Annual count mirrors regional trends; racial disparities, chronic homelessness, households fleeing domestic violence increase

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County increased by three percent (44 people) to 1,322 individuals in 2025. Last year, 1,278 individuals identified as experiencing homelessness. 

The data is from the forthcoming 2025 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count of individuals and families experiencing homelessness on January 22, 2025. This annual effort provides critical data on the number of Fairfax County residents living in shelters, in time-limited transitional housing programs, and those unsheltered and living outdoors in the Fairfax-Falls Church Community.

The Fairfax County data will be included in a regional analysis and annual report on homelessness by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Homeless Services Planning and Coordinating Committee, presented to the COG Board of Directors on May 14, 2025. A preview of the data was made available to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Learn more at mwcog.org/homelessnessreport.   

Officials from the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness indicate that the increase is primarily driven by a higher number of people utilizing emergency shelters during the night of data collection, January 22, 2025, as well as continued impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Point-In-Time Count provides us with directional information on the amount of people experiencing homelessness in our community on a single night. We can point to two phenomena driving the increase of the 2025 count. First, more people were using shelters the night we were conducting the count. Second, it is clear that our region has not yet recovered from the pandemic, which dramatically increased homelessness counts in 2021,” said Tom Barnett, Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development Deputy Director, Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.

“Homelessness is only truly alleviated through increasing affordable housing. The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority is committed to delivering on the Board of Supervisors’ goal of 10,000 net new affordable units by 2034. As we reported to the Board of Supervisors during their Housing Committee meeting in March, we are making great strides toward achieving that goal,” said Tom Fleetwood, Director, Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development.

Homelessness racial disparity persists

The percentage of people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County continues to be disproportionately Black/African American. However, the likelihood of people experiencing homelessness locally to be Black/African American is not increasing. While 11.1 percent of the general population in Fairfax County is estimated to identify as Black or African American, 48 percent of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the count identified as Black, African American, or African. This is consistent with the 2024 count. Additionally:

• 28 individuals aged 70 years and above experiencing homelessness on the night of the 2025 Point-in-Time Count (3 percent of the total adults).
• The number and percentage of veterans identified as experiencing homelessness remained the same year-over-year with 26 people in the 2024 and 2025 counts. 

Chronic homelessness and homelessness among domestic violence survivors increases

Almost one-third (29%, 263 people) of adults identified as experiencing chronic homelessness in the 2025 count. This is an increase from last year, most likely due to individuals experiencing longer episodes of homelessness. 

Seventy-seven households indicated they were actively fleeing domestic violence on the date the 2025 PIT count was conducted, an increase from 59 households the previous year. Additionally, the number of households who noted they have experienced domestic violence in the past remained relatively the same from 195 households in 2025 and 194 households in 2024.

Efforts to Prevent and End Homelessness in Fairfax County Continue

Fairfax County continues its work with community partners to address homelessness. This includes:

• The Continuum of Care Board is planning an inclusive community engagement and strategic planning process.
• Increased rental assistance for individuals with serious mental illness in the form of 300 new supportive rental assistance vouchers will be made available this year. 
• The Fair Ridge Shelter was opened in Fairfax, which brings 85 units to families experiencing homelessness, and created room at the Embry Rucker Shelter in Reston for nearly 50 more adults.