A Letter From the
Homelessness Task Force Chair
May 2024
Dear Fairfax City,
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s important to remember our entire community’s need for mental health services. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 21% of people experiencing homelessness reported having a serious mental illness, and 16% reported having a substance use disorder.
My main goal as the Homelessness Task Force chair is to spread the word about abundant resources available to our unhoused neighbors.
One such resource is the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health, located in nearby Merrifield. It is open to all residents seeking services for mental health and substance disorders. The center embodies Diversion First, a continuum of services that offer alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low-level offenses.
Emergency services are available at the community health center 24/7. Click here for more information.
At the April 29 meeting, we completed the preliminary review of policy subcommittee recommendations and began the review of data subcommittee recommendations.
We hope you will attend the upcoming community feedback roundtable at 6 p.m. May 16 at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd.
We must always remember to put people first and find humanity by helping those in need.
Sincerely,
Amini Elizabeth Bonane
Chair, Fairfax City Homelessness Task Force
Meeting agendas and other meeting information can be found on the Homelessness Task Force webpage: fairfaxva.gov/homelesstaskforce
Please share your questions and comments on the Homelessness Task Force Engage page: engage.fairfaxva.gov
8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive
Fairfax, VA 22031
Free parking in the garage behind the building • MetroBus (Routes 1A and 1C) • Connector bus (Routes 401 and 402)
Main: 703-559-3000 (voice), 711 (TTY)
Emergency Services, 24/7: 703-573-5679 (voice), 711 (TTY)
Please call Emergency Services before arriving, if possible.
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Community Feedback Roundtable
Set for May 16
The City of Fairfax Homelessness Task Force invites the community to a feedback roundtable from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd.
At the roundtable, participants will review proposed task force recommendations, share feedback, and exchange ideas. Click here to download a copy of the flyer.
Info: fairfaxva.gov/homelesstaskforce
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Homelessness Task Force Meeting Information
The following task force meetings are scheduled:
- Monday, May 6 • 6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 29 • 6:30 p.m.
These meetings will be held in the work session room at Fairfax City Hall (Annex Room 111 A-B). Agendas are posted on the task force webpage before the meeting.
Additional task force and subcommittee meetings may be scheduled.
Meeting information is subject to change. Info: email, 703-385-7894 (TTY: 711)
When We Walk By takes an urgent look at homelessness in America, showing us what we lose—in ourselves and as a society—when we choose to walk past and ignore our neighbors in shelters, insecure housing, or on the streets. And it brilliantly shows what we stand to gain when we embrace our humanity and move toward evidence-based people-first, community-driven solutions, offering social analysis, economic and political histories, and the real stories of unhoused people.
Authors Kevin F. Adler and Donald W. Burnes, with Amanda Banh and Andrijana Bilbija, recast chronic homelessness in the U.S. as a byproduct of twin crises: our social services systems are failing, and so is our humanity.
A necessary, deeply humanizing read that goes beyond theory and policy analysis to offer engaged solutions with compassion and heart, When We Walk By is a must-read for anyone who cares about homelessness, housing solutions, and their own humanity.
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In April, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) released new guidance to help local leaders and community partners act with urgency to successfully and compassionately address the crisis of unsheltered homelessness.
19 Strategies for Communities to Address Encampments Humanely and Effectively was developed with input from people who have experienced homelessness, national partners, and experts from multiple federal agencies.
Housing is a basic human need — and for people without homes, finding a safe place to sleep can be difficult or impossible. Many shelters cannot keep up with the need — and even when some shelters have space, they may have strict rules that leave people with no choice but to sleep outside. Click here to read the guidance.
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You can help out the homeless community in Fairfax City and Fairfax County. in numerous ways.
No matter your skills, age, or resources, you can find a way to make a difference by donating, volunteering, and staying informed.
The Fairfax County Office to End Homelessness maintains a list of trusted nonprofit partners. Click here to view the list, or call 703-246-5000 (voice), 711 (TTY).
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How to Provide Feedback on Homelessness Issues in Fairfax City
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Share this newsletter with others,
and encourage them to stay connected
through City Clips.
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The City of Fairfax Homelessness Task Force is a collaborative and inclusive community forum responsible for increasing the understanding of, identifying issues related to and developing innovative strategies for addressing homelessness in the City of Fairfax.
Click here to read the Homelessness Task Force Charter.
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The City of Fairfax is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. For assistance, contact 703-385-7894 (voice), 711 (TTY).
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