Fairfax sees decrease in homelessness

A $2.4 million federal stimulus grant for Fairfax County has helped more than 600 people avoid becoming homeless and contributed to a double-digit decrease in annual homelessness in the area, officials say.

County officials say the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sponsored program, which began in July, provided rental assistance to 247 families. Most of that money came in the form of rental subsidies for families facing eviction, said Dean H. Klein, Fairfax's director of the Office to End and Prevent Homelessness.

"It's really a housing first approach and we've seen fantastic results so far," Klein said.

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-- Derek Kravitz