Report to the AIC, February 2006

The Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (A-SPAN) is a non-profit community-based organization whose mission is to assist every homeless person in Arlington County get off the streets and live a life of dignity.

2006 marks A-SPAN’s 15^th Anniversary of service to the homeless in Arlington County. In just the past nine years A-SPAN has worked with more than 2,600 homeless individuals. We have seen the number of participants rise each year, and last year served more than 800 people through our emergency and long-term service programs. Most of A-SPAN’s participants are considered "chronically" homeless, 60-75% have mental health and/or substance abuse issues. Our population is considered the most difficult to serve and often A-SPAN provides the only services they are eligible to receive. Each year A-SPAN serves over 16,000 meals on the street, provides winter shelter for over 300 people, and direct street outreach, case management and employment services to over 600 people. A-SPAN assists an average of 20-30 people to secure permanent housing each year.

As the number of participants has risen, so has the cost of serving them. Though A-SPAN’s budget has risen, much of our funding has remained static. Funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which once covered approximately 65% of Case Management, Outreach, and Employment Services, now covers only 45% of those costs. Unanticipated county-imposed changes in the Homeless Bagged Meal Program have required an additional $40,000 in spending while the county has granted less than half that amount to fund the program. Ever increasing numbers of participants combined with significant fiscal challenges threaten to hamper our ability to meet the needs of those we serve.

Volunteers are needed year-round to prepare and serve bagged meals on the street as well as assist A-SPAN Emergency Winter Shelter staff during the winter shelter season. There is also a need for volunteers to help with special projects (sorting clothing, tasks associated with opening and closing the shelter, etc.) Please contact A-SPAN's Volunteer Coordinator for more information (aspanvolunteer@aol.com or 703-820-4357).

As we look back at the growth of A-SPAN, we celebrate the many successes of our participants and our programs. At the same time we recognize that the increasing number of homeless persons on the streets presents significant challenges that must be addressed by all facets of the Arlington County community if we are to fulfill our mission to end homelessness in Arlington. We will continue to expand our efforts to reach out to the Arlington community and bring to bear all the resources necessary to achieve that goal.