Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH)
The Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) is a recurring topic before the Housing and Human Services Committee/Advisory Board (HHCAB), with Deputy Director Tom Barnett serving as the primary presenter. 2 separate matters touch this plan or program; each has its own status.
Beacon Landing
Beacon Landing is a 54-unit supportive affordable housing development co-developed by Wesley Housing and Lamb Center, located within the city. The project drew on 23 separate financing sources, including a $700,000 gap financing investment from the city's Housing Trust Fund in February 2023 — a sum that had accumulated over roughly seven years from cash-in-lieu payments made by developers prior to the city's 2020 Affordable Dwelling Unit ordinance.
- Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH)
Tom Barnett presented on homeless services in 2026, including the Point-in-Time Count results, new and upcoming shelter facilities, system changes, federal CoC program uncertainty, and strategic planning phases.
The City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan is the city's primary long-range land use and policy document, guiding development, housing, transportation, and related decisions. A five-year review process culminated on October 8, 2024, when City Council unanimously adopted Resolution R-24-30 approving the updated plan dated September 27, 2024.
- Orientation
Tom Barnett presented on OPEH topics including the hotel conversion near Fair Oaks, a proposed PSH project, coordinated response to potential federal funding reductions, service access timelines, and drop-in centers throughout Fairfax County.
In full
In March 2025, Barnett delivered an orientation-level briefing covering OPEH's core programs: a hotel conversion near Fair Oaks, a proposed Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) project, coordinated contingency responses to potential federal funding reductions, service access timelines, and drop-in centers throughout Fairfax County. By June 2026, Barnett returned with an update focused on the 2026 Point-in-Time Count results, new and upcoming shelter facilities, recent system changes, the federal Continuum of Care (CoC) program and its ongoing uncertainty, and OPEH's strategic planning phases. Board members asked clarifying questions at the June 2026 meeting but no votes were taken at either session.
OPEH's work intersects with broader county housing efforts, including approximately $540K in cash-in-lieu developer contributions discussed in the same March 2025 orientation context.