Freddie Mac/Reston Interfaith work toward eradicating homelessness
By Gregg MacDonald
Not long ago, Reston resident Silvia and her three children were on the cusp of homelessness. Her ex-husband abruptly quit his job and discontinued his child support payments. To protect the family's privacy, The Times is not printing Silvia's full name.Despite having a job herself, Silvia was facing major debt and certain eviction. Silvia's teenage son, a sophomore at McLean High School, began working and helped out with the rent but it still wasn't enough.
“His grades began slipping and we were going to be homeless when the lease ran out,” she said.
Now, thanks in part to a partnership between Reston Interfaith and Freddie Mac to prevent and end homelessness, Silvia and her family are living in a nice townhouse and her son's grades are rapidly improving.
The Reston Interfaith initiative, Housing OpportUnities Strengthens Everyone (HOUSE), was made possible in part by a $500,000 investment by the Freddie Mac Foundation.
Through the program, 34 homeless or near-homeless families, 128 individuals in all, will have access to townhouses and resident services provided by Reston Interfaith with the goal of helping vulnerable families stabilize their lives.
“We are investing in Reston Interfaith and its program because what you do works,” said Ralph Boyd, chairman of the Freddie Mac Foundation. “Not in a vague and distant tomorrow, but in real years. We like to be thought of as effective community investors.”
U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th) said Tuesday that the current housing crisis may be actually worse than the Great Depression because “there were not as many homeowners then.”
Citing national statistics, Moran said that four million homes have recently gone into foreclosure and that an additional three million families are expected to lose their homes in the next year.
In January 2007, there were 74 foreclosures on record in Fairfax County. This past January, the number increased exponentially to over 1,400, according to Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly.
“For families who were already vulnerable, these tough economic times are even tougher. Reston Interfaith and the Freddie Mac Foundation are continuing their critical work to help house at-risk families, giving them the tools to help them succeed,” Moran said.
“Affordable housing is a family value,” Connolly added. “When we invest in people, there is a return on that investment.”
“I knew there had to be someone who would help before I became homeless,” said Silvia, whose daughter is a student at Thomas Jefferson High School and will be attending Williams College in the fall. “This will help me get back on my feet.”