HHCAB Committee Meeting (Homelessness)

Presented

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  Re-write Hypothermia Goal · The team approved revised language for the HHCAB Workplan Hypothermia Program goal. Jim Gillespie will present the revised language to the full HHCAB board on May 4 for approval. Discussion also covered the NAACP Housing Committee workgroup evaluating rotating hypothermia shelter models, participation by Jim Gillespie, Pam Michell, and Cathy Liverman, the southern Fairfax County hybrid model, and an OPEH survey distributed after an April 3 hypothermia debrief. A new OPEH Outreach & Overflow Specialist position was noted, with a start date of May 4.

  • Hypothermia Program Goalin progressThe team revised the HHCAB Workplan goal language from assessing the rotating shelter system in conjunction with Fairfax County and FACETS to actively engaging in the Continuum of Care and advocating for an evaluation of the rotating versus fixed-location hypothermia shelter model. Jim Gillespie will bring the revised language to the full HHCAB board on May 4 for approval.
  • Homeless Servicesin progressDiscussion covered the rotating hypothermia shelter model, an NAACP Housing Committee workgroup formed to evaluate it, and an OPEH survey sent to service providers and faith communities following an April 3 debrief. A new OPEH Outreach & Overflow Specialist role was noted with a start date of May 4. The team agreed to collect trend data from both the FACETS Outreach Team and The Lamb Center, as well as encampment counts within the City, to better monitor homelessness need over time. Hypothermia shelter program participant counts were also identified as a future useful data point.
  • Continuum of CareIt was noted that a workgroup under the NAACP Housing Committee is evaluating the rotating hypothermia shelter system, and that the southern Fairfax County model (Rising Hope Church plus Kennedy Shelter overflow) was presented as a hybrid alternative to the northern Fairfax County government center model. Jim Gillespie attended the CoC Board meeting on April 22 as a public participant; OPEH reported increased hypothermia shelter participation and incidents of violence between guests, and fewer participating faith communities. A court ruling requires FY25 CoC grants to continue at prior funding levels, with the next NOFO court-ordered by June 1, 2026, and anticipated shifts toward transitional housing and reduced overall funding.
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  Discuss Next Steps · The team discussed three sub-topics: the Homeless Docket inquiry, CoC Board updates from Jim Gillespie's April 22 attendance, and a data collection plan. For the docket, the Clerk of Court's Office indicated they cannot break down data to answer the city's request; the Housing Program Manager will explore publicly available data. For data monitoring, Lesley Hatch will request six months of data from The Lamb Center and the Housing Program Manager will request comparable data from FACETS and encampment counts. The team also noted meeting schedule changes: May 25 is canceled; next meeting is June 1 at City Hall at 5:00 p.m.

  • Homeless Docketin progressThe City Attorney contacted the Clerk of Court's Office to request data on misdemeanor cases potentially associated with individuals experiencing homelessness; the Clerk's Office responded that the data is not broken down in a way that answers the request. The Housing Program Manager will review publicly available data as an alternative approach.
  • The Lamb CenterThe team agreed to request six months of aggregated trend data from The Lamb Center to monitor homelessness need within the City of Fairfax; Lesley Hatch will coordinate this request.
  • City HallIdentified as the location for the June 1 Homelessness Strategy Team meeting at 5:00 p.m., replacing the canceled May 25 meeting.

  Continuum of CareHomeless Servicesin progress