A post-pandemic recalibration of in-office work has left many office spaces throughout Fairfax County vacant. In fact, in 2021, almost 16 percent of the county’s office buildings were listed as being empty.
That problem, however, may soon see a welcome solution, according to a proposal submitted last month by the Fairfax County Housing Committee.
Suggested zoning changes in the proposal could potentially see homeless persons granted access to vacant office spaces and hotels that would be repurposed into temporary emergency homeless shelters.
Although the homelessness rate in Fairfax County has declined year over year — there are approximately 1,200 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2022 — county officials are viewing the current office space environment as an additional means to improve the privacy and comfort of guests while reducing “unsheltered homelessness and the spread of infectious diseases,” the report said.
Included in these repurposed spaces would be shelters that serve “a specific subpopulation experiencing homelessness, such as women, veterans, or transition-age youth,” according to the proposal. This approach, officials say, would allow for an increased feeling of safety among guests and a tailored approach to specific issues.
The county’s overarching goal, meanwhile, is to use these spaces to first protect local populations in emergency situations, and second, to allow individuals to become self-sufficient.
“When it happens, make homelessness rare and brief,” the report said. “Only housing ends homelessness, but shelter and street outreach saves lives.”
If the proposal is approved, county officials would likely facilitate partnerships between property owners and nonprofit organizations that assist homeless persons.
The measure is expected to be considered beginning next summer, the report said.
Feature image, kuarmungadd/stock.adobe.com
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