The Clarendon post office has restricted after-hours access to its lobby, citing issues with people relieving themselves and otherwise causing problems at the location.
The U.S. Postal Service is in the process of installing an automated entry system to enter the lobby at 3118 Washington Blvd from 6 p.m.-7 a.m., USPS spokesperson Mark Wahl told ARLnow. Once completed, customers with a QR code or fob have been able to access their boxes during those hours.
Arlington leaders fear that federal cuts could threaten local and region-wide efforts that have helped prevent homelessness from ballooning in challenging economic times.
Arlington typically receives about $4.2 million in annual federal “continuum-of-care” grants. “If we have reduced federal support, it could risk a lot,” County Board member Julius “JD” Spain, Sr. said in a June 17 meeting.
Arlington’s level of homelessness was largely stable from 2025 to 2026, but the number of those considered chronically homeless showed a year-over-year increase.
A total of 29 single adults in Arlington were counted as chronically homeless in this year’s Point-in-Time Survey, a one-night regional tally of those experiencing homelessness across the region. That’s up from 23 a year before.
The recent death of a woman who spent much of the last two decades on Arlington’s streets is driving conversation on intervention options in Virginia.
Carol Ann Sauer — remembered as a friend and a “fixture to locals” who helped her at times, especially during bad weather — died from complications related to pneumonia and sepsis at VHC Health shortly before midnight on Dec. 31. She was 66.
Arlington government leaders appear willing to fill financial gaps if the federal government reduces housing grants to support vulnerable populations — but they don’t know how big those gaps might be.
“We’re not going to not find a way to fund it. We’re not going to let that all fall apart,” Board member Maureen Coffey said at the Housing Commission’s Jan. 15 meeting, which looked at impacts of current and future budget cuts to federal housing funds.
D.C.-area musicians are coming together in Falls Church later this month to support assistance to unhoused people.
Four bands are set to perform at the third annual Reason 2 Rock Music Festival on Saturday, Sept. 20. The event will donate 100% of its proceeds to the Arlington-based nonprofit PathForward.
President Donald Trump’s crackdown on homeless encampments in D.C. comes during a period of increasing need for homelessness resources in Arlington.
The number of people without homes in Arlington has been steadily rising for the past four years — growing from a 10-year low of 171 in 2021 to 271 as of this January. Those numbers come hand-in-hand with increased demands on a local network of related services, including emergency housing.
A Grammy-nominated country artist will be performing at an Arlington homeless shelter as part of a nationwide fundraising tour.
Singer-songwriter Steven Cade’s “Giving Guitars Tour” will be coming to Bridges to Independence on Monday, featuring a performance and a Q&A as well as the donation of a signed guitar.
While an annual point-in-time count showed the D.C. region has seen a slight decline in homelessness, Arlington’s count increased by 12%.
The point-in-time count from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) is an annual snapshot tallying people experiencing homelessness around the region.
One of the safest neighborhoods in Arlington is getting additional security patrols for the next few months.
The Rosslyn BID is deploying new personnel to conduct patrols, support law enforcement and otherwise assist local residents and visitors.
As safety-net advocates press for more funding to address homelessness, Arlington officials say more permanent and temporary housing options are also needed.
The county’s full “continuum of care” for this issue clocks in at $7.5 million annually — “not an insignificant amount,” Anita Friedman, director of the county government’s Department of Human Services, said at a budget work session last week. Without places for people to go, however, she said the problem festers.
At the recent Falls Church Chamber of Commerce candidate forum, the two aspirants running in the special election for City Council were posed this hypothetical situation.
“If you had $50 million handed to you,” they were asked, “how would you use it to make transportation better in the city?”
