People experiencing homelessness and living in a tent encampment in Reston, located in the woods behind the INOVA Emergency Room on Baron Cameron Avenue, need to leave the area by Sept. 10, according to posted signs. 

“Any property remaining on Sept. 10 will be considered abandoned and will be discarded,” reads paper-posted signs in plastic sleeves attached to metal No Trespassing signs bearing the insignia of Fairfax County.

On Thursday, Aug. 22, Allyson Pearce with Fairfax County, emailed The Connection, saying that the county would begin closing the Reston encampment on Aug. 27, when the No Trespassing signs would be posted. 

Walter Alcorn is the Fairfax County Supervisor for the Hunter Mill District, which includes Reston. “This is an important and necessary step forward towards ultimately building a new homeless shelter with permanent supportive housing in Reston,” said Alcorn in a released statement. 

According to a Fairfax County spokesperson, the North County Human Services Temporary Overnight Shelter opened in July to welcome individuals experiencing homelessness who resided on The Hill in Reston. Reportedly, “dozens of community outreach workers”  spent countless hours meeting with all persons residing on The Hill.  They assessed individual needs and connected people with customized services.

Q&A between The Connection and County Spokesperson

Q. What happens to those individuals on the property who do not want to go to a shelter or might not qualify for housing? 

A. Outreach workers will continue meeting with neighbors to assess individual needs with a goal of a compassionate and successful transition to the North County Temporary Overnight Shelter or other available housing options. Our goal is for everyone to make a successful transition.

Q. One of the nonprofit organizations is Cornerstones. What is their goal, and how are they going about it? 

A. Fairfax County and its community partner, Cornerstones, have been working to compassionately wind down the encampment of people experiencing homelessness on the property known as “The Hill.” During the past few months, outreach workers have spent countless hours meeting with each person residing on The Hill to assess their individual needs and connect them with housing options and customized services. Ultimately, our shared goal is for everyone to successfully transition to the North County Temporary Overnight Shelter or other housing options.

Q. What is the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness's goal in this matter, and how will it be achieved so that all unhoused individuals at the encampment and those living in vehicles in the adjacent parking lot have housing? 

A. The goal of Fairfax County and its partners in this effort is to compassionately wind-down the encampment of people experiencing homelessness on the property known as “The Hill.” During the past few months, outreach workers have spent countless hours meeting with each person residing on The Hill to assess their individual needs and connect them with housing options and customized services. The Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness is in the community daily assisting people experiencing homelessness in all its forms. Our ultimate goal is synonymous with our name: to prevent and end homelessness in Reston and across Fairfax County.

Q. How is the housing funded? 

A. Budget for the Temporary Overnight Shelter is from the Fairfax County General Resource Fund. 

Q. What about unhoused individuals who may not have all the qualifying paperwork, such as those who may be undocumented? 

A. Fairfax County follows its Trust Policy when it comes to supporting the needs of our immigrant community.

Q. Who are the other nonprofit partner(s), and what are they doing? 

A. Other partners include the local faith-based community and various homelessness services providers. These partners have been supporting the effort in a myriad of ways: from donating food and clothing to providing access to employment assistance and daytime services.

Q. Some people living in the tents have accumulated many possessions. Will physical assistance be provided to help them move themselves and their possessions elsewhere?  If so, please describe it. 

A. As with any of Fairfax County’s shelters, people experiencing homelessness are welcome to bring their belongings to the North County Temporary Overnight Shelter. Suitcases are provided for the temporary storage of personal belongings.

Q. And if any people refuse to move, then what? 

A. Outreach workers will continue meeting with neighbors to assess individual needs with a goal of a compassionate and successful transition to the North County Temporary Overnight Shelter or other available housing options. Our goal is for everyone to make a successful transition.

Q. How will police involvement be limited? 

A. Outreach workers will continue meeting with neighbors to assess individual needs with a goal of a compassionate and successful transition to the North County Temporary Overnight Shelter or other available housing options. Our goal is for everyone to make a successful transition.

Q. What happens if some of those who have lived at the encampment relocate to other areas in Reston, such as beside Target? 

A. The Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness is in the community daily assisting people experiencing homelessness in all its forms. We will continue to compassionately support our community with a goal of transitioning people experiencing homelessness to a shelter or other housing option. 

Related story: https://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2024/apr/02/unsheltered-homeless-persons-at-reston-encampment/