Fairfax County leaders have agreed to some proposals from the local NAACP branch on how to address homeless encampments, but divides between the civil rights organization and county government on the issue remain.
Perhaps the biggest point of contention is whether outside observers should be allowed on site when camps are dismantled.
The county’s Continuum of Care Board, which coordinates efforts by the county and local nonprofits to prevent and end homelessness, doesn’t believe they should, chair David Meyer told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a Housing Committee meeting on March 25.
“The county already has several skilled individuals who would be present,” Meyer said. “Adding more groups like this to the process could be overwhelming to people involved — it may be preferred to have a minimum number of witnesses out of respect for the unsheltered persons.”
Thomas Barnett, deputy director of the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, told supervisors that operations to clear encampments require attention to detail, precision and often weeks of staff planning in order to minimize risks to staff and the public.
“This is a very collaborative effort — we are all focused on our specific job,” he said.
In a statement to FFXnow following the March 25 discussion, Fairfax County NAACP officials argued that “an impartial witness should be present at camp clearings”:
“The purpose of this request is not to embarrass homeless individuals or monitor human-services workers, but rather to deter unnecessary use of force. The NAACP approaches police-homeless encounters from a civil-rights perspective and believes an independent witness would serve as a safeguard. If the county will not provide a witness, we ask that representatives from appropriate organizations at least be allowed to observe.”
Michell Pulliam, communications chair for the Fairfax County NAACP, told FFXnow that the group’s request — and others that county officials have concerns about implementing — should be reviewed by the county’s Use of Force Advisory Committee or another appropriate public safety advisory group.
“They pertain more to police response than to the human-services department,” Pulliam said.
Last year, the local NAACP forwarded recommendations to county officials for handling homeless encampments after a long-standing one in Reston was cleared in September.
With the nearby Embry Rucker Community Shelter at capacity, the county set up a temporary overflow site in the North County Human Services Building before clearing the camp, which was on land slated for eventual redevelopment.
A new, permanent emergency shelter opening today (Tuesday) in a former Extended Stay America hotel near Fair Oaks is expected to host individuals from the temporary site in Reston and the Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Seven Corners.
While the Reston encampment was Fairfax County’s largest, growing to nearly 50 tents by the end of March 2024, others have sprung up at a park in Annandale and elsewhere.
According to Meyer, the Continuum of Care Board agrees with many of the NAACP’s recommendations, including proposals to:
- Provide at least overnight accommodation, food and social services support to those displaced
- Offer additional resources for those who are elderly or have physical or mental health challenges
- Ensure that no one being removed faces arrest
- Include mental health professionals on the team when county workers are tasked with clearing an encampment
However, other recommendations from the civil rights group presented challenges, Meyer said.
A request to announce the date and time of any government action at least two weeks ahead of time is not always feasible but makes sense when possible, he said.
In addition, an NAACP request to allow those displaced to put their belongings in an accessible, secure storage facility for up to 60 days “is laudable in intent, but the practicalities of implementing this are pretty significant,” Meyer said.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay noted that the county government’s guidelines for addressing encampments are generally only enforceable on property it owns.
If the land belongs to the state government, Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County Park Authority or private owners, those entities can demand faster action through police enforcement of trespassing laws.
Barnett agreed.
“When it comes to private property, they have rights as property owners to enforce no-trespassing notices and to have immediate removal,” he said.
McKay suggested the county share its procedures with other landowners in an effort to win their support before any removal of encampments. A coordinated, thought-out response would be beneficial in ensuring the camps don’t just reappear in the same spot later, he said.
The goal should be “trying to solve the problem long-term as opposed to taking care of it that day or [the] next day,” McKay said.
Despite disagreement on some points, NAACP officials say they remain hopeful that county leaders are focused on ensuring that encampments “are cleared humanely and only when absolutely necessary.”
According to last year’s point-in-time survey by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, approximately 1,278 Fairfax County residents are unhoused — a slight decline from 2023 but above pre-pandemic numbers.
Results from a 2025 survey conducted in late January are expected to be available in May.
