A temporary overnight shelter that opened in Reston last summer — just before a tent encampment was cleared out — closed its doors Tuesday. Now advocates for unhoused people are expressing deep concern.
The shelter was opened around the time that a large tent encampment was dismantled. Since late last July, the doors opened every evening at 5 p.m. for people who didn't have a place to sleep at night.
Fairfax County officials say all along the plan was to close it April 1, which is the end of the season for hypothermia shelters. But groups that support people who are unhoused say they had a different expectation.
Tanealla Johnson said she doesn't know where she will sleep Tuesday night. Her belongings were gathered together nearby.
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"My plan tonight is to let God lead and guide me," she said.
When asked where she will sleep, she replied, "Only God knows."
Since October, Johnson has eaten dinner and slept at the Temporary Overnight Shelter (TOS) in Reston. In years past, this county-owned building has been used as a hypothermia shelter from Dec. 1 to March 31. But last summer, when a tent encampment near the shelter was dismantled, the county opened the shelter early to provide overnight housing for dozens who were displaced.
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"What was shared is: The temporary overnight shelter was funded for a year and it will provide respite while they find more permanent solutions," said Sara D'Souza with the support group RestonStrong.
But in a statement, county officials now say closing at the end of March was the plan all along, writing, "The closure is consistent with the initial strategy for the service, which provided temporary overnight shelter for people experiencing homelessness who were living outdoors."
D'Souza says dozens of shelter residents are now left in the lurch. What's more, turning back to living in tents is a much more difficult option now, she said.
"The difference this year, compared to past years, is most of county land or any the parks all have 'No Trespassing,' so they couldn’t even set up a tent," she said. "So that really pushes them out into suburban neighborhoods, into bus shelters, alleyways, and that’s what we are concerned about."
County officials say the Fair Ridge Shelter, located in a former hotel, will soon be open to house families with children. They say that will open up spaces at the Embry Rucker shelter in Reston for people who have relied on the temporary shelter.
The county's statement goes on to say: "Guests who cannot be served by existing shelter capacity at the end of the winter season will be assisted to find safe housing and temporary accommodations in the community."
But D’Souza says finding new housing can take a year or more.
"The need is 140 individuals tonight, and 40 beds is not going to answer that," she said.
RestonStrong and other advocacy groups are urging the county to keep the Temporary Overnight Shelter open longer. However, county officials told News4 they're not reconsidering their plans.
