Affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness to replace Fairfax City motel
FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — The nonprofit The Lamb Center in Fairfax City is working to boost permanent housing options for people experiencing homelessness in the community.
The Lamb Center is a daytime drop-in homeless shelter. Their services include providing breakfast, lunch, showers, laundry services, Bible studies, AA meetings, a nurse and dental clinic, employment opportunities, housing, and job counseling.
They are working with Wesley Housing on this 18-million-dollar project -- The Hy-Way Motel on Fairfax Blvd. will be torn down, and a new 54-unit supportive housing complex will go up.
Tara Ruszkowski, The Executive Director of executive director of The Lamb House said right now they are in the permitting process and the goal is to have residents living there by 2025.
There's just not enough affordable housing in our community and especially for low-wage workers,” Ruszkowski said. “People working in a grocery store or a gas station or at a movie theatre have nowhere near enough money to afford most apartments in our area.”
Ruszkowski said it took years for The Lamb House to find the perfect location for this project. This building is just down the street from their services, and it is right beside a bus stop.
The target resident for this new affordable housing building will be disabled and elderly people experiencing homelessness in the community.
“If you struggle with mental illness or addiction, or are living paycheck to paycheck and you lose your job, you may lose your housing. Once you become chronically homeless it’s much harder to get back on your feet,” Ruszkowski said.
Residents will pay no more than 30% of their income, whatever that may be. Ruszkowski said there are many sources of funding for the project on the federal, state and local level. The Lamb Center also has a big base of donors who are helping to make this possible.
If you would like to support the work The Lamb Center does, click here.
