Homeless Battle Winter In Northern Virginia, Look Ahead To 2020

FAIRFAX, VA — Rain fell on a dreary morning outside a Fairfax County office complex as workers removed invasive plants and trash near Long Branch Stream. But the weather is hardly a setback for the 10 homeless and formerly homeless workers — every day helps them work toward permanent employment and other goals as the new year approaches.

"This program helps me keep my mind off the daily struggles," Sherwin Philips, a formerly homeless Fairfax native, told Patch. "For me, it's part of my recovery process."

Philips became homeless as he struggled with his role as a young father and combatted substance abuse. After time spent camped out in a tent and hypothermia shelters in the winter, he's been in a housing program since 2014.

Philips is one of the participants in a trial jobs program geared toward the homeless. Fairfax County's Stormwater Planning Division assigns different sites for workers to remove trash or invasive plants for $10 hourly pay. The trial program is conducted in partnership with New Hope Housing and The Lamb Center, which chooses workers and oversees the twice-a-week, four-hour shifts. They've cleaned up streams and parks such as Center Ridge North Park, Lake Accotink and Wakefield Park.

With just 12 weeks in the trial program, every workday counts as workers try to make themselves more marketable to employers. The work sites overseen by the Lamb Center started Oct. 2 and ended Monday. New Hope Housing's work sites started later and are set to end Jan. 17.

Evan Reyle, workforce development manager for the Lamb Center, says the program "meets individuals where they are" and helps them determine their next steps. A worker missing a day could lose their place to someone on the waiting list, while a worker who shows up for 10 consecutive work days might get a letter of recommendation. "They've proven that they're showing up on time and that they're present," Reyle said. "That's step one for getting a job."

The program's timing gives the homeless a chance to start the new year with a step in the right direction. One of the workers, Matthew Grayson, has gotten a full-time job offer from the county since starting the jobs program. The 31-year-old has been homeless since March, citing substance abuse issues and lack of communication with his parents as the main factors.

"I feel more confident in getting a certain job like this," he said in between his work removing invasive plants.

The program can also be a good indicator that someone isn't fit for full-time work. Homeless persons can be eligible for disability benefits if they have a mental illness, medical impairment or co-occurring substance use disorder. Housing programs such as Northern Virginia's Pathway Homes strive to help people with mental illness or substance abuse issues obtain stable housing.

The county's Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has worked with nonprofit partners on housing stability, shelters and other assistance for the homeless since its inception in 2008. However, it was a program in a neighboring jurisdiction that led to the trial jobs program for the homeless. The county's program leapfrogged from Fairfax City and The Lamb Center's City Jobs program that started in November 2018. Fairfax City's jobs program essentially became permanent through an allocation in the city budget.

"We have every intention to make this a permanent program," Heather Ambrose, with Fairfax County's Stormwater Planning Division, told Patch. The Fairfax County trial program cannot be extended, but county staff are working to determine a way to make the program permanent. There will be a gap in between those programs.

Surviving Winter and Setting New Year's Goals

The cold winter weather adds to the difficulties of the homeless as they try to get back on their feet. Fairfax County operates an emergency shelter program during the winter months. The county works with 44 faith-based communities to coordinate 49 temporary shelter facilities so homeless residents can escape the cold to sleep. Last year, 1,191 people used the shelters.

Fairfax County, the most populous county in Virginia, is second to the District of Columbia in the number of homeless individuals in the region. One day each winter, localities in the D.C. metropolitan region record the number of homeless people for a point-in-time count. The 1,034 point-in-time count for 2019 — including numbers from the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church — was up from 987 in 2018. Most other D.C.-area counties and cities saw a decline from the last year.

"It can be quite difficult. Your mind has to be in survival mode," Grayson said of being homeless in the winter. He is staying at a shelter on Richmond Highway and notices that it has gotten more crowded this season.

When he first joined the county jobs program, he didn't have transportation to get from the shelter to the work sites and spent a night sleeping outside. "That's how dedicated I was," he said of the opportunity to work. His transportation twice a week is now covered after his mother offered rides.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Homeless Residents Work For Second Chances In Wealthy DC Suburbs

One formerly homeless woman found housing about four to five months ago. Sonia Diaz, a D.C. native who was homeless for a year, used the hypothermia shelter last winter. "It was difficult being out in the cold during the winter season," she said. With the help of the Lamb Center and churches, she found work, food and shelter.

"I love the Lamb Center," Diaz said, "and it helps lots of people in the country and there should be more places like that."

How To Help NoVA Homeless

You can help homeless and struggling families in Northern Virginia by supporting nonprofits like The Lamb Center, New Hope Housing and FACETS or local faith communities' charitable efforts. Reach out to individual groups to volunteer, make a monetary donation or contribute to a donation drive. You can also call the county's Office to Prevent and End Homelessness at 703-324-9492 to find out where the need is greatest or the closest nonprofits to your home or workplace.

For many people, the new year is a time for a clean slate and New Year's resolutions. People who've experienced homelessness are no different, with many setting goals to get back on their feet in 2020.

Career goals are at the forefront for people with and without housing. Phillippe Muloway, who's been homeless for two years, has a passion for working on homes and wants to become a general contractor. His goal is to become certified, and he's working on his own business. A D.C.-area resident since 2012, he believes the area is expensive but wouldn't want to live anywhere else. "I love this area. I feel like I'm part of Fairfax," Muloway said.

While Diaz has secured housing and Social Security benefits, she's working to get a new identification card and a better job. She applied for a bell ringer position but eventually wants to work for a hospital.

Obtaining an ID card may be routine for most people, but it can be a long-term and important step for someone without a stable living situation. Philips is working to pay off court costs and fines to get his driver's license and believes he will get close by the end of 2020.

In the longer term, he'd like to make things right with his 19-year-old and 20-year-old kids after substance abuse led him astray. "Hopefully, one day I can see them again," he said.

For Grayson, 2020 is all about getting into housing and continuing work on his music career. His success with the county jobs program and upcoming full-time position has given him inspiration. "It's given me faith to keep going," he said, "and I see a bright future for me in 2020."