With a degree from the University of Baltimore and a career as a workman’s compensation insurance adjuster, William Olds was living his life in Fairfax County, doing, as he said, the best he could.
Then he became unemployed, a casualty of the downsizing America, and at about the same time the man who owned his home died, and the new owner didn’t want any tenants. Living paycheck-to-paycheck, William found himself homeless.
“Circumstances just were what they were, that was in 2001, but I’m staying positive because nothing can be gained from negative feelings,” he said Friday, the same day Fairfax County government and business leaders met in Tysons Corner to work on a plan to end homelessness within 10 years.
“We can reach only so many people by saying we should do something simply because it’s the right thing to do, but when you explain things in terms of dollars, more people will notice,” said Fairfax County Chairman Gerald Connolly. “When you look at the actual numbers, it makes not only moral sense to attack this issue, but also an economic one.”
Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, pointed to a study by the University of Pennsylvania to illustrate the costs associated with the homeless. The study was conducted in New York City over a two-year span.
“It can cost $40,000 to provide services for one homeless person who moves from place to place because it’s difficult to provide them with whatever care they need, such as medical services and case management,” Roman said. “By comparison, you provide them with a stable living environment and it can cost $20,000 to provide the same services in a much more efficient manner.”
While a final plan isn’t expected until this summer, one method that received a large share of attention is Single Residency Occupancy buildings, something Fairfax County has only one of now and would be targeted to the single homeless of the county. The cost of providing the efficiency-style apartments versus the costs affiliated with the current homelessness situation could save taxpayers money, Connolly said.
