JUNE 2021 NEWSLETTER

The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness – now part of the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development – is committed to eliminating the disproportionality of people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness from communities of color and other marginalized populations by providing equitable paths to safe, stable, affordable housing.

COVID-19 UPDATES

Thanks to the ongoing dedication of numerous partners, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness has continued to address the needs of those at risk of and experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Temporary Shelter Available During COVID-19: More than 1,630 people have transitioned into Quarantine, Protection, Isolation, and Decompression (QPID) Hotels since April 16, 2020 with locations operating across Fairfax County. The QPID Hotels are managed by several non-profit partners, including Cornerstones, FACETS, New Hope Housing, and Shelter House. Northern Virginia Family Service operates a Central Intake (703-267-3511) to triage referrals to the QPID Hotels. Fairfax County released a video to provide information on how to access temporary shelter.
  
   
• Eviction Prevention: The Eviction Moratorium established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to temporarily halt evictions of tenants unable to make rental payments has been extended through June 30, 2021. Fairfax County’s Eviction Webpage continues to serve as a resource that compiles eviction prevention data and information related to basic needs assistance, the eviction process, tenant rights, financial and medical assistance, emergency shelter, legal services and more.
   
• Northern Virginia Eviction Prevention and Housing Stability Toolkit: The Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA) and Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV) have published a toolkit explain what can be done to prevent evictions in Northern Virginia and where gaps in eviction prevention currently exists.
   
• COVID-19 Vaccination: 
  • For information on the COVID-19 Vaccine and its administration locally, please visit Fairfax County’s Vaccine website.
  • For vaccine questions and help with scheduling, call 703-324-7404.
  • Vaccine regional campaign videos were developed as part of the StayWellNoVa initiative to provide vaccine information across audiences.
  • Uber and Lyft Will Provide Free Rides for Vaccine Appointments: Uber and Lyft will be providing free rides to and from vaccine appointments up until July 4th.

Thank you to the many providers that are serving people in our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each and every one of you are sincerely appreciated.

PARTNERSHIP UPDATES

• Emergency Broadband Benefit: The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a Federal Communications Commission program that launched on May 12th. This federal program will provide a $50/month ($75/month on tribal lands) subsidy for the cost of internet service for select individuals for 6 months. The list of Virginia's participating broadband providers can be found here. Eligible households can sign up for the program directly through their broadband provider or online. For more information and to sign up, visit the program website at https://getemergencybroadband.org/.

• Rental Assistance Demonstration Project-Based Voucher program (RAD-PBV): The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) will be accepting preliminary applications, online only, for placement on the waiting list for publicly owned housing through the Rental Assistance Demonstration Project-Based Voucher program (RAD-PBV) starting Monday, June 7th through Sunday, June 13th. The FCRHA currently owns 1,060 units of housing located throughout the county under this program which serves low- to moderate-income households. In this program, tenants pay between 30 and 35 percent of their income for rent and the FCRHA receives funding from the federal government to subsidize the rents. Program details and eligibility information can be found here.

• Juneteenth: Homelessness, Racism, and the Legacy of Slavery: On June 19, 1865, two years after the formal issue of the Emancipation Proclamation, the last enslaved people, living in Galveston, Texas, were finally made aware of their freed status. Approximately 250,000 Black people were liberated on this day, and the following year, the first Juneteenth celebration was held. However, ingrained racism in the criminal justice, education, employment, housing, and other systems, combined with the lasting effects of chattel slavery, culminate in the disproportionately high number of Black people experiencing homelessness. This article by the National Alliance to End Homelessness includes several ideas on how to actively work to dismantle the legacy of slavery as a necessary approach to ending homelessness.

• Consolidated Community Funding Pool FY2023-2024, Selection Advisory Committee: Fairfax County Consolidated Community Funding Pool Funding Application for the FY2023-2024 award cycle will be released this coming fall. The county is seeking community volunteers willing to participate on a Selection Advisory Committee to review and evaluate proposals and make recommendations on how to distribute funds to community partners that provide programs to support Fairfax County residents. Extensive pre-service orientation will be provided, and this volunteer opportunity can be done entirely virtually if requested. More information can be found on the Selection Advisory Committee Flyer and applications will be accepted through August 31, 2021.

• County Opens Community Discussions on Proposed Relocation of the Eleanor Kennedy Shelter: In 2016, Fairfax County voters approved funding to renovate or replace four emergency housing facilities or shelters through a 2016 Human Services and Community Development Bond Referendum. The existing Eleanor Kennedy Shelter operates from a 103-year-old converted pump house on Fort Belvoir with no options for additional supportive housing. Fairfax County is proposing a mixed-use project to combine a new, modern shelter with the construction of the new Penn Daw fire station on a property formerly owned by the Hybla Valley Nursery on Beacon Hill Road. Frequently asked questions can be found here.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Please register for the following trainings if you have an interest in attending. By registering, we will be able to inform you of any adjustments or cancelations due to COVID-19.

• Kaiser Permanente’s Mid Atlantic Regional Housing Forum
  Thurs, Jun 10, 2021
  9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
  Kaiser Permanente will host a Regional Homelessness Forum with more than 50 organizations, government agencies, and funders that work in the housing and homelessness space. The forum will feature a series of informational sessions that provide participants a chance to learn about specific resources in the context of Kaiser Permanente health care and strategies, network with other jurisdictions, share data and best practices, and create opportunities for connections across important focus areas.

• Responding to LGBTQ Survivors of Sexual Violence
  Wed, Jun 16, 2021
  1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  The Virginia Anti-Violence Project will explore institutional barriers and normative beliefs that make LGBTQ people vulnerable to sexual violence and discourage survivors from seeking help. The discussion will include best practices to help services providers and community members improve the response to LGBTQ sexual violence survivors, as well as efforts to address harmful barriers and beliefs.

• Reproductive and Sexual Coercion
  Fri, Jul 16, 2021
  10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
  Participants will learn about reproductive and sexual coercion using a reproductive justice framework, an intersectional approach created by SisterSong that treats reproductive health in a holistic way. The presenter will discuss how local partners can collaborate; how to improve providers’ procedures regarding clients’ sexual activity and sexual health; and how to better identify and support survivors.

• Incarcerated Victims of Sexual Violence
  Wed, Aug 4, 2021
  9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
  Incarcerated individuals face much higher rates of sexual violence and are also disproportionately likely to have been sexually abused before incarceration. Just Detention International will explain the incidence and dynamics of sexual abuse in detention and provide guidance on addressing the impact of sexual violence on incarcerated survivors, including the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards. JDI will also discuss how to challenge cultural assumptions about sexual violence in detention so “rape is not part of the penalty.”

• Strangulation and Sexual Violence
  Fri, Sept 10, 2021
  1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
  Beth Roach will share her expertise on strangulation and asphyxiation as they are used in intimate partner and non-intimate partner sexual violence. She will describe the general dangers and signs of strangulation, as well as the unique characteristics of strangulation/ asphyxiation of sexual violence victims, how to identify and support strangulation victims, and Forensic Assessment and Consultation Team (FACT) services.

• Sexual Harassment
  Mon, Nov. 15, 2021
  10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  Sexual harassment can include a wide range of unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature, and can occur in a workplace, learning or housing situation. The speaker will address how to be aware of and respond to sexual harassment, whether you are a victim, witness, or advocate. This presentation will enable participants to raise awareness and decrease tolerance for sexual harassment.