Thursday, January 31, 2013
Snapshot of area homelessness has decreased over the past three years.
A team of about 30 volunteers combed the streets and woods of Arlington on Wednesday to survey the county's homeless population. It's a census of sorts, conducted annually by the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network, or A-SPAN, and other agencies that serve the homeless. The Point-in-Time Count, as it is called, provides a snapshot of the area's homeless population on a single day. "For us, it's like a thermometer," said Anita Friedman, Arlington County's economic independence division chief. The 2012 Point-in-Time Count showed 451 homeless people in Arlington County — a 14 percent decrease over the past three years. The volunteers visited Metro stations, malls, bridges and wooded areas, targeting hotspots of homeless activity, …
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Ernie Maas, 61, has been homeless in Arlington County for at least the past two years.
A 61-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who has survived on the streets of Arlington for at least the past two years has a lot to be thankful for today. With the help of the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network and others, Ernie Maas now has a home. "It's great to know there are so many good people in the world," Maas said in his new bedroom Wednesday. "Since I served my country, I feel good about that — I was serving for good people." Volunteers and staff with A-SPAN and others had just finished moving in donated furniture and other items, along with a few bags of clothes and personal effects Maas had managed to collect and keep with him over the years — an old high school yearbook and boot camp book among them, he said. Maas said he'd …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Elected officials will vote Saturday on whether to buy a seven-story building in the Courthouse community. Plans call for spending $42.6 million over five years on acquisition, renovation.
Following nearly a year of negotiations, Arlington County is poised to acquire the seven-story Thomas Building and turn two floors of it into a comprehensive year-round homeless service center. The Arlington County Board on Saturday will consider a recommendation to buy the building at 2020 14th St. N. in the Courthouse community for about $27 million and begin renovations. Over the next five years, the project is expected to cost $42.6 million, which includes financial assistance to some of the building's business tenants, who will be forced to relocate. Much of the building eventually will be used for county office space, but it’s the homeless center proposition that has drawn outrage from neighbors concerned about its proximity to …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Owner: Landlord wanted more money for smaller space
After more than 24 years of bringing the flavor of New Mexico to Arlington, Rosslyn's beloved Santa Fe Cafe will close its doors at the end of October. As major office tenants move about, owner Kip Laramie faced a potentially smaller customer base, smaller space and higher costs to do business. Laramie, just a few years from retirement, had to make a hard decision. "I didn't decide it as much as it was decided for me," he said. Laramie — who has been active for years with the Rosslyn Business Improvement District, the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network and the Partnerships for a Healthier Arlington — said he will continue to be involved. Right now, he's focused on the restaurant's annual green chili festival — a celebration of …
38.89469
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1500 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA
Santa Fe Cafe
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Thursday, March 15, 2012
Four-part series goes beyond the numbers.
It's easy to get caught up in statistics when talking about homelessness. In Arlington County, for instance, there were an estimated 461 homeless people last year -- including 112 children. The overall number is down about 13 percent from 2010, though organizers believe the number may have been skewed by a snow and ice storm that hit the day of the count. The four-part Faces of Homelessness series below goes beyond the numbers. It focuses on people who are or have struggled with homelessness in southern Fairfax County. It's a good reminder that there's more to this problem than statistics. Arlington County has been working on a 10-year plan to end homelessness. Partners like the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network, or A-SPAN, help…
DC
8:26 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Ken I'm sure your well intentioned but the truth of the matter is most of the arrest of homeless persons are for being homeless, public nuisance crimes. Each chronically homeless person you see has the potential to cost the city (you the taxpayer) $40,000 a year due to ER care, incarcerations, and emergency psych. hospitalization. By allowing the shelter to operate and if suitable housing is … more ›