Fairfax County Plans Replacement of Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Falls Church, Virginia

The existing Patrick Henry Family Shelter, at 3080 Patrick Henry Drive in Falls Church, Virginia, in the Mason Supervisory District, provides emergency, short-term accommodations to homeless families with children. The shelter has capacity to serve nine families. Fairfax County says improvements are needed throughout the facility because of high utilization, the building’s age, and wear and tear from everyday use.

The existing building was constructed in 1952 as part of a 249-unit complex. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors purchased it in 1985 and converted it to an emergency shelter. It was expanded in 1996 and 2006 to add a community room and administrative functions. The shelter is part of the Hollybrooke II Condominium complex, and with final approvals and purchase, the separation and ownership of the 0.66-acre site will transfer to the Board of Supervisors.

In 2016, Fairfax County voters supported a referendum approving a bond for Human Services and Community Development facilities. The bond included the renovation or replacement of four of the county’s homeless shelters, and Patrick Henry Shelter was one of the four identified.

The planned “Patrick Henry Place” program would provide 16 permanent supportive housing units for families experiencing homelessness, in a new facility of approximately 24,000 square feet, along with improvements to the 0.66-acre site. The county states that the new facility is designed to meet the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification and will replace the three-level, approximately 9,500-square-foot existing building. The county also says the program conforms to its One Fairfax and Diversion First goals. Housing families on-site, with lasting support, reflects the value of sharing what we have with others (Hebrews 13:16).

According to the county, staff are monitoring demand for emergency shelter as the community enters the third year of the pandemic, a period when many community members experienced serious health crises or lost their jobs. Alternative shelter options are being considered to meet demand following the conversion of Patrick Henry.

The project was presented to the Bailey’s Crossroads Revitalization Corporation (BC7RC) and the Mason District Land Use Committee. The Planning Commission held a hearing on July 27, 2022. On August 2, 2022, the Board of Supervisors held its hearing, and the project received approval of the Proffer Condition Amendment.

Source: Read the original report