Last week, for three days during the early morning hours of 4:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m., a small army of more than 150 community volunteers and Arlington County staff took to the streets to identify and survey our neighborhoods’ most vulnerable homeless people.
The activity was part of Arlington County’s 100 Homes for 100 Homeless Arlingtonians Registry Week, which took place under the auspices of Arlington’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. It was spearheaded by the Department of Human Services and the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN).
Systematically canvassing the streets of Arlington County, survey teams spoke with 185 homeless persons. Of these, 153 took part in the survey, which used a vulnerability index to create a by-name list of individuals at higher risk for dying if they remain on the streets. Results indicated that 37% (57) of participants were vulnerable for health or other reasons. Those most vulnerable had been homeless for an average of seven years; the non-vulnerable population had been without a home for an average of three years.
Other responses provide more information about this small sample of Arlington County’s homeless people:
- 19% (29) of the respondents were female and 80% (122) were male; 1% (2) of the respondents were transgendered
- 70% (107) of the individuals surveyed were unsheltered, while 24% (37) were residing in an Arlington County homeless shelter, 4% (6) in the Arlington Detention Center with nowhere to go upon release, and 2% (3) in an Arlington hospital with nowhere to go upon release
- 14% (22) of the respondents were over 55-years- old, 11% (17) were over 62 years old, and 1% (1) was over 70 years old
- No respondents were under age 18; the youngest respondent was 19 years old
The Department of Human Services and A-SPAN are now working together to enable all 153 survey participants to receive services and move into permanent housing in the very near future.
The goal of the 100 Homes Arlington Campaign is to reduce chronic homelessness by 50% by July 2013. It is part of a statewide effort called 1,000 Homes for 1,000 Homeless Virginians led by the Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness. It is also associated with the national 100,000 Homes Campaign, led by Community Solutions, which has placed 10,948 in housing to date. Over 100 communities across the country are participating nationwide.
The Rosslyn BID would like to recognize our local Rosslyn restaurant, Santa Fe Café, which was one of the sponsoring organizations for this important work.
To read more details of the survey’s findings, go to Registry Week Facts and Figures.
Categories: 