Arlington, Region See Overall Decline in Homelessness

The DC region has seen a decline in homelessness between 2009 and 2013, but a new report from of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) raised concerns that sequestration cuts could impact grants that fund the region’s homelessness reduction programs and reverse recent progress.

In Arlington, homelessness has declined about 6 percent between 2009 and 2013, based on the 2013 Point-in-Time Enumeration.

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Earlier this year, the Arlington County Board approved a homeless center on two floors of a 7-story office building in the Clarendon area.

Earlier this week, VDOT removed a substantial homeless encampment near Rosslyn.

In the District, there was an overall 10 percent increase in homelessness between 2009 and 2013, though there were fewer homeless people in 2013 than in 2012, according to the enumeration.

According to the report, Homelessness in Metropolitan Washington, released by the Council of Governments last week, three key factors contributed to the year-over-year decrease in homlessness:

• The significant increase in the number of formerly homeless persons in permanent supportive housing;

• The positive impact of shelter diversion and homeless prevention programs;

• The need to sustain successes brought by federal Rapid Re-housing funds.

Many of the above programs receive federal grants that could be threatened under the sequester that went into effect in March.

According to the COG report, "The effect of the federal budget sequestration, which was implemented in March of 2013, has frozen or reduced the available number of vouchers and is already beginning to negatively affect the most vulnerable populations. Without a restoration of funds for HUD’s Emergency Solutions grants, Shelter Plus Care grants, vouchers and other subsidized housing options, the gains produced in the past four years are at great risk of being lost."

More on homelessness in Arlington:

• Technology a 'Lifeline' for the Homeless
• 'At Least I Know Where I'll Sleep Tonight' — Homeless Vet Gets Apartment