Over the Hill

Hello, neighbor!

TL;DR

🏠 The majority of former Hill residents are now either housed or in the shelter
⛺ Those who are sleeping outside have so far been undisturbed
👮‍♂️ There are some concerns that crimes in my neighborhood are linked to homelessness, but police say otherwise
📝 Profiling people based on their appearance doesn’t help reduce crime

Sheltered and Housed

Ever since the Hill encampment closed down, the residents have by and large either been housed or have used the new temporary overnight shelter. While there’s still a lack of privacy in the shelter, it remains a safe place to sleep at night for many people.

Thankfully, a fair number of former Hill residents have now been housed! Several of them now have new stability and independence. Others continue to seek housing vouchers.

Roughing It

Some Hill residents are still sleeping outdoors. Some have pitched up tents while others sleep on benches. As of now, nobody’s bothering them or reporting them, which is good to hear. However, there is always that risk for anyone sleeping outside, especially now that the Supreme Court decided municipalities can indiscriminately ban unhoused people from sleeping on public property.

I spoke with some people who are sleeping outside, and they’re doing okay, aside from not having a home. Many of their things have gotten smelly and moldy during last week’s rain, but they’re otherwise secure. With the weather turning chilly, they’re seeking warm things. I’ve updated the Needs page with the items they’ve directly asked for.

My Neighborhood, Crime, and Homelessness

I originally created this site to dispel misinformation about Reston’s homeless community, and I have an opportunity to do so again! There has been some crime in my neighborhood recently (burglary of unlocked cars and patios), and there’s a few concerns that the homeless population is responsible.

To address these concerns, the HOA organized a meeting with the Reston police. Around 30 neighbors attended. The police major stated that from police reports, there is no data to back up claims that unhoused individuals are directly responsible for an uptick in neighborhood crime. He further said that assuming so could result in allowing the true criminals to remain unfound. Another officer present said that he knows the local homeless population and asks them how they’re doing whenever he sees them.

The crimes that have been reported in my neighborhood are breaking into units and stealing property. These reports are of great concern to me and my neighbors. There were many useful suggestions to combat these crimes. Ring cameras, locking patios, locking cars, fences, more lighting, etc. I’ve left my car unlocked before and gotten stolen from (in a different community). It sucks. I want my neighborhood to implement policies that reduce crime.

However, some suggestions didn’t seem helpful for reducing crime, such as reporting anyone who looks suspicious, specifically someone who looks homeless. I’ve been mistaken for a homeless person before. Should I, a homeowner, be reported to the police for trespassing? That’s nonsensical.

Additionally, these claims that crime rates are linked to homelessness ignore the data that crime has upticked in the last month, despite this very last month being the one in which the Hill encampment was cleared. There are fewer homeless people in the area and crime has increased.

I want crime prevented in my neighborhood. And I want my unhoused friends to be treated with decency. Those two desires don’t need to conflict with each other.

Stop Profiling, Start Factual Reporting

People experiencing homelessness often are subject to profiling based on their state of dress. It’s very unfortunate, and as the police officers during my neighborhood meeting explained, this stereotype can hurt facts-based efforts to find criminals. This is a reality all over America.

I’m not suggesting that homeless people are saints who don’t commit crimes. Obviously, some homeless people commit crimes. When the Hill was still open, there were known troublemakers. Some tent residents would call the cops on others if they stole or acted violently. My friends at the Hill didn’t want to live with thieves any more than my neighbors do.

What’s troubling, though, is that homeless people who face hardships every single day also frequently face discrimination based on their appearance. The majority of my neighbors say that they don’t want to profile, but they’re also concerned for their safety. That makes sense. The great news is that you don’t have to profile to be safe. In fact, the data shows that such profiling does not reduce crime. Real solutions like locks, cameras, lighting, and gates can help.

Reporting verifiable crimes helps police catch criminals. Reporting someone standing around wearing a patchy shirt does not actually help prevent criminal behavior.

I’m reaching out to organizations to help those who are sleeping outside. Hopefully I’ll hear back soon, since chilly weather is upon us.

Thanks,
Matthew