic climate and lower levels of employment and income among people who were homeless. There were 5 more people counted for who were homeless this year compared to 2010.

• People in families accounted for 57 percent of all persons counted.
  • Close to 35 percent of all persons who were homeless were children under the age of 18, a slight drop of two percent in the
    number of literally homeless children from 2010.
    
  • 60 percent of adults in families that were homeless were employed, a slight drop of two percent from 2010.
    
    
• Single individuals represented 43 percent of the total number of persons counted.
  
  • The number of single individuals who were homeless increased by 14 people, however over half of this increase resulted from a change in definition that included a program that was previously considered to be permanent supportive housing.
    
  • 60 percent of single individuals who were homeless suffered from serious mental illness and/or substance abuse, and many had chronic health problems and/or physical disabilities.
  • 19 percent of single adults who were homeless were employed, a drop of four percent from 2010.
    
    
• Prevention initiatives, housing first and permanent housing with supports appear to be having an impact on the number of persons who are homeless in the Fairfax-Falls Church Community. During 2010:
  • In more than 10,000 occasions emergency housing assistance was provided and close to 900 people received short-term housing assistance.
  • An additional 16 families were placed into permanent supportive housing.
  • An additional 21 beds of permanent supportive housing for single adults who were homeless were made available.
    
    
• The annual Point-in-Time Count of Homeless Persons in the Fairfax-Falls Church Community follows the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reporting guidelines and covers people who are literally homeless – those who are in shelters, in transitional housing or unsheltered living on the street.
  
  
• The count does not include people who live in temporary arrangements but do not face immediate loss of shelter, who self-pay to live in a motel or youth who are staying temporarily with others but who do not have a permanent stable residence.
  
  
• The numbers also do not include formerly homeless persons who now live in permanent supportive housing or persons who live in permanent housing but are receiving supportive services to maintain housing stability and prevent homelessness.

2011 Point in Time Count (PDF)