Homeless in the Hurricane

William Howard knew the hurricane was coming, but he didn’t even have a tent to put his things in. Howard had been sleeping in the parking garage at the VRE station when a couple approached him and offered to let him stay at their home during the storm.

“They fed me, let me take a shower, gave me breakfast,” Howard said. “They said they had more than enough to share.”

Not all the homeless were so fortunate. One man who lives at a campsite in the woods said he and two others stayed with the tents to watch their belongings while others went to seek shelter. “We weathered the storm,” he said. 

The man, who did not wish to be identified for privacy reasons, said that as a Navy veteran, he had been through worse storms. There are about 16 people at his campsite, but only one tent was blown over that the campsite residents were not yet able to put back up.

The man said he has been living at the campsite since the Prince William County Emergency Winter Shelter closed on April 1. The shelter is open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. from November 1 through March 31 for those who need a place to sleep. The man said he had lost his job, and subsequently, his place to live. He has since gotten another job, but has not yet been able to find a place to live.

He said it is difficult for someone who has lost their home to find a job, because employers who would otherwise hire a person often find a reason to disqualify the job applicant when they find out the applicant is homeless. 

William Howard said he has a similar problem. Without a place to leave his belongings, it is difficult for him to go to job interviews. “Dragging all my luggage along to an interview, it just don’t look right,” he said.

Howard has been homeless for two weeks, but can’t get into a homeless shelter because the shelters are full.

Gayle Sanders, director of the Hilda Barg Homeless Prevention Center said the 30-bed temporary family shelter had to turn away 224 people last month alone due to lack of space. “There’s even a limit on how many people can be in the building,” Sanders said. “We’re over capacity on the residents right now.” 

People like Howard are able to get some help at the Bill Mehr Drop-In Center, run out of the building used as the county’s winter shelter. The drop-in center, operated by the Cooperative Council of Ministries, is open 24 hours per week to allow the homeless to take showers, have mail delivered, get employment referrals and more.

Yvonne William, a monitor at the center, said donations of food, toiletries and other basic supplies are always needed. The center also keeps an updated list on its website of specific items needed, such as a particular size of work boots or clothing. Due to space restrictions, the center cannot accept general donations of things not on the list.

For now, Howard is back on the streets, needing a tent to sleep in. After the storm, he found he wasn’t able to go back to the VRE parking garage. “The police ran me out,” he said. “They said I couldn’t sleep in the garage no more.”