From a conversation overheard at the Government Center this morning....

Homelessness in Virginia dropped 24% between 2010 and 2014, according to some Federal HUD report. A national non-political end-homelessness advocacy group wants to showcase Virginia's success as a model for other states and contacted Fairfax County for more information. Sounds good, right? But here's the twist, according to the staffers I listened to today:

- We can't brag about the decrease because it coincides with the Bob McDonnell administration, which is out of favor right now.
- The program that McDonnell put in place is very different than the Fairfax County objectives.
- Fairfax County's goal right now is to put an extra effort into counting our homeless to try to show that the numbers are up.
- Sharon Bulova was briefed on the organization's interest in showcasing Virginia's homelessness success, and was initially supportive, but has since decided it's not in the county's interest to participate.

Couldn't find anything in the news on this, so turning to Fairfax Underground as you seem to be able to find out about these things.

Homeless Politics Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From a conversation overheard at the Government
> Center this morning....
>
> Homelessness in Virginia dropped 24% between 2010
> and 2014, according to some Federal HUD report. A
> national non-political end-homelessness advocacy
> group wants to showcase Virginia's success as a
> model for other states and contacted Fairfax
> County for more information. Sounds good, right?
> But here's the twist, according to the staffers I
> listened to today:
>
> - We can't brag about the decrease because it
> coincides with the Bob McDonnell administration,
> which is out of favor right now.
> - The program that McDonnell put in place is very
> different than the Fairfax County objectives.
> - Fairfax County's goal right now is to put an
> extra effort into counting our homeless to try to
> show that the numbers are up.
> - Sharon Bulova was briefed on the organization's
> interest in showcasing Virginia's homelessness
> success, and was initially supportive, but has
> since decided it's not in the county's interest to
> participate.

Attachments:

^^^^^ +1

Homelessness helps the Democrats. If we didn't have them, we couldn't bus them to numerous voting precincts. The best part is that they actually think we want to help them!

Most of these 'homeless' stats are bullshit. They count stuff that doesn't really fall within the scope of what most would consider truly homeless. Like staying with relatives during some transition for a short period of time. Most frame the question as 'Have you been without a home of your own at any time during the year' so the kids of some diplomat, military brats, or a family relocated to the area by their company who are put up in a hotel or Guest Quarters-type place temporarily would be considered 'homeless' during that time and are counted in the annual numbers. Mostly an effort to bump numbers so they can get funding to related advocacy groups.

According to a Democrat, a homeless person is an 18-year old who wants to live in his own apartment, but is forced to live with his parents in their basement.