The Prince William County Homeless Mobile Unit resumed operations this spring, offering weekly support to homeless residents in the western part of the county. The unit is stationed at Manassas Presbyterian Church, 8201 Ashton Avenue, every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m., providing hot meals and referrals for mental health, housing, and substance abuse services. Feeding Friends now operates the unit, which was previously run by Serving Our Neighbors until September 2024.
Full press release:
The construction of the Homeless navigation center in the east of Prince William County moved a little closer on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, with a unanimous vote to approve a zoning map amendment to use five parcels of land owned by the county for the center’s construction.
The land near Potomac Mills mall contains the OmniRide transit center, the regional bus hub, and Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission offices. The north portion of these five parcels, fronting Potomac Mills Road, is the former site of the Bill Mehr Drop-In Center, which provides meals, showers, and opportunities to connect and interact socially. The drop-in center is temporarily located at the Ferlazzo Building, a county government office complex on Route 1 in Woodbridge.
The survey covered encampments throughout the county, including the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
This year, a unique approach was taken to encourage participation in the survey. Homeless individuals who completed the survey were given gift cards as an incentive. The donated gift cards totaled $2,740, said Prince William County spokeswoman Nikki Brown.
