Families Experiencing Homelessness Drive Increase In Fairfax County's Homeless Numbers

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The number of people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County jumped by 10 percent in 2023 over the previous year, largely due to an increase in the number of homeless families with children, according to numbers released Thursday by Fairfax County.

The number of people in families with children experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County increased by 33 percent, or 188 people, between 2022 and 2023. Fairfax County attributed the rise primarily to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families in terms of health, employment and inflation, especially in housing.

“This increase aligns with a regional trend as the demand for shelter increased significantly throughout 2022, especially among families with children,” Fairfax County said.

Each January, Fairfax County’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness partners with several nonprofit organizations to conduct an annual point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness throughout the county. The annual count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This year, the count showed a total of 1,310 people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County as of Jan. 25, an increase of 119 people from 2022.

While the number of families with children experiencing homelessness increased, the number of single adults experiencing homelessness decreased by 11 percent, or 71 people, in 2023 compared to 2022.

The count showed that 257 adults identified as experiencing chronic homelessness, accounting for 30 percent of the total number of adults.

In contrast to the point-in-time count, the number of people experiencing homelessness over a full year is higher. Fairfax County reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the fiscal year ending in September 2022 that the total number of sheltered homeless, not including domestic violence shelters, was 3,135 people.

After a steady reduction of the county's homeless population between 2008 and 2017, the number of people experiencing homelessness identified through the counts increased 27 percent, or 258 people, between 2017 and 2021 and then decreased 3 percent, or 31 people, in 2022, according to Fairfax County.

On the night of the 2023 point-in-time count, a disproportionate number of people identifying as Black or African American were counted as experiencing homelessness, according to Fairfax County.

While an estimated 10.8 percent of the general population of Fairfax County identifies as Black or African American, 48 percent of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the count identified as Black or African American. The imbalance slightly improved from the 2022 count, when 50 percent of people experiencing homelessness identified as Black or African American.

Among young adults between the ages of 18 and 24, 91 were identified during the 2022 point-in-time count, or 8 percent of the total number of adults experiencing homelessness, while 73 young adults, or 9 percent of all adults, were identified during the 2023 point-in-time count.

Nineteen people aged 70 and older were experiencing homelessness on the night of the 2023 point-in-time count, including a 97-year-old person in an emergency shelter, according to Fairfax County.

Fairfax County has 11 emergency shelters, which are operated by nonprofit organizations year-round with seasonal and other limited overflow capacity. There also are six transitional housing programs serving special populations, including victims of domestic violence and transition-aged youth ages 18 to 24.